April 17: Game of Thrones HBO

Farm Ur-Ted · Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 3:53 am Post subject:

Dany, not Dray. Although I think I like Dray better, lol.
_________________
Roach trotted over to sniff at the gleaming phlegm, then licked it up.

The Bonehunters by Steven Erikson

SerScot · Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 10:54 am Post subject:

Orlion,

You're missing out. You should read A Song of Ice and Fire.
_________________
"Futility is the defining characteristic of life. Pain is proof of existence" - Thomas Covenant

Zarathustra · Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 2:08 pm Post subject:

Orlion, seriously, this is one of the top 5 fantasy series of all time. Right up there with Tolkien, Donaldson, and Bakker. You've got to read it!

Of course, you can always read it after seeing it. I'm not sure which way would be better. If the HBO show sucks, then you'll have the benefit of low expectations being blown away. But many of the spoilers will be spoiled, ruining the experience of reading it for the first time. On the other hand, if you read it first and then watch the show, you'll nit-pick the show for not following the book perfectly or not meeting the standards of your imagination as you read it. Tough call.
_________________
Meaning is created internally by each individual in each specific life: any attempt at *meaning* which relies on some kind of external superstructure (God, Satan, the Creator, the Worm, whatever) for its substance misses the point (I mean the point of my story). -SRD

Remain faithful to the earth, my brothers, with the power of your virtue. Let your gift-giving love and your knowledge serve the meaning of the earth ... Do not let them fly away from earthly things and beat with their wings against eternal walls. Alas, there has always been so much virtue that has flown away. Lead back to the earth the virtue that flew away, as I do-back to the body, back to life, that it may give the earth a meaning, a human meaning. -Nietzsche

Farm Ur-Ted · Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 3:24 pm Post subject:

I read AGoT's prologue this morning to see how it compared to the show, and I'd forgotten how good the writing was. They did a great job putting it on the screen, but watching it will never be as rich an experience as reading it. It's almost impossible to translate The Others to tv; we really don't even know what the hell they are in the books. It was interesting how the show started off with Will seeing the bodies in the camp, but in the book, Will is already back with the other two, and they are arguing about going back to the Wall vs. continuing to track the Wildings. Obviously, the story just can't be told in the same manner on a tv show, but in the end almost everything happens the same way. I did find it funny that a lot of people (not here, but at sffworld) complained that in the book Will was killed by the Others and Gared was beheaded by nearly headless Ned, as if it matters at all. I guess they changed it because it seems more dramatic to have a kid executed vs. a grizzled veteran.

That said, I think watching the show first might be better, cuz you'll have great visuals of all of Tyrion's ho's. Sometimes reality is better than the imagination, lol.
_________________
Roach trotted over to sniff at the gleaming phlegm, then licked it up.

The Bonehunters by Steven Erikson

Orlion · Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 4:18 pm Post subject:

It's on my list, but Malazan comes first, then Endymion... followed by the Baroque Cycle Very Happy

I have bought aGoT, though, so there is some sort of commitment there.
_________________
'Tis dream to think that Reason can
Govern the reasoning creature, man.
- Herman Melville

I am Lazarus, come from the dead,
Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all!

"All creation is a huge, ornate, imaginary, and unintended fiction; if it could be deciphered it would yield a single shocking word."
-John Crowley

I'm Murrin · Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 4:26 pm Post subject:

Worm of Despite · Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 7:07 pm Post subject:

TheFallen · Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2011 6:30 am Post subject:

Very unusually, we in the UK seem to have got near-on simultaneous transmission of GoT with you guys in the US of A, so I caught the first episode.

Like Orlion, I've also not read any GRRM but intend to, following recommendations here - and also the Malazan cycle.

Sin Bin, or Sean Bean if you'd rather, can ham it up big style, but didn't seem to do too bad a job at all in this, and the overall production looked slick and well-realised. I'll be watching the series. Oh, one last thing...

Akasri · Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2011 10:08 am Post subject:

I don't think her butt was too big... and I studied it. Thoroughly...

TheFallen · Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2011 1:48 pm Post subject:

I'm Murrin · Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2011 4:07 pm Post subject:

Bit big for a 13 year old girl, maybe. Razz

_________________
Inspiration Struck.

Mod of the General Fantasy/Sci-Fi Forum

[Syl] · Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2011 6:42 pm Post subject:

Despite swearing off the series until it's finished (and being thoroughly disgusted by Martin's last tepid installation) and being generally down on Martin, I decided to watch this. I'm glad I did. The casting is superb (loved Dinklage in The Station Agent) and Winterfell is just how I imagined it (amazing how they succeeded where so many cover artists fail miserably). And while the violence (of which, I expect we've only seen the merest hint) and nudity is gratuitous, I'm a big fan of that when it's deployed as expertly as they've done so far.

My only complaint is that the pace seems to be pretty fast. I assume it's one season per novel? Anybody know how many episodes?
_________________
"It is not the literal past that rules us, save, possibly, in a biological sense. It is images of the past. Each new historical era mirrors itself in the picture and active mythology of its past or of a past borrowed from other cultures. It tests its sense of identity, of regress or new achievement against that past.”
-George Steiner

Spiral Jacobs · Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2011 8:09 pm Post subject:

Farm Ur-Ted · Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2011 8:31 pm Post subject:

I've sort of sworn it off as well, but I have to say that if ADWD gets really strong review from non-homers, then I'll probably cave in and do a re-read read and then read ADWD. Seeing the first episode has definitely gotten me re-interested in the series.

The first season is 10 episodes, and it sounds like season 2 will be just on ACoK, but they haven't said how many episodes it will be. Who knows what they'll do when the get to AFFC and ADWD. They'll probably have to try and clean up GRRM's mess for him. I suspect that will be hell, lol.
_________________
Roach trotted over to sniff at the gleaming phlegm, then licked it up.

The Bonehunters by Steven Erikson

SerScot · Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 12:30 pm Post subject:

Murrin,

Akasri · Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 2:53 pm Post subject:

Frostheart Grueburn · Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 3:39 pm Post subject:

I'm thoroughly enjoying it so far; the cast seems spot-on. I had not recalled how much I loathed Joffrey before I saw that little, smug smirk on his face, and immediately felt like wanting to strangle something. Big Grin

Granted, had some qualms about Tyrion during the first episode, but having now seen the second, I think he's bloody awesome.

And while everyone's arguing over Dany's butt, that leaves us girls free to ogle at this moonrise without any complaints. Wink

Winterfell, now...Scotland's not a bad choice, although I always imagined the castle and its environs more Scandinavian-ish, Finland-ish.... Like one of those few, sturdy medieval castles we still have sprawling about [url=en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turku_castle](an example)[/url], against a backdrop of dark, brooding spruces. Or perhaps I have forgotten something and need to re-read the books.

danlo · Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 4:12 pm Post subject:

Ah, ^^^ That's a stunt-butt!!! Razz

LOL (I'm mean Dany's, not Drogos).

I simply had to break down and upgrade to HBO to watch last night's episode. I was satisfied-obviously a transition episode (as is that part of the book)--an hour was NOT enough. Even though dlb had a hard time following it--I think it's getting a little too complex right now for non-readers in general. So non-readers DO go to that HBO interactive website to learn the characters, houses, weapons and check out the maps. Yeah, the second they mentioned Casterly Rock it felt like things were beginning to get o/o controls for the noobs.

Tam goes, "That little blond prince is a total prick, isn't he." I said, "Baby, you don't know the half of it...." (I, actually, forgot how much I cried when Lady died Sad

)

I'm Murrin · Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 4:25 pm Post subject:

Wonder why they decided to have Tyrion wake up in the stables, instead of arriving from the library where he'd been up all night reading. They made up for it with the later scene with Jon Snow where he talks about why he reads, but still, interesting choice.

The speech from Cersei about Robert's child that died - where was that from originally? I recognise it from the novels, but not where it occurs. I know it isn't told to Catelyn at Winterfell. Did she tell it to Ned near the end of the novel?
_________________
Inspiration Struck.

Mod of the General Fantasy/Sci-Fi Forum

Orlion · Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 4:54 pm Post subject:

Yeah, that prince is a little punk... but I chalk it up partially to his being a teenager and drunk. The main bitch is the queen, who seems determined to assert her house's dominance... with the King not wanting to deal with whatever's going on and being generally pissed off at everyone.

I was able to follow it, but the time passed was a little difficult to digest. Other than that, good episode.
_________________
'Tis dream to think that Reason can
Govern the reasoning creature, man.
- Herman Melville

I am Lazarus, come from the dead,
Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all!

"All creation is a huge, ornate, imaginary, and unintended fiction; if it could be deciphered it would yield a single shocking word."
-John Crowley