Assignment 4-1: A Song of Ice and Fire

A Song of Ice and Fire is an ongoing fantasy series written by George R.R. Martin, a predominately science fiction author who has also worked in the television industry running shows like Beauty & the Beast and the 1980s reincarnation of the Twilight Zone. The story is told in limited third person narrative. Each chapter is seen through the eyes of only one character. To date there are 20 different characters whose POVs have told part of the story, though several of these POV characters have either died or disappeared from the series entirely. The story relies heavily on political intrigue, and is loosely based on the English War of the Roses in the mid-to-late 1400s. Unlike most fantasy series, the fantastical elements are very low key, although they do tend to be used more and more as the series progresses.
The series is known for its morally grey characters and the author’s willingness to kill or maim main characters. The bulk of the story revolves around several powerful noble families’ struggles for the throne of the kingdom. However, a supernatural force in the North is threatening the entire realm, but very few characters actually know about the threat and even fewer cares to stop their intrigues and war making to deal with the threat. One of the things that make the series so interesting is the POV format used to tell the story. It relies heavily on the unreliable narrator as the reader only knows what each individual character knows. If the character makes false assumptions, the reader shares those assumptions. Unraveling the many mysteries and prophesies in the books is part of the fun.
The series consists of A Game of Thrones (1996), A Clash of Kings (1998), A Storm of Swords (2000) and A Feast for Crows (2005). The series is still unfinished and the author plans to add A Dance with Dragons, The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring. The series has already has already spawned board games, collectible card games and pen and paper style role playing games. It has also recently been optioned by HBO and casting for the pilot episode is currently underway with filming set to begin in October of 2009.