six years later....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/apr/13/george-rr-martin-game-thrones

I couldn't help but feel excited when I went to the London Book Fair this year, and when looking through one of the book catalogs (Voyager I think... or maybe Harper Collins.. ) that I noticed that his latest book was coming out soon. Of course I probably could have found this out sooner if I bothered to keep track of authors online... But it wasn't until reading this article did I realize how long I have been waiting for the new installment of A Song of Ice and Fire.

I bought the series in 6th form, that wonderful two years where I read more books than most people read in a life time. And it was in this period that I read George Martin's series. A song of Ice and Fire is definitely one of the book series that inspired me as a writer.  It's what made me move away from more Tolkien'esk fantasy and start considering how dark and complicated Fantasy can be. (Not to say Tolkien's work is not complicated, but as a formula it's rather simple. Go forth and kill bad guy.)

You had many factions, many characters, things were never in a straight line. You would have one character who is portrayed as a villain for two books, and then in the third he changes and develops and you can't help but adore him. Characters are not pure, they're complicated beings. It was so magical reading it. I wanted more, hungered for more. and then of course, year after year of waiting....

Yeah.... I get why fans get angry and harassed the guy. Six years is a long time to wait for a book. I suppose Robert Jorden's death did not help at all, in fact I imagine the harassment got worse afterward, fueled also by the news of Terry Pratchett's Alzheimer's. George Martin is pretty old. and when you read the series you can get why fans have been harassing him. I would think it was more hysterical harassment than malicious. People who loved the story so much they didn't want to lose it. They want an ending. 

Though I wouldn't condone it, his books are pretty large, and not everyone has the worth ethic of Stephan King. It doesn't surprise me it's taken 6 years to complete. Though I would have preference it sooner. It's not going to stop me buying it. Though I really need to find all my books of his to read again. I keep losing A game of Thrones. Seriously. I own two copies of the book. How do I keep losing yooooou?