A world in decadence.

[Ser Lepus]

After re-reading the World of Ice and Fire, I feel a strong sense of a world in its twilight: Magic is waning; empires fall and cultures disappear, and they aren't replaced by new ones; grasslands dry out, inner seas shrink and deserts expand; the Dothraki, Jogos Nhai and Basilisk Islands Corsairs prey at will on the civilized peoples of the world, destroying their cities, which aren't rebuilt; the Children of the Forest are dying out, and their magic and knowledge will be lost; the Others threaten Westeros and maybe the world; a ten years long winter is starting, and nobody is prepared for that...

Is GRRM portraying a dying world on purpose, or is it just an accident? Did he just want to create a world with a rich past, and he went overboard with the fallen empires?

Or, is there really an ongoing theme of the aSoIaF world going to ruin and nobody can stop it...?

 

[Loose Bolt]

I assume that major reason why Planetos is in bad shape is rule of cool. Or some plot ideas of author would not work if there would be strong well run governments.

For instance Dothraki and Ironborn would have gone extinction if they had caused problems to even some semi modern political entities.

Actually Union of Kalmar used "final solution" against any pirate, lordlings who supported them and even all known relatives of those people mentioned above. Or wiped out all pirates and their relatives at Baltic Sea during 15th century. So piracy and raids at Baltic Sea could happen only as long as navies of those kingdoms had something more important to do like fighting wars against other governments or having civil wars. But as soon those were over navies around that sea hunted down and terminated any pirate that were too stupid to carry out his business at that sea.

Grand Duchy of Moscow started similar process against Mongol Khanates even b4 it evolved to Imperial Russia. Or role models of Dothraki started to go out of business during 14th century. But that process lasted until IR conquered Siberia during 17th century.

Another thing is existence of feodalism. After all that kind of political system usually disappears when central government gains enough power to tame local warlords. Or as soon rulers has strong national armies and loyal civil servants chances of nobles to play game of thrones becomes much smaller. In fact usually in those places nobles who wanted to keep their privileges became civil servants and those who had funny ideas that they could keep their old autonomy did not usually have a future but were hunted down by those standing armies mentioned above.

[Phylum of Alexandria]

I think a lot of the Planetos world building contributes to GRRM's variation on the "great lost civilizations" myths in our own cultural imagination, with Atlantis perhaps being the most iconic.

These myths go against the conventional historical progress narrative by suggesting that some ancient societies were perhaps even more advanced than those that followed. However, the myths also tap into the idea of forbidden knowledge, of ruthless ambition, of sacrificing goodness for "greatness."

LmL has pointed out the many references to Lucifer and Venus mythology throughout the story, and this is thematically quite close to those of Atlantis, Babel, and other great lost civilizations: they ascended to great heights, but then they reached even higher, tried to grasp a star, and then they fell. 

And Planetos is a veritable graveyard of societies that fell to ruin, either by the hands of others or by their own folly. The author certainly wants readers to contemplate this history as we go forward, heading inexorably toward a new Long Night, and a possible moment of complete collapse.

[Ser Lepus]

4 hours ago, Loose Bolt said:

Another thing is existence of feodalism. After all that kind of political system usually disappears when central government gains enough power to tame local warlords. Or as soon rulers has strong national armies and loyal civil servants chances of nobles to play game of thrones becomes much smaller. In fact usually in those places nobles who wanted to keep their privileges became civil servants and those who had funny ideas that they could keep their old autonomy did not usually have a future but were hunted down by those standing armies mentioned above.

The decadence of Planetos goes beyond that. Essos hasn't just decayed into petty fiefdoms ruled by warlords... it's like 80% empty, and even nature is degrading, becoming unable to sustain civilization or even human life...

1 hour ago, Phylum of Alexandria said:

I think a lot of the Planetos world building contributes to GRRM's variation on the "great lost civilizations" myths in our own cultural imagination, with Atlantis perhaps being the most iconic.

These myths go against the conventional historical progress narrative by suggesting that some ancient societies were perhaps even more advanced than those that followed. However, the myths also tap into the idea of forbidden knowledge, of ruthless ambition, of sacrificing goodness for "greatness."

It is very common for fantasy worlds to be littered with the ruins of previous great civilizations... but new civilizations are usually built around these ruins...

You have hobbits living next to the barrows where the kings of Arnor are buried, but while the hobbits are rustic compared to these ancient kings, they work their farms, build homes, raise children and live rich lives.

You have the Rohirrim living among the renmants of more advanced cultures, from Isengard to Helm's Deep and from the Paths of the Dead to the Pillars of Argonath... but the Rohirrim are a vital and vigorous people, claiming that land for Humanity.

Classic D&D settings like Forgotten Realms or Greyhawk have ruins and dungeons all around, but there are villages sprouting around these ruins, and adventurers appear in these villages who explore and loot these ruins...

In the aSoIaF world great civilizations are destroyed... and that's all. Nothing replaces them. Nobody resettles. The land itself becomes arid and hostile, and savages roam the regions still able to support life, making sure nobody rebuilds...

Valyria - Has become inimical to life.

Cities of Sothoyros - Cursed, ravaged by disease and cannibals.

Ghiscar - Most of the land has become desertified, and the few cities surviving at its fringes have become slaving shitholes.

Red Waste - The Qartheen had to leave it for the coast when it became a desert.

Sarnor - It hasn't just been destroyed by the Dothraki, the Silver Sea has dried out.

Plains of the Jogos Nhai - The ancient Patrimony of Hyrkoon disappeared due to the attacks of the Jogos Nhai and droughts, and its heart now is the Great Sand Sea. Its central sea has shrunk and become a few lakes.

Meanwhile, the Dothraki, Jogos Nhai and corsairs of the Basilisk Islands make sure nobody can rebuild. They Dothraki and Jogos Nhai are actively trying to wipe civilization out, apparently unaware that their current lifestyle is dependent of their thievery, and they won't be able to keep it if the succeed (the Dothraki can't even forge the swords they wield...).

I wonder if GRRM is purposely implying a dying world... Something even worse than the Long Night... people rebuilt after the Long Night... this time nobody rebuilds...

 

[SeanF]

Well, much of Essos remains fertile.  Even Slavers Bay is more a Mediterranean climate than a desert.  All kinds of crops are irrigated by the rivers that flow through the main cities, and they have extensive hinterlands.  

One big theme, IMHO, is that slavery is gradually destroying civilisation.  75% to 85% of the Eastern population are slaves, repressed by minorities who are fearful of them, and who enjoy absurdly extravagant lifestyles on their backs.  Slavery stifles innovation.  At the same time, the hunt for slaves fuels war and piracy across the continent.