A Song of Ice and Fire (ASoIaF) is an epic fantasy series by George R. R. Martin. It is the best-known of his works, and has spawned a successful trading card game and board game. The books are known for extremely detailed and intriguing characters, sudden and often violent plot twists, and no lack of cunning schemes and intricate political maneuvering. In a genre where magic usually takes center stage, this series has a reputation for its limited and subtle use of magic, employing it as an ambiguous and often sinister background force.
The books
When finished, the series will consist of an estimated six volumes. Three have already been published:
One is currently being written:
Others are yet to come:
- A Dance with Dragons (partly written)
- The Winds of Winter (forthcoming) or A Time for Wolves (forthcoming)
Martin originally intended the series to be a trilogy, but over time has increased that estimate, explaining "What can I say? It's a BIG story, and a cast of thousands." [2] When A Storm of Swords was published, Martin announced that there would be six books. After A Storm of Swords he began writing A Dance with Dragons, which was supposed to take place five years after A Storm of Swords. Martin later announced that he would add another book, A Feast for Crows, to pick up where A Storm of Swords left off. Martin's original announcement that he would skip five years (and not use many flashbacks) upset many fans who didn't want to miss a moment in the lives of their favorite characters. Interestingly, Martin's decision to stop writing one book and start another in order chronicle part of that five year gap has frustrated fans by causing an estimated five year wait for the fourth installment.
Two related novellas set in the Song of Ice and Fire universe have also been published. They deal with the lives of a young hedge knight and his squire about 90 years before the events in A Game of Thrones. "The Hedge Knight" and the "Sworn Sword" were published in the Legends and Legends II anthologies, respectively. The Hedge Knight has also been released as a series of six comic books, which were later combined into a single graphic novel.
Plot and setting
A Song of Ice and Fire is set in a fictitious world reminiscent of Europe in the Middle Ages, except for the fact that in this world, seasons can last decades. Driven by members of the Houses, great and small, the plot is recounted from the perspectives of more than ten main characters and takes place on the continents of Westeros and the eastern continent, the former being the locale of fierce power struggles between several aristocratic families after the death of king Robert Baratheon, who by lineage, marriage and personal relationships had united them all. Meanwhile, the last offspring of House Targaryen, which had ruled over Westeros before being expelled by Robert and his allies, is trying to find allies herself to reconquer the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. But all of them ignore the oncoming winter and the ancient dangers it brings.
See also: List of places in A Song of Ice and Fire
Similarity to the Wars of the Roses
Numerous parallels have been seen between the events and characters in A Song of Ice and Fire and events and people involved in the Wars of the Roses. Two of the principal families in A Song of Ice and Fire, the Starks and the Lannisters, are seen as representing the historical House of York and House of Lancaster, respectively.
Martin is an avid student of Medieval Europe, and has said that the Wars of the Roses, along with many other events in Europe during that time, have influenced the series. However, he insists that "there's really no one-for-one character-for-character correspondence. I like to use history to flavor my fantasy, to add texture and versimilitude, but simply rewriting history with the names changed has no appeal for me. I prefer to reimagine it all, and take it in new and unexpected directions." [3]
Pronunciation of names
Unlike Tolkien, who provided detailed instructions for the pronunciation of the languages of Middle-Earth, Martin has provided no canonical way of pronouncing Westerosi names. However, it is possible to establish some guidelines based on public chapter readings by the author, and the audio book adaptations read by Roy Dotrice, with which Martin has expressed satisfaction.
Dotrice's pronunciations
Some of Roy Dotrice's pronunciations are reproduced here. Following Wikipedia guidelines, the list uses IPA in brackets, but includes alternative representation in X-SAMPA in slashes to help older browsers. See International Phonetic Alphabet for English to learn about the symbols, and IPA in Unicode for problems of displaying and entering them.
Characters
- Arya: [] /'A:rI@/
- Baratheon: [bə'rʌθɪən] /b@'rVTI@n/
- Catelyn: ['katlɪn] /'katlIn/
- Daenerys: [deɪ'nɛ:rɪs] /deI'nE:rIs/
- Jaime: ['dʒeɪmɪ] /'dZeImI/
- Jojen: ['dʒəʊdʒən] /'dZ@UdZ@n/
- Jon: ['dʒɒn] /dZQn/
- Targaryen: [ta'gɛ:rɪən] /t@'gE:rI@n/
- Tyrion: ['tɪrɪən] /'tIrI@n/
- Tywin: ['tʌɪwɪn] /'tVIwIn/
Places
Titles
- Khaleesi: [kə'lɪ:sɪ] /k@'lI:sI/
- Maester: ['meɪstə] /'meIst@/
- Ser: [sə:] /s@:/
External links
Last updated: 10-13-2005 07:39:14
