George R.R. Martin threatened to decapitate?

[staceyinastoria]

Well, this thought process of his does explain why so many people are dead in his books.

http://tv.ign.com/articles/118/1180606p ... o.facebook

[TheBauhausCure]

You know, I totally agree with him. His issue is with

1)the guy who shipped them

and

2) the jerkwads putting spoilers all over the internet.

He doesn't have an issue with the rest of the 180 who are keeping a mummers silence.

[staceyinastoria]

I wasn't implying whether I agreed with him or not. I just think it helps explain his need to kill of just about everyone in his books.

[Gundabad]

This story made my day

[Orctavius]

Martin looks like he's ready for roast goat.

[Leftahead]

This is not the first time Amazon has 'accidentally' shipped a heavily-embargoed book early.

Me and my fellow booksellers, both independent and mass, have often wondered if it's entirely accidental. The knowledge you might get something as coveted as this early is a great incentive to pre-order from them, and it's not like anyone short of an actual state government is ever going to enforce any sort of penalties on them that rest of the retail world (OK< except maybe Wal-Mart or Target) would get hit with if they sold copies early. Now Amazon has millions of hits of free publicity that says if you order from them, it's like buying an early-release lottery ticket for hot tiles.

-JC

[Eppy]

Is that why he's taking so long? He's afraid of giving people spoilers?

[Leftahead]

I suspect it's more that even HE can't keep all his characters straight in his head. Doesn't he have a fansite dude he calls when he forgets which king goes with which kingdom and such?

I haven't ever come near these things because of my general dislike of Tolkien and 'epic' fantasy. Are there pulp elements that make the politics worth sitting through, Eppy?

-JC

[cawshis]

I love that spoilers have become the interweb's number #1 etiquette breach (beating out trolling and hot linking, I guess!). Like being surprised is the only thing important about a compelling story.

[Deliverator]

I suspect it's more that even HE can't keep all his characters straight in his head. Doesn't he have a fansite dude he calls when he forgets which king goes with which kingdom and such?

I haven't ever come near these things because of my general dislike of Tolkien and 'epic' fantasy. Are there pulp elements that make the politics worth sitting through, Eppy?

-JC

I don't know about pulpy, and I'm obviously not Eppy, but to me Martin does not read at all like Tolkien*. The major things that distinguish Martin from the "epic fantasy" tradition:

-No "plot protection" for important characters
-No right or wrong, good or evil, just many shades of grey
-Multiple POV characters
-The geography serves the plot, not the other way around
-Low magic

Matt

*Time Magazine's little quote calling Martin "the American Tolkien" is utter rubbish; the American Tolkien is clearly Gene Wolfe.