"Game of Thrones" on HBO

manaheim · May 10, 2011

I actually have great respect for him BECAUSE he whacks his characters. Most fantasy series will MAYBE whack 1-2 people, and usually at the very end where it almost doesn't matter anymore. Not Martin. Oh you like that guy? WHACK! Oh, you're attached to that woman? WHACK! :lol:

Love it.

It takes a lot of nerve to dust off critical characters that could, in theory, make or break your book... but that is a testament to how well he develops his characters. You can get familiar with a character of his in just a few pages, and learn to know them pretty darned well in as little as a chapter.... so firing up new ones to replace the whacked ones is relatively effortless (or so he makes it seem).

Overread · May 10, 2011

Aye Martin is very much king of character killing!

I know a few others who will build great characters and kill them off - Steven Erikson in his Gardens of the Moon (similar to ASOIAF in scope but in a world with a lot more magic - magic is infact oozing out of everything!) - Peter F. Hamilton in his Nights Dawn Trillogy also kills of a few good characters.

But Martin really kills left right and centre - and yet keeps adding more characters and viewpoints - great characters. Best part of them though is that most of them are not the pure good/evil kind that you can tell instantly. They are much more a shade of grey, with their own personal demons and selfish sides as well as loyalties, honour and the rest. That is the part I really like because it means even a character who is seen as bad can suddenly appear so different once you get to know them from their viewpoint in the story .

spacefuzz · May 10, 2011

If he wants to throw people off balance, he could keep some characters alive for a bit

manaheim · May 10, 2011

Overread said:
Aye Martin is very much king of character killing!

I know a few others who will build great characters and kill them off - Steven Erikson in his Gardens of the Moon (similar to ASOIAF in scope but in a world with a lot more magic - magic is infact oozing out of everything!) - Peter F. Hamilton in his Nights Dawn Trillogy also kills of a few good characters.

But Martin really kills left right and centre - and yet keeps adding more characters and viewpoints - great characters. Best part of them though is that most of them are not the pure good/evil kind that you can tell instantly. They are much more a shade of grey, with their own personal demons and selfish sides as well as loyalties, honour and the rest. That is the part I really like because it means even a character who is seen as bad can suddenly appear so different once you get to know them from their viewpoint in the story .

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh yes. By the time you get well along in the series you start to regard certain characters who you were assuming were the absolute worst of the bunch... as really the absolute best of the lot. :lol:

Really, I've never "seen" such a collection of horrible monstrrous assholes in my life. All the books are pretty much about how hundreds of people are continually being absolutely horrific to everyone else, angling for position, stabbing each other in the back (or the face!)... and yet... somehow... it seems it's all going to be irrelevant whenever that dark mysterious force awakens and wipes them all pretty much summarily off the map.

:lol:

Village Idiot · May 11, 2011

It's like Europe before the renaissance! Everyone was getting killed, back stabbed, etc, etc, etc...

manaheim · May 11, 2011

IMO it struck me very much as "humanity without modern restrictions on their basal urges"... which is alarming because it really kinda shoves a mirror up in your face and says "Hey guess what... this is YOU if someone takes the leash off and no one is there with a sharp sword to stop you."

mishele · May 13, 2011

Just wanted to say, I'm lovin the book so far!! What I'm not loving is how late I'm staying up to read lol.I can't put it down. I want to pass the Tv show by Sunday!! I got some reading to do!! :sexywink:

OrionsByte · May 15, 2011

It's Sunday Mish, how far did you get?

mishele · May 15, 2011

****!!! That was intense!!! I thought Ned was a goner!!
I didn't get as far as I would like...lol Only like 150 pages in. I didn't catch up w/ the show yet

OrionsByte · May 15, 2011

Well at least you have another week to try and catch up! I haven't seen tonight's ep yet - I have to wait for the munchkin to go to bed, but I think I know what scene you're referring to, and now I'm exited. :lol:

Village Idiot · May 16, 2011

I'm house sitting, so no GOT last night. I have to make it to my place for an hour this week to catch up.

Yemme · May 16, 2011

Last nights show was off the hook. So much happened in one episode "f*ck" was my major curse word along with "Oh my god". I swear HBO truly is simply the best! That show has something for everyone. :greenpbl:

mishele · May 16, 2011

Yemme said:
Last nights show was off the hook. So much happened in one episode "f*ck" was my major curse word along with "Oh my god". I swear HBO truly is simply the best! That show has something for everyone. :greenpbl:

Don't forget the full male frontal shot!!! :boogie: