Hot!

It rained off-and-on all day Monday. Since then, temps every day exceeded 90 degrees. Every time I complain about weather, I feel obligated to say that at least we are not dealing with 100 degree days. 

I went to the gym four times, to NCNC twice, the grocery store, and the farmer's market. Otherwise, I tried to stay inside.

It helped that HBO was marathoning eight seasons of Game of Thrones. I watched a few Season One episodes last month and found it again this week. I saw very little of Season Two and the last third of Season Three. I saw more episodes later in the week as I stayed inside longer. 

I also cleaned; it was the perfect opportunity. 

The heat has been enervating. I can't remember the last time we have a six-day heat wave (soon to add a seventh day.) Maybe I'm just too old. I think about it as I ponder where to move south of here. 

I wonder how I'll feel this winter. 

Revisiting Season One: Game of Thrones

After watching the Mets win last night, I found a marathon of Game of Thrones Season 1. We saw the last three episodes. It reminded me why this show was so special. Oh, by the way, I hated Shae from her second appearance. 

I saw the first season before I started to read the books. I've seen the episodes several times. I know the show much better than I know the books. Martin lost me in Book 4 and 5. He introduced too many characters, and I wanted to know what was going on with the core characters. I think he should have kept to his original trilogy idea--lengthwise--and then added/expanded on stories about peripheral characters in another series.

Back to Season One/Book One--The show did a good job casting. I especially liked how they aged the characters; it made much more sense. It was nice to see the (aged) young Arya, Bran, and Sansa. We saw them grow up on the show. 

I think Season One may have been the best of the series. Maybe I need to re-watch. 

Game of Thrones is Back

I looked forward to this season premiere more than any since Season Two. Maybe because it's the last season, and it's been about two years since the last season. Overall I loved it.

The new opening credits were awesome. I loved the young boy running through streams, crowds, etc. to get a glimpse of the royal procession, mirroring both Bran and Arya of Season One. I loved that the music of both processions was the same. For the most part, the reunions were good; I would have liked more hugging and a bit more emotion. Missed seeing Lyanna and Jorah Mormont (though honestly not at the time, only after I read someone's comment.) I'm sure she'll be stern, but happy he's now fighting the dead (but not because he's loyal to Daenerys.)

The one thing I didn't like: Jon and Dany's dragon flight. I guess it was meant as a light, romantic interlude. It annoyed me; we have too much story to get through. Plus I just don't buy their great love, and the waterfall/cave with Ygritte parallel.

The final scene with Jaime and Bran was everything.

Am I A Summer Child?

My last post on the Mets was an optimistic one. It was obviously a good night for Curtis, but as I wrote, I wanted to hope and wanted to believe.

But then the Nationals came to town. They won the first three games, with the Mets salvaging the fourth. Next the Mets headed to Los Angeles where the Dodgers beat up on them for four games. The only good thing about the series was that it was on too late for us to witness the massacres.

I  began to wonder: am I just being naive? Am I a summer child from Game of Thrones?

“Oh, my sweet summer child," Old Nan said quietly, "what do you know of fear? Fear is for the winter, my little lord, when the snows fall a hundred feet deep and the ice wind comes howling out of the north. Fear is for the long night, when the sun hides its face for years at a time, and little children are born and live and die all in darkness while the direwolves grow gaunt and hungry, and the white walkers move through the woods.” ― George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

Is my winter a disastrous season for the Mets? Who are the white walkers?

Thank goodness the next stop for the Mets on their west coast swing was San Francisco. This time the Mets swept the Giants. I wondered maybe I wasn't a summer child. But as someone (Keith Hernandez I think) said this doesn't mean the Mets are good. It's just that the Giants are so bad.

The next series in Miami started badly, but the Mets won the last two games and the series.

Back home the Mets beat the Phillies in their first two games. It's been a roller coaster two weeks of Mets baseball.

I can't let it go without discussing the death of Anthony Young. AY was the definition of a bad luck pitcher: despite his respectable ERA of 3.89, AY holds the Mets record of 27 straight losses. AY was liked and respected by the Mets faithful. We're sorry to lose him so soon.

Re-reading Game of Thrones with an Assist

I started my re-read about two weeks ago and am around 40 percent through the book (borrowed from my brother.) I'm trying to read carefully to see clues that I missed in my first reading.

Originally I read the book after watching the first season of HBO's Game of Thrones, starting sometime in the summer of 2011. Technically I read a package of the first four books on Kindle. I'm ambivalent on reading on Kindles. It's certainly convenient for carrying a variety of books. On the other hand, I prefer the tactile nature of books. Plus it's so much easier to to move backwards and forwards, to check the maps and appendix of houses.

After several chapters, I remembered this website, Race for the Iron Throne. I have caught up to the chapter by chapter analysis (okay, I still have to read the analysis of the chapter I read last night (listed on the website as Eddard VII.) Race for the Iron Throne analyses each chapter with insights from all of the books of A Song of Ice and Fire as well as HBO's Game of Throne, and historical perspectives.

The show's seventh season will start in five-and-a-half weeks. I'm not sure how far I'll get in my re-read by then. I've decided to re-read the first three books. I'm also re-watching the show on demand. I should be able to keep things straight with help from Race for the Iron Throne.

Midweek Update

Monday was my birthday. I'm not crazy about my age, but that's no reason not to celebrate. I'm not about to lie and shave years off my age. Age is probably the best reason to say, "It is what it is."

I had some vague ideas about my day: go to the gym, take a long walk with Lola, go to the antiques center in Norwalk (I've never been) maybe do something arty, maybe look for hiking boots.

I did none of the above.

On Friday night, I had an accident with Lola at the dog park, and ended up with a sore right shoulder and a pulled muscle in my right thigh. I still haven't gotten back to the gym. It rained most of Monday. I took Lola to Oystershell Park, and we were soaked after our half hour walk.

I vegged most of the day, playing yahtzee, re-watching Twin Peaks (before we watch the revival.)  I did a little work, checking answers to a practice SAT test I had taken on Sunday afternoon. Jeff started a new project and got home before 5. We went to Sedona Tap House for charity steak with our friend Chris. We were home by 7; it felt like 10.

***  

Jeff is able to sleep in for an hour and a half longer now than he did when he worked in lower Manhattan. He's also home about an hour earlier. It's a nice change, but I'm still getting used to it. 

***

On Saturday afternoon, I met Jeff and Lola at Bruce Park after I tutored in Greenwich. It's always fun to surprise Lola--I also did it at Taylor Farm yesterday. I like to see the moment when she recognizes me and runs toward me. I saw several black squirrels at Bruce Park. There is one iconic black squirrel at Taylor Farm. I got a kick out of seeing so many on Saturday. I took a few photos but couldn't get close enough to get a good one. 

***

Today I took Lola back to the Wilton loop of the Norwalk River Valley Trail. She likes to take the shorter loop from the parking lot on Autumn Ridge. I saw several chipmunks; they are so cute. I chose NRVT because it is an easy walk. Yesterday I stepped funny on a branch and it hurt my pulled thigh muscle. I had the idea of taking Lola to Cranbury but thought it might be too ambitious. 

***

I'm bummed about my accident with Lola. I had been getting into a good workout groove. It's so hard to get there, but so easy to lose the routine. 

***

I finished the latest Sara Paretsky book, Fallout  last week. A post will follow. I'm re-reading Game of Thrones. Maybe I'll re-read the first three books of A Song of Ice and Fire. I'd like to compare Book Two Arya with Roose Bolton to show season two with Arya and Tywin Lannister. Then there's the Red Wedding in Book Three. 

Taking It Easy

I'm still recovering from the cold that blasted me on Christmas Eve. Yesterday I worked on my ACT manual--it was something that I could do while relaxing and drinking tea.

I discovered a Game of Thrones marathon on TV. Apparently HBO is marathoning a season each day. It reminded me of  last year: watching Game of Thrones helped me deal with losing Spike--I guess by distracting me from my pain. I wonder if Games of Thrones marathons will always remind me of Spike.

Today I forced myself to do some household work: I finished unpacking my suitcase (on Christmas Day when we returned home I only threw my dirty clothes on top of the already full hamper) and did seven loads of laundry. It was tiring--I had to take a few breaks. I also managed a few pages in the manual.

Tomorrow I have to take my mother to the eye doctor. I guess I should be in bed already, but Cold Care PM Tea should help me sleep.
 

Working to Normal

My last post was hard to write. I told myself that I should write a post every day--at least until I got back in the habit of posting. Then I blew off that idea for a few days.

In the week after Spike died, I did the minimum I had to. I had two tutoring appointments, and took my mother to the eye doctor's. Then there was Christmas. Jeff and I were in no frame of mind to celebrate. But we felt obligated to participate in family events. We had some nice moments but it was very hard. Probably my favorite part of Christmas day was walking Jake. It was a warm day and it was nice to just get out where I could think and not have to be "on" for anyone.

It was a relief when Jeff and I got back home Christmas night. We ate leftover Chinese and watched The Man Who Came to Dinner and a Simpsons Christmas episode.

We spend most of the week watching TV. I discovered five season Game of Thrones marathons (one season each day.) Then a day of the Marx Brothers, The Thin Man and the countdown to the New Year. At midnight, Jeff toasted Spike.

With the New Year, I've been trying to get myself organized, do my chores, work on long term projects. Today I made some progress. I went to the gym for the second time this year; I made vegetable broth, chili, and pumpkin apple soup. Baby steps.

The Jeyne Substitutions

The show-runners of Game of Thrones made many changes from the the books of A Song of Ice and Fire. Changes are necessary because of the different art forms. Of course, Martin's books are nothing if not sprawling; deletions and consolidations of characters and plot lines are also required.

I've probably liked more changes than I disliked.  But I reacted more to the changes I disliked.

Let's get to the Jeynes.

Jeyne Westerling appeared out of nowhere in A Storm of Swords. She's very vague. So is Robb, since he's not a point of view character. But Jeyne is removed from the action twice over. There is no point-of-view character anywhere near when she and Robb marry. The story is that Jeyne comforts Robb after the "deaths" of Bran and Rickon. Robb marries her to protect her honor after comforting leads to sex. She does not attend Edmure's and Roslyn's wedding.

Apparently Jeyne wasn't exceptional enough for the show-runners. They created a  special woman who isn't like the others: Talisa. a foreign beauty and a feisty healer. I remember an interview with George R.R. Martin. He was discussing the problems with feisty peasant girls in medieval fantasies. He said the feisty peasant girls would be raped. Talisa was a high-born woman, not a peasant. But otherwise, she seems the epitome of the character Martin mocked. At best, she's snarky with Robb at their first meeting. I'd characterize her as disrespectful and rude. Robb is intrigued, but not everyone would be so forgiving. Talisa is lucky Roose Bolton wasn't in command that day. He has no problem with rape. At a minimum, Bolton would force her to work only on the Northmen and restrict her movements.

Robb's marriage to Talisa is much more short-sighted than his marriage to Jeyne. I understand how a teenage boy could break his vow to the Freys--he is trying to live up to his ideals as an honorable man. TV Robb--a grown man--is just selfishly stupid, instead of honorably stupid.

I've written about the Red Wedding here. The fetus stabbing bothered me for several reasons, especially the idea that the death of fetuses is worse than the death of live persons. I get the idea of potential innocent life and the next generation of Starks, but it's hard for me to divorce the death of the Stark fetus from today's political climate.

Then there's Jeyne Poole. Jeyne is Sansa's best friend. According to this wiki, she appears in Game of Thrones. I remember a scene from the Winterfell banquet in an early Season One episode, but don't remember Jeyne appearing again. What if Jeyne had been an example of a little person hurt by the battling lords, instead of Ros? Maybe Jeyne wouldn't be believable as one of  Littlefinger's top aides, but she would have been a true innocent hurt by the war.

Instead the show-runners ignore Jeyne and replace her with Sansa as Ramsay's wife/victim. I was shocked when I heard this. At the end of Season Four, Sansa appeared ready to take her place as a player apprentice if not a player herself. She had learned how to read people and how to hide her own feelings when necessary.

Despite the show-runners' assertions that she is now pro-active, I think she was played by Littlefinger. He even smirked when she agreed to go to Winterfell to marry Ramsay Bolton. Believe me, I tried to convince myself that it wasn't a smirk, but a smile of pride. It was a smirk.

I get the appeal of replacing Jeyne with Sansa. As many have noted, it raises the stakes; Sansa's story stalls at the Vale.

But Sansa is not Jeyne. While it may have happened off-screen (or off-page to be more accurate) Jeyne is a broken woman. She lost her family as and when Sansa did, but she had no name (or brother with an army) to protect her. She had no hope. Littlefinger sent her to one of his whore houses and who knows exactly what she was subjected to.

However rough Sansa had it, however many times she felt alone and frightened, she had the name of Stark. There were some that respected that name.

There are still some that respect that name. If the Boltons need a Stark to legitimize their claim to the North, they can't afford for Ramsay to mistreat/abuse that Stark. Characters in A Song of Ice and Fire were angry enough about the fake Arya--and many knew she was a fake. Abuse of a real Sansa would create more anger.

Sansa has already dealt with the attentions of a sadist in the first three seasons--Joffrey. It's a step back for her to be in the same position again, even if the show-runners try to sell at as Sansa being pro-active.

They're full of shit.

I cursed Benioff and Weiss as I watched Sansa's rape. I considered turning off the show for good. I couldn't do it. Claire McCaskill did. Rhiannon won't recap it any longer. I'll miss her recaps and analyses.

Going forward, I'm not sure what I'll do. Each season, I've felt less psyched for Game of Thrones. It's still must see TV for me. Damn, I watched a season marathon on Memorial Day. The rape scene was as bad as I remembered. I hate rape as a cheap tool of empowerment or revenge motive. I can't expect much from Benioff and Weiss, but I still hope for something better.

Game of Thrones Season Four

It's back.

I'm re-watching the premiere now--switching between it and the Mets/Angels game. There are problems with this show, but I still love it.

It hurt to watch Ice melted down, though nice to see Ned again in the previouslies. Diana Rigg rules as Oleanna. Prince Oberyn made an interesting first impression. I can do without the brothel nudity scenes, but I love his reaction to "The Rains of Castmaere." It was great to see Arya get Needle back, but damn she has become a cold-blooded killer. I fear for her.

I can't wait to see the Purple Wedding and its aftermath.

Game of Thrones Season Three Finale

As I write this post, I am re-watching Mhysa for the third time. I had no idea what would happen in this episode. I haven't re-read A Storm of Swords, and the show runners continue to make many changes from the books. I've read several comments on TWoP that this was a boring episode. I don't get it.

The episode opens with a scene of slaughter and fire outside the Twins. Arya regains consciousness just in time to see the desecration of her brother's body with Grey Wind's head sewed onto it. Tragic--Arya had been so hopeful just minutes before. If she had any innocence left after all she had been through, it is gone after that sight.

This is demonstrated a few scenes later: Arya hears a soldier bragging about  being one who helped sew the wolf's head onto Robb's body. Arya asks to warm herself by the fire and then kills the man. Her eyes are dead and she would be literally dead if the Hound had not assisted her by killing the other soldiers.

In King's Landing, Tyrion and Sansa have a friendly moment until Tyrion is called into a Small Council meeting. Joffrey is gleeful about Red Wedding news. Later he openly insults Tywin, who sends him to bed. Next, Tyrion enters Sansa's chambers; she has been crying. I'm disappointed that we don't see the scene in which Sansa learns about her family's deaths. We see Sansa's grief through Tyrion's eyes. I didn't mind that choice before (when we didn't see Sansa learning that she was to marry Tyrion, not Loras.) But I don't want to see Sansa's story through Tyrion.

In other subplots, John and Sam make it back to Castle Black; Bran and company make it through the wall. Dany is proclaimed Mother (Mhysa) of the Yunkai. Davos helps Gendry escape. And maybe, there is hope for Theon as Yara leaves Pyke for the Dreadfort. 

Not a boring episode by any means.

It's about nine months before Season Four begins. At least we go right into the sixth season of True Blood next week. That will help my GoT withdrawal, but I can't wait to return to Westeros.

It's a Bad Day for a Red Wedding

Note: I wanted to re-read the Red Wedding scene, but haven't gotten to it yet, and don't want to wait any longer to write this post.

Episode Nine of Season Three, Game of Thrones. SPOILER ALERT (show and books.)

I had been looking forward to it, but dreading it at the same time. The Red Wedding is brutal and devastating.

I've always liked Robb, though he was a shadowy figure in the book and not a point of view character. I enjoyed seeing more of his story in the show, but absolutely hated his love story with Talisa. This is one instance in which aging the characters makes some actions annoying at best, infuriating at worst.

The Red Wedding plotters didn't just murder Robb and Catlyn. They murdered as many of the Stark forces that they could. A poster on TWoP had a good point about this. We didn't see any of Robb's bannermen other than Greatjohn Umber (in Season One) and later Roose Bolton and Rickard Karstark. I would have loved to see one of the Mormont women (good counterpoint to Brienne) and a few others with a few lines in earlier episodes. It would have made the massacre even more poignant to recognize another few of the victims.

What I liked: After the Tully/Stark contingent arrives, we see a welcoming scene when food is offered (though its significance is not explained in the show.) Walder Frey is sleazily creepy in his meet-and-greet, especially towards Talisa (why is she there anyway?)

It appears that bygones are bygones until...

Cat sees the doors being closed   
She hears the opening of "The Rains of Castamere"
She realizes Roose Bolton is wearing armor

Cat tries to warn Rob, but it's too late. The Freys stab Talisa repeatedly in the abdomen, fall Robb with crossbow bolts until Bolton moves in for the kill, and shoot Cat with crossbows, and later cut her throat.

Through the massacre, old Walder is drinking wine and clearly enjoying himself.

Meanwhile in the stables, Grey Wind is penned up. Arya had arrived at the Twins with the Hound, who planned to ransom her. For a brief moment, it looks that Arya may be able to free Grey Wind, but the Freys kill him before she can.

I want to recommend Rhiannon's post on this episode. I don't necessarily agree with her about Cat's clawing of her face, but I agree with most of her other comments.

One last thing about Talisa's death: Talisa was pregnant and her killers targeted her stomach. I can't do a full book/TV comparison here because I haven't re-read the wedding scene. But Talisa wasn't in the book, Robb's book-wife Jeyne wasn't at the wedding and apparently wasn't pregnant.

In light of our current political climate in which many conservatives value embryos and fetuses above the women who carry them, I'm distressed about this change. Is Game of Thrones saying that being killed along with your mother, friends and associates isn't bad enough? Do we really need to add a fetus to make it horrible?

Game of Thrones Withdrawal

I'm going through a mini-Game of Thrones withdrawal--no new episode this week. But soon it will get much worse--only two more episodes this season. The next episode will be devastating, yet I can't wait to see it.

I've dealt with my withdrawal by re-watching Season 2 on HBO On Demand and catching part of the Season Three marathon on Memorial Day. I've also been exploring several websites I found in the forums of TWoP.

A wiki at westeros.org has chapter summaries, character descriptions, and much more.

This site, The Tower of the Hand, cross-references and hyperlinks each page. It also has a great feature in which you set your scope, based on how many of the books you've completed. This keeps your from accidentally getting spoiled.

Here's a feminist viewpoint. It's not exclusively limited to Game of Thrones, but reviews other TV shows and books as well.

I just discovered this site. I am loving the chapter-by-chapter analysis. Each post has a brief summary, historical and political analyses, what if's, and book vs. show.

I have thought about a doing a from page to screen analysis of Game of Thrones, but it's too daunting. I've only read the books once (although I have re-read/skimmed A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings.)

Just a few stray thoughts.

One of the changes that I like best is the aging of the characters. Although I love the actors, some of them are even older than the aged characters. I fanwank that it's the different way age manifests itself in different eras (e.g. 50 is the new 30.)

Another change that I really like is the interaction between Tywin and Arya. Maisie Williams holds her own with Charles Dance and it gives Arya (and the viewers) a chance to catch up on the war news. The show also distills Arya's experiences as one of the small folks which can be repetitive in the book version.

I don't like the changes in Catlyn and Cersei. Catlyn is smarter and more politically savvy in the book than on the show. Cersei is softened with two of her horrible acts attributed to Joffrey in the TV version. These changes were unnecessary in the book to TV transition.  Rhiannon has a great post about characterizations of the women in Game of Thrones.

I'll continue to re-watch Seasons Two and Three and wait for next Sunday and the Red Wedding.

Of A Song of Ice and Fire and Rape as Wallpaper

I love Game of Thrones (the TV show). In fact, I may be obsessed: I am currently re- watching the second season; Season Three starts on March 31; I am re-reading (more accurately re-skimming) the second book, A Clash of Kings.

That doesn't mean that I don't have problems with the show or the books.

I wrote about  my issues with the books before. Then I read this post via a link from Shakesville. Sophia McDougall said, "I found I couldn’t cope with rape as wallpaper."

Sophia said it much better than I did; I couldn't find the right words.

Although Sophia stopped reading, I continued with the series, despite my misgivings.  And I'm looking forward to Season Three.

Game of Thrones--More Thoughts on Season Two

For the most part, I loved it. I've written before about my issues with the "tits are us" HBO approach. But my biggest problem with season two was the scene of Joffrey abusing the whores, Roz and Daisy. Tyrion sent them in an ill-advised plan to drain some of Joffrey's poison. The scene did not appear in the books and it was unnecessary to show Joffrey's sadism and cruelty which had been shown multiple times.

After the first season of Game of Thrones, I started reading the books. On Tuesday I finished book five, A Dance with Dragons. I've enjoyed the series more than the books (which is unusual for me.) I've found that I've already forgotten some of the books' plot points. Maybe it's because I've read much of the books just before falling asleep. But I also think it's because Martin has too many characters, too many plots, and too many instances of they're dead, oops they're not (I'm already sick of this trope from soap operas.)

One of the biggest changes from book two to season two is the interaction between Tywin Lannister and Arya Stark. It's been brilliant. I've been a fan of  Charles Dance since A Jewel in the Crown and Maisie Williams can hold her own. I've also loved Sophie Turner (Sansa), Jack Gleeson (Joffrey) and Issac Hempstead Wright (Bran). All the acting has been stellar (although I'm not enjoying the Robb/Talisa subplot which I attribute to sloppy writing rather than poor acting.)

All in all, a solid season. I'll start the hiatus with new True Blood episodes and continue to watch some Game of Thrones reruns.

Game of Thrones--Thoughts on Season Two

Okay, so I love the TV series, Game of Thrones. I've watched the first season episodes at least five times. I was psyched for the second season.

That doesn't mean that I don't have problems with the show. This clip via Shakesville from Saturday Night Live sums it up: http://www.shakesville.com/2012/04/game-of-thrones-explained.html.

I admit that I don't particularly like  to watch sex scenes--I'd rather read them--but I don't object to them in general. Game of Thrones is rife with unnecessary sex scenes and boob shots. I wish I could remember who said this so I could credit him/her--there was so much exposition in the dungeon scene with Ned and Varys--that the writer expected to see a couple copulating in the dungeon corner.

I think HBO does its viewers a disservice. We get that you can show more nudity than network TV. We've heard your slogan--it's not TV, it's HBO. We can watch a complicated show without a barrage of boobs to entice us. It seems that  you don't think too much of us. You changed a few character's names. Come on--how could we confuse King Robert Bartheon with the spoiled, still-nursing young boy, Robert Arryn? Also, the Wildling Osha at Winterfell is easily distinguished from the Iron Islander, Ahsa Greyjoy.

Don't see us short; we don't need all the boobs.

Season Two is Coming!

It's only a half hour away.

I'm not as psyched as I would have been if I hadn't read the books. I'm in a bit of a downer mood about Book 4. It was too long, had too many characters, left too many of the main characters out of the narrative.

But I'm still psyched for the second season of Game of Thrones.  Bring it on.

What Do You Expect?--A Song of Ice and Fire Edition

As I've written before, I love Game of Thrones, the HBO series, which led me to the books http://lynnecoll.blogspot.com/2012/01/what-im-reading.html. Now I'm loving the books. But loving the series and the books doesn't mean I can't have any problems with them.

Last week I was discussing the first two books (A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings) with a man. I mentioned that I didn't like reading about all the rapes. First, he said there weren't many rapes; I disagreed. Then he asked, "What did you expect?"

I hate that response; it's pointless. I just wanted to give my opinion. 

The other day I was reading some blogs and came across two posts about Game of Thrones, the series The first discusses the first season: http://opinionessoftheworld.com/2011/06/20/game-of-thrones-and-gender/.  The second focuses on hope for less sexism in the second: http://www.btchflcks.com/2012/02/game-of-thrones-season-2-trailer-will.html

I agree it would be a nice change to read about a fantasy world that isn't steeped in sexism and misogyny. A comment on the first post by Eric N. Samuels expressed my misgivings about how one of the rapes is just mentioned in passing in A Clash of Kings. It shows how rape is accepted in Westeros.

Maybe if rape wasn't so accepted in our own culture, the Westeros culture wouldn't bother me as much.

What I'm Reading

I'm reading A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin, the second volume of A Song of Ice and Fire (it's hard for me not to write fire and ice instead.)

I've never heard of the series or of Martin until I saw the HBO series, Game of Thrones (the title is from the first volume.) I love the series; you can almost say I'm obsessed with it. I'm on the third round of watching the complete series (the last two episodes are left.) I've also caught parts of episodes by chance.

I finished the book, A Game of Thrones last week. I see the characters as the actors who portray them. For the most part, the casting is dead on. I'm intrigued by the differences between the novel and series. Most of the changes I've noticed condense or consolidate scenes and actions or reflect differences in exposition between the written and visual arts.

I read somewhere that Martin was inspired by Britain's War of the Roses. The Starks represent the House of York and the Lannisters the Lancasters. I wouldn't see that if I hadn't read it; in fact, I'm not sure I see it now. Martin's world, regardless of similarities to ours, is his own.

I remember my own ambitious plans for science fiction novels set in new worlds of my imagination. I submitted a few chapters to a writing teacher and anxiously awaited her one-on-one critique. I worried she would say something like--writing just isn't for you, why don't you try something else.

Her criticism was milder. She thought I was too distant from my science fiction writing compared to my other, more personal work. She also discouraged my multiple point of view approach; she thought it was too confusing. But for an wide-ranging story in a new world, I think a multiple point of view is preferable, if not required (i.e. A Song of Ice and Fire and Dune.) Martin titles each chapter with the point of view character so there's no confusion there.

I still keep my science fiction worlds in the back of my mind. I've saved those first chapters of my novels, notes and images that I pulled to inspire me. Someday, I'll return to them.