Question to all Game of Thrones fans!

[Lady Nastja]

Hello :)

I had a friend who, like me, enjoyed fantasy literature. She had read ASoIaF and while it wasn't really her kind of thing, reccommended it to me...that was all about a year ago. I purchased the first books and after reading it, fell in love with the series. I purchased the other books and when I had finished them, I began to watch the TV series. I have since re-read the books multiple times.

I am on on this forum, no others. I do enjoy writing, but not fanwriting for ASoIaf and I don't make fan videos.

Best of luck with your thesis :)

[Ghost Wrytre]

By the way, you posted this thread in the "novel" section of the forum. Be aware that this may bias your sample in a certain direction.

Precisely the point I was going to address.

To the OP,

First of all, welcome. Secondly, you might want to take the results of your poll with the proverbial grain of salt. Mayhaps you had the foresight to post these or similar questions in other subforums. If so, you can probably disregard most of what I'm about to say-- I'm not looking to insult your intelligence. This subforum is geared toward fans who have not only read all five books, but have done so multiple times. There are plenty of "Game of Thrones" fans in the world who've never cracked a single book.

And let's not forget... some people, even here, will simply choose to not respond to your questions.

Personally, I don't do fan fiction (neither writing nor reading), nor fan videos. I'm older than most posters on this site-- that may have something to do with it, but I don't think so.

I read the books first (recommended by a friend). I finally conviced my wife and a couple of my in-laws to read them, too, but that was after convincing them to watch the show. The show helped tremendously in convincing them to read the books.

I occasionally visit towerofthehand.com, but I don't have an account there. As for this site, I run hot and cold: Sometimes I'm checking in several times a day, other times I might go a week without it.

[Sneak]

The books were on my reading list for a while and they got moved straight to the top after the first season of the TV show. I've now read them 3 times. This is the only forum I go on and I don't read or write any fan fiction nor do I watch any fan videos. Hope that helps.

[M. Berk]

Precisely the point I was going to address.

To the OP,

First of all, welcome. Secondly, you might want to take the results of your poll with the proverbial grain of salt. Mayhaps you had the foresight to post these or similar questions in other subforums. If so, you can probably disregard most of what I'm about to say-- I'm not looking to insult your intelligence. This subforum is geared toward fans who have not only read all five books, but have done so multiple times. There are plenty of "Game of Thrones" fans in the world who've never cracked a single book.

I'm sure that you are not trying to insult my intelligence, but I've also posted this request on the forum for the televisionseries, but because of the approval from the administrator, this post isn't actually posted yet :) But thank you for your response!

[M. Berk]

Precisely the point I was going to address.

To the OP,

First of all, welcome. Secondly, you might want to take the results of your poll with the proverbial grain of salt. Mayhaps you had the foresight to post these or similar questions in other subforums. If so, you can probably disregard most of what I'm about to say-- I'm not looking to insult your intelligence. This subforum is geared toward fans who have not only read all five books, but have done so multiple times. There are plenty of "Game of Thrones" fans in the world who've never cracked a single book.

I'm sure that you are not trying to insult my intelligence, but I've also posted this request on the forum for the televisionseries, but because of the approval from the administrator, this post isn't actually posted yet :) But thank you for your response!

[A Song of Tyrion's member]

Only active on this forum and I'll probably stay clear of writing fan fiction. I learned about the books through the television show, so I guess you could chalk it up to "I came to love the books because of the television show". Good luck

[Ghost's Shadow]

I'm not active on other GoT fan websites that I'm aware of, nor in other activities. Never been a good vid maker (tried once), but I read a lot of fanfiction in other fandoms. I'm sure a few might exist of GoT out there, but I doubt they're the quality we get from the books, so I'm not touching it.

Most I do on here is read, and post once in a while. I'd love to be able to correct some spelling errors in the wiki, though.

I knew of GoT's existence, and that they were creating a show of the books. I did not touch any of it until GoT S1 started on tv over here, which was 7 or so months ago. I've currently seen S1, 7 eps of S2, and read books 1-3 and am reading 4. So you can say the tv show starting (with subs) speeded things up, because I didn't want to start reading a series of books that either might never get finished/takes many years to update.

Oh, my mother tongue is Dutch, but I'm reading the books in English only. Read e.g. Harry Potter in both English and Dutch (fantastic translation), but I doubt I'm going to do that with GoT. To see 'Littlefinger' get translated as 'Pinkje' on my DVDs almost killed me. A pity I can't remember if they did that on tv as well. :P

Veel succes!

[TheSpottedCat]

I had never heard about the books before the tv series came out. When I heard about the tv series, I decided to try it out (people had described it as LoTR meets The Tudors, which were things I had enjoyed watching before, plus it sounded like an interesting/unusual combination). I must admit I did some research before I started watching and spoiled some things for myself (like Cersei & Jaime, Bran falling etc.), but I always do, because if I'm not sure that a series/movie is worth watching, I can't be bothered to watch. As soon as I started watching, I was hooked and a few episodes into the series I bought the first four books (ADWD wasn't out in the UK by then). I started reading, couldn't put them down, and read the lot in about 2 months or so. Then I got obsessed about reading DWD and considered ordering it from the US (it was out there), but then I came to my senses and decided to wait. As soon as it was out, I rushed to the bookshop. I re-read them after this (mostly because I always reread books I enjoy), and now I'm reading again. I enjoy the tv series a lot, but the books are far superior, imo (I have only watched season 1 before reading the corresponding book- from 2 onwards, I read the books before the season was out).

I'm only a member of this forum. I often visit the wiki the check things up. I like to discuss theories, analyse parts of the books and exchange ideas. I've never read any fanfiction or written any myself (I don't think it would compare to the original material, plus I know the author is vehemently against it). That being said, I have posted in threads where we imagine "what would happen if..." or humorous threads (e.g. IM conversations between SOIAF characters), but I don't believe these count as fanfiction.

I would love to go to a convention/reading/signing where GRRM is present, because I'd like to ask some questions and because he seems like an interesting character.

Hope your thesis goes well, I'm in a similar position right now... :)

[Morienthar]

Heard about the show first,came to know it was based on books and got the books read them first and then started watching the show....

[Guest]

I only talk about GoT occasionally on here, I'm not really active on any other sites, though I do watch vids on youtube occasionally.

[Lady of Long Lake]

Book fan

No to fanfiction and no to making videos. I despise fanfiction but I love watching videos about this series! So many funny ones:)

I post on Reddit too about this series.

Besides this forum, I read GRRm's blog, the interviews with him and I LOVE the wiki!

[M. Berk]

Wow, thank you guys for all the comments! This will really help me :)

For others, don´t be shy and reply if you want!

[Timothy Quentin Cray]

Like legions of others I discovered the books after watching the first series of the television show, I had it recommended to me some years previously but I dismissed as fantasy isn't really my kind of thing.

I'm active on other forums related to football and rugby, but this is only forum related to literature / entertainment / culture. I was reading the books at the same time as a friend, and I discovered the forum after he got obviously board of listening to my rantings / theories about the series and future character developments etc.

I've never been sufficiently 'into' any sort of series to take to the internet and discus theories with strangers, I think I've been sucked into asoiaf partly because I've gotten to that age where I'm not self conscious about being a big of geek, partly because of the depth of the storyline and the characters in the book, but mainly because I discovered that I'm in for a long wait before Winds of Winter and if I couldn't read a new asoiaf book I might as well re-read the series and read about it on the internet.

As I've never been a big 'fan' of a series before I've never written nor read fan fiction (to be honest I find the concept a bit odd), I wrote my own stories at uni but they were god awful. Given that I couldn't do GRRM or his creations any sort of justice, and because GRRM has expressly said that he considers fan fiction to be a bad exercise and theft of his intellectual property, I wouldn't consider write asoiaf fan fiction.

[caliquenor]

I only reply occasionally on the forum, but browse the site quite often. Nothing outside of Westeros.org though. No fan videos, no fanfiction (and no plans of it).

I watched the first season of the show, then read all the books. Starting my first re-read these days...

[Stannis Eats No Peaches]

I was introduced to the book series by the TV show (the title is in the opening credits) and read all the books after watching the first season. I regularly reply to the forum and have been doing so for a year now. I browse the wiki and occasionally the citadel. I don't actively write fanfiction, nor do I use any other fan websites.

[TheCrannogDweller]

Hi,

I'm writing my bachelor thesis about Game of Thrones fans and I was wondering if you guys would like to help me with this.

I would like to know if you, as a Game of Thrones fan, are active on other GoT fanwebsites and if you are engaged with fanactivities, like writing fan fiction of making a fan video. Do you do anything else on Westeros.org or do you only reply on the forum?

And did you came to love Game of Thrones, because of the books by George R.R. Martin or because of the television series?

I hope that you guys would like to help me!

Thanks anyway

I was brought into the fold by the show even though I didn't really start watching it from day one. In fact, I think the whole season 2 was already out, when I started on the first one. I went through both of them, google-d everything and anything I found interesting, and most of the time I was sent to either the wiki or the board itself. Then I read the books in about a month.

I'm not active on any other fansite, I'm only posting here and I'm heavily perusing (but not editing) the wiki (it's my guilty pleasure to treat it like canon - even though I know in the back of my mind that it isn't completely reliable). I've never made a fan-video (though I've enjoyed some) and I have only written one fanfic, and it had nothing to do with either the Song of George Martin (it was a sci-fi crossover). I have, however read some good fanfiction (when I was still in school) - mostly about Harry Potter.

Good luck with your thesis! :)

[Isildur's Mane]

Hi,

This is the only forum I'm involved on, and it took me awhile to create an account - I found it overwhelming at first.

I do not write fanfiction or make videos.

I really only stick to the forum, though I do read interviews and, if I forget a character, use the wiki.

The way I discovered the books/series was through a friend. We were in a bookshop and she saw the first book - GoT and said - hey, that's that book they are going to do a TV show on soon. I read the blurb and thought it looked interesting, but didn't buy it the (I was already behind in my reading and essay writing for my writing course). But then I saw the trailer on TV and thought it looked interesting, so the next time I had money I went and bought the book.

I was a bit of a slow reader at the time, because of the writing course, so the TV show caught up to me and I ended up finishing the TV show before fininshing the book. But once I finished the book I got the next, and then the next and so on.

Once I finished the books I needed more and that's how I discovered Westeros dot org.

From there I heard about Dunk and Egg books and read them and now I'm here, waiting for the next book.

[M. Berk]

Thank you guys so much! This has really helped me. And keep responding if you want :)

[RhaenysBee]

Hi,

I came across with the story through the show to which a friend introduced me. I've read all the books before Season 2 came out, and since then I'm very critical with the show. I'm only active on this forum (when I feel like and have too much time) and on fanpop's Game of Thrones spot. I never really visit Wiki of Ice and Fire (except when I end up in a debate with somebody and want to prove that I'm right xD). I don't do fanfiction (Martin doesn't like it, and I sort of respect that, also what ELSE is there to add to this story?) and I don't like fanvideos.

Just a tip to your thesis, if you want actual data on this, you could make a google (or there are surely other sites doing such too) questionnaire and post it here. I'm sure many people would contribute. Just a tip, to consider :) Good luck with your thesis!

[Winterfellian]

This is the only GOT forum where am currently active, and I mostly replied to the topics at hand, usually related to the books and not the TV show. I also like to visit the wiki.

As for other websites, I lurk in the Tower of the Hand and Race for the Iron Throne every once in a while but I don't have accounts. I don’t do any other fan activities like fanfiction or videos.

I really liked the TV series when it first came out but it’s the books and the wonderful world Marin has created that I fell in love with. I much prefer the books over the TV series, to the point that I’ve lost interest in the TV show, which has been declining in quality in my humble opinion.

Hope this helps. Good luck!