Tolkien compared to other writers

I'm sure many of you have encountered similarities between today's fantasy stories and Tolkien. Does this bother you? I still read 'em anyway I started with Tolkien, and then moved to other authors in the genre. I haven't re-read LotR in a few years, instead opting to read new material. It's a small step for Tolkienites to read other fantasy, but many people I know who encountered, say, Terry Brooks first, have a hard time getting into Tolkien. It's weird. I'm not entirely sure what the purpose of this topic is, but reply if you have any comments :P