When/How did you get into ASOIAF?

[Lord Kenny Dondarrion]

Ending of 2012, my brother was watching, he said was i was cool, but i didn't care, it was october or november, at the end of the year i started the hollidays, i had nothing to do, and one of my brother's friend started saying it was awesome, so i watched the first, the second, and finished the first season that very day, nest day it was season two, i started only talking about it, begining of february this year moreless, i watched every thing again, than i decided to read book one, begining of march, finished in a week i decided to read till asos before season 3., when it started i had long finished aDwD

[Et-In-Arcadia-Ego]

I was first introduced by the back cover of a magazine. I saw the image of Ned on the Iron Throne and noticed it was an HBO series, so I was instantly curious. Went to the website, watched the fifteen minute preview and then read reviews of the novel on Amazon. I was finished with the first book by episode two.

[shiola]

After 2 ended, I watched both of the seasons.. I did this around September. Then I bought all the books in October and flew through them so quickly I hardly absorbed any of it. Thank gods for this forum, and for re-reads.

[Morienthar]

When the Show was announced I read about it on Wikipedia and learnt that it was based on these Books and decided to get the first one and got it from a store called Blossoms,Where someone had given away their first edition copy from 97.

[Pikachu101]

Katie McGrath interview in 2011

[King Tam Stark]

after series 1 of the tv show around December 2011 people where talking about it and on one other website in particular there was a thread about it and being male Emilia Clarke caught my attention and sparked my interest

I then watched series 1 online over 2 days during the christmas holidays, series 2 on tv when it aired and then my obsession really started I bought the books read them all in about 6 months and I am now doing a reread as well as putting the hours in on here reading the amazing theory's and finding out so much I missed

[daario's man]

Although I have always been in love with the idea of fantasy I found that as I got older books became badly written Tolkein imitations, films were the same but with bad actors trying to do British accents. When the show came out the combination of HBO and Sean Bean made me take note but I still didn't bight. After the first season was finished I would have forgotten about it but a couple of friends started telling me to watch it, eventually I relented. One evening after coming home from their house I put on the first episode and had watched the entire season before I went to bed, though I had to re watch the last two episodes in the morning due to being tired and drunk.

A couple of weeks later I was waiting to get a train and realised I had nothing to read, so headed for the book shop. On entering I found myself looking at a massive display of Game of Thrones books. I paused, would GRRM turn out to be a guy who had a good idea but couldn't write very well, which was my experience with a lot of fantasy.

After realising that my train was nearly here I bit the bullet and bought it, by the end of the train ride I was committed to reading the whole series, and the situation quickly went from my friends telling me to watch the show to me telling them to read the books.

[ellisg]

I saw the show advertised on TV and thought it looked good but I forgot to watch it. However the show caused the books to rise in the charts and I started off with A Game of Thrones and worked my way through. I then ordered Season 1 when it came out on DVD.

[Nuncle Kraken]

The GF and I have had HBO since we've lived together. Saw the preview before season one. I was hooked from the jump. She read the books between seasons 1 & 2. I was trying to remain unsullied, but lost that battle when, after season two ended, the girlfriend sorta spoiled R+L=J for me. My job downsized. Found myself with much more free time and going crazy about R+L=J with 9mo til season three. So I read all five. Now on my third reread.

[Dragonman1979]

I got GOT as a graduation gift in 98 from a fellow fantasy geek. I read it over the summer and remembered liking the book very much. But college happened and then marriage and then children. and lo and behold it's 2010, I see a poster for ADWD at Borders and I saw it was book 5. Needless to say I re-read AGOT starting that night because I purchased ACOK, ASOS, and AFFC that instant(and pre-ordered ADWD to boot!).

[ambi76]

Oh, hey, so many "newbies"! I thought I was the only one. :love:

I catched the German free tv premiere in early 2012 and was instantly hooked.

Read the ASOIAF wiki and then the books (in the original English, the German translation gives me indigestion).

[northernshe-wolf]

I can't even remember how I got into it. I think it was someone on tumblr.

[xSilence]

A friend of mine always told me how awesome ASoIaF is and I've never paid much attention, 1 month later, the show (Season 1) aired on TV and I've watched it was like "Wow it's awesome!" Then I bought all the books and read it lol^^

[LordStoneheart]

I was at WalMart in the book section, back when I was still fooling myself into thinking WalMart is good for books... and then I saw it...

In a glistening plastic-wrapped box set were the first four books in paperback. I saw it from the side so the only thing I could see was a solemn-looking man with a sword gazing downward. I picked it up and saw the title. That title... If ever there was a more perfect title in the world I have not heard of it. There was just something about it that spoke to me, and still does. I recognized it from randomly scrolling on TVTropes.com, but luckily I didn't remember any of the plot details. Then I saw the HBO logo and thought if it was on HBO it must be worth some interest...

Basically, saw it cheap at walmart, liked the title, and bought it.

[The Weirwoods Eyes]

Am a HBO addict and so we enthusiastically awaited the show after seeing the trailers. I am also a big reader and a lifelong fan of fantasy.

I absolutely adored the show and told myself I would read the books after it had ended as no doubt the books would be better than the show and I did not want to ruin such great tv.

By episode 1 of season 3 my resolve was all gone and by the end of season 3 I'd read all 5 books bought the app joined the forum and became utterly obsessed!

[Crowford]

I think it was 2005 or 2006, if I remember correctly, shortly after AffC was released. I had read about them for years on literature forums, but actually knew pretty much nothing about the books, except that it was medieval fantasy and the most adult and complex fantasy novel ever. So at some point I decided to order AGoT on Amazon along with some other books, when I was halfway through (about a week later) I also ordered ACoK and ASoS, and once it was released as paperback AffC, so I had a pretty continuous read.

What's funny though is how the TV series completely eluded me. i never even knew that it was in the making, only a while after the first season had aired I suddenly saw a post about Jaime Lannister (on a lyrics site, no less), and from that I learned that there had been an adaptation. The release of ADwD also hit me unexpectedly, I had waited for six years, but only learned about it a few days after it was released (though then I had it within one day and read within one week).

[Ephicross]

My world history teacher back in high school was obsessed with ASoIaF. And since I was his only student who's interested in books (and I'm not even exaggerating, only a minority of the youngsters in the Philippines read at all), I had to suffer with all his stories and theories and that was when I was still too caught up with Tolkien to care. Then when I got to college I took it up, and haven't stop following it since. He's quite delighted about it 'cause he gets to discuss it with someone who actually knows what he's talking about lol.

Hey, hey, hey. I'm a Filipino 'youngster' that reads.

I first saw pictures of the characters in certain websites. It didn't really strike me fancy at first supposedly because I thought it didn't suit my taste.

Anyway, my uncle decided that he would once again watch the series starting up to the first episode to the second season's last. Since I was basically waiting for the next semester to start, I had a whole bunch of time to kill. I joined up with him. It was dull at first but it got pretty interesting as I forced myself to watch it. I moved on to the books, and, here I am.

I introduced my girlfriend to the series the same way.

[Nymeria's Wrath]

Friends of ours (who like the same kind of movies) told us we really should watch GoT when it first aired over here, according to them it would be something we would both like very much (we have both been very into Tolkien en LotR). At that moment we were to occupied with other things to watch the show on TV, but about a year later a collegue of mine told me I should watch GoT if I like Tolkien so much. So okey, we finally looked it up and saw the first series. Needless to say we were totally hooked up, and immediatly went looking for the second season. Watched it in 2 episodes a night, and when that was finished, I really wanted to know how the story continued (I learned in the meantime that it was based on a book series). Went to the book store, and bought myself all 5 books at once, thinking those 5 books contained the whole story. It wasn't untill I had finished the 3rd book that I found out about book 6 and 7.... I was hugely dissapointed that I would not know how the story would end for at least a couple of years!

But after book 5 was finished, I've discovered this forum, and now I'm convinced to reread the books, at least one time before TWoW is coming out, and probably once again for the last book.

[Tony Soprano]

The show got me into the franchise. I got the books one day after the season one finale, and I was done with AFfC just a week after ADwD was made available here. I've been a fan ever since.

[Waylin Stark]

Saw the HBO ads before season 1 aired, thought it looked good, then saw a whole stack of the books on sale everywhere I went, researched it on Wikipedia, began watching season 1 (irregularly), bought the first book, read it, loved it, rewatched season 1 and fully understood everything, bought next 4 books over 6 months, read them all, watched season 2, reread first 3 books, joined forums, discussed, learned so many thoeries, anticipated season 3, watched season 3, now waiting for season 4.