[BOOK SPOILERS] Would you watch the show if it overpasses the books?

[TheWhiteRabbit]

I think the biggest factor might be when TWOW comes out. Martin has said repeatedly that he already knows how it will end. This makes me think ADOS will be much easier to get done in a timely fashion since at that point he knows exactly where to take the story.

But to answer the question, YES, there's no way I'd ignore the show even if it caught up to the books.

[Cruella]

But the spoilers would be everywhere..

Well, not in Russia.

[total1402]

I think the biggest factor might be when TWOW comes out. Martin has said repeatedly that he already knows how it will end. This makes me think ADOS will be much easier to get done in a timely fashion since at that point he knows exactly where to take the story.

But to answer the question, YES, there's no way I'd ignore the show even if it caught up to the books.

The final book will probably be the most difficult to do given the scope of the series, the amount of characters and the number of plotlines which need to be addressed before you have an epilogue. Its the most likely to be rewritten several times IMO. Plus, if he can spend six years writing a book then he'll probably take that option.

You're also assuming he'll keep it at seven books. Which I doubt. According to the wiki, Dany, after the five year gap, the plan was for ADWD to be about Dany invading and then another two to finish the series. Since I doubt WoW will have Dany in Westeros that means he is considering condensing material he thought needed 3 books into one.... I just don't see this as achievable. You can't have a Targ civil war and Daenerys return and the invasion of the Others and the Starks resurgence and the epilogue wrapping up the story in one book with the number of characters he has. That just isn't achievable.

[snowlover]

I would watch because I'm a HUGE spoiler hound. It doesn't ruin the experience for me at all. There is so much content that is cut from the books that having the show finish first wouldn't bother me. That being said, I started reading ASoIaF after the first ep of S1 of GoT. I really have respect for those who've been through the whole waiting process for each book since he started the series in the '90s. Bless you, guys! You have spectacular patience! Since I'm relatively new to the series, I still love reading the books over and over but I can't imagine the angst you guys have felt between books!

[freetickles]

The final book will probably be the most difficult to do given the scope of the series, the amount of characters and the number of plotlines which need to be addressed before you have an epilogue. Its the most likely to be rewritten several times IMO. Plus, if he can spend six years writing a book then he'll probably take that option.

You're also assuming he'll keep it at seven books. Which I doubt. According to the wiki, Dany, after the five year gap, the plan was for ADWD to be about Dany invading and then another two to finish the series. Since I doubt WoW will have Dany in Westeros that means he is considering condensing material he thought needed 3 books into one.... I just don't see this as achievable. You can't have a Targ civil war and Daenerys return and the invasion of the Others and the Starks resurgence and the epilogue wrapping up the story in one book with the number of characters he has. That just isn't achievable.

He'll finish in 7, and Dany will get to Westeros at some point in TWOW.

[TheWhiteRabbit]

The final book will probably be the most difficult to do given the scope of the series, the amount of characters and the number of plotlines which need to be addressed before you have an epilogue. Its the most likely to be rewritten several times IMO. Plus, if he can spend six years writing a book then he'll probably take that option.

You're also assuming he'll keep it at seven books. Which I doubt. According to the wiki, Dany, after the five year gap, the plan was for ADWD to be about Dany invading and then another two to finish the series. Since I doubt WoW will have Dany in Westeros that means he is considering condensing material he thought needed 3 books into one.... I just don't see this as achievable. You can't have a Targ civil war and Daenerys return and the invasion of the Others and the Starks resurgence and the epilogue wrapping up the story in one book with the number of characters he has. That just isn't achievable.

Well hopefully something else happens then. I really hate the idea of an eighth book. The story has been dragging long enough. Martin is still adamant about it being a 7 book series, but that's obviously not written in stone.

[Brewmaster]

I really hate the idea of an eighth book.

If they would be released tomorrow, I'd love the idea of an 80 book series, let alone 8. I can't get enough ASOIAF.

The writing time + Martin's age are the only things that makes me want the series to wrap up quickly.

[TheWhiteRabbit]

If they would be released tomorrow, I'd love the idea of an 80 book series, let alone 8. I can't get enough ASOIAF.

The writing time + Martin's age are the only things that makes me want the series to wrap up quickly.

YES--you never know when health issues could come up

[total1402]

He'll finish in 7, and Dany will get to Westeros at some point in TWOW.

Not with the amount of things hes set up in Essos and not with the amount of characters he has and definetly not with him having to resolve the battle of slavers bay.

- A big multi POV battle at slavers bay with Tyrion. Vic, Barristan with succesaive stages like the Voltanese arriving and the Sons of the Harpy.

-Presumably they need to meet up.

- Especially given the shows foreshadowing about Dany getting a "true Khalessar" and Martin saying he was writing several chapters with them I think its pretty likely shes going to form them into an army. Which will take time.

- Volantis and the red priests. Shes clearly going to make a stop off at there.

-We're told that Khal Jhaoqo and the bloodrider who pissed Dany off will be antagonists during WoW. Something which annoyed Martin when GoT killed the latter off. This, again, suggests she will face conflicts and major opposition. Khal Pono and Braavos are other likely enemies; including the faceless men. Carving through them will take time. Its not plain sailing after the battle for Mereen. If she faces serious obstacles then that means much more chapoters need to be dedicated to her fighting in Essos and makes it far less liely for her to reach Westeros.

That is easily a books worth of material. Even before we consider the constraints of chronology and geography which mean a lot of time has to happen before Daenerys can even physically reach Westeros. She will not get there in WoW. Period. That is all but written in stone. Believe me, I do not want the man to make ADWD even more pointless than it already was by having him ignore the crap he set up. He spent a whole book emphasising that it takes a long time to get from Essos to Westeros. Having her teleport there in a subsequent title would be the height of stupidity.

I don't agree with Danys plot being 95% about getting her set up to invade Westeros, but thats clearly what Martin has rolled with and its something which is seriously dragging the rest of the plot. But, hes dug himself firmly into that hole now with all the setup he did in ADWD. She will only arrive in the final book. Its a shit decision but its the one he has made.

[Maxthestig]

I would watch anything to do with Westeros !!!!!!

[Rhaegarsjoy]

No, since George told them the ending I'm sure the story will proceed as it has been so far. obviously not as close to the books as the first five books, but I don't wanna know the ending, ill cancel my Foxtel n Internet n just wait it out. I'm hoping they won't surpass George, if book 3 is 2 seasons, books 4&5 are 3 seasons that's 4 years from now book 6 will be out 2017 and its long so they might make it into one and a half seasons yada yada yada hopefully George is really fast towards the end of the series.

[Greywolf2375]

As long as the direction they move the show in is based on what GRRM is going to do with the story, sure. If they don't have the direction and move off separate from where the books will go (in general) then I'm not sure.

It still probably would be entertaining TV, just not sure if I would or wouldn't. There's plenty of entertaining TV on now that I don't watch so not sure if this would fall into that bucket or not.

[Ser Cookie Monster]

NO

[mafalda]

I have NO clue. None.

Okay, I know that with the show being as wildly successful as it is, they will not put the show on hiatus waiting for GRRM to finish. I mean, look how long the man took between AFFC and ADWD! And with the kids growing up (Just look at Sansa and Bran!) they would have to cast new actors to play them if they waited.

As much as I love this show, I do wonder why they decided to do a show around and incomplete series. The show is catching up to the books pretty fast! Especially since not much happens in Book 4, so that will be covered pretty quickly in the show.

All I can do is hope that this simple fact will light a fire under GRRM!

[Targaryen loyalist]

They can make a flashback season like "The War of the Usurper" to wait for GRRM to catch up.

[Draco_Dracul]

No, since George told them the ending I'm sure the story will proceed as it has been so far. obviously not as close to the books as the first five books, but I don't wanna know the ending, ill cancel my Foxtel n Internet n just wait it out. I'm hoping they won't surpass George, if book 3 is 2 seasons, books 4&5 are 3 seasons that's 4 years from now book 6 will be out 2017 and its long so they might make it into one and a half seasons yada yada yada hopefully George is really fast towards the end of the series.

If books 4&5 are three seasons you won't have to worry about the series overpassing the books because it will be cancelled. Honestly I think they are going to do every thing they can to insure that only one season has material solely from Feast and Dance (with decent chunks of material in season 4, some stuff in season 6, and a fair amount simply on the cutting room floor).

[metr0man]

Yes I will watch.

First, it's George's own fault if the shows lap the books.

He CHOSE to make Game of Thrones into a TV Series. He could have easily said "No, you can't make a TV show until I'm done or close to being done."

With the slow pace of Dance/Feast writing, he had to have known this was a possibility.

The other reason is, I think the first 3 books are legendary classics... and Feast/Dance are........ not legendary or classic. They have their moments but I don't think them as great books. In other words, the quality of the books has not kept up to the point where I would put them first.

I actually think the show cutting characters and plot-lines to the bones is GOOD for the story, not bad. In fact I'm kind of excited to see a very lean one-season version of Feast/Dance. I've always thought there's one great book hiding in between the massive bloat of those two books.

[Ithildin]

Hmm... I'm reminded of Full Metal Alchemist.

The first anime series was made before the books were finished. It was good, they tried, and although extremely different and weird, it wasn't awful.

Then, after the books were finished (if I recall correctly) they re-made the series based off the completed story. Ten times better (though a bit more rushed). Unfortunately, I don't think that will work for Game of Thrones though.

I know there is no way I could avoid the spoilers. Especially at the rate that GRRM writes... I couldn't wait that long without finding out something. Though I would appreciate it more if I learned it all from the books first, I would hate to wait too long, and hear spoilers from someone who watched the show.

I do wish they would do something like Full Metal Alchemist did (but better) and come up with an alternate ending that won't spoil what he ends up doing with the books.

But then there's the issue of, what if something happens to GRRM, and he never finishes the books? Then we are left with the alternate ending!!! Though that seems unlikely since he already gave them the end-game information anyway.

And to continue my rambling thoughts: I watched season one before I read the books. But when I started reading the book, it was still amazing. So much more detail, more clues and hints. And since they've left out some big history-related things in the show, there are some side stories they may not spoil at all, and we may only find in the books. So watching the show if it ends first might not be so awful (though not the best scenario).

[The GreatRon]

nope

[Yarp]

If GRRM is still alive and able to write, then no.