Comments on: A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin http://www.onelowerlight.com/writing/?p=3444 Blog of science fiction & fantasy writer Joe Vasicek Sat, 15 Jun 2013 22:35:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Stephen http://www.onelowerlight.com/writing/?p=3444&cpage=1#comment-34527 Stephen Fri, 10 Dec 2010 17:54:33 +0000 http://www.onelowerlight.com/writing/?p=3444#comment-34527 I’ve always wondered if I should pick up this book. Interestingly, you described the exact reason that I wouldn’t want to read a book–no tale of redemption and little regard for characters who try to do the right thing.

To follow Martin’s contrast of fantasy versus real, I would say “real life is being nice to your family at Christmas despite their annoying tendency to misquote movies; fantasy is Samwise Gamgee carrying Frodo up the flaming slopes of Mordor to destroy the ring of corruption and power or Elend Venture struggling between being an emperor and being the leader of his people in the face of a god-like menace to the world.” Tales of human strength and redemption can be amazingly inspiring in a fantasy world; tales of flawed people being flawed and gritty and that’s it? No thanks.

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