Comments on: Playing a Game of Thrones: Why you should read George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series http://seantcollins.com/2011/01/playing-a-game-of-thrones-why-you-should-read-george-r-r-martins-a-song-of-ice-and-fire-series/ ADD X STC Mon, 21 May 2012 21:40:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.2 By: Sean T. Collins http://seantcollins.com/2011/01/playing-a-game-of-thrones-why-you-should-read-george-r-r-martins-a-song-of-ice-and-fire-series/#comment-16148 Sean T. Collins Thu, 08 Mar 2012 12:09:30 +0000 http://seantcollins.com/?p=12417#comment-16148 Really glad you enjoyed it, Renny! No plans for CoK at the moment, alas. Really glad you enjoyed it, Renny! No plans for CoK at the moment, alas.

]]> By: Renny Christopher http://seantcollins.com/2011/01/playing-a-game-of-thrones-why-you-should-read-george-r-r-martins-a-song-of-ice-and-fire-series/#comment-16116 Renny Christopher Wed, 07 Mar 2012 03:39:51 +0000 http://seantcollins.com/?p=12417#comment-16116 Sean--I just finished the Subtext annotated version of AGOT. It was a really terrific reading experience. When will there be an annotated edition of A Clash of Kings? Sean–I just finished the Subtext annotated version of AGOT. It was a really terrific reading experience. When will there be an annotated edition of A Clash of Kings?

]]> By: Zack Soto plays a Game of Thrones | Robot 6 @ Comic Book Resources – Covering Comic Book News and Entertainment http://seantcollins.com/2011/01/playing-a-game-of-thrones-why-you-should-read-george-r-r-martins-a-song-of-ice-and-fire-series/#comment-11293 Zack Soto plays a Game of Thrones | Robot 6 @ Comic Book Resources – Covering Comic Book News and Entertainment Mon, 04 Apr 2011 22:01:42 +0000 http://seantcollins.com/?p=12417#comment-11293 [...] disclosure (not that it’s even necessary if you’ve noticed my posts on this topic for the past few months): I am a giant nerd for George R.R. Martin’s epic fantasy series A [...] [...] disclosure (not that it’s even necessary if you’ve noticed my posts on this topic for the past few months): I am a giant nerd for George R.R. Martin’s epic fantasy series A [...]

]]> By: Sean T. Collins http://seantcollins.com/2011/01/playing-a-game-of-thrones-why-you-should-read-george-r-r-martins-a-song-of-ice-and-fire-series/#comment-10987 Sean T. Collins Tue, 22 Feb 2011 04:33:49 +0000 http://seantcollins.com/?p=12417#comment-10987 The wait is unfortunate, though less so for me than for people who've been reading since day one instead of since last year. But it seems a bit unreasonable to expect a resolution of the central themes before the final book in a series, no matter how many times the number of volumes in that series is expanded or how many years it takes for each new volume to arrive. I get the sense you're not one to give much credence to Martin's predictions about when the series will wrap up, and I can see why, but to be fair he's advanced a quite reasonable argument that the wait for A Dance with Dragons is atypical, that the writing process for it has led to the completion of many chapters for the subsequent volume, that once he's through this bottleneck the remaining books will take much less time to write, and that the pace of production for an HBO series of this sort coupled with the likelihood that A Storm of Swords will be split over two seasons buys him quite a bit of time, so he probably WILL finish the final book before the show catches up. Now, it's obviously your call not to read the series until it's finished -- I often do that with long manga series myself -- but I would argue that the responses in this thread alone are evidence that a great many people find the series "worth reading" without it yet being finished. The wait is unfortunate, though less so for me than for people who’ve been reading since day one instead of since last year. But it seems a bit unreasonable to expect a resolution of the central themes before the final book in a series, no matter how many times the number of volumes in that series is expanded or how many years it takes for each new volume to arrive. I get the sense you’re not one to give much credence to Martin’s predictions about when the series will wrap up, and I can see why, but to be fair he’s advanced a quite reasonable argument that the wait for A Dance with Dragons is atypical, that the writing process for it has led to the completion of many chapters for the subsequent volume, that once he’s through this bottleneck the remaining books will take much less time to write, and that the pace of production for an HBO series of this sort coupled with the likelihood that A Storm of Swords will be split over two seasons buys him quite a bit of time, so he probably WILL finish the final book before the show catches up. Now, it’s obviously your call not to read the series until it’s finished — I often do that with long manga series myself — but I would argue that the responses in this thread alone are evidence that a great many people find the series “worth reading” without it yet being finished.

]]> By: J Tan http://seantcollins.com/2011/01/playing-a-game-of-thrones-why-you-should-read-george-r-r-martins-a-song-of-ice-and-fire-series/#comment-10982 J Tan Mon, 21 Feb 2011 21:17:00 +0000 http://seantcollins.com/?p=12417#comment-10982 I think it would be incredibly frustrating to read a series that never seems to finish. At some point one stops caring, because although it would be nice to get some resolution of the central themes, it never seems to come. The wait between books is interminable - Martin's planned narrative 5 year gap between books 3 and 4 turned out to be a real 5 year gap, and the gap between books 4 and 5 is even longer. It's entirely likely that the planned HBO series will catch up with the books. So, no, for me this series isn't worth reading, at least until it is finished, which could be in 10 years time, or never. I think it would be incredibly frustrating to read a series that never seems to finish. At some point one stops caring, because although it would be nice to get some resolution of the central themes, it never seems to come. The wait between books is interminable – Martin’s planned narrative 5 year gap between books 3 and 4 turned out to be a real 5 year gap, and the gap between books 4 and 5 is even longer. It’s entirely likely that the planned HBO series will catch up with the books.

So, no, for me this series isn’t worth reading, at least until it is finished, which could be in 10 years time, or never.

]]> By: zack soto http://seantcollins.com/2011/01/playing-a-game-of-thrones-why-you-should-read-george-r-r-martins-a-song-of-ice-and-fire-series/#comment-10603 zack soto Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:25:31 +0000 http://seantcollins.com/?p=12417#comment-10603 Davey, what?? WILD CARDS is the best shit in the universe. At least the first several books. Davey, what?? WILD CARDS is the best shit in the universe. At least the first several books.

]]> By: Sean T. Collins http://seantcollins.com/2011/01/playing-a-game-of-thrones-why-you-should-read-george-r-r-martins-a-song-of-ice-and-fire-series/#comment-10602 Sean T. Collins Sun, 23 Jan 2011 23:58:57 +0000 http://seantcollins.com/?p=12417#comment-10602 But there's tons of comparable cross-cultural slang in modern English, including basically every cussword. But there’s tons of comparable cross-cultural slang in modern English, including basically every cussword.

]]> By: What Are You Reading? | Robot 6 @ Comic Book Resources – Covering Comic Book News and Entertainment http://seantcollins.com/2011/01/playing-a-game-of-thrones-why-you-should-read-george-r-r-martins-a-song-of-ice-and-fire-series/#comment-10600 What Are You Reading? | Robot 6 @ Comic Book Resources – Covering Comic Book News and Entertainment Sun, 23 Jan 2011 20:01:23 +0000 http://seantcollins.com/?p=12417#comment-10600 [...] way and some of my friends asking what the fuss is all about, I penned a spoiler-free run-down of why you should read George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series — fantasy books I think just about anyone will find enthralling. If you’ve heard of the [...] [...] way and some of my friends asking what the fuss is all about, I penned a spoiler-free run-down of why you should read George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series — fantasy books I think just about anyone will find enthralling. If you’ve heard of the [...]

]]> By: Davey Oil http://seantcollins.com/2011/01/playing-a-game-of-thrones-why-you-should-read-george-r-r-martins-a-song-of-ice-and-fire-series/#comment-10596 Davey Oil Sun, 23 Jan 2011 18:48:26 +0000 http://seantcollins.com/?p=12417#comment-10596 I don't think I need to read the words, "mummer" or "mummer's farce" even one more time. Every single character, left talking long enough, will use the same single piece of slang? I'd love to have some character just look up and comment on that phrase. "Boy, we sure talk about mummers a lot." It's like a William Gibson novel, with the authors tic-like need to insinuate certain, extremely idiosyncratic slang into the dialogue of practically any character; "jack move" and "lateral" will be uttered by any and all, novel after novel. I'm sure that quite a lot in Westeros can remind one of a "mummer's farce" but I just dont believe that such unique, and as Sam points out above, socially distinct, individuals would all share this one bit of... okay, you all know what I mean. (hi, Sean!) I don’t think I need to read the words, “mummer” or “mummer’s farce” even one more time. Every single character, left talking long enough, will use the same single piece of slang? I’d love to have some character just look up and comment on that phrase. “Boy, we sure talk about mummers a lot.”
It’s like a William Gibson novel, with the authors tic-like need to insinuate certain, extremely idiosyncratic slang into the dialogue of practically any character; “jack move” and “lateral” will be uttered by any and all, novel after novel. I’m sure that quite a lot in Westeros can remind one of a “mummer’s farce” but I just dont believe that such unique, and as Sam points out above, socially distinct, individuals would all share this one bit of…
okay, you all know what I mean.
(hi, Sean!)

]]> By: Sean T. Collins http://seantcollins.com/2011/01/playing-a-game-of-thrones-why-you-should-read-george-r-r-martins-a-song-of-ice-and-fire-series/#comment-10588 Sean T. Collins Sat, 22 Jan 2011 22:36:17 +0000 http://seantcollins.com/?p=12417#comment-10588 Great point! The multiple strata of society bit, that is -- as a vegetarian, the appeal of medieval cuisine is largely lost on me. :) Great point! The multiple strata of society bit, that is — as a vegetarian, the appeal of medieval cuisine is largely lost on me. :)

]]>