I'm surprised how loyal ASOIAF fans are

[Mattyp]

A Storm of Swords came out in 2000, and a Dance with Dragons has only just been released.

That's 11 years to find out what's happened to Tyrion, Dany, Bran, etc. I'm sure everyone is fully aware of that, but I must say I am very glad I came to this series much later than when it was originally released. There is no way I would've been patient enough to wait 11 years, and I'm pretty sure I'd have forgotten all about ASOIAF :lol:

I have no idea how people have managed to stay so loyal and keep discussing the novels without just getting bored and giving up. So kudos :lol:

[Ellis]

Yea I got into the series late too. Finished up the first book right before the TV series and am now ~200 pages in ASoS. I would probably have abandoned the series as well if I didn't come in late. I got into the Harry Potter series around 2000 and after the break between the fourth book and fifth one I just lost all interest.

I really hope that doesn't happen when I wait for the next book after ADwD.

[Mattyp]

Me too. 7 years is a long time, I mean for all I know I could be married and have kids by then! With GRRM getting old as well there is every possibility he wont ever finish the books...

[Silmarien]

A Storm of Swords came out in 2000, and a Dance with Dragons has only just been released.

That's 11 years to find out what's happened to Tyrion, Dany, Bran, etc. I'm sure everyone is fully aware of that, but I must say I am very glad I came to this series much later than when it was originally released. There is no way I would've been patient enough to wait 11 years, and I'm pretty sure I'd have forgotten all about ASOIAF :lol:

I have no idea how people have managed to stay so loyal and keep discussing the novels without just getting bored and giving up. So kudos :lol:

You're not counting AFFC, which came out in 2005. So readers had a 5 year wait between aSoS and aFFC, then another 5 year wait for ADWD. Not THAT horrid, when you think about it - these are all 1000+ page books.

[Mattyp]

You're not counting AFFC, which came out in 2005. So readers had a 5 year wait between aSoS and aFFC, then another 5 year wait for ADWD. Not THAT horrid, when you think about it - these are all 1000+ page books.

Yes but the arguably the cliff hangers of Jon and Tyrion were perhaps the juiciest. It was probably a shame in AFFC when Sansa and Arya's story failed to develop much further. I think it must've been pretty horrible considering the waits for ACOK and ASOS were much less.

[HaraktheHirsute]

Tyrion was the most glaring omission of AFFC, imo; readers who read ASOS in 2000 certainly did have to wait 11 years to find out what happened to him, even if you don't like the Dany or Bran chapters (Jon at least put in an appearance in Samwell's first AFFC chapter). I only had to wait 6 years. :mellow:

Of course, I'm still rereading AFFC so I still have to wait till I finish that, and it's widely considered the least of the set, with its various one-off POV characters that nobody really cares about. Even the font is different; boring Times Roman.

Anyway, I almost gave up the series, having lost interest in it. And I didn't want to reread the books with no idea of ADWD's release date. The fanfare surrounding the TV series and, of course, the release of Book 5, compelled me to read the series again. Don't know if I'd be able to suffer another 6 year gap, though. If so, at best, I'd probably wait till the series is complete before reading it again.

[ZacharyB]

Tyrion was the most glaring omission of AFFC, imo; readers who read ASOS in 2000 certainly did have to wait 11 years to find out what happened to him, even if you don't like the Dany or Bran chapters (Jon at least put in an appearance in Samwell's first AFFC chapter). I only had to wait 6 years. :mellow:

Of course, I'm still rereading AFFC so I still have to wait till I finish that, and it's widely considered the least of the set, with its various one-off POV characters that nobody really cares about. Even the font is different; boring Times Roman.

Anyway, I almost gave up the series, having lost interest in it. And I didn't want to reread the books with no idea of ADWD's release date. The fanfare surrounding the TV series and, of course, the release of Book 5, compelled me to read the series again. Don't know if I'd be able to suffer another 6 year gap, though. If so, at best, I'd probably wait till the series is complete before reading it again.

It'd be impossible to include Tyrion's story in AFfC. Not going to say why due to spoilers. :P

[JonTargaryenSnow]

First of all, mattyp...your avatar is hilarious. Did you used to be a member of 4815162342.com?

I would HATE to wait five years for the next book. That's way too long. I understand the books are very long but maybe if GRRM said, for example, "Cersei's dress was lovely" rather than spend 2 pages diving into sensory detail of a single meal, cloak or sigil we'd only be waiting 2 1/2 years for the next book. :) I'm a new reader though, so I vow to enjoy ever juicy detail and give him as much time as needed to finish WOW. I'm only half done with SOS. This is my favorite of the three I've read so far though.

[The Young Wolf 1989]

I also am glad that I got into the series late. Being a person who is very impatient, I don't think I could've endured the two 5+ year gaps in between books 3 and 4, and then books 4 and 5. But I would never 'attack' Mr. Martin for the long durations like some people because many of them don't know the process that goes into creating these 'epics' but I still would be on my toes for the next release. I am eagerly awaiting book 6 (The Winds of Winter) and I know for a fact I will end up re-reading the entire series, which I have no problem doing because I know there are hidden 'secrets' in there I may have missed or not grasped the first time around. So no matter how long it takes for the sixth book, I will be waiting patiently but I will never chastise Mr. Martin for the length it takes. ^_^

[HaraktheHirsute]

As far as excessive detail, perhaps here's an example:

Edd cut three thick slices of a stale round of oat bread, stacked them on a wooden platter, covered them with bacon drippings, and filled a bowl with hard-cooked eggs. Jon took the bowl in one hand and the platter in the other and backed into the Lord Commander's tent.

You know, it wouldn't have kept me up at night to wonder how Jon actually delivered the food to Lord Mormont. Nor the details of Edd's food preparation, really.

[HaraktheHirsute]

But I would never 'attack' Mr. Martin for the long durations like some people because many of them don't know the process that goes into creating these 'epics'...

Good point. The first three books were published within 5 years but we don't know when Martin started writing them. Still, a long wait is a long wait. I kind of wish he'd finished the series before he began publishing them.

[Silmarien]

Tyrion was the most glaring omission of AFFC, imo; readers who read ASOS in 2000 certainly did have to wait 11 years to find out what happened to him, even if you don't like the Dany or Bran chapters (Jon at least put in an appearance in Samwell's first AFFC chapter). I only had to wait 6 years. :mellow:

Of course, I'm still rereading AFFC so I still have to wait till I finish that, and it's widely considered the least of the set, with its various one-off POV characters that nobody really cares about. Even the font is different; boring Times Roman.

Anyway, I almost gave up the series, having lost interest in it. And I didn't want to reread the books with no idea of ADWD's release date. The fanfare surrounding the TV series and, of course, the release of Book 5, compelled me to read the series again. Don't know if I'd be able to suffer another 6 year gap, though. If so, at best, I'd probably wait till the series is complete before reading it again.

I think you have to view these books as one, just like Tolkien's LOTR (three volumes, yes, but one story). I'm on a re-read, just started ASoS, and there are a billion things I'm picking up that I never noticed on my first read-through - foreshadowing, realizing who the bannermen are for the different sides (Roose Bolton escaped my notice on the Harrenhall chapters in ACoK the first read - I was focusing only on Arya).

Once all books are out and the story is finished, I think it will be a work of art. People grumble about having to wait 5 years....but Tolkien took much longer, back in the 30s and 40s. Tolkien laid down the mythos in 1917, then began writing in the late 30s, and wrote all through WWII, without publishing. The books were published close together, but Tolkien never finished Return of The King's appendices, which were published later.

People need to stop feeling this entitlement - like GRRM owes us anything? He doesn't. Art can't be rushed.

I know we're all used to being able to download something and have it NOW whenever we want, but this is a work of art, of fiction, and it's rather peevish to say "I'm not reading the novels anymore because he writes too slow!" like a 8-year old child.

It'll be finished when GRRm is finished, and let's hope he doesn't rush it just so we are happy - I'd rather have a wonderfully written ending that takes 10 years, than a crappy ending that takes 2 years.

[SummerGhostofNymeria]

In my opinion, I would rather wait and have the story make more sense, and be written well, then have it be rushed and be a mess.

Also, I don't think fans will have to way so long for the next book, with the TV series having started he will have to have the next two books out before they reach those seasons in the show. Of course, that will give him plenty of time to write with years ahead, but should they decide to split books in half for TV series seasons then he'll have even longer.

Needless to say, I still don't think that we will have to wait quite so long this go around. :thumbsup:

[HaraktheHirsute]

I think you have to view these books as one, just like Tolkien's LOTR (three volumes, yes, but one story).

It was one book initially published in three volumes due to paper shortages. Yes, SoI&F is one story, but it's a loooong story. ASOS or ADWD easily match its page count.

Once all books are out and the story is finished, I think it will be a work of art. People grumble about having to wait 5 years....but Tolkien took much longer, back in the 30s and 40s. Tolkien laid down the mythos in 1917, then began writing in the late 30s, and wrote all through WWII, without publishing. The books were published close together, but Tolkien never finished Return of The King's appendices, which were published later.

The stuff Tolkien wrote in the 1910s wasn't in preparation for the LORD OF THE RINGS. The publishers wanted a sequel to THE HOBBIT and LotR was what Tolkien came up with. That did take nearly two decades before publication. However, while the anticipation was probably great, it wasn't part of a series already 15 years old. Also, from what I understand that wasn't what he wanted to do, at least initially; he wanted to continue to the writing that eventually saw publication in THE SILMARILLION and other books. But with the success of THE HOBBIT, the publishers weren't interested in what Tolkien wanted. Thus, he had to work out LotR almost from the ground up, though of course he had already established a universe with his older writings and, later, THE HOBBIT (which initially wasn't intended to be part of that universe). And, of course, even though it took a long time to complete, it eventually was completed.

People need to stop feeling this entitlement - like GRRM owes us anything? He doesn't. Art can't be rushed.

I know we're all used to being able to download something and have it NOW whenever we want, but this is a work of art, of fiction, and it's rather peevish to say "I'm not reading the novels anymore because he writes too slow!" like a 8-year old child.

It'll be finished when GRRm is finished, and let's hope he doesn't rush it just so we are happy - I'd rather have a wonderfully written ending that takes 10 years, than a crappy ending that takes 2 years.

I certainly don't feel any sense of entitlement. Only disappointment. These vast epics can be unwieldy sometimes. I followed Robert Jordan's Wheel of TIme series for a while and became disinterested in it by the 7th book. SoI&F was, to me, the antidote to WoT. It seemed to be everything WoT wanted to be. Things moved along and the books seemed to be coming out on a brisk schedule. Then came the six year gap and disillusionment. So, really, just a big ol' disappointment is all. No entitlement.

Also, consider, that Martin himself basically promised, in AFFC itself, that ADWD would be published "next year" (2006). Yes, he added "I devoutly hope" in parentheses, but that strikes me as a feeble disclaimer at best.

And it goes both ways. Just as fans aren't entitled to get the books on their schedule, the author isn't entitled to have his books read.

[Wightman]

It seems that a lot of people came to the books late, (like myself). I wonder how many here are 'originals', that is they read AGoT in the nineties, ACoK in 200, etc, etc...

[Tyrionthebest]

It seems that a lot of people came to the books late, (like myself). I wonder how many here are 'originals', that is they read AGoT in the nineties, ACoK in 200, etc, etc...

In 200 ? Damn that's a long time.

[Mattyp]

People need to stop feeling this entitlement - like GRRM owes us anything? He doesn't. Art can't be rushed.

I know we're all used to being able to download something and have it NOW whenever we want, but this is a work of art, of fiction, and it's rather peevish to say "I'm not reading the novels anymore because he writes too slow!" like a 8-year old child.

It'll be finished when GRRm is finished, and let's hope he doesn't rush it just so we are happy - I'd rather have a wonderfully written ending that takes 10 years, than a crappy ending that takes 2 years.

I think the fans were more than justified in their anger at waiting so long with GRRM's false promises falling flat countless times during the 7 year wait for ADWD. I am still reading AFFC now and although I didn't have to wait 5 years for it, I can definitely see why it would be a disappointment to wait that long for it. It isn't a sense of entitlement the fans feel, more a certain quality and writing speed set out by the first 3 novels that hasn't been lived up too for over a decade.

[BrosBeforeSnows]

I have read many books in my short 29 years of life (probably not as many as some, but I do read prolifically), and I can honestly say ASOIAF are by far my favorites of all-time. I've never read a book so engaging before. And personally (this may sound like sacrilege on this board, but), I was never much of a fantasy fan before reading ASOIAF. I used to read mostly historical fiction before a friend of mine insisted that I read AGoT. My favorite book WAS Aztec by Gary Jennings, before I got in to any of this. But as good as that book is, it cannot compare to ASOIAF. It's an exciting, colorful read, but it doesn't leave you thinking about it for years on end after you've finished it. Now my favorite book, by far, is ASoS. That book is absolutely epic (as is the whole series, but ASoS sticks out in my mind).

[HaraktheHirsute]

Aside from Tolkien's works, I think ASOI&F may have spoiled me for other fantasy series. (Though I may reread "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn" at some point)

[Mattyp]

Before ASOIAF the only books I read were murder mystery novels and Harry Potter. Beat that for sacrilege.