A Song of Ice and Fire books

[ChickenScratch]

Got mine this morning. I'll start reading tonight but my schedule does not have a nice hole in it till Thursday so till then I'll be just getting my toes wet a chapter or two at a time.

[Buford The Sly]

Favorite line from Dance so far (only got through the first Dany chapter last night) Slight spoiler: Tyrion discussing Westerosi sigils with Illyrio. Tyrion: "I am still a lion." Illyrio "Would you like to meet a real lion?"

[Spidey-Bat]

I finished Game of Thrones this weekend and started Clash of Kings. I didn't think I could love Tyrion more. His first chapter in ACOK is so good. I almost feel like I should slow down a bit. I don't want to rush through 5 books and then have to wait 5-6 years for the next one.

[Ahura Mazda]

I should be getting the 5th book later on this week.

[Dark Sentinel]

While I admire the accomplishment, and the depth of the world that has been created, the fact remains that I'm irritated to the core that people think Martin is superior to Tolkien. Tolkien worked on the mythology of Middle-earth for 30 years before he was even asked to write Lord of the Rings. ASoIaF is good, but it will never be superior.

[ChickenScratch]

If you say so. I prefer GRRM's work, better is subjective but I enjoy his work a heck of a lot more than JRRT's (still love his stuff though).

[Dark Sentinel]

Yeah wasn't trying to troll in the least. I just like my fantasy a little more fantastical. Now if I could pull off a balance between JRRT and GRRM that'd be awesome haha

[Dark Sentinel]

However, I do like many of the political aspects of Martin's work. Very intriguing

[Buford The Sly]

Originally Posted by dark_sentinel

While I admire the accomplishment, and the depth of the world that has been created, the fact remains that I'm irritated to the core that people think Martin is superior to Tolkien. Tolkien worked on the mythology of Middle-earth for 30 years before he was even asked to write Lord of the Rings. ASoIaF is good, but it will never be superior.

I thought the Time review of A Dance With Dragons put it very well. A Song of Ice and Fire was written for this time period. Lord of the Rings was written for the post World War II era. Both have very cool world building it's just a matter of preference. GRRM would always bow down to Tolkien and has said as much in interviews but I personally enjoy his writting style way more than Tolkien's. Also I prefer the 'grittyness' of A Song of Ice and Fire to Lord of the Rings. That being said, I wouldn't fault anyone for prefering Middle Earth over Westeros.

[ChickenScratch]

Originally Posted by dark_sentinel

However, I do like many of the political aspects of Martin's work. Very intriguing

Castle Intrigue has always been a fascination of mine. GRRM dramatizes it so well.

[Colossal Spoons]

Getting ready to start Feast For Crows. Looking at the chapters, this book seems to be all about people I don't particularly care about(except Arya). How did y'all like this book?

[Crockett]

Originally Posted by Colossal Spoons

Getting ready to start Feast For Crows. Looking at the chapters, this book seems to be all about people I don't particularly care about(except Arya). How did y'all like this book?

I like that it has a more slower pace and it sets some events for ADWD. While there's a few characters chapters I didn't really like it's refreshing and frankly quite interesting to get an insight on the new characters besides the ones we are used to.

[Buford The Sly]

Originally Posted by Colossal Spoons

Getting ready to start Feast For Crows. Looking at the chapters, this book seems to be all about people I don't particularly care about(except Arya). How did y'all like this book?

The first half is kind of a slog to get through but by the end it's just as riveting as the other ones (maybe not Storm of Sword riveting). I liked the Iron Island stuff which I think I'm in the minority on that. Brienne's stuff is a slog at first but has a big payoff. Aarya's stuff is good. The most interesting things are the Cersei stuff, not so much because of her character but the way she's written. It's kind of cool to get inside the mind of a mad woman and the prologue and epilogue could be the most pivotal ones in the whole series.

[Whiskey Tango]

Nice article from John Scalzi putting into perspective Martin's work over the last few years.

http://whatever.scalzi.com/2011/07/1...-and-releases/

[Spidey-Bat]

Don't know who wrote that, but they came off as being an ******* calling his fans "unsocialized." As if all they do hide in their houses waiting for the next book to come out.

[Whiskey Tango]

read it a little closer, he's referring specifically to the rather obnoxious slice of Martin's fanbase who've been quite disrespectful of the man's work ethic for the last five years.

[El Bastardo]

Originally Posted by dark_sentinel

While I admire the accomplishment, and the depth of the world that has been created, the fact remains that I'm irritated to the core that people think Martin is superior to Tolkien. Tolkien worked on the mythology of Middle-earth for 30 years before he was even asked to write Lord of the Rings. ASoIaF is good, but it will never be superior.

I'm sure plenty of fans of A Song of Ice and Fire have stated "ASoIaF is the best thing ever!!!!one" and it's superior to everything and all that, but those types of fans exist for everything under the sun and moon. And underground, possibly.

I would never get in a pissing contest about who put more work in, nor would I discredit either undertaking by saying one was better than the other (nor would I care to get in so stupid an argument). But from the standpoint of writing (read: prose quality), all five books of A Song of Ice and Fire and GRRM's writing in general is superior to Tolkien's Middle-Earth stories and all else he wrote. Technically, stylistically, and narratively. That is certainly true.

It depends on whether your aforementioned fans were being doofs (first paragraph) or correct (second paragraph). Just thought I'd chime in and become the thead's resident literary elitist, since I was subbing anyway.

[Spidey-Bat]

Originally Posted by Whiskey Tango

read it a little closer, he's referring specifically to the rather obnoxious slice of Martin's fanbase who've been quite disrespectful of the man's work ethic for the last five years.

I've only known of the series since a week before GoT aired on HBO (not much of a reader, especially fantasy). So I'm not really familiar with the fanbase. The author's rant in that post just comes across as bad as the people he complains about.


I'm about halfway through ACOK. So many Tyrion chapters, I have to go back and read summaries of the rest except Arya. Bran's are pretty boring but I'm sure it's building up for later.

[El Bastardo]

Something you'll more than likely come across then, Spidey-Bat, is the awful sense of entitlement quite a number of the fanbase have. This goes so far I've seen people claim GRRM owes them, meaning personally, all seven books in a timely fashion, because they have purchased the books already out. These people also will claim that the reason he has taken so long to write the latest two books is because he doesn't care about the series, doesn't care about them, and is a fat ****tard who would rather be out eating, drinking, sleeping, going to sports games, and whatever else.

It's so bad it actually surpasses the stupidity of the supposed "true BioWare fan" who touts their glory days are finished and every new game that comes out with progressively worse than the previous. And sometimes we other fans, sane as we are, feel the need to tee off.

Don't worry. You can know it now, or you can know it later.

[Buford The Sly]

Originally Posted by Spidey-Bat

Bran's are pretty boring but I'm sure it's building up for later.

Speaking of Bran...I'm slowly working my way through ADWD. But Bran has had the most exciting chapter so far and there are a bunch of exciting ones (I'm not quite through the first half). Stick with Bran. It gets better. I have a feeling Bran's story is going to be VERY important to the whole thing.

[Spidey-Bat]

I'm sure it will. So far his chapters have just been about meeting lords of the Northern houses. The latest one I read he met the Reed children so I'm sure it will get better very soon.

I saw ADWD when I was in Target. Damn is that a big book.

[ChickenScratch]

Those Reed children rule too man. Stick with Bran, he's one of the better characters. Plus you get the fun of Hodor!

[Spidey-Bat]

Originally Posted by El Bastardo

Something you'll more than likely come across then, Spidey-Bat, is the awful sense of entitlement quite a number of the fanbase have. This goes so far I've seen people claim GRRM owes them, meaning personally, all seven books in a timely fashion, because they have purchased the books already out. These people also will claim that the reason he has taken so long to write the latest two books is because he doesn't care about the series, doesn't care about them, and is a fat ****tard who would rather be out eating, drinking, sleeping, going to sports games, and whatever else.

It's so bad it actually surpasses the stupidity of the supposed "true BioWare fan" who touts their glory days are finished and every new game that comes out with progressively worse than the previous. And sometimes we other fans, sane as we are, feel the need to tee off.

Don't worry. You can know it now, or you can know it later.

Sounds like a pretty awful lot. I do think GRRM owes it to the fans to finish the series, but it is ridiculous to expect him to spend every waking moment on it to finish it within 2 years.

Originally Posted by ChickenScratch

Those Reed children rule too man. Stick with Bran, he's one of the better characters. Plus you get the fun of Hodor!

I definitely will. I couldn't skip a chapter or just read a summary of it.

[El Bastardo]

I don't think GRRM owes his fans a thing. He has offered us products to purchase, which we have done. That we continue to purchase his products and recommend them to other people indicates we enjoy them. That's pretty much the extent of the deal. That he is actually thankful he has an intelligent and loyal following (all in all) speaks well of him, but if he decided the series was too much trouble to finish, I wouldn't begrudge him that decision.

And yes, like other people have said, stick with Bran. I hated Bran in AGoT and ACoK and started to hate him less in ASoS, but come ADwD, oh lordie. Good stuff.

[Spidey-Bat]

Funny how I say the Bran chapters are boring and the very next one is a complete 180 It's when Jojen tells him he's had the dream of the 3-eyed crow, too

I also got to one of the few, good Catelyn chapters When she tries to make Stannis and Renly not fight.