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posted on 12-11-2010 at 04:48 PM
Game of Thrones
So I understand that fantasy is a niche genre of literature with a very limited amount of appeal. There's a reason why, aside from Lord of The
Rings, there haven't been very many successful Hollywood projects based on fantasy stuff, and aside from a few really good book series even a
dork like me tries to avoid the literature. But anyway, this summer I was taking some classes and ended up making friends with a guy who started
telling me about this awesome fantasy series that HBO was adapting into a series. I had mixed feelings; I didn't really want to get involved in
another multibook wizard-thon, but on the other hand- really? HBO is making a show based on this stuff? That... might be cool. Then, just because
he's a nice guy, my new friend bought me a copy of the first book of George R.R. Martin's series A Song of Fire and Ice, the first
book being "A Game of Thrones" (which is also the title of the upcoming HBO series) and although at 700+ pages it took me a few weeks to find time
to get through it- holy shit. AMAZING book that I would highly recommend to almost anybody, even people who scoff at the notion of reading something
with swords and tunics.
Look, this series is not what you expect when you think fantasy books. It's not some "huge evil force wants to destroy the world". It's
more like a Dark Ages version of the Sopranos. There are several families vying for power and they're perfectly willing to ally, backstab,
seduce, and kill each other for any minor advantage. It's fascinating stuff, and you get to see the story develop from the points of view of
several characters on all sides of the struggle. The great thing is, there's no real clear cut "good guys" or "bad guys". I mean,
there's definitely "the family you like" (the Starks) and "the family you'll hate" (the Lannisters, except for Tyrion, who is one of
the most awesome characters across any form of literature I've ever read) and then there's actually two other plotlines going on in
different parts of the world- one involving an exiled former princess and one involving a wall meant to hold off an invading army- and everything just
comes together in this amazing read. There are now 4 books in the series of a planned 7, with the 5th looking like it will be released sometime in
2011.
Everything that I've seen indicates that HBO is working really closely with Martin to make sure the series is as close to the books as possible,
which is a good thing! But I would strongly suggest that anyone who thinks they might be interested in the series pick up the first book and see what
they think.
And, oh, the series! It looks so good! They're actually giving it a nice budget! And the production looks great! And they cast some decent
actors (and a lot of unknowns, but that's OK). But don't take my word for it:
Inside Game
of Thrones
It's gonna be so good!
Gee, I wish I was still alive- LuckyLopez R.I.P.
Bachmann: "I haven't had a gaffe... when it comes to the best Republican who take
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theflammablemanimal
The Immortal One
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posted on 12-12-2010 at 03:29 AM
Sounds cool. I'll check out the books.
Also, I read a series last year called "The Night Angel" trilogy, starting with "The Way of Shadows." Yes, it's an "evil force wants to
rule all" book but it's also really well done and character driven. I highly recommend it.
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the goon
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posted on 12-12-2010 at 04:13 AM
I'd been vaguely entertaining the idea of doing a Game Of Thrones thread, as I started reading the books about six months ago and I knew the HBO
series was debuting relatively soon, so color me pleasantly surprised to see that CiG went ahead and beat me to it.
He really summed up the series well in his post, so I don't have much to add in that area, other than to echo that it's an amazing piece
of work and would probably appeal to people who aren't normally into fantasy (not to mention that it has a healthy dose of killing, fucking, and
other fun depravities). The sheer scope of what George R.R. Martin has created is pretty fucking astounding.
And I'd only seen small previews of the HBO series up till now, so it was cool to watch something that contained a lot of footage from the show.
Looks really, really good and the actress who plays Daenarys is fucking hot.
Paddlefoot
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posted on 12-12-2010 at 06:15 AM
I was going to be watching this regardless, mostly thanks to an appearance by the vastly under-rated Sean Bean. If this were by any other author than
Martin I would have stayed far away from it. With CIG's recommendation I might check out the books. I've stayed away from fantsy for a
long time, mostly thanks to the combined LOTR/D&D; effect that made practically all of the stories identical and essentially interchangeable with each
other. Not that I hate LOTR or D&D; mind you. It's just that when every goddamn story that came afterwards seemed to revolve around humble little
people with hairy feet inexplicably saving the world from The Big Bad I kind of began to lose most of my interest in the genre altogether.
George Martin's earlier works are damn good too. My own recommendations would be things like The Armageddon Rag, Fevre Dream, and his sci-fi
stuff from his Nightflyers/Sandkings period. The original Sandkings story is fucking awesome, and nothing at all like that butchery they did on TV
from when the assholes at Alliance Atlantis (home of utterly wretched shit like Relic Hunter and Kevin Sorbo's Andromeda) did that awful
relaunch of The Outer Limits.
GW Bush read Camus because "everyone has to read a book written by a killer whale" - General JC Christian
I downloaded the soundtrack to "Song of the South," and it's 45 minutes of whipcracks, women pleading "please, no," and people screaming.
- the esteemed Dr. Mobute
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southermagu
Showstopper
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posted on 12-13-2010 at 07:01 PM
quote:Originally posted by Paddlefoot
I was going to be watching this regardless, mostly thanks to an appearance by the vastly under-rated Sean "Motherfucking"
Bean.
Had to fix that for you. I'm sure it was a simple oversight because of the manquakes normally caused by typing his name. I absolutely love the
Sharpe movies.
This seems like a show I would enjoy...but I don't have HBO so I'm out of luck.
Apparently Amanda Bynes and Charlie Sheen are related, because she's full of the same kind of
crazy.
TownOfDalem
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posted on 12-13-2010 at 10:43 PM
Sean Bean! Awesome. The only problem being I feel like I'll just to waiting for his character to die, since the character Sean Bean plays
always seems to freaking die. If I wasn't right in the middle of Robert Jordan's massive Wheel of Time series I would want to give this
game of thrones a shot. I don't think I could handle delving right into another huge series. I'm going to try to stick with stand alone
novels for a bit.
I've been considering starting a thread for books for a while now. Since we have already started down that road a bit, anyone have any good
suggestions for standalone novels? To give you an idea, some of my fav books include Ender's Game, Dune (which I prefer to think of as a
standalone novel), The Perk's of Being a Wallflower (emo), Harry Potter (that's right), and Catcher in the Rye. I've also recently
read The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue (which I thoroughly enjoyed) and half of American Gods by Neil Gaiman (which I gave up on because I thought the
main character/narrator�s reaction to the crazy events was unrelatable). So who has any idea's for me OO?
@townofdalem you're awesome #fact
gobbledygooker
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posted on 12-15-2010 at 02:05 AM
Sorry TownofDalem, I haven't ready any fiction works in a while except.....GAME OF THRONES!!
Yes, this book did the impossible - It got me to be interested in a piece of literature that the Goon offered me. He had started the second book in
the series so he brought the first one by my place, said I'd enjoy it, I said "Yeah, whatever." and it proceeded to sit on my coffee table for
about two weeks. Then one day I decided to give it a shot and read the first chapter. Then I read the next chapter. Then the next. Before I knew
it, I was thoroughly engrossed in the story. Just when you think you know how something's going to happen, it totally flips on you and
something happens that you never saw coming. I'm loving this book. Unfortunately, as was stated above, I don't have HBO either, so
I'll likely be waiting until this comes out on DVD/Netflix. Which sucks.
Anyone who lets their hair grow below their ears to where I can't see their ears means they don't wash. If they don't wash, they
stink, and if they stink, I don't want the son-of-a-bitch around me.
Biff_Manly
Man of a Thousand Holds
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posted on 12-15-2010 at 03:46 AM
I've been thinking about reading this ever since I heard about the HBO movie coming out. So I guess I am going to be adding another purchase
from Amazon.
I did just finish the last book in the Wheel of Time Series. One more to go and the more than a decade long odyssey (for me) is over. Memory of Light
comes out at the end of next year. If you stopped reading the series in the middle there where it got kind of slow, you could do worse than pick it up
again. Things are finally wrapping up. Guess all it takes to finish a book series is for the author to die.
Honestly it makes me reluctant to start a book series ever again. Seems you either get a really good one that never finishes, one that starts great
and ends shitty. or one that should have ended at a certain point and keeps going and going. And I always feel a bit fishy about those authors that
are kicking out what seems to be five series at one time. They should have to say who is really writing the book, none of this book by assembly line
shit. Ah well...
Ender's Game was a pretty good book. The sequals, not so much.
The Foundation Series was good too. The first three books. Seems like after that he started rolling them into his i-Robot universe and it kind of
killed the spirit of the books.
I honestly think the best thing about the Dune book is watching it very close to watching the movie. Not the shitty syfy remake but the David Lynch
version. If you can catch the 4hr super duper extended cut, even better.
The Walking Dead makes me wonder if Stephan King will be involved at all? Shit, The Stand, besides the zombie stuff , has a whole lot in common with
the end of the world storyline. And if you were watching the last episode of The Walking Dead, or the first for that matter and didn't think of
Stu being held by the CDC in The Stand your brain doesn't work like mne. Needless to say reading The Stand, IT, Misery, by King is some decent
stories. We don't even need to mention The Dark Tower. I think that is another thread anyway.
As for serious or popular fiction. Meh. I'll read it if it comes my way but I don't go out of my way to learn lessons or get with
Oprah's book club.
"Walter: I can solve everything by making this gramophone have sex with time."
--SCSA's Fringe on Ice Holiday Spectacular.
DevilSoprano
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posted on 1-12-2011 at 07:32 PM
Just started reading Game of Thrones. I'm not too far into it, but so far so good.
DevilSoprano
Pee Wee's Plaything
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posted on 2-1-2011 at 11:52 PM
Double posting, but I don't care. I LOVE THIS BOOK.
I was afraid of something too fantastical but this is nothing of the sort. Backstabbing, political intrigue, awesome characters...I just loved it. I
had been pacing myself trying not to rush through it, but I got about halfway through and then couldn't put it down. It's all I can do to
stop myself from going out and reading A Clash of Kings right now.
theflammablemanimal
The Immortal One
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posted on 2-2-2011 at 03:26 AM
Cool. I've got to check these out.
Maybe we should get a book forum.
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Get the pistons pumping and let the pigeons loose on my yambag
Matte
"Family Man"
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posted on 2-2-2011 at 03:37 AM
This is the book forum.
quote:"Mess Board Give Dev Deal to Multi-Plat Forum, Boffo Convo Expected!" In other words: if "Variety" can invent pitiable non-English-language
headlines about it, you'll talk about it here. Movies, TV shows, and books are all fair game.
"I'm a professional. I know exactly what I'm doing." - Jeff Hardy
the goon
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posted on 2-3-2011 at 02:01 AM
I'm currently reading Storm Of Swords and for those that are reading the first book, you can rest easy that there is absolutely zero drop in
quality as the series progresses, at least as far as I've read (on about page 250 of Swords at the moment). I'm enjoying the third book
just as much as I did the first two.
And at this point I'm almost ready to say that A Song Of Ice and Fire may have replaced The Dark Tower as my favorite series ever. In addition
to just the sheer scope of the series, I think one of the things that impresses me most about it is how George R.R. Martin is able to convincingly
write all of these characters. When you read something from the perspective of say, a 13 year-old girl, you really feel like you're
reading something from the perspective of a 13 year-old girl, not some guy just trying to write as one.
Chris Is Good517
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posted on 2-3-2011 at 02:19 AM
Without getting you upset, Goon, I can safely say that A Feast For Crows is the hardest book of the 4 to get through. It isn't so much a dropoff
in the quality of the writing, but it's sort of a massive reset on the plot up to that point. Only a small handful of the major POV characters
have chapters in AFFC as the focus shifts laregly to the Greyjoys and Cersei. And unlike a certain character that you probably hated in the first two
books who you gradually grow to like after reading his chapters in Storm, Cersei remains completely hateable even when you're seeing the story
unfold from her POV.
I'm looking forward to the fifth book because Martin has promised the focus will return to all the characters from the first three books that
didn't appear in the fourth.
And while I'm here, I was going to post this anyway:
5 reasons why the HBO adaptation should
be a hit
Gee, I wish I was still alive- LuckyLopez R.I.P.
Bachmann: "I haven't had a gaffe... when it comes to the best Republican who take
on Barack Obama and not have any clunker in my record to be able to take him on, it's me."
the goon
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posted on 2-3-2011 at 05:48 AM
quote:Originally posted by Chris Is Good517 Without getting you upset, Goon, I can safely say that A Feast For Crows is the hardest book of
the 4 to get through. It isn't so much a dropoff in the quality of the writing, but it's sort of a massive reset on the plot up to that
point.
Yeah, I've heard here and there that Feast For Crows seems to be people's least favorite of the series (with the main complaint being, as
you said, that it doesn't focus on a lot of the characters from the first three books). I probably won't be starting it for at least a
couple of months, so I'll reserve full judgment until then, but I'm already kind of mentally prepared for the fourth book to be a little
different than the first three.
gobbledygooker
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posted on 2-3-2011 at 01:37 PM
quote:Originally posted by the goon
When you read something from the perspective of say, a 13 year-old girl, you really feel like you're reading something from the
perspective of a 13 year-old girl, not some guy just trying to write as one.
It's easy for you to relate to the perspective of a 13-year-old girl, isn't it?
Anyone who lets their hair grow below their ears to where I can't see their ears means they don't wash. If they don't wash, they
stink, and if they stink, I don't want the son-of-a-bitch around me.
DevilSoprano
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posted on 2-3-2011 at 04:01 PM
I was finally looking at the casting and I'm a little upset with one thing. When I had heard Lena Headey was cast and then read the book, I was
really picturing/hoping for her as Catelyn but to find out she's Cersei kinda sucks. I know Cersei's a bigger role, but Headey was so good
in 300 as the hero's wife that I pictured her in the same role here, not the villainous cunt bitch.
Lorraine
Showstopper
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posted on 2-5-2011 at 05:54 PM
I love this series. I was a litte disappointed with the Bronn casting, just because to me, Bronn=CM Punk. (Taker and Kane make good Cleganes as well,
but that likely brings this creepily to a weird fanfic hybrid).
the goon
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posted on 2-6-2011 at 05:11 AM
quote:Originally posted by Lorraine just because to me, Bronn=CM Punk.
Ha, I can actually kind of see that.
Chris Is Good517
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posted on 2-6-2011 at 07:46 AM
quote:Originally posted by Lorraine
because to me, Bronn=CM Punk.
I totally saw Bronn as Matthew McConaughey in my head.
quote:
(Taker and Kane make good Cleganes as well, but that likely brings this creepily to a weird fanfic hybrid).
Weirdly enough I totally pictured Gregor Clegane as Batista.
Gee, I wish I was still alive- LuckyLopez R.I.P.
Bachmann: "I haven't had a gaffe... when it comes to the best Republican who take
on Barack Obama and not have any clunker in my record to be able to take him on, it's me."
Stu
Caledonian Crippler
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posted on 2-28-2011 at 10:22 PM
Don't want to start a new thread about this, but if you're interested in this sort of genre, I personally thought the
first episode of Camelot on Starz had a promising start. The right mix of fantasy and serious drama,
with a pretty good cast and take on the setting. GoA looks like it's going to be a lot more dense and complicated, but Camelot looks decent
until then.
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Chris Is Good517
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posted on 3-4-2011 at 05:09 AM
Hooray!
quote:
The next book in George R.R. Martin�s bestselling A Song of Ice and Fire series has a publication date.
Yes, we swear, after waiting six long years since the release of the last novel in the saga, the fabled Book 5 A Dance With Dragons is close enough to
being finished* for Martin�s publisher to set a release date. We have that date, exclusively, along with a first look at the book�s cover art and an
interview with the man himself.
A Dance With Dragons will be published by Bantam on July 12, 2011. The manuscript is huge � the publisher estimates the hardcover edition will run
more than 900 pages, putting it about the same length as the longest book in the series, A Storm of Swords. Schedule your summer vacation
accordingly.
I know I just got into this series and therefore have little right to say this, but it's about fucking time!
Gee, I wish I was still alive- LuckyLopez R.I.P.
Bachmann: "I haven't had a gaffe... when it comes to the best Republican who take
on Barack Obama and not have any clunker in my record to be able to take him on, it's me."
the goon
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posted on 3-9-2011 at 07:54 PM
I just heard about Dance With Dragons finally getting a release date the other day, but it looks like CiG beat me to the punch. And I'm in the
same boat of having only recently gotten into the series (currently about halfway through the third book), so I haven't had to endure the
six-year wait that longtime readers of the series have.
DevilSoprano
Pee Wee's Plaything
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posted on 4-4-2011 at 06:36 AM
Holy epic shitballs. The 15 minute preview on HBO tonight was as good as anything I've seen from HBO in a while. And it only covered like .01%
of the actual story. I so can't wait two weeks for the pilot.
angstboy
cornerkicked.com
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posted on 4-4-2011 at 02:12 PM
Game of Thrones Exclusive Preview
Corner Kicked - a comic where Cory and Ziggy do inappropriate stuff to each other.
