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After I read GRR Martin's series I decided I no longer had a firm duty to try to write fantasy as I believe it should be written -- he does it quite nicely. He is the best, IMO. Better than any contemporary writers I've read, better than Tolkien (YES, I said it).
In fact, just today, I was rereading Clash of Kings, and I was delving a lot into Theon's psyche and how the acts of family and heritage can force us to betray those we've befriended and our values -- to the point of near madness.
Anyway, he is true no-holds-barred grown-up type fantasy. Down to the threshes on the floor, I absolutely adore his work and his "down and dirty fantasy" style. The birth defects, the nastiness, the cruelty, the suffering, the hope against all hope all carry a lot of weight with me. The inability of Theon to properly behead someone, the cruelty of Gregor Clegane, the fatal misjudgment of Robb Stark and his mother about a certain wedding. Wonderful stuff.
There are two things I love and hate about GRR Martin -- and let's face it, it's the writers who can make us love and hate at the same time that are truly good. One, I cannot predict him. He will teach me to love a character and then show that characters fatal flaw (which may have heretofore been a virtue in my mind) and kill the character. He has little compunction -- all are fair game. Second, he will get me to hate a character, and then warp him/her into someone I like. Jamie Lannister, for instance. This infuriates me, though I really like it. It's like reading Interview With the Vampire and then Vampire Lestat -- first you hate the guy, then you love him. (For the record Anne Rice is lacking in many areas Martin excels at, and I consider him the better author). The next character I think he'll do this with is *shudder* Cersei Lannister.
Anyway, I'm rambling now. Let me get to my final thought -- which is my problem with Martin. Feast for Crows was due out in April 2003 -- it's waaay late, with no publication date in sight. That does bother me.
[ 11-26-2003, 01:25 AM: Message edited by: Timber Loftis ]
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