It's hard to fairly compare someone like GRRM to Tolkien. Writing technique and fashion has changed a lot since back then, Tolkein didn't really have a previous

It's hard to fairly compare someone like GRRM to Tolkien. Writing technique and fashion has changed a lot since back then, Tolkein didn't really have a previous Tolkein to inspire him, and their motivations were completely different. Go further back to authors like H.G. Wells, and most of the characters didn't even have names (War of the Worlds and The Time Machine had very few named characters, for instance).