I knew that if a series ever came out all the sex scenes would probably be something debated about lol...and when i heared HBO was doing it i knew they would definitely put in those scenes...especially after watching a season of Rome lolWolfram01 said:I loved reading A Game Of Thrones and I just watched the first episode of HBO's version last night, and loved it too. Espcially the boobies. So many boobies!
I assure you that The Escapist was founded in 2005. The parent company, though, was founded in 2001. You might have had a membership at our sister site WarCry, perhaps?Ligisttomten said:Wait, if it was founded in 2005, how am I a member since 2004? I agree though, Epic Fantasy is Epic Fantasy. Some of us enjoy it immensely.
Well, this is addressed in Tolkien's views on allegory and applicability. In an allegory the author uses themes to make a comment on events and attitudes. Lewis Carroll's Alice books or Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 are great examples. Both authors began with a point and create a story that helps make that point. (Though it should be said, the point most readers get may not be what the author intended.) Tolkien and Martin seem to be carried more by the story, and the themes arise out of the character's circumstances and reactions.Badwolf14 said:I agree with the article up to a point....sometimes I do believe fantasy/sci-fi writers do base their stories off of historical events (like i think i heared star wars was an example)....I however don't think a game a thrones was based off current events as one of the critics stated (if i understood it right lol)....especially since the books came out years ago....i dont think Martin could forsee the future....i think >.>
Honestly, I don't think this does them enough credit. It's without hyperbole that I say that they're among the best novels I have ever read, irrespective of genre. In terms of genre, however, I fully believe that, in terms of what I think they will ultimately do for the genre, they're the most important work of fantasy fiction since LotR.godofallu said:The song of fire and ice series deserves high praise.
Verisimilitude is a very important term when it comes to discussing this series. People have said that it's nihilistic, and it is. Westeros isn't a nice place, but then neither is the world we live in, really. There are moments of hope, but for the most part it's a very bleak series, what with being a deconstruction of fantasy fiction. The central theme of the novels is power, in my opinion: what people will do to get it, what people will do to keep it, and what happens the poor bastards who get caught between them. People die cruelly and seemingly randomly, because that's what death is: cruel and random.Archon said:the sex and violence are present out of verisimilitude for a fictional world that bears some resemblance to our own bloody, sensual, illicit, heroic past
kk...now i understand where ur getting at lol...and I totally agree with that now (seeing that i also read some of those books that you named)...but yea now i understand what your saying.Steve Butts said:Well, this is addressed in Tolkien's views on allegory and applicability. In an allegory the author uses themes to make a comment on events and attitudes. Lewis Carroll's Alice books or Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 are great examples. Both authors began with a point and create a story that helps make that point. (Though it should be said, the point most readers get may not be what the author intended.) Tolkien and Martin seem to be carried more by the story, and the themes arise out of the character's circumstances and reactions.Badwolf14 said:I agree with the article up to a point....sometimes I do believe fantasy/sci-fi writers do base their stories off of historical events (like i think i heared star wars was an example)....I however don't think a game a thrones was based off current events as one of the critics stated (if i understood it right lol)....especially since the books came out years ago....i dont think Martin could forsee the future....i think >.>
I don't think there's a clear black-and-white division here, but you can bet that if an author realistically and honestly treats the universal human experience, then the themes will find applicability in all ages. It's why we still read Herodotus and Hamlet and Huckleberry Finn. Those books are about what it's like to be a person, to struggle against pride and search for identity.
I used to love her TV reviews on Salon.com when I was a more regular reader. Glad to see she's still prominent in the field.SaintWaldo said:Just do what I've done since Suck.com: Admit Heather Havrilesky is most likely correct. She's actually on the geek team.
I will always be grateful to Martin for finally wrenching epic fantasy out from under Tolkien's looming shadow. While there were many previous noble efforts, A Song of Ice and Fire is the true genre-changer. Fantasy epics are freer to explore complex social and political relationships without being locked into Campbell's mythic structure and messianic narratives, which basically turned me off the genre 10 years ago. It's welcome and refreshing.Anachronism said:Honestly, I don't think this does them enough credit. It's without hyperbole that I say that they're among the best novels I have ever read, irrespective of genre. In terms of genre, however, I fully believe that, in terms of what I think they will ultimately do for the genre, they're the most important work of fantasy fiction since LotR.