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genres were clearly present in the early workings of authors such as Barron Dunsany and George MacDonald (DunsanyWeb, 2003). However, it is often suggested that J.R.R Tolkien was the author who constructed the arc-type of fantasy and through his works such as The hobbit' and The Lord of the Rings' was also the man responsible for the mass popularisation enjoyed by later fiction writers (Tolkien Society, 2007). Essentially, Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings' is highly significant in the realms of science fiction and fantasy, as it was un-deniably one of the most successful and popular fiction stories ever written. However, the ideas and themes behind the story were largely based on the tale of Beowulf' an epic poem thought to have been written between seven hundred and one thousand BC (Tolkien Society, 2007). Thus, through the utilization of such elements, Tolkien was able to emphasise the contemporary importance of the genera as well as its historical and cultural significance, especially in the preservation of dying languages and ancient literature.

Arguably, the literature based around science fiction and fantasy has maintained a fairly stable readership since the shift towards such genres during the nineteen fifties. However, many readers loyal to the genres as well as literacy critics have argued that the more contemporary authors represent a severe lapse in originality and that modern science fiction and fantasy stories lack the individuality and uniqueness of works previous to the contemporary day.

Essentially, such vexing issues are most commonly apparent when considering the mass numbers of contemporary authors when compared to those of the previous generations. This factor is often attributed to re-creation, in which one author's main idea, plot, theme, setting or even style is taken by others and re-used and re-created time and time again.

Inevitably it may become difficult for any reader or contemporary author to tell wether a particular work is immediately produced by ones own imagination and thought rather than examined and reproduced by imitation (Morris, 2004). Although elements taken from original works may sometimes be re-used more effectively than others, it still becomes difficult to distinguish the successors from the imitations. Therefore, it is important for readers and potential authors to be able to examine and evaluate their own ideas and the elements of what makes an effective fiction story.

Undeniably, it is difficult for first time authors

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