New GRRM Update on ADWD

[Anne Lyle]

Thanks, and no, I'm not planning a same-sex marriage - I think my husband might object

My book is set shortly after Marlowe's murder, so he doesn't appear in it, but he is mentioned a few times...

 

[Clansman]

Holy threadjack, Batman! Anything new from GRRM's Not a Blog???

 

[Anne Lyle]

Sorry, we did get a bit off topic there! I've mostly been avoiding these threads because I've only read AGOT so far...

 

[The Imp]

Sorry, we did get a bit off topic there! I've mostly been avoiding these threads because I've only read AGOT so far...

Do yourself a favor and either avoid GRRM forums like the plague, or, finish the next 3 books asap. It's almost guaranteed you'll run into a spiler, maybe of epic proprtions, and I'd hate to see that happen. There are spoilers, and then there are SPOILERS

 

[Werthead]

Male homosexual characters in fantasy is nothing really new. Diana Gabaldon's mega-selling Lord John series (technically alt-history) has a gay protagonist, Richard Morgan's already been mentioned and Ricardo Pinto's Stone Dance of the Chameleon series, featuring several gay protagonists, recently concluded. It is, however, notable that Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series (one of the biggest-selling fantasy series of all time) has lesbian characters but no male homosexual ones, indicating the possibility of double standards.

Back OT, it has recently become more apparent that the UK paperback release of A Dance with Dragons will be in two volumes, even if it comes in slightly shorter than ASoS. However, I have also been assured by Voyager reps that the initial hardcover and tradeback releases will be in one volume. Amusingly, given the massive discounts hardcovers get (whilst paperbacks get little to none), this means that it will be cheaper to buy the hardcover or tradeback in the UK than two seperate paperbacks a year later.

 

[Ursa major]

Amusingly, given the massive discounts hardcovers get (whilst paperbacks get little to none), this means that it will be cheaper to buy the hardcover or tradeback in the UK than two seperate paperbacks a year later.

Thanks for pointing that out, Wert.

Being a cheapskate, and coming to the series late, I have the current books in paperback. It's good to hear that it'll be cheaper to buy the hardback of ADWD when it first hits the shelves rather than having to wait for the paperbacks (which would mean having to avoid the GRRM threads for the period between their respective publication dates).

 

[Mesanna]

I think, even if it were costing a fair bit more for the hardback, I would still have to buy it. There is no way on earth I could wait a year or so until the paperback came out. The suspense would probably kill me! It's good to know though that the hardback won't really cost any more than the two paperbacks.

 

[The Imp]

There are good reasons to buy a hardback in the first place. Longer lasting, much nicer, bigger type (I think, it's been a while ), potentiall collector's value, etc. If on top of all of that it's going to be cheaper, then the only reason for anyone to buy the paperback would be if the numbers worked out to something like each paper is 15, the book is 25. I'm on a tight budget and I'd rather spend 10 fewer today. Kind of the way poorer people are forced to make food buying or clothing decisions.

If I was in that position I'd run to every nearby public library and reserve it for as soon as they get a copy in,m which is usually very soon after pulication for books that are going to be best sellers

 

[Anne Lyle]

Male homosexual characters in fantasy is nothing really new. Diana Gabaldon's mega-selling Lord John series (technically alt-history) has a gay protagonist, Richard Morgan's already been mentioned and Ricardo Pinto's Stone Dance of the Chameleon series, featuring several gay protagonists, recently concluded. It is, however, notable that Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series (one of the biggest-selling fantasy series of all time) has lesbian characters but no male homosexual ones, indicating the possibility of double standards.

I have this theory that gay romance is the female equivalent of "lesbian porn for men" - but that's probably a discussion for another thread...

I fully intend to read more GRRM so I can join in these threads, but I have a load of other stuff to read on top of my own writing, so it may take some time!

 

[Mesanna]

I have this theory that gay romance is the female equivalent of "lesbian porn for men" - but that's probably a discussion for another thread...

I fully intend to read more GRRM so I can join in these threads, but I have a load of other stuff to read on top of my own writing, so it may take some time!

Heehee I can agree somewhat about the gay romance. I remember feeling quite flustered reading an Elizabeth Bear book one time LOL

Anyway, back on topic, hope you get round to reading the rest of GRRM soon. It would be nice to hear your thoughts on the story.

 

[Werthead]

At the Belfast moot, GRRM confirmed he 'currently' has five chapters to finish off. However, he apparently told Bantam in confidence, not expecting them to tell everyone. The reason he hadn't announced this himself is that he was wary after one chapter early this year became two in rewrites and three in final revisions, and it's possible some of these five chapters might be broken up further. He was adamantly against putting any kind of timescale on how long it will take to finish off these chapters.

So yeah, encouraging but still not news to get hugely excited by.

 

[Conor]

Do yourself a favor and either avoid GRRM forums like the plague, or, finish the next 3 books asap. It's almost guaranteed you'll run into a spiler, maybe of epic proprtions, and I'd hate to see that happen. There are spoilers, and then there are SPOILERS

The Imp is completely correct!
I dont think I have ever seen such great twists and developments in all my years of reading.To see a spoiler by accident would surely ruin the experience.

 

[The Imp]

The Imp is completely correct!
I dont think I have ever seen such great twists and developments in all my years of reading.To see a spoiler by accident would surely ruin the experience.

Here's something terrible to c ontemplate. An online friend whom I had told about the series bought all 4 books at the same time. He made the mistake of reading the dust jackets , and was told, right there on the back of the book, that Edard and Robb both died. He is halfway through AGOT right now, and he can't be sure of when the deaths will occur, but he'll be on the lookout.

SOmeone at the publishing company should be fired

 

[Conor]

Here's something terrible to c ontemplate. An online friend whom I had told about the series bought all 4 books at the same time. He made the mistake of reading the dust jackets , and was told, right there on the back of the book, that Edard and Robb both died. He is halfway through AGOT right now, and he can't be sure of when the deaths will occur, but he'll be on the lookout.

SOmeone at the publishing company should be fired

I completely agree! I hope they are fired and flogged.
Come to think of it I may have read the jacket of Clash of Kings before finishing Game of Thrones but stopped after the first sentence or two.
I may have done that with the second book from Brian Buckley's Godless world...I should have learned.

 

[Quick Ben]

Yeah the Red Wedding was slightly spoiled for me because of this board.

Was in the middle of reading and was absolutely refusing to look at any topics with anything mildly spoilerish in the title but still couldn't help joining in at least some discussion whilst churning through the books.

So saw a poll titled 'Most Hated Character' and thought "Hmm, seems fairly harmless, I'd say Cersei would be winning in a landslide, let's see what people are saying about the bitch". And lo' and behold Walder Frey was beating Cersei

Was shocked as at that point all I'd read of Walder was the part in AGOT where he had, after some negotiation, let them cross the river. So I knew he must have done something absolutely terrible to have edged ahead of Cersei and Joffrey...

And from that point onwards, I was just looking for something terrible from the Frey's and when Robb broke the promise and they rode to the Twins I had an inkling something terribly bad was coming (and there were little hints in Martin's writing which I would never have picked up if I wasn't on the lookout). And though I didn't expect the massacre that went on (I thought Catelyn or one or two others might be killed) and so was still shocked, it was no where near as it would've been had I been totally blindsided.

Just goes to show, avoid this board like the plague if you are still reading!!!

 

[Lofwyr]

I still remember, fondly as it were, the absolute and utter shock I was in whilst reading the Red Wedding. At work on a break...15 minutes stretched to 45 minutes but my supervisor said I looked slack-jawed and stunned so he didn't bother me. Good times.

 

[TK-421]

I remember sitting on the bus going to work in the morning and saying out loud "NO!" when I read the Red Wedding. A few months later I saw a similar expression on someone's face on the bus and they were also reading ASOS.

Good times indeed.


R.I.P. Leslie Nielsen. Another great Canadian comedian has gone.

 

[The Imp]

I remember sitting on the bus going to work in the morning and saying out loud "NO!" when I read the Red Wedding. A few months later I saw a similar expression on someone's face on the bus and they were also reading ASOS.

Good times indeed.


R.I.P. Leslie Nielsen. Another great Canadian comedian has gone.

I was listening to the audiobook and walking upstairs. I got the the living room and HAD to sit down. I literally felt weak, almost as if I had the wind knocked out of me. Excluding real life events, the Red Wedding was absolutely the most upsetting moment of my life

 

[Clansman]

I have a friend who quit the series at the Red Wedding. She just had no desire to continue, and felt that Martin had taken a sharp left towards cynicism and dystopia. As life is cynical and dysfunctional in reality, she had no desire to make her entertainment the same way, and thought Martin had missed an opportunity to do more with ASoIaF than what he has done (which is a lot). Not to make it "hollywood", but to make a deeper exploration of the human soul other than the dark side he seems content to reveal.

At times I am inclined to agree, thought I am not exactly sure why. Perhaps that criticism will be answered in the coming books. Of course, they must be written first!

 

[Ursa major]

I can't say that I agree with your friend, Clansman.

I do understand that the Red Wedding is an unwelcome shock to many, but how did GRRM miss an opportunity? Are there so few books where the good guys win? Would ASoIaF without the Red Wedding have stood as a beacon for those authors who would rather their heroes didn't die, their quests unfulfilled (as they always seem to do)? Are we still weeping over Sauron's success, and Frodo's failure, in LOTR? Or the Wicked Witch of the West's triumph over Dorothy? Or any of a vast number of similar tales?

And if we don't have the depair, how do we create the overwhelming feeling of elation when things do turn out right? Where's the contrast?