Any ASoIaF fans out there?

Subject: Any ASoIaF fans out there? Tue Jun 15, 2010 8:50 pm

Talking about the series of books written by George R. R. Martin, starting with "A Game of Thrones". Absolutely best books I've ever read, can't get enough of them and am very excited about the upcoming HBO series!

Here's a link to their new website, in case you haven't seen it:

http://www.hbo.com/#/game-of-thrones

So far I'm very happy with the casting except perhaps for Dany. But the look of the series looks great and the 20 second teaser is just that!

Subject: Re: Any ASoIaF fans out there? Tue Jun 15, 2010 9:03 pm

oh, my. Is this the one where he QUIT WRITING THE SERIES to work on the screen play? I still haven't forgiven that bastard. But... I grudgingly look forward to the series.

Florian Member Posts : 13 Join date : 2010-05-14

I started reading it around January. Half because of the HBO series, and half because of recommendation from various sources.

I am up to around the middle of A Storm of Swords, and I am obsessed!

Hopefully A Dance of Dragon is coming out soon.

Martin better finishes fast because each book is like 2 seasons I heard.

Subject: Re: Any ASoIaF fans out there? Tue Jun 15, 2010 9:10 pm

I have a love/hate relationship with his writing style. It's at once political and fantastic, dry and sometimes humorous. Some parts of the book I breeze through, some are like reading algebraical theorem. The worst is my reading speed. I can breeze through a book in a day or less. Harry potter series? Less than a week for the whole thing. And that's working 2 jobs, keeping house and maxxing my fishing skills on WoW.

I can't start reading a series until I have the whole thing. I made a mistake starting this one when he's not even finished writing it!!

Subject: Re: Any ASoIaF fans out there? Tue Jun 15, 2010 11:34 pm

Yeah, GRRM is notorious for flitting off to this and that con all over the world, or bemoaning his beloved NY Giants, and not getting his books out.

That said, I'm perfectly happy for him to get it right and take his time, just as long as he doesn't die

Not to be morbid, but look what happened to Robert Jordan...

I hadn't read about 2 seasons per book; I had read initially HBO had the idea of 1 season with 23 episodes per novel, so 7 seasons total. They may end up merging books 4/5 into one season. We shall see! Need book 5 first I guess haha.

Cool, it's always nice to find other obsessed ASoIaF fans out there!

Subject: Re: Any ASoIaF fans out there? Wed Jun 16, 2010 12:04 am

YOU CANT MERGE TWO BOOKS INTO ONE SEASON! That's like... Blasphemy.

Subject: Re: Any ASoIaF fans out there? Wed Jun 16, 2010 3:04 am

I loved the books. I stopped after 3 waiting for more to come out. I have the 4th and am still patiently waiting...

I had not seen the HBO show blurb, while The Seeker is an "ok" show I'm mostly worried about how bad this HBO thing will turn out. LoTR was amazing and had a huge budget. I'm not sure how this will turn out. Sure True Blood is fun and wonderful, but a real fairly gritty 'fantasy' I have my worries.

Subject: Re: Any ASoIaF fans out there? Wed Jun 16, 2010 7:43 am

@Mia: True enough! I just said that I guess because we've got like two halves of one massive book. He got in trouble after "Storm Of Swords" with his publishers, that book was so big. All new copies of it I see now are sold in 2 volumes. But yeah, whole lotta action in book 4, even though it's only 'half' the story.

@Swith: That is amazing restraint! But well done, you'll only enjoy it more when he finally finishes, which seems like an eternity away given 3 books to go yet. You are not on the treadmill I've been on these past few years, I've reread everything at least 7 times. I do pick up new stuff and enjoy them always, but yeah I'm beginning to lose patience.

I am also thinking that a committed, 23-episode arc for each book is just perfect, insofar as to try and condense each book into even a 4-hour film, there'd be a lot lost. Plus there'd be 7 movies, all fat budgets, they'd seem like a bloated, expensive compromise. I've also been very happy with how HBO supports their original series, as far as budget and content they'll allow, although I'm definitely not a fan of all of their series.

HBO is concerned about a budget blowout with this series, too, so I'm with you on hoping this turns out right. I really like the casting they've done so far, which always gives me hope when they seem to get that right.

OK sorry I keep going on and on, but then you can see why I started this thread. I love these books!!

Subject: Re: Any ASoIaF fans out there? Wed Jun 16, 2010 7:47 am

Yeah, I know. It's just he packs SO MUCH into one book, and the way he jumps from one character to another to another is just confusing. I swear the first book is JUST individual chapters on EACH ONE of the characters.

I wonder who he has cast for the incest twins?

Subject: Re: Any ASoIaF fans out there? Wed Jun 16, 2010 7:55 am

In browsing for the link to the cast list I've seen, I found out that they've recast the part of Dany! I think that is good, the other girl just did not really look anything like what I had pictured. Judging from comments on GRRM's Not a Blog, many others felt the same way.

Interesting also that GRRM has put the kibosh on announcing any story spoilers from now on, as the publicity from the HBO series is drawing in new readers, and how terrible would it be for them to learn of so many things... particularly in Book 3... I'll say no more

http://livefeed.hollywoodreporter.com/2009/10/game-of-thrones-cast-with-photos-.html

Subject: Re: Any ASoIaF fans out there? Wed Jun 16, 2010 8:15 am

I am well satisfied with the casting list now. Also I think I shall simply tivo and replay any scene with "Drogo" in it. Jason is SUCH a sweetheart and SO cute! (he also blushes easily, believe it or not).

Subject: Re: Any ASoIaF fans out there? Wed Jun 16, 2010 8:27 am

lol nope, didn't know that about him, but I'll take your word for it! He does have 'the look' but he does seem a bit scrawny. That being said, he is playing Conan soon, so perhaps they'll pump him up

Glad you are liking the cast list as well! I love their choice for Cat, and also so many new and unfamiliar faces, this'll be great. The Jon Snow kid looks the part!

Subject: Re: Any ASoIaF fans out there? Wed Jun 16, 2010 9:46 am

Really the biggest appeal of the books as a whole, for me, is that they are set out to tell a story and all indications are that he is going to finish the story. Robert Jordan and Wheel of Time started this way, but due to one thing or another he just kept on writing the story. Then he passed with the story far from actually finished.

Some things are good open ended, but in general they have 'smaller' stories that wrap up in a single episode (or four) or a single book. Just hoping the money from the publishers wanting another hit doesn't ruin the original concept. Or some unforeseen terrible thing, though with Jordan's case he was fairly advanced in years when he started being published and 13 (or was it 14) books later...

Florian Member Posts : 13 Join date : 2010-05-14

I've been reading about some theories and I came up with my own crackpot theory

Spoiler:

Subject: Re: Any ASoIaF fans out there? Thu Jun 17, 2010 3:42 am

Slevyas Grue wrote:: Not to be morbid, but look what happened to Robert Jordan...

I always felt this comic summed up the Jordan experience quite well. And the strip's title is "The Jury's Still Out on Martin", so it's pretty appropriate for this thread. Smile

Subject: Re: Any ASoIaF fans out there? Thu Jun 17, 2010 3:44 am

Haha yes, very appropriate Syl! GRRM best not turn into another Jordan, although at least GRRM's books go somewhere.

And yep, somewhere in the middle of the 5th book of Jordan's series, I felt the exact same way: more and more characters and areas introduced, less and less actually happening. When I was daydreaming through 2-3 pages at a time and having to go back and re-read, it was time to stop for good.