As you can likely imagine, I am so incredibly pumped for the monumental events that are (in order of pumpedness):
1) Dance with Dragons being published. [Although I might be in Benin and that could be slightly problematic and then I'll have to call Zach and he'll have to dictate the entire novel to me via skype]
2) HBO's new G.o.T series. holllaaaaa
3) The fact that Gen is now also an AVID Song of Ice and Fire series reader and keeps peppering me with questions as he navigates the books (e.g. "Nadia, why is Daenerys so awesome?" "Are Bran's newfound mystical abilities here to stay?," "Is winter coming?," "Which key narrator do you most identify with? I see myself as Tyrion", "Can we have an elven wedding?", etc.) Next thing you know I'll have to start directing him to www.westeros.org for answers.
Anyways, this has been on my mind because there was an endlessly entertaining piece in this week's New Yorker (I swear this is not the only magazine I read) documenting both R.R. Martin's own inherent fanboy characteristics and also struggle to meet his multitude of fans' needs (especially now that the pressure of being anointed the best fantasy writer since LOTR is on).
Some of my favorite quotes from the article-
Why he turned to writing his own sci-fi novels:
"A line producer once explained to him, "you can have horses or you can have Stonehenge. But you can't have horses AND Stonehenge."
...
"He recalls telling himself, 'I'm going to write a fantasy and it's going to be HUGE. I'm going to have all the characters I wants and all the battles I want."
[This reminds me of my mentality as a child playing with my toys]
On how he's not of the same mold as TOlkien:
"His fans write to say, 'I'm fascinated by the languages. I would like to do a study of High Valyrian, could you send me a glossary and dictionary and the syntax.' 'I have to write back and say, I've invented seven words of High Valyrian."
On how he meets girls:
"Virtually all the women in my life were people I met at sci-fi conventions." [he goes on to describe meeting his wife at such a convention in Nashville in 1975, they were both naked (no explanation why) and she told him that one of his short stories made her cry. he was engaged to someone else and she went to work for a traveling circus until they got back together at another sci fi convention.]
Anyhow, get excited!
"Who are you?" "I am the sword in the darkness, I am the watcher on the walls, I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers. I am the shield that guards the realms of men." "Then pass."
"He is the prince that was promised, and his is the Song of Ice and Fire."
"He is the prince that was promised, and his is the Song of Ice and Fire."
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