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The Game vs The Song


Panos Targaryen

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A user here once reffered to the two parts that comprise ASOIAF as The Game (the politics and fight for the Iron Throne) and The Song (the fantasy stuff, magic, the Others, the dragons, AAR etc). It is obvious that the politics are becoming less important than the war with the Others, and ASOIAF is becoming more of a typical (not in a bad way typical) High Fantasy series, with magic playing a more important role in the events. My question: do you prefer the "Song" fantasy part or the "Game" politics and war? And would rather see the series become more of a fantasy series, or have the politics as its main focus?

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I have said it before and I will say it again: the Game! I actually dislike high fantasy, the thing that made me like "Game of thrones" (if it wasn't for the show I'd have never even heard of the books) was that it seemed as a rather realistic medieval story with minor fantasy elements where the "good" don't win against all logic simply because they're good. Exactly the kind of story I'd like to read (and by the way such stories are difficult to find, I'd appreciate any suggestions). If all that changes drastically I would seriously consider to stop reading.

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I have said it before and I will say it again: the Game! I actually dislike high fantasy, the thing that made me like "Game of thrones" (if it wasn't for the show I'd have never even heard of the books) was that it seemed as a rather realistic medieval story with minor fantasy elements where the "good" don't win against all logic simply because they're good. Exactly the kind of story I'd like to read (and by the way such stories are difficult to find, I'd appreciate any suggestions). If all that changes drastically I would seriously consider to stop reading.

I was kind of the same way, but i did always love tolkien and mythology, so as those fantasy elements were woven in more and more i was pleased.

That said, i don't think you have anything to worry about. Its built around moral ambiguity and the tragedy of the human condition, with believable human characters dealing with tough decisions and good guys not always being good and bad guys not always being bad. Thats not gonna change regardless of how weird it ultimately gets

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It's almost equal for me, but I would have to say that I lean a little bit towards the "Song". I have always had a soft spot in my heart for fantasy, and although I do love the politics side of ASoIaF, the "Song" part of the series makes it more interesting for me and makes me want to come back for more.

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HMMM I don't see it quite that way. I prefer the more historical fiction type stuff but I think the whole focus on 'game' is overstating that as a theme.

What do people think about the way the fantasy side will develop - I think it could take off with a bang with several characters involved in supernatural stuff of various kinds (Bran and UnCat have led the way) in the first few chapters of the next book.

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I like both parts in equal amount because they add to and complete each other.

Looking back at the process of GRRM writing the series, I started to think that he originally planned to put more emphasis on the Song part of it. As the story developed, the Game part, as compelling as it is, started to creep in and take over the whole thing thus pushing the Song elements in the background. Im thinking that originally he planned to make "the Game" just a Stark/Lannister conflict but it expanded into war of five kings and all the other branches of these events. Also, one can easily imagine the series without some storylines like Brienne or Greyjoys or fAegon or Jaime/Cersei.

All this of course adds to the story and makes it more interesting but this is why the story seems to have two different sides to it. In the grand scheme of things the story is the song of ice and fire. To me this means the story about Jon/Dany or Others/Dragons or something along these lines.

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I, Stannis and Martin think it is the Song

And it is important that the individual books refer to the civil wars, but the series title reminds us constantly that the real issue lies in the North beyond the Wall. Stannis becomes one of the few characters fully to understand that, which is why in spite of everything he is a righteous man, and not just a version of Henry VII, Tiberius or Louis XI. - GRRM
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I think they complement each other very nicely. The game without the song is a great faux-historical thriller full of intrigue, and I would happily read and enjoy that, but it wouldn't quite have the same edge. As much as she annoys me, the tale needs Dany's magic and seemingly justified sense of entitlement.

The song without the game is so far just an unpredictable but run-of-the-mill fantasy story. I may well have read it, but I wouldn't have got obsessed, and definitely wouldn't have joined a forum about it!

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I prefer the game, and it took some time for me to get used to dragons and zombies. I'm not really a fan of magic (but somehow it doesn't bother me at all in Harry Potter). For example, I found Bloodraven and the House of the Undying pretty weird when I first read it. The magic was not my thing. Now, they feel more "natural" and I love the Wall storyline.

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I love the Magical part(The Song),It's my favourite bit in ASoIaF.

The Game holds little interest to me mostly because it's gotten slightly predictable at this point,It was far more exciting in AGoT and ACoK and to an extent in ASoS.

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