A Game of Thrones

[Azariel]

I personally found A Game of Throne a load of crap - is it just me or is fantasy getting less fantastic (as in the case of this book) and just full of sex, violence and gore. . . c'mon, spare me the details. Alot of great fantasy had buckets of blood, (*cough* Conan *cough*) without the overly-descriptive gorefest. Eitherway, I found this amusing off Amazon reviewer, which is an observation I noted in the first 30pgs:

The Stark family and their locale is taken straight from Nordic legends. The Others are bog-standard undead (Ringwraiths, even), who live beyond Hadrian's wall; all the other noble families, if they are elaborated upon at all, are defined mostly by their heraldic devices. There are magical objects (dragon eggs), specially forged swords handed from father to son, you name it. Most unforgivably, the Targaryens, with their violet eyes, dragon fixation, and pale hair and skin, are Melniboneans lifted without alteration from Michael Moorcock's classic Elric series (they even lived on an isle)

:(

[MissDreamy]

I beg to differ there, Azariel, although the points that reviewer has made is quite true, I think he is a good writer. The weakness does come from writing a chapter for each character, i.e. having to wait another 300 odd pages or even the next book for a character's POV, but I have enjoyed his books so far. Mind you it was a very long time ago since the last, maybe I'll change my mind :)

[Azariel]

Nothing against GRR Martin - but I personally found Game of Thrones lacklust - and fairly boring. There was gore, sex aplenty but nothing that lured me to that world, which is a necessity of fantasy - a lure. As for the sex and gore, I think it could have been done better suggested than detailed. I've read great stories of utter violence without the need of excessive gore - Karl Edward Wagner was the best at this. I'm babbling, moving on. . . :D

[Pellaz]

I've quite liked the books so far...I'd call them 'low' fantasy rather than high, not because of a lack of quality but because, yeah, GRRM tends toward the gritty side of the genre as opposed to the cleaner, higher side.

That being said, early reviews of A Feast For Crows have been generally negative. Apparently GRRM has done the same thing that Tad Williams did: write a book that's too long to be contained in one volume, so the publisher split it. Unfortunately the first part, just published, is the 'setup,' and some revered characters don't even make an appearance. :(

[Doc]

I appreciate the grit and death, both of which make the book seem more "real." That aspect makes it quite unlike much work that has been characterized as "high" fantasy. However, A Game of Thrones shares with high fantasy an obsession with creating a new culture and history. I feel like you have to study it, rather than just read it, to get some of the nuances.

[Azariel]

I appreciate the grit and death, both of which make the book seem more "real." That aspect makes it quite unlike much work that has been characterized as "high" fantasy. However, A Game of Thrones shares with high fantasy an obsession with creating a new culture and history. I feel like you have to study it, rather than just read it, to get some of the nuances.

Nuances indeed. Man, A Feast of Crow is two parts, I have harder time reading these lengthy books than the bible :D

[Doc]

I have to keep track of enormous amounts of information in my professional life. I see no reason to give myself more things to remember when I'm trying to unplug from that. That is, until someone institutes a degree in "fantasy history and culture." :lol:

[Keele]

I'd get your degree in Klingon language first.

Personally, I like Martin's books quite a bit. I quite enjoy the realistic elements of the story, though I can understand that some readers prefer their fantasy more strongly divorced from reality. Martin's books sometimes end up feeling more like historical fiction than fantasy. I personally appreciate the multiple perspectives. As one Amazon reviewer stated, they allow the author to skip the boring parts. Martin's books, in my opinion at least, don't drag much.

By the way, if anyone here enjoys Martin, I suggest historical fiction author Bernard Cornwell (who I think is a better author than Martin). Martin, in fact, is a Cornwell fan. Even if you don't like Martin, I think you might enjoy Cornwell. He's an extremely talented and rather prolific writer. If you can't stand blood and gore, however, stay far away from his books.

[Azariel]

I'd get your degree in Klingon language first.

Personally, I like Martin's books quite a bit. I quite enjoy the realistic elements of the story, though I can understand that some readers prefer their fantasy more strongly divorced from reality. Martin's books sometimes end up feeling more like historical fiction than fantasy.

Well, ain't that the point - fantastic literature in fantastic times of what the past should have been but wasn't, as an anonymous author once said. :D

[Pellaz]

I appreciate the grit and death, both of which make the book seem more "real." That aspect makes it quite unlike much work that has been characterized as "high" fantasy.

My pun title for one of the books is A Storm of S-Words due to GRRM's choice to include salty (yet realistic) language. :)

However, A Game of Thrones shares with high fantasy an obsession with creating a new culture and history. I feel like you have to study it, rather than just read it, to get some of the nuances.

--And therein lies much of the fun of reading -- and enjoying -- good fantasy and science-fiction: did the writer create a believable, functional culture and society? Or did they make a pig's breakfast out of it?

This explains why "World Building 101" panels at SF conventions remain popular to this day. :D

[Harvester]

A Feast for Crows is out as I write this, but I have yet to purchase such book.
I found the prior three works to be most entertaining. - Truely loving the way he incorporates magic without you actually seeing it, so to say. -

He gets two thumbs up in my eye's.

[David Mosley]

He gets two thumbs up in my eye's.

Ouch! Sounds painful. :P

[Harvester]

Now that I reread that; I see what you mean. LOL!

[Anonymous]

I read most of the first book and found it didn't live up to the hype. In fact, it was downright mediocre.
Superficial unconvincing medieval heraldry, poor characterisation. Prose very average. To me there was little depth to it. To me it seemed like a world created by someone with only a paper thin tourists understanding of Eurpoean medieval world - and that is truly not a slight against American fantasy. it could easily apply to brits or other europeans. This was just my impression.

I have to confess that, being British, I was mildly annoyed at GRR Martin's saying that his inspiration for the Wall being Hadrian's wall in.......SCOTLAND :x