New GRRM Interview

[mormont]

Interesting interview and insight into how he wrote the series.

The bit about Margaery probably the most revealing about the plot.

A few things I find odd though.

1. He talks about how Margaery is a 16 year old girl and not as intelligent as the show version

Well, not exactly.

And, with Margaery — my Margaery is younger than Loras, not older than Loras. So she's really just like a sixteen year old kid. And Natalie is brilliant, but she's clearly not a sixteen-year-old kid. She's very smart. She's almost what my Margaery will become in ten years.

The way I read that is that show-Margaery is more experienced and mature, not more intelligent. He's clearly talking about her age as the factor that makes the difference.

[mrunderhill]

Well, not exactly.

The way I read that is that show-Margaery is more experienced and mature, not more intelligent. He's clearly talking about her age as the factor that makes the difference.

It all adds up to the same thing really. Show-Margaery is a better player of the game and understands things better because she is older and more mature. This is why it's odd that he had no problem with making Robb so young.

[Steve Moss II]

Alexander the Great, Henry V and others were very young, but successful conquerors. Childhood was a much shorter process in the early days.

[Lala]

I started with, or some numerical equivalent. Dothraki are partially based on the Huns and the Mongols, some extent the steppe tribes like the Alvars and Magyars.

Now I need to do a Rethinking the Dothraki thread with cross cultural analysis and comparison of the Dothraki to each of these cultures as well as the other cultures of Westeros. Too. Many. Projects. Ugh. Damn you Martin. :bang:

ETA: I actually have google search pages open for each of these cultures~ I'm just trying to decide if I want to plunge into this when I still have at least one other project to work on :leaving:

[Free Northman]

Martin's Margaery comment was quite straightforward to me. He was asked about the actress portraying her. Clearly the Margaery in the books is a very different person to the seductive, hyper sexed, ambitious woman in the show.

Martin didn't want to outright criticize the portrayal in the show. So instead he sidetracks into what a brilliant actress she is, and how she is the Margaery with 10 years more experience than the one he portrays in the books.

So iin short, the Margaery in the books is vastly less experienced and crafty than the one in the show. They are in effect different characters entirely, in the way they are portrayed during the period of the War of the Five Kings.

That's what Martin was diplomatically getting at, rather than giving hints about Margaery's potential future life.

[Werthead]

I really wished Martin would have given us an update on TWOW though.

We updated the TWoW progress page ion the ADWD forum last month, based on recent info from him in interviews and con appearances.

Book is about 25% done, slow progress before that due to other commitments, other commitments cleared, writing progress at the moment is apparently very good. But GRRM has also said he may not give as page counts and things like he did last time, so quantifying his progress may be a lot more difficult from now on.

1. He talks about how Margaery is a 16 year old girl and not as intelligent as the show version, but he had a 15 year old Robb as the greatest military leader in Westeros.

But one of the worst political and diplomatic ones.

2. He compares Arya to child soldiers, but child soldiers have guns. Even then they are not very good and get destroyed by properly trained men. Child soldiers are used by desperate rebels in African countries and they are never very effective.

Arya doesn't have a gun because Westeros/Essos don't have guns. If they did, Arya would probably get a gun somewhere along the line (and maybe called it 'Thread', who knows?). However, in many respects Arya has some of the issues afflicting child soldiers, particularly a form of PTSD that seems to be becoming more prevalent in AFFC/ADWD as she rationalises killing people on increasingly flimsy grounds.

Alexander the Great, Henry V and others were very young, but successful conquerors. Childhood was a much shorter process in the early days.

Not to mention Edward IV, who seems a much closer model to Robb: Edward IV won every battle but - sort of - lost the war, though was able to stage a later comeback; his military victories were undone by an ill-advised marriage for love; his success was undone by betrayal from some of his own nobles and so on. The biggest difference is that Edward sailed through it all, won and later died of natural causes, rather unlike Robb.

[mrunderhill]

But one of the worst political and diplomatic ones.

So what?

Alexander the Great, Henry V and others were very young, but successful conquerors. Childhood was a much shorter process in the early days.

There are many discussions about the age of people in ASOIAF. No point clattering this thread.

Arya doesn't have a gun because Westeros/Essos don't have guns. If they did, Arya would probably get a gun somewhere along the line (and maybe called it 'Thread', who knows?). However, in many respects Arya has some of the issues afflicting child soldiers, particularly a form of PTSD that seems to be becoming more prevalent in AFFC/ADWD as she rationalises killing people on increasingly flimsy grounds.

The point is guns are a great equaliser. With guns even children become more dangerous. Without them they are far too weak to be of any real use.

Not to mention Edward IV, who seems a much closer model to Robb: Edward IV won every battle but - sort of - lost the war, though was able to stage a later comeback; his military victories were undone by an ill-advised marriage for love; his success was undone by betrayal from some of his own nobles and so on. The biggest difference is that Edward sailed through it all, won and later died of natural causes, rather unlike Robb.

Edward IV is who Robert seems to be based on. Still he was not 17 when he started in earnest an age many other great military leaders started to make a name for themselves, not 15.

[Jslay427]

I have Feast ranked 3 of 5, so no complaints from me.

ASoS

AGoT

AFfC

ADwD

ACoK

Wow you have Clash ranked last??

[Free Northman]

The most significant part of this interview, for me, was Martin all but confirming the potential need for an 8th book. Previously this was not even on the table as a possible discussion point, at least from his side. Now he is starting down the "who knows" thread.

We all of course know that there's no way it can be wrapped up in 7 books. So 8 books it is. Which makes the show situation one huge dillemma.

Personally, I'm overjoyed. This means an extra 1000 pages of Ice and Fire enjoyment. Even if I have to wait another 5 years after Book 7. Sweet.

[Lala]

The most significant part of this interview, for me, was Martin all but confirming the potential need for an 8th book. Previously this was not even on the table as a possible discussion point, at least from his side. Now he is starting down the "who knows" thread.

We all of course know that there's no way it can be wrapped up in 7 books. So 8 books it is. Which makes the show situation one huge dillemma.

Personally, I'm overjoyed. This means an extra 1000 pages of Ice and Fire enjoyment. Even if I have to wait another 5 years after Book 7. Sweet.

But it ruins the beautiful symbolism of 7 books for 7 kingdoms :crying:

[Steinnis]

I'm also pretty surprised GRRM referred to Vic as a dullard... didn't think he'd say that. Poor Vic can't get no love.

[Ser Wun Wun]

Very good interview. The way he went out of his way to correct the interviewer on Arya not actually being an assassin kind of hints at her not sticking with the FM and becoming one imo. I definitely liked that bit.

The Jon/Dany thing...he was critcizing the way other authors just take it as a given that good people make good rulers and how they don't get into the nitty-gritty of how they rule. He was using Jon and Dany as examples of how he did get deep into that aspect of leadership. If there is anything at all to be implied from his respons it is that he thinks of Dany as a good person in the same vein as Jon, which is news to some posters I suppose.

The most significant part of this interview, for me, was Martin all but confirming the potential need for an 8th book. Previously this was not even on the table as a possible discussion point, at least from his side. Now he is starting down the "who knows" thread.

I'm pretty sure he has qualified his seven books estimate with 'or however many it takes' type lines before, so that part's not really new. I do agree with you though, this series is going to need 8 books (minimum) to finish. 7 is just not enough.

[Lala]

I'm also pretty surprised GRRM referred to Vic as a dullard... didn't think he'd say that. Poor Vic can't get no love.

I love him :crying:

His chapters always bring so much humor and amusement to my life and his logic is Ironborn infallible.

[JagLover]

The most significant part of this interview, for me, was Martin all but confirming the potential need for an 8th book. Previously this was not even on the table as a possible discussion point, at least from his side. Now he is starting down the "who knows" thread.

We all of course know that there's no way it can be wrapped up in 7 books. So 8 books it is. Which makes the show situation one huge dillemma.

Personally, I'm overjoyed. This means an extra 1000 pages of Ice and Fire enjoyment. Even if I have to wait another 5 years after Book 7. Sweet.

Agreed

There seems far too much story left for two books to resolve it.

[Ser Wun Wun]

I'm also pretty surprised GRRM referred to Vic as a dullard... didn't think he'd say that. Poor Vic can't get no love.

He has said Vic is "dumb as a stump" in a past interview IIRC. So this isn't the first time he has singled out Vic for his idiocy. On the plus side, GRRM did say he still empathised with Vic's dumbass :)

[Steinnis]

I love him :crying:

His chapters always bring so much humor and amusement to my life and his logic is Ironborn infallible.

His chapters are damn entertaining, and I find him hilarious. I can't bring myself to dislike him...

[MRHD]

He said will, not would, so no, while it being hypothetical is always a possibility, it's not worded as an hypothetical, and GRRM has never been coy about using the hypothetical form.

If he's planning to kill off a major character in a future book I don't think he's going to give us even the slightest hint either way. I wouldn't read anything into his talk about Margaery one way or another. Sure, I guess it could have been a slip on GRRM's part that shows that she lives, but I'm not ready to buy into that just yet.

Forgiven. But don't you think he's just saying it hypothetically? Like if the Margaery from my books were ten years older she would be like the Margaery of the show sorta thing.

This makes the most sense and is the best way to interpret his comments, I think. But it doesn't mean Margaery won't be alive in ten years, either. I just don't think he's going to be careless enough at interviews so we can divine one way or another who lives and who dies. The "oh you think he's dead, do you?" comment for Jon Snow excepted, because it should have been obvious to most readers that Jon couldn't be dead-dead.

[JagLover]

But one of the worst political and diplomatic ones.

indeed

Robb was like Hannibal of whom it was said "he knew how to gain victories but not how to use them"

[ambi76]

Strange that it seems news for people that show!Marg is not book!Marg. D&D pretty much said that they didn't like book!Marg at all and made some shit up they liked better (like with Jeyne W. just without the stupid renaming). Probably also the reason they pretty much "forbade" Nat Dormer to read the books.

About the book count:

But it ruins the beautiful symbolism of 7 books for 7 kingdoms :crying:

Maybe there will be 8 kingdoms in the end. :idea:

[Lala]

Strange that it seems news for people that show!Marg is not book!Marg. D&D pretty much said that they didn't like book!Marg at all and made some shit up they liked better (like with Jeyne W. just without the stupid renaming). Probably also the reason they pretty much "forbade" Nat Dormer to read the books.

About the book count:

Maybe there will be 8 kingdoms in the end. :idea:

:eek: :bowdown: The Others will become the 8th Kingdom and peacefully assimilate into Westeros. Their lord shall be the Night King and their House Words shall be "Ice, Ice Baby" - It is known.