Lord Of The Rings: 10 Persistent Plot Holes FINALLY Debunked

10. George RR Martin's "Flaw" In The Ending

The Claim:

Martin's comments on RotK's ending and Aragorn's rule are as such:

"What does that constitute, ruling "wisely and well?" I mean, what was his (Aragon’s) tax policy? How did the economy function under him? Did he encourage trade? Did he discourage it? What about the class system, the rising peasantry and the burgeoning middle class? Were those encouraged or put down, did he give power to the aristocracy?

The orcs - there are still tens, thousands, of orcs left over at the end of Lord of the Rings. Did he pursue a policy of genocide toward them? Or did he reach out to try to educate the orcs, bring them into the mainstream, and civilize them?"

What Martin wants is exposition, but it is exposition that lies outside the scope of the story.

Tolkien is on record as stating that he wanted to create a mythology, and myth as a genre is focused on the great deeds of heroes, not the minutia of governance. Game of Thrones is a story about politics, and politics is intimately tied to governance. Thus it makes sense for Martin to cover it, but not for Tolkien.

Had the two authors met, Martin would have got his answers, but sadly that was not to be.