It seems to me, Tolkien (at least Hobbit which I have read) achieves a degree of classicism and style on par with other speculative fiction founders, like Poe, Kipling, H.G. Wells (War of the Worlds, but really all his short stories of mystery and adventure); a grade which most sci-fi and fantasy seem to me not to attain (I like Greg Egan and Heinlein but it's not the same to me), among those great writers of classic literature that has survived many cycles of hype or fame. Perhaps because so much of spec fic golden era (50s, 60s) was driven by pulp magazines which demanded quick production (like the internet today, patreon etc) and not a work of care and patience.
But I'm super curious, regardless, about your suggestions for contemporary/web or social media french writers, in poetry, in fantasy, SF or any short stories; printed books welcome, maybe a post here on this theme? :)
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Well, I live in Quebec, so I am not so close to actual french literature. Im not even sure if I ever read a fantasy book written by a french speaking author before. What drew me towards more classic fantasy is the fact that I would very much like to become an author myself. So I am going back to the roots. Previously, I had read a good portion of the Royal Assassin's saga, by Robin Hobb (I am currently in the middle of the second cycle) and the three first tomes of Earthsea, by Ursula k. Le Guin. In between that, I read other books in different genres. Some of them were by authors from Quebec, but not fantasy.