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warped_pearlA Song of Ice and Fire, series by George R. R. Martin
"The Hedge Knight" -- short story, available in Legends
Book One: A Game of Thrones, ISBN 0553573403
Book Two: A Clash of Kings, ISBN 0553579908
Book Three: A Storm of Swords, ISBN 0553106635
Book Four: A Feast For Crows, forthcoming
At least two more books planned
------
Winter is coming.
Those three simple words summarize A Song of Ice and Fire (hereafter ASOIAF). It's true in the literal sense: winter is indeed coming to the land of Westeros. And that's a very big deal in a place where winter can last years.
It's also true in the metaphorical sense, as dark times are descending on the kingdom. Murders are comitted. Wars break out. Prophecies are fulfilled. There's danger to the north as the wildings are on the move and the Others are restless. In the south there's a battle over the throne. The gods of the three major religions are making their voices known. And across the sea an exiled princess is coming of age.
This story is huge, but it's very accessible. Martin is one of the few writers I call "Genius"; his prose is lush and rich, his characters well rounded, the story tight. He excels at foreshadowing; so many of the lines have hidden meanings that are only revealed later on.
The series has often been compared to the works of other epic writers, such a Tolkein and Jordan. I've tried to read Tolkein, but only managed halfway through the first book. Tolkein is an adventurous fairytale, simple and sweet, made for a lazy summer afternoon. Martin's work, on the other hand, is fantastical--it's dark, it's hard, and utterly real even though it's set in an imaginary land. Martin has no qualms about doing the unthinkable, which is why his writing is so fresh.
ASOIAF is indirectly responsible for this board, as I discovered ezboard while browsing Martin fan sites. The ASOIAF ezboard is a very happening place. There's so much to discuss and debate; it's like trying to figure out who the murderer is halfway through the mystery. Fans are playing the prophet, and only time will tell if they're right. With Martin's penchant for the unexpected, they might not be.
There's several devices that Martin uses which serve the story well. One is the use of repeated phrases, such as the Stark words "Winter is coming". Other examples of such prhases are Arya's mantra of "Fear cuts deeper than swords", and Dany's chants of "I am the blood of the dragon" and "If I look back I am lost". Each of these phrases, so fitting to their use, instantly reminds us of who the characters are, something that's essential in a story of this size.
He also very subtly changes the voice in each POV chapter. The prose in Bran's POV feels like it could come from an eight-year-old's mind. It's entirely possible to go through the books reading only one of the POVs, and still have a complete story (in fact, he's published Dany's storyline as a novella in Asimov's science fiction magazine).
And the level of detail really is amazing. Martin can write three lines about a character (never seen before) who recently died, and still make you feel as if you knew the man.
If there's any fault to the novels, it's that they don't come often enough. A Storm of Swords was published last November; the next one's not due until next fall. Until then, I'll be one of many fans discussing the novels on the ASOIAF ezboard.
-----
Author's Note: This was written several years ago, before I became a Lord of the Rings fanatic. I had only read the first half of Fellowship at the time, so needless to say my view of the LOTR series was much different then than my current views. Also, "this board" refers to a writing board I once ran (long dead), where this was originally posted.
"The Hedge Knight" -- short story, available in Legends
Book One: A Game of Thrones, ISBN 0553573403
Book Two: A Clash of Kings, ISBN 0553579908
Book Three: A Storm of Swords, ISBN 0553106635
Book Four: A Feast For Crows, forthcoming
At least two more books planned
------
Winter is coming.
Those three simple words summarize A Song of Ice and Fire (hereafter ASOIAF). It's true in the literal sense: winter is indeed coming to the land of Westeros. And that's a very big deal in a place where winter can last years.
It's also true in the metaphorical sense, as dark times are descending on the kingdom. Murders are comitted. Wars break out. Prophecies are fulfilled. There's danger to the north as the wildings are on the move and the Others are restless. In the south there's a battle over the throne. The gods of the three major religions are making their voices known. And across the sea an exiled princess is coming of age.
This story is huge, but it's very accessible. Martin is one of the few writers I call "Genius"; his prose is lush and rich, his characters well rounded, the story tight. He excels at foreshadowing; so many of the lines have hidden meanings that are only revealed later on.
The series has often been compared to the works of other epic writers, such a Tolkein and Jordan. I've tried to read Tolkein, but only managed halfway through the first book. Tolkein is an adventurous fairytale, simple and sweet, made for a lazy summer afternoon. Martin's work, on the other hand, is fantastical--it's dark, it's hard, and utterly real even though it's set in an imaginary land. Martin has no qualms about doing the unthinkable, which is why his writing is so fresh.
ASOIAF is indirectly responsible for this board, as I discovered ezboard while browsing Martin fan sites. The ASOIAF ezboard is a very happening place. There's so much to discuss and debate; it's like trying to figure out who the murderer is halfway through the mystery. Fans are playing the prophet, and only time will tell if they're right. With Martin's penchant for the unexpected, they might not be.
There's several devices that Martin uses which serve the story well. One is the use of repeated phrases, such as the Stark words "Winter is coming". Other examples of such prhases are Arya's mantra of "Fear cuts deeper than swords", and Dany's chants of "I am the blood of the dragon" and "If I look back I am lost". Each of these phrases, so fitting to their use, instantly reminds us of who the characters are, something that's essential in a story of this size.
He also very subtly changes the voice in each POV chapter. The prose in Bran's POV feels like it could come from an eight-year-old's mind. It's entirely possible to go through the books reading only one of the POVs, and still have a complete story (in fact, he's published Dany's storyline as a novella in Asimov's science fiction magazine).
And the level of detail really is amazing. Martin can write three lines about a character (never seen before) who recently died, and still make you feel as if you knew the man.
If there's any fault to the novels, it's that they don't come often enough. A Storm of Swords was published last November; the next one's not due until next fall. Until then, I'll be one of many fans discussing the novels on the ASOIAF ezboard.
-----
Author's Note: This was written several years ago, before I became a Lord of the Rings fanatic. I had only read the first half of Fellowship at the time, so needless to say my view of the LOTR series was much different then than my current views. Also, "this board" refers to a writing board I once ran (long dead), where this was originally posted.
