Game of Thrones -- TV ONLY

I certainly wouldn't want to find out he's Howland Reed through the show. I've heard talk that the w-a-l-k is in episode 10 though, so might not be until next season. The Battle of Ice seems what will most likely be spoiled.

Though I guess it's understandable. With the success of the tv series George was suddenly perhaps the most in demand person in the world. And it must be hard to say no to stuff like writing episodes for a HBO adaptation of your work and doing celebrated tours of conventions around the world. I think he quite likely would have been done with Winds by now if not for the tv show. And his pace will probably pick up a bit again when it's finished. So those estimates for DoS in 2024 or something are probably slightly exaggerated. At least I hope so.

The show has been pretty good about resolving major plotlines at the end of each season, so I'm holding out hope that the trial by combat will occur in S5.  Although I haven't followed all the rumors that closely so if there's credible information that the walk is in episode 10, then I guess I'm out of luck for another year.

And I don't think he's Howland Reed.

It is kind of crazy how big the show has gotten.  I mean, ASOIAF was popular before the show, but it was mostly limited to people who already read epic fantasy.  That's a pretty big group, but it still remained in its niche, and wasn't as big as Wheel of Time, which remains probably the most popular epic fantasy not to have been adapted to film or TV.  But since S3 or so, Game of Thrones/ASOIAF has become one of the standard-bearers for the entire fantasy genre, and GRRM is probably the second-most famous living author of fantasy, behind JK Rowling (not that he would be all that happy about the comparison; he's still salty that A Storm of Swords lost the Hugo Award to Goblet of Fire ).

Hm, I was trying to find where I saw it, but can't seem to. It might have just been speculation, but I think it's confirmed to be in one of the last two episodes, and episode 9 is looking very full.

A good deal (far too much really, I haven't read most of it) information in the first post of this thread.

http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/123520-season-5-casting-news-and-speculation-v-8-show-spoilers-book-spoilers-past-op/

And of course he's not the High Sparrow, but it would be awesome if he was.

Eldorion wrote:It is kind of crazy how big the show has gotten.  I mean, ASOIAF was popular before the show, but it was mostly limited to people who already read epic fantasy.  That's a pretty big group, but it still remained in its niche, and wasn't as big as Wheel of Time, which remains probably the most popular epic fantasy not to have been adapted to film or TV.  But since S3 or so, Game of Thrones/ASOIAF has become one of the standard-bearers for the entire fantasy genre, and GRRM is probably the second-most famous living author of fantasy, behind JK Rowling (not that he would be all that happy about the comparison; he's still salty that A Storm of Swords lost the Hugo Award to Goblet of Fire ).

The trials of a celebrity author. ( I would be too though. Not that I don't like GoF a lot too.)

Wheel of Time kind of spelled it's own demise, I think. As a 15 book triology.

Good thing George doesn't hold grudges.

A Feast for Crows wrote:She had ridden over Harry Sawyer and broken Robin Potter's helm, giving him a nasty scar

Don't count GRRM out yet.  We're not even to the end of what was supposed to be the second book of the trilogy in the early planning stages of ASOIAF.

But man, can you imagine what it must have been like to be a fantasy fan back in 2000?  GOF and ASOS in the same year.  I'd probably have to put ASOS ahead, but only by a hair.

Largely different groups reading the two series back then. The older people reading ASOIF would read Harry Potter with fond amusement, but wouldn't get wrapped up in it. The Harry Potter fans had not grown up yet, so weren't reading the more mature books. It's left for those who grew up with HP to be equal fans of both series in their present day adulthood.

I like the thought of HP as GOT Lite. I suppose its got all the early warning signs right there, LIKE KILLING OFF YOUR FAVOURITE CHARACTERS     *Snape n Sirius* dammit

Eldorion wrote:http://www.makinggameofthrones.com/production-diary/first-look-got-a-day-in-the-life-special

This Sunday, Game of Thrones: A Day in the Life will let you step onto the set. The 30-minute special documents one epic day of production as tackled by hundreds of crew members across three countries. In addition to a behind-the-scenes look at the action in Dubrovnik, Croatia, Belfast, Northern Ireland and Seville, Spain, the preview includes several never-before-seen features. Below are three things to look forward to:

1. THE WATER GARDENS OF DORNE

Prince Oberyn Martell mentioned to Cersei that her daughter Myrcella enjoyed the Water Gardens. Now, the Dornish setting makes its on-camera debut in Season 5. The real-life location attracts an average of 8,000 tourists each day.

2. A NEW CHARACTER IN ACTION

See Jonathan Pryce, aka the High Sparrow, play against Lena Headey's Cersei Lannister.

3. A NEW NORTHERN OUTPOST

Go inside the creation of a fishing village north of the Wall.

Regarding number three ... Mother Mole confirmed?

I don't know where to find this, is it on Sky? we don't have HBO.

halfwise wrote:Largely different groups reading the two series back then.  The older people reading ASOIF would read Harry Potter with fond amusement, but wouldn't get wrapped up in it.  The Harry Potter fans had not grown up yet, so weren't reading the more mature books.  It's left for those who grew up with HP to be equal fans of both series in their present day adulthood.

I dunno man, I knew a number of adults (including my mom) who were just as obsessed with HP as I was. But you may be right; I don't think any of them were reading ASOIAF at the same time.

Adults with children caught the HP bug via early exposure, but those that got bit by GoT first looked on HP as enjoyable but light reading. Two different levels.

Star Wars was generational too: it was the Harry Potter of my generation; older folks found it entertaining but never got caught up in it.

dunno I think adults can get into supposedly kids stuff as much as the target audience. I remember when everyone wanted to read HP so they made special (serious) book covers for adults so they could sit on the train home and read it without getting poked fun at.

No doubt there were underground adults caught up in it, and many that were not so caught up still wanted to read HP; but the obsession was a bit rare compared to manic reading of Game of Thrones...which would nearly shut your life down until you finished whatever book you had in your hands. That's what kids did with Harry Potter, adults with Game of Thrones.

Maybe most of the adults who read ASOIAF were like that, but 2000 was still early days for Martin's exposure.  When A Game of Thrones was published in 1996, it didn't hit any bestseller lists, and the modest book tour couldn't even reliably fill a room.  It was a long, slow build up from that.  On the other hand, practically ever parent of school-age kids had been exposed to HP by the end of the '90s (aside from the ultra-Christian crowd), so even if a much smaller percentage of those parents became obsessive than did GOT readers, HP was still a lot less underground.  ASOIAF didn't become big until closer to the mid-2000s, and it didn't come to the attention of the pop cultural mainstream until after the show became a hit.

all I know is that I was pretty obsessed with HP as an adult, it put a spell on me, I resisted reading them for years because I didn't like all the hype and couldn't believe they could be that good, but I was on holiday one year and all they had in English was the Philosophers Stone, I was hooked from the moment I finished it, I must admit my taste in books is more towards classic cross-over like TH and HP, considering in my little brain I am still about 15 it works out ok.

If you had to pick an age, 15's pretty good. Developing intellect, not yet jaded. You can always have an interesting conversation with a 15 year old (can't always say that about younger), and it's nearly always cheerful.

yup that's me, still developing intellect. still?.

Age is relative though. And I guess we're shaped by our experiences more than anything else.

Eldorion wrote:When A Game of Thrones was published in 1996, it didn't hit any bestseller lists, and the modest book tour couldn't even reliably fill a room.  It was a long, slow build up from that.  

Georges series definitely had a proper long slow build up. I remember him crediting the Robert Jordan blurb on the cover of first edition of Game of Thrones with him even establishing an audience for the series in the first place.



Though it's success does go too show that at least in some cases quality does get recognition.

Eldorion wrote:Don't count GRRM out yet.  We're not even to the end of what was supposed to be the second book of the trilogy in the early planning stages of ASOIAF.

I don't think he'll reach fifteen. (That would give us a completion date around 2050 at his current writing speed.   )

Though you certainly have a point. He has gotten to talking about the series as consisting of two triologies these days. And in that context aFfCs and aDwDs are more briding books than anything, narrating his originally planned and abandoned 5 year gap between the triologies. So, some might think him finishing the second part in two books a bit implausible. A book 8 certainly seems a possibility.

We'll know more when Winds come out I guess, and see whether it returns the series to the momentum of aSoS or not.

Well, here it is.

There's absolutely going to be a book eight.  I think the real question is whether there's going to be a book nine as well.  I do think Martin is capable of finishing the series in that many volumes though, particularly since he seems to want the pacing in TWOW to be a bit faster than in the two most recent novels. But even with the quick pacing at the beginning of the series, it took three novels to get through just the first "act" of the larger story.

For some reason I thought they were going to make the special a subscribers-only thing. Great to see it up on YouTube though. I'll give it a watch when I have the time.

I thought that interesting. A bit short for a proper look into the production end of things, but interesting for what it attempts to be.

Eldorion wrote:There's absolutely going to be a book eight.  I think the real question is whether there's going to be a book nine as well.  I do think Martin is capable of finishing the series in that many volumes though, particularly since he seems to want the pacing in TWOW to be a bit faster than in the two most recent novels.  But even with the quick pacing at the beginning of the series, it took three novels to get through just the first "act" of the larger story.

Yeah, I think he likes to talk of dividing the story thematically in two. So, we had the War of the Five Kings in the first triology. And the final books will handle the showdown with the Others. So, so far we've got.

The War of the Five Kings: Book 1-3
5 year gap: Anbandoned and covered in book 4-5
Showdown with the Others: Book 6 and 7. Perhaps the end of aDwDs fall under this part?

Even with two books the size and scope of aDwDs and aSoSs, finishing in two books seems a bit unlikely, if in no way impossible. I think a book 9 seems a bit far fetched though. He must be in better control than that, surely? I read the Wheel of Time series, and how Jordan managed to pushed that to 15 books is actually quite astounding. There are two three books in the middle there that's basically people travelling from one place to another and not getting there.

ooh nice! I thought I wouldn't be able to watch that.