A long-awaited sixth book, the deaths of many fan-favorite characters, the adaptation's increasing departure from his source material: Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin has a lot to answer for these days, and he's fed up with you for asking. But his frustration is understandable. So what if he doesn't hold back on subverting typical narrative tropes, i.e. killing off as many protagonists and beloved characters as he sees fit? He's writing his ass off to get book six in his planned seven-installment epic out as soon as possible without forfeiting quality. And yes, the TV show is gaining on him, while continuing to make different storytelling decisions, because guess what? Television and novels are two different mediums that require different calls. Unfortunately for George, he can't just say, Get over it and/or fuck off (although he did reserve the latter as a response to the wildly disrespectful question "What if you die before the books are finished?"). Over countless interviews, he's had to deal with the same topics, and his answers, while diplomatic, bear an increasingly overt sentiment: fuck your feelings. As Game of Thrones Season 5 revs up to bring drama, dragons, and death to your Sundays this spring, here are 10 Martin quotes to remind you that your expectations, hopes, and desires are for naught. This is his story, dammit.
A long-awaited sixth book, the deaths of many fan-favorite characters, the adaptation's increasing departure from his source material: Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin has a lot to answer for these days, and he's fed up with you for asking. But his frustration is understandable. So what if he doesn't hold back on subverting typical narrative tropes, i.e. killing off as many protagonists and beloved characters as he sees fit? He's writing his ass off to get book six in his planned seven-installment epic out as soon as possible without forfeiting quality. And yes, the TV show is gaining on him, while continuing to make different storytelling decisions, because guess what? Television and novels are two different mediums that require different calls. Unfortunately for George, he can't just say, Get over it and/or fuck off (although he did reserve the latter as a response to the wildly disrespectful question "What if you die before the books are finished?"). Over countless interviews, he's had to deal with the same topics, and his answers, while diplomatic, bear an increasingly overt sentiment: fuck your feelings. As Game of Thrones Season 5 revs up to bring drama, dragons, and death to your Sundays this spring, here are 10 Martin quotes to remind you that your expectations, hopes, and desires are for naught. This is his story, dammit.
On gleefully torpedoing your belief that good always triumphs over evil
"I killed Ned because everybody thinks he’s the hero and that, sure, he’s going to get into trouble, but then he’ll somehow get out of it. The next predictable thing is to think his eldest son is going to rise up and avenge his father. And everybody is going to expect that. So immediately [killing Robb] became the next thing I had to do." [via]
On the over-abundance of crigneworthy sex and sexual violence
"When the scene in question is a sex scene, some readers find that intensely uncomfortable… and that’s ten times as true for scenes of sexual violence. But that is as it should be. Certain scenes are meant to be uncomfortable, disturbing, hard to read." [via]
On speeding up the writing process for fans of the series pre-show
"But unfortunately for them, I’m quite slow." [via]
On jetsetting while you wait impatiently for the next book
"I have travel plans constantly. It's like suddenly I get invited to travel to South Africa or Dubai, and who's passing up a free trip to Dubai? I don't write when I travel. I don't write in hotel rooms. I don't write on airplanes." [via]
On his disregard for maintaining any unity between the show and his new books
"This is going to drive your readers crazy, but I love it. I’m still weighing whether to go that direction or not. It’s a great twist. But it’s nothing I’ve ever thought of before. And it’s nothing they can do in the show, because the show has already—on this particular character—made a couple decisions that will preclude it, where in my case I have not made those decisions.” [via]
On promoting reader anxiety and abandonment issues
"And I love that, when people say to me, 'I never know who’s safe in the books. I can never relax.'” [via]
On wishing his favorite authors shared his bloodlust
"Tolkien made the wrong choice when he brought Gandalf back. Screw Gandalf. He had a great death and the characters should have had to go on without him." [via Odyssey Con 2008 panel]
On writing fantasy, but definitely not the escapist kind
"There are some people who read and want to believe in a world where the good guys win and the bad guys lose, and at the end they live happily ever after. That's not the kind of fiction that I write." [via]
On crushing your expectations for a happy reward after enduring all this misery
"I’ve stated numerous times that I anticipate a bittersweet ending." [via]