Friend Evan sends word that HBO has bought the rights to make George R.R. Martin's books into a TV series.For those of you who haven't plowed through at least 1,000 of Martin's 4,000 pages in the "Song of Ice and Fire" series, I can only describe it as a character-driven fantasy epic that's light on magic and heavy on medieval politics. I know, doesn't that sound great?! Well, you just have to trust me that it is.
His fans are obviously going apeshit over on his blog, where he has long warned that a movie version of his series would be logistically impossible. A high-budget series, though...I think it's doable. There's little in the way of dramatic special effects since magic plays such a small role. But there would be quite a bit of siege warfare and other not-so-cheapness.
Before we get too excited, we should all remember that there's a wide gap between selling the film/TV rights and actually making the thing. I always think of The Alienist, which was quickly optioned for film in 1994. Thirteen years later, there's still no movie, and author Caleb Carr doesn't seem to think there will be.
But I remain hopeful for George R.R.R.R. Martin, if for no other reason than that people like him deserve to be popular with people who don't have morning stars mounted on their walls.
If you'd like to someday join us in scoffing at HBO's bastardization of this series, go out and pick up "A Game of Thrones." I know, I know, you don't read fantasy. Neither do I, but I made a big fat exception for this one.
Just, you know, be ready for some not-so-PG shenanigans. If you need further warning, I can tell you what the "R.R." stands for.
10 comments:
I think it's randomly interesting that I think of us as having sort of similar tastes, but we really differ a lot on the reading/movie front with me not being one for the fantasy stuff.
I would refer you to Paragraph 6.
Although I did love "The Gilded Chain" by Dave Duncan. Usually, fantasy is too sword-and-sorcery for me, and the characters are too flat.
So now you're saying I'm supposed to read your *entire* entries before blindly commenting? Sigh.
What are you trying to say about people who have morning stars mounted on the wall, Mr. Medieval broad sword with a dragon on the hilt hanging in the computer room?
I know better than to ask too much of my six readers. I just thought it was worth pointing out that Martin is really the first fantasy cross-over success since Tolkien, and Martin's just an incredible wordsmith.
Um, that was a reply to Valerie before Karen ninja-edited me.
As for the broadsword, that was a gift from my parents. Just a run-of-the-mill barbarian warfare present.
You're just trying to jump on the whole (cough, cough http://opensbooks.blogspot.com) "I don't like fantasy but I'll make this one exception" bandwagon.
Poseur.
When did my blog become a venue for me to be flogged to death by women? I only married one of you. Work wives don't get a free pass.
Love that you read Dave Duncan who is a Calgary Author!!! Just had to bring the Canadian twist to the table...although he lives in Victoria. A retired geology type from the oilpatch who went onto writing.
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