George R.R. Martin novel news

[ShadowDenizen]

The only thing different about the Dragonlance books is the D&D basis, and I doubt that's going to keep it going for anyone but historical gamer-geeks a hundred years from now.

Not to go all "Off-Topic" here, but the Dragonlance books (Well, the Chronicles and Legends, anyway!!) have appeal far beyond the D+D audience: I personally know of quite a few people (ALL of them "Non-Gamers", many of them female) who read and enjoyed these books.

While it was Weis and Hickmans' debut together, and the prose isn't quite as good (realtively speaking) as some of their later stuff, there's still alot to recommend these books, even to Non-Gamers. Interesting characters (many of my Non-gamer friends know who Raistlin and Tasslehoff are), a love-triangle and an interesting thematic statement that "Good Redeems it's own, while Evil inevitably turns upon itself."

While I do agree that they don't have the status of the "Narnia" books, or the "Tolkien" books, and probably never will, but don't discount the Chornicles and Legends having some staying power. They've been around for about 20 years, and are STILL being reprinted for new audiences.

Meanwhile, wandering back to the topic...
Gotta say that my favorite characters are Hodor and Danys, though I think I most identify with either Jon or Tyrion.

 

[GoodKingJayIII]

If you think GRRM is milking his readers, you haven't read Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series...

I have read all 10 of Jordan's monstrosities. Needless to say I'm hooked, but not in the good way, but more in the "this is one train wreck I have to see to the end" way!

As for the sex scenes, I'm glad they're in it. Sex is a part of life, and I'm sick of fantasy authors who give us blood and gore by the bucketful but shy away from any mention of sex.

I can't deny that fantasy has been known for its prudishness. But whatever the scene is portraying, it should advance character development, plot, or something else important that drives the novel forward. Maybe these bits and pieces moved the novel forward for you, but they didn't for me.

 

[stevelabny]

not every bit and piece needs to move the books plot forward.
character development is important too.

and i have one question to those who think the sex scenes dont move the book forward or add anything of value.
do you like the lord of the rings?
because those books have tons of stuff that is completely irrelevant to the plot, the characters, the mood, and anyting else you can think of.

 

[Vocenoctum]

not every bit and piece needs to move the books plot forward.
character development is important too.

and i have one question to those who think the sex scenes dont move the book forward or add anything of value.
do you like the lord of the rings?
because those books have tons of stuff that is completely irrelevant to the plot, the characters, the mood, and anyting else you can think of.

I liked LotR, but the return question is simply this:
Plenty of folks didn't like LotR because of all the added stuff, which they believe ruined the pacing and made the books impossible to read. Are those people Wrong?

Different people have different opinions, there's no reason to go on the offensive to make them see the "error of their ways" because they don't agree with yours. Unless somehow bringing up LotR wasn't some attempt at saying "if you liked LotR, but not SoI&F, you're a hypocrit".

 

[GoodKingJayIII]

character development is important too.

Hence, the reason I said a scene should advance character development, among other things

and i have one question to those who think the sex scenes dont move the book forward or add anything of value.
do you like the lord of the rings?
because those books have tons of stuff that is completely irrelevant to the plot, the characters, the mood, and anyting else you can think of.

I love LotR for a number of different reasons (nostalgia not being the least of them). That doesn't mean I can't identify its faults either. Reading them now is more difficult, and to be honest, I'll skip filler to move to the parts I love.

I'm not saying Martin is a bad author. I think he's very good, and I imagine I'll read this book eventually (especially since I love AGoT so much). What I am saying is that there are a certain kind and amount of filler I can tolerate. As a personal preference, I tend to prefer authors that discuss sex more discreetly and less overtly. If there are explicit scenes, I judge them based on any other overt action: does it move plot forward? Does it advance character development? Is it interesting? Can I relate to it? Obviously not everything in a book is going to move the plot forward, but if I'm disagreeing with the importance of a lot of scenes in a book, I'm probably not enjoying it.

But this horse is long dead, and I probably shouldn't have scrounged up the responses to my earliest post. No more responses from me on this particular topic. Be happy to continue talking about the book though.

 

[Dark Jezter]

and i have one question to those who think the sex scenes dont move the book forward or add anything of value.
do you like the lord of the rings?
because those books have tons of stuff that is completely irrelevant to the plot, the characters, the mood, and anyting else you can think of.

Yes, I like Lord of the Rings despite the fact that parts of it are agonizingly slow and pointless (not to mention the bad poetry thrown in every few pages), just as I like a Song of Ice & Fire despite the all of the gratitious and pointless sex scenes (after reading the 20th or so sex scene between Shae and Tyrion, I started to notice they were following a pattern: Tyrion shows up at wherever he's hiding Shae, he contemplates on how badly he missed her, Shae talks dirty to him and calls him pet names like "my Giant of Lannister", they get naked, do the deed, followed by some pillow-talk and angsting over their secret affair. Lather, rinse, repeat).

 

[ssampier]

Thanks George! Now since you wrote half of ADwD, you can finish the book and series before I'm old and grey*.

As for the sex, I like it. I admit, on one hand I like the idea of sex in a fantasy novel, it's so anti-Tolkein. Tolkein creatures never seem to breed, rather than just "pop" out of the earth (and sky). On the other hand, the incestuous sex is disturbing; I never thought I’d think to myself, “What the HELL am I reading?”

I continue reading anyway and I learned quite a bit about the characters by their sexual demeanors, as it were. I anxiously await Jaime’s reaction when he realizes that his sister is not faithful as he is.

*I’m 24 now

 

[The_lurkeR]

I anxiously await Jaime’s reaction when he realizes that his sister is not faithful as he is.

I don't think he cares anymore. My interpretation from the end of the last book is that he has moved on, and discovered his true love is the knighthood. I think the Jaime we see in the future books will be very different from what we've seen so far.

 

[BryonD]

Release date is Nov 8 per Georgerrmartin.com.

 

[KenM]

Release date is Nov 8 per Georgerrmartin.com.

Any word on final page count?