In the past few years there is a lot of interest for the book series "A Song of Ice and Fire" by George Martin, mainly because of the HBO's hit series Game of Thrones. Game of Thrones is also the title of the planned heptalogy, of which 5 books are already published. For all those who don't know, the book and the TV show is about a fantasy middle age world in which several so-called houses are competing for the main throne playing a game in which you either win or you die. Do you like Game of Thrones TV show? Have you read it?
I have read two of the five part series of this book. I am also a huge fan of the HBO series. In many cases, the film adaptation does not do justice to the book but I think the HBO series has really done a great job in creating the visual, linguistic feel of the book. I think the casting was great and the interpretation of key scenes in the story is vivid and gripping just as it is in the book.
I truly and absolutely adore both the Game of Thrones TV show and the A Song of Ice and Fire books upon which they are based! They have a well deserved ranking among my Top 5 favourite TV and book series of the past couple of decades!
Game of Thrones and A Song of Ice and Fire absolutely subverts the traditional expectations of the medieval fantasy genre and it resonates and derives itself more from the chaotic, often seemingly unjust actual history of man more so than the romantic medieval fantasy from which it gathers a light sprinkling as an embellishment.
I haven't read the books because I don't want to buy them unless they've been completed since I'm pretty sure that it will come in a box set once George Martin finishes the entire saga. I have watched it though and I think that it's a great series. It's really bold and charismatic all on it's own. I mean an author has to have guts to kill a character he knows people like and still think that his books will sell. Personally I like how the author is so fearless in that regard and I hope that he makes an amazing finale for the story.
Absolutely. I remember very clearly reading through the first book with no real preconception of what it was about or what was going to happen (long before the TV series). I thought it was a bog-standard low fantasy setting with a predictable storyline (especially after the "Dire wolves for everyone!" moment at the start). I was considering putting it down when
Ned Stark was in his prison cell awaiting execution. I thought to myself "Meh. Plot armor. He's going to escape, and him and his sons will have a bonding moment and go teach those evil Lannisters a lesson, how very predic... what. They... executed him?". That moment basically cemented in my mind how unpredictable George Martin is as a writer.
I would also recommend George Martin's earlier book (well, more a collection of short stories than a proper novel, but w/e) called Tuf Voyaging. It's got a much simpler story arch and structure, but it does leave you guessing as to how the main character is going to solve the plot of each short story.
His "final solution" to the problem of an extremely overpopulated planet was extremely harsh, but believable. Namely, the mass forced sterilization via a biologically engineered foodstuff. The reaction of Tully Mune was really interesting. Emotionally torn, but understanding the reasons behind it. Great ending.
There's also been talk of perhaps a TV show based off of Tuf's story, with the actor who plays Varys playing him. It'd be an awesome fit: I can definitely see Conleth Hill playing a mildly inept, chubby former space trader with a love of cats. He has both the physical build and the acting skills for it.
I'm reading through the series for the second time. A Storm of Swords is the best book in my opinion. I'm a little worried that there will be pressure on George RR Martin to hurry and power through the series in order to catch up to the television show. I just hope the quality doesn't suffer.
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