...imply that Tolken is asexual or homosexual?
From what I remember of biology (and I may be wrong), asexual animals were those that had neither the sex organs of a male or female or produced offspring through sexual intercourse. How can a man be asexual with four children? Did he lay eggs or something?
Don't ask me...I didn't say it. js1138 did. Pretty kooky statement, huh?
Let's straighten some things out, since I started this. I posted some stuff about fantasy stories written by childless middle age British men. I did not mention Tolkien, but I suppose I implied it. He was not childless. I should have been more careful before posting.
I do not regret characterizing LOTR and a bunch of other "great works" like the Iliad as juvenile. I don't care how old the characters are, or how rough and tough, stories about men at war are juvenile fantasy. This doesn't mean they shouldn't be written or read; it simply means they appeal to and can be completely understood by preadolescent boys.
I was once a preadolescent boy, and my wife says I still am. I read scifi till it came out my ears.
But such stories have a limited worldview, and are not the only worthy kind of literature.
"Asexual", in the context used, simply means an adult who has no sexual relationships. Lots of victorian men were asexual, even in marriage. Maybe they were gay, maybe just shy.
It is no secret among writers and readers that women can write better about men than vice-versa. In fantasy fiction, this is often tanken to extremes, and there are no male-female relationships at all, even platonic.