Game of Thrones [SPOILERS]

[shiznitz]

Any new books are unimportant to me at this point. The HBO show is the story now.

[jgsugden]

Any new books are unimportant to me at this point. The HBO show is the story now.

The books and show are both good.  In general, I think the books are better than the show.  The show *may* have spoiled the remaining books (we don't know the extent of the differences), but if you think the books are not going to be great and fun to read, you're risking missing out.

[Speedy Cerviche]

The show has just been getting stupider and stupider, saturated with ridiculous over the top network TV style dramatic moments especially since they have outrun their grounding in the books. So although I originally found it to be a really great edit of the increasingly plodding books, I would still like to read them to see how it goes down with a bit more subtlety, background dialogues and broader perspectives.

[shiznitz]

I specified new books for a reason. Even after the show, 1-4 are good reads.

[MediumHigh]

Yeah the books have their problems but their mainly in slow pace in the last 2 books which makes the series less likely to end in 7 books let alone our life time.

But the show is removing all the quite subtlety and edge for something more loud, obnoxious, and  palpably for pg-13 audience with bleeding assholes on social media.

[Teleku]

The books stopped be subtle or clever a few ago.  I mean, it's fun to read, but its pulp over the top shit now (that meanders very needlessly).  Series sort of fucked up a number of things this last season, but still feel better overall about how they have established the plot compared to the books.  The characters are way better and less unrealistically retarded.

[MediumHigh]

The books stopped be subtle or clever a few ago.  I mean, it's fun to read, but its pulp over the top shit now (that meanders very needlessly).  Series sort of fucked up a number of things this last season, but still fill better overall about how they have established the plot compared to the books.  The characters are way better and less unrealistically retarded.

The books did Dorn better, the north better, and well i can't think of any plot line the tv show did better. Maybe they took out the meandering, plus one for accomplishing that.

[Shannow]

People bitching about season 6 because it actually moved the plot forward.  This is why we can't have nice things.

[Rendakor]

The books stopped be subtle or clever a few ago.  I mean, it's fun to read, but its pulp over the top shit now (that meanders very needlessly).  Series sort of fucked up a number of things this last season, but still fill better overall about how they have established the plot compared to the books.  The characters are way better and less unrealistically retarded.

The books did Dorn better, the north better, and well i can't think of any plot line the tv show did better. Maybe they took out the meandering, plus one for accomplishing that.

Dorne in the books was awful, slow and pointless. Dorne in the show gave us Hypnoboobs.

[MediumHigh]

The books stopped be subtle or clever a few ago.  I mean, it's fun to read, but its pulp over the top shit now (that meanders very needlessly).  Series sort of fucked up a number of things this last season, but still fill better overall about how they have established the plot compared to the books.  The characters are way better and less unrealistically retarded.

The books did Dorn better, the north better, and well i can't think of any plot line the tv show did better. Maybe they took out the meandering, plus one for accomplishing that.

Dorne in the books was awful, slow and pointless. Dorne in the show gave us Hypnoboobs.

Yes Dorne sucked. But not tv show sucked. Like say characters sucked and written to be epic failures at life. But half intentional half unintentional. TV show dorne actually wants to not suck and does. hard, in every category with Michael bay in the background shouting from a mountain of mountain dew that this shits awesome.

[Ruvaldt]

Dorne in the tv show was bad, but at least it was short and didn't appear in the most recent season at all but for the first episode, I think.  Dorne in the books wasn't as bad, but it droned on far too long and will continue to in the next book if it's ever written.

If you're going to give me uninteresting plot diversions that go nowhere at least make them quick, like taking off a band-aid.  I prefer the tv version.  Just like pretty much everything else over the past two seasons.

[MediumHigh]

You think you won't see more dorne? Haha.

[Merusk]

No kidding; Dorne is going to be ~1/3 of the plot next season.

King's Landing/ Midlands - Jamie, Cersi, Baelish, Arya(?), The Hound

Da Norf - Sansa, Jon, Baelish, Arya

Dorne - Sneks, Dany, Tyrion, Varys, Dragons, The Greyjoys, Olenna

Oldtown - Sam. Maybe one or two episodes, maybe more.


Hell, Dorne has over half of the plot-important characters at this point. We've got to resolve the Iron Islands stuff, Dany and other fan-favorites are there. There's going to be a LOT of Dorne.

The most you can hope for is fewer Sneks.

[HaemishM]

But more HypnoBoobs.

[Rendakor]

I forgot Dany and crew are going to Dorne. Fuck.

[Tale]

Does it snow in Dorne in winters?

[eldaec]

In book lore, snows usually reach the riverlands.

Winter in Dorne is thought to involve the shitty overcast weather HBO always seem to have got when filming Dorne in s5 and 6.

But it is reasonable to expect this winter to worse.

[Speedy Cerviche]

People bitching about season 6 because it actually moved the plot forward.  This is why we can't have nice things.

I like the overall plot edit. I just don't like the way the show has become way too Hollywood in its direction and screenplay (I guess this comes with success).

[Abagadro]

I forgot Dany and crew are going to Dorne. Fuck.

Based on the last shot I think they already swung by and picked everyone up. I think there will be Dorne characters but nothing in actual Dorne.

[Shannow]

Da Norf - Sansa, Jon, Baelish, Arya

You forgot a holy $#%$#% @#$!! ton of zombies

[K9]

Assuming the books do end up going to a ghost writer I'd be amazed if it was Sanderson. Firstly he's got more than enough on his plate with his Cosmere series, he's a different author now to when he took over the Wheel of Time. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, he is pretty much the polar opposite of GRRM as an author. His stories feature little or no sex, no swearing, and they de-emphasise gore in violence. He also tends far closer to traditional high fantasy tropes. Trying to imagine Sanderson writing a character like the Hound is pretty challenging. I've been watching his BYU Writing Lectures recently (worth a watch for an interesting look behind the scenes of the fantasy writing business) and he rarely uses Game of Thrones as a reference, and the comments I recall him making on the series were generally polite but implying that he doesn't see much in common between them as authors. I like them both, but they are about as different as it comes.

I think a historical fiction author like Conn Iggulden would arguably be a better fit. Since those guys have to immerse themselves in a predefined canon (history) any time they write adopting the ASOIAF canon might not be the biggest stretch.

[Tale]

Meanwhile in the real world, Melisandre had a real baby with Guy Pearce.

[eldaec]

Who is the guy who wrote the recent Cicero trilogy? If we're doing fantasy authors who aren't GRRM I'd have him do it.

Iggulden is a little too hollywood for my taste. My suspension of disbelief didn't survive the first of his Julius Caesar books.

All that said, I have a very strong suspicion the book is more or less written, but Martin is trying to edit his own work. This is never wise.

[Rendakor]

Martin might finish Winds of Winter but I'd bet against him finishing whatever book 7's called.

[Cyrrex]

I'm not sure I even see the point of him finishing, honestly.  GoT is now a ingrained part of pop culture, almost entirely because of the TV show.  If he deviates at all, he'll get crucified.  It seems like a no-win situation to me.  He should just sit back on his huge ass and keep eating all the trans-fatty foodstuffs while collecting the sweet, sweet royalties.

[jgsugden]

I'm not sure I even see the point of him finishing, honestly.  GoT is now a ingrained part of pop culture, almost entirely because of the TV show.  If he deviates at all, he'll get crucified.  It seems like a no-win situation to me.  He should just sit back on his huge ass and keep eating all the trans-fatty foodstuffs while collecting the sweet, sweet royalties.

No offense, but that is idiotic claptrap unworthy of even F13.  That is like saying Marvel should stop writing comics. 

The books are different.  Both the show and the books are great in their own way, but I am eagerly looking forward to seeing how the books unfold, enjoying his writing and seeing how the story differs from the screen.  The next GoT book may or may not sell as well as prior books, but it will still sell an insane number of copies and be a huge best seller. 

[Cyrrex]

You just compared GoT to comic books.  Um, okay bro.

I am saying there is no huge upside for him.  It will sell tons and he'll get money (does he need it?  No idea.) and he will be utterly crucified by the legions of dorks who will cry foul if he does not follow the script.  GoT is one of the rare exceptions to the rule where the screen version is generally superior to the written material.  This all started with him providing the outline for the show to follow, and the show proved they could do it faster and better, for the most part.  Now it is the TV show that dictates the course.  It is his own damn fault for being a giant slug.

[eldaec]

GoT is entirely comparable to comic books, and the rest of your post is so wrong that you have me posting that I agree with jgsugden.

It is more far more likely that the internet will complain that  the books follow the show too closely, and anyway GRRM has no reason to care because for anyone to make that complaint they will already have to have bought the damn book.

You can of course choose either version for your own personal head canon. But the idea that nerds will choose show over book en masse and then be offended that they continue to be different is so insane that you are probably trolling.

[Merusk]

No, there will be enough people who choose the show over the book and get bitchy about it. It's the internet and it's just what people on it do. The internet is a generic outrage machine, after all.

People on the internet, by and large, put too much emphasis on what the internet thinks at all. Nobody in meatspace really gives a fuck. We've seen it time and again, lots of internet froth and fervor.. nothing in meatspace. The same will happen with book vs. show when the next book releases in 2019.

[Shannow]

My theory of life: 'the Internet makes everything better and everything worse'

Looking forward to reading the books once the TV show finishes. Here's hoping his heart lasts that long. Anyone else hoping that he's actually writing both book 6 and 7 and they'll be released after each of the next seasons?

On another note, especially for non book readers, I highly recommend Earworm's Hardcore Game of Thrones podcast series. Basically a history of Westeros done in Dan Carlin's Hardcore History style from the first men to present times.  Certainly increases your understanding of what's going on 200 percent.

[Mac]

Dorne sucks yes, but if you are ever near Seville, go visit the Alcázar where they filmed the palace scenes. It's amazing.

[Speedy Cerviche]

Yeah I was there 2 years ago, really something. The rest of the city too.

[Strazos]

The books are going to sell by the boatload - why should he care what neckbearded nerds say on fucking reddit?

[Phildo]

Because my opinions matter, dammit!

[Sir T]

I think the TV show without the books will be a different experience. Previously you had people who had read the books chattering away on the internet to explain what the fuck was actually going on, so lots of back story was constantly being filled in, and people were able to extend their watching experiences into interesting discussions online. Now the TV series will have to stand alone. It probably has the legs to do that at this point, but it will be somewhat different.