Fire and Ice
I've been re-reading the first four volumes of R.R. Martin's Fire & Ice saga. This will be the third time. This was triggered partly by HBO's excellent (if condensed) adaptation of Book One, A Game of Thrones, but also by the release of the fifth volume, A Dance with Dragons.
I haven't read fantasy for a long time. I would sooner read excellent historical fiction by Patrick O'Brian or Dorothy Dunnett. I feel glutted on multi-volume epics detailing the progress of young wizard-apprentice Scholem as he struggles to comprehend the labyrinthine complexities of the Schnarnathian Empire and recover the eldricht Tome of Eldross (I would say byzantine complexities, but hell, the Byzantine empire was for real, it doesn't need to be reinvented for kiddies).
Martin's writing and characterisation are simply that much better than all the usual dross. It's byzantine (bugger, just contradicted myself). Nuff said. And he wrote Sandkings, possibly the best SF short story ever.
I was delighted to find he has a Livejournal account, and they have cast Brienne of Tarth for season two. I had wondered how on earth they were going to do that.
http://grrm.livejournal.com/227044.html
As I wonder how they will film the battle for King's Landing in Book Two, which should knock the seige of Jerusalem (Kingdon of Heaven), Helm's Deep (LotR), and Omaha Beach (Private Ryan) into a cocked sallet.
I haven't read fantasy for a long time. I would sooner read excellent historical fiction by Patrick O'Brian or Dorothy Dunnett. I feel glutted on multi-volume epics detailing the progress of young wizard-apprentice Scholem as he struggles to comprehend the labyrinthine complexities of the Schnarnathian Empire and recover the eldricht Tome of Eldross (I would say byzantine complexities, but hell, the Byzantine empire was for real, it doesn't need to be reinvented for kiddies).
Martin's writing and characterisation are simply that much better than all the usual dross. It's byzantine (bugger, just contradicted myself). Nuff said. And he wrote Sandkings, possibly the best SF short story ever.
I was delighted to find he has a Livejournal account, and they have cast Brienne of Tarth for season two. I had wondered how on earth they were going to do that.
http://grrm.livejournal.com/227044.html
As I wonder how they will film the battle for King's Landing in Book Two, which should knock the seige of Jerusalem (Kingdon of Heaven), Helm's Deep (LotR), and Omaha Beach (Private Ryan) into a cocked sallet.