[Mojo the Avenger]

Tolkein was a world builder, not a writer. His work was so influential because it was genre defining. His writing is dry and arduous to read, not to mention jam packed with deus ex machinas.

I'm a tolkein fan, but first does not equal best. I say Martin's work is head and shoulders above the rest because it doesn't solve every problem with wizards, and he isn't afraid to let main characters die if it makes the most sense. Most fantasy literature coddles the reader.