"In Martin’s World, Heroes can Die Without Warning! Heroism doesn’t Guarantee Survival"❤️

Meet George R. R. Martin

The American John R. R. Tolkien or the American Tolkien!

#onhisbirthdaytoday

20th September

[The World of Westeros, The Game of Thrones, Gritty Realism, Eucatastrophe, Moral Ambiguity, American Tolkien, Anti-Tolkien]

George R. R. Martin’s epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, has highly influenced and redefined the fantasy genre – with a narrative structure that subverts traditional fantasy tropes.

His characters are morally ambiguous. They are flawed, make questionable decisions, and their motivations are often a mix of noble and selfish desires.

And unlike J. R. R. Tolkien, he subverts and de-emphasizes magic and fantastical creatures in favour of political intrigue, character development, and realistic consequences. Hence, in his world, heroism doesn’t guarantee survival, and good deeds often have terrible, unforeseen outcomes. He creates a world where the “hero’s journey” is not a given and anyone, even a central character, can be killed, adding a sense of genuine danger and suspense.

His meticulous and detailed world-building, with a myriad setting, a deep history with complex cultures, religions, and social structures - the world of Westeros feels alive, with its own rich lore, ancient conflicts, and a sense of history!

This solidity of specification, and attention to detail, from the food characters eat to the specific dialects they use, makes the world feel incredibly believable and lived-in.

Well, similarities galore between both George R. R. Martin and J. R. R. Tolkien!

Both authors are credited with defining and revitalizing epic fantasy in their respective eras. While Tolkien is considered the undisputed “father of modern fantasy,” whose work created the blueprint for the genre, Martin is seen as the one who broke that mould, pushing fantasy into a new, grittier realism.

Both authors are known for creating vast, detailed, and intricate fantasy worlds with deep histories, complex political systems, and a large cast of characters.

Both The Lord of the Rings and A Song of Ice and Fire became massive cultural phenomena, first through their books and then through highly successful film and television adaptations that brought fantasy to a global audience.

At the same time differences far outsmart the similarities!

Tolkien’s work is often seen as a fundamentally moral and mythological in its scope. It’s a clear-cut struggle between good and evil, with a sense of hope and “eucatastrophe” (a sudden, joyous turn of events).

In contrast, Martin’s work is cynical, realistic, and morally gray.

In Tolkien’s world, the lines are clearly drawn between noble heroes and incorrigible villains. However, in Martin’s world, heroes can die without warning, and even the most seemingly evil characters are given humanizing backstories and motivations, making the moral landscape ambiguous.

Interestingly, Game of Thrones – the hugely successful fantasy television series on HBO, is an adaptation of the book series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin. The show premiered in 2011 and ran for eight seasons, becoming a global cultural phenomenon.

To conclude, then, it would be quite apt to call him as an “Anti-Tolkien,” rather than an “American Tolkien”, 😊 for his ability and his prowess in deliberately deconstructing the tropes established by Tolkien.