Yeah, I hear ya. (Though, just in terms of personal taste when it comes to style of prose and what the writer is going for, Tolkien-esque writing doesn't appeal to me.)
But I do like to experience the originator of concepts, so I should dig into some Asimov. So much of the media I enjoy revels in referencing or parodying older stuff, that sometimes it's frustrating not knowing the source. I've lost count of the number of things I only learned about because of some obscure line from an episode of the Simpsons.