A Game of Thrones is the lead book in a series entitled 'A Song of Ice and Fire' by George R. R. Martin. There are no dwarves, elves, or other stock fantasy races, it pretty much centers on humans.
It is definitely worth a read, because it is an incredible example of what a skilled author can do with characterization. The characters are so real that you can get to know them better than real people, and get extremely invested in them, either positively or negatively.
Thanks for the summary, Donny. I've heard good things about A Song of Ice and Fire, and about George R.R. Martin as a storyteller. I didn't realize that the Game of Thrones television series is based on his book.
I will have to check this out when it hits blu-ray.
I adore A Song of Ice and Fire, and yeah, Game of Thrones coming out on HBO is based on the books. (What books are out... that we're not still waiting for... years later... but I digress...) It's an awesome series with plenty of fun intrigue, catching characters, and a really fun example of one way of presenting multiple character viewpoints.
Please! Read the series! I am using exclamation points! The Song of Ice and Fire series is widely (in most circles) recognized as one of the best series of all time. Read it! Exclamation!!! (See I used three that last time. That means I'm serious.)
You won't be disappointed. Why do I feel like a Martin cheerleader around here? Anyway, if you like Hobb and Abercrombie, you'll absolutely LOVE Martin's books. Trust me.
Don't feel too bad, Phil, I'm constantly sitting here reminding myself to use other authors as examples so it doesn't look like Martin's series is all I've ever read, lol.
The sad thing is I want to re-read the books all over again now that the new one is finally coming out and the HBO series is starting. That's like almost 5,000 pages. To read. Again.
But all my Martin books are back in America anyway, so it lessens the urge to do so.
The story is good enuff that oing through the 5000 pages would be well worth it...... I know i will probally do the same once i have the new one in my hands as well...... of course i dont really mind reading things i like over and over again
OT though, I'm looking forward to the television series with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. On the one hand I'm a massive fan of the series and seeing it put into live action will be a real treat. I am afraid that they might ruin it though, but that's always the fear with an on screen adaptation of a book, isn't it? I'm also pretty certain, if recent shows are anything to go by, that they'll axe it way before it's done.
The choice of cast is very good though. Tyrion, Sandor and Denarys (Sp??) look almost exactly how I imagined them when reading the books.
I'm madly excited for this series, and have been since it was announced. I wouldn't be exaggerating at all to say that the books are the best adult fantasy series I've ever read, and HBO is one of the few networks I'd trust to do the show right. The cast members I'm familiar with basically couldn't be more perfect for their roles, especially Sean Bean as Ned and Peter Dinklage as Tyrion, and the ones I'm not familiar with sound promising, at least. I've especially been enjoying Emilia Clarke's enthusiasm in interviews - Dany is one of my favorite characters and Emilia sounds determined to get her right.
I didn't really like Martin's writing, but his story and characters are great, so an adaptation, I imagine, will be quite good. Also, it has Sean Bean, so it is automatically flawless.
I'm excited about this series. I believe there is a sneak preview tonight at 9PM in which HBO will show a few of the scenes. I have not read Martin, but my brother is a huge fan. Maybe this will interest me enough to pick up the series.
I'm excited about this series. It looks stunning! I read a description of it as "The Sopranos in Middle Earth". I like that. A lot.
I'm a little miffed though because I've been meaning to read the book for a while now, and I like to read books before I watch tv or film adaptations of them. I'm cutting it a bit fine! It airs on HBO on the 17th. Oh well.
There's a 15 minute preview of the first episode circulating on the web. I've posted it on my site here