Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jkelly80]

I figure this being the internet and all there's some fantasy geeks out there. I submit George RR Martins' Song of Ice and Fire as the best I've read. Seeing as how HBO has optioned the book and is filming the pilot, this would be a good place to geek out.

[madoka]

[jkelly80]

Feast for Crows was a bit weak, but the Oldtown/Maester plotline with Sam and the Greyjoy/Valyria thing was pretty interesting. Also, Stannis on the Wall is a good set up for later.

[Insidejohnmalkovich]

I confess to having been fascinated by this series despite its gratuitous sex and outrageous characters.

But I think what I enjoyed was the allusions to interesting history and folklore. Unfortunately, whenever I made each connection, I always thought, "But the original story was more interesting." The Wars of the Roses make better reading than Martin's kingdom politics. Elric of Melnibone makes better wandering-exiled-elfin-prince stuff.

And why does he have to keep switching perspectives every chapter? It makes my head hurt. And every novel introduces four or five mroe perspectives. Just tell the damned story.

And why does every character have to be so damned strange? Their inner reveries and quirks interfere with the storytelling.

[Draz]

[GreenlightmeansGO]

I haven't read these books, but if you're worried about whether the author can finish the books or not, won't there be someone else who can tie-up the series? I understand that there will be a change in style, but if you are looking for closure, the author's death is not necessarily the end. Look at the Dune series, for example.

[Insidejohnmalkovich]

I just downloaded the torrent for the fourth book (2005): having been in Korea so long I missed it.

I must say, one very good point about his writing is that it is less anachronistic than most fantasy writing. I say less, because it is still very much influenced by feminism, democracy, human rights, agnosticism and nihilism, as well as various other modern ideas. Nonetheless, the characters sometimes think in ways very mediaeval.

And at least the characters' dialogue is not full of modern slang like the cheap novels for Dungeons & Dragons and countless otehr modern fantasy writers. I think this is because Martin has taken a peek at some excerpts from the mediaeval sources, the chronicles and sagas and Malory. I just wished he was more like Malory.

[cobright]

I like FfCs alot. The best part is the character transformations that take place when you are able to see things through their eyes. My biggest criticism is that he should have pared down the scope and finished the novel instead of splitting off geographically. Now I have a long wait, then a long read, then another long wait before I can find out how Sam fares in oldtown.

[jkelly80]

Yeah the Sam/Oldtown/Masester thing was a great set-up, as was having Melissandre and Stannis on then Wall (lord of light can now go against the Others).

I really want to see more of the Onion Knight and find out what happened to Theon as well. But that will be years I think.

[Thunndarr]

My problem with the series is that the interval between books is so long I can't remember A) what happened in the previous book and B) if I've actually read the previous book or not. (Can't remember if I've read the 3rd book or not, and to be honest, can't be bothered starting a long series with no end in sight. Thank you Wheel of Time.)

[doc_ido]

I haven't read A Feast for Crows - I read and enjoyed the first three, but my interest was already starting to wane and I'm not sure if it's be worth investing the time in the other four books (this irked me about the Sword of Truth series - I bailed out after six - and is why I never even tried to pick up the Wheel of Time).

If the next book looks to be excellent I could be persuaded to give the series another chance, but it really is taxing to keep track of all the diverging plotlines and new characters while putting up with protagonists who, while fun to read about, are fairly transparent.

[jkelly80]

I don't think he's going for an overly complex attempt at characterization, but I really like the progression of Jaime and Sansa. Catelyn is pretty annoying though. The appeal to me is the scope and the scale of the book and the details he's put into framing a (somewhat) realistic feudal landscape.

[Privateer]