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Post by eiraseren on Mar 31, 2016 3:59:30 GMT
Maybe it's too complicated, but I was thinking that the white walkers were human skinchangers and that they used Craster's infant sons to draw out their lifeforce to create the icy white shadow. They should be similar to the shadows Melisandre draws from Stannis, but since they're the ice side their forms are preserved. The white walkers are described as wearing camouflage armor. Hmm. I think I have the same impulse, to think of whatever the essence of the Others are as some kind of spiritual entity. JNR calls this (basically) a shadow of the guy who helped create the thing that became the Other. Which makes sense - distilled and concentrated enmity. I find this similar to the way Lady Stoneheart's has been resurrected and is mainly all about vengeance. The he armour is camouflage because it's made of ice, and reflects the natural world around it, imo. which may be a bit symbolic as well, possibly. I just don't think Clarke knows what she's talking about -- typical for acting talent when discussing writing topics. GRRM and the show are both unapologetic about making this a blatantly sexist man's world (because Europe in the Middle Ages was as well, even though GRRM and D&D introduced all these other huge changes compared to Europe... but never mind). Yeah, interesting that he keeps the sexism. Why is that, if he might have changed it, too? Dany was doing things right politically until she grew unsatisfied with compromise and desired the Targaryen way of using brute force to take what she wanted. Interesting that this might not be seen as such a problem in a male leader. Even Robert used brute force to get on the throne. Not all of Dany's decisions are the best, however. And she doesn't exactly have Tywin's experience or (no doubt) military education.
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Post by jnr on Mar 31, 2016 15:05:37 GMT
Yeah, interesting that he keeps the sexism. Why is that, if he might have changed it, too? What he's said in interviews is that he resented the way other authors softened the reality of Middle Ages life because they (in his opinion) didn't understand how the medieval world worked. But I'm not sure why a fantasy author... who is literally changing the laws of physics on a whim, creating whole continents out of thin air, introducing entirely new species, making magic objectively real, etc., should for any reason feel limited to the social and political norms in our world in depicting his world. This has also often come up in my head reading the RLJ thread, in which people constantly cite real-world European parallels -- so-and-so did such-and-such -- as if those had some sort of merit or value in assessing the probability of a particular theory about a completely different, fantastical, imaginary world.
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Post by Melifeather on Mar 31, 2016 15:35:29 GMT
But I'm not sure why a fantasy author... who is literally changing the laws of physics on a whim, creating whole continents out of thin air, introducing entirely new species, making magic objectively real, etc., should for any reason feel limited to the social and political norms in our world in depicting his world. I think it's because he wants to make it seem realistic by mirroring today's norms. I think what Clarke was trying to say is that while the other characters treat the female characters in a sexist way, the females themselves don't always accept society's norms. They're all fighting against sexism in their own ways, using their abilities.
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Post by jnr on Mar 31, 2016 23:31:53 GMT
I think it's because he wants to make it seem realistic by mirroring today's norms. Today's norms? Well, if that was his goal he failed. Our women vote in democracies, and one is about to be voted president. I think his goal was to mirror medieval norms, but even that idea seems peculiar because in writing ASOIAF he's cheerfully throwing the reality of the Middle Ages world out the window in half a dozen different ways. You can't, for instance, do a royal family with purple eyes and silver-gold hair that came to power by invading a huge continent with giant fire-breathing dragons... and then claim "medieval realism" is your goal as a writer... unless you want your audience to hold up LOL signs. I'll give him credit for being innovative, though. He certainly had few parallels in the 1993 timeframe in designing a fantasy world this remarkably unfavorable to women.
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Post by Ser Duncan on Apr 1, 2016 15:29:08 GMT
I think his goal was to mirror medieval norms, but even that idea seems peculiar because in writing ASOIAF he's cheerfully throwing the reality of the Middle Ages world out the window in half a dozen different ways. You can't, for instance, do a royal family with purple eyes and silver-gold hair that came to power by invading a huge continent with giant fire-breathing dragons... and then claim "medieval realism" is your goal as a writer... unless you want your audience to hold up LOL signs. I'm thinking that's rather the point. Martin added so many fantasy elements, he had to draw the line somewhere. To keep the political reality of world where women were not allowed to hold power outright is what keeps the story rooted in reality remarkably better than an all change in terms of society. It turns a wildly fantastical story into one of historical dystopia. Other fantasy stories, especially during the time when he started the books, have a strong disconnect to history and therefore reality. Lots of authors use the 'medievil' setting as backdrop and tool, not because they want us to believe their characters are living in the world of religious domination, dynastic empires, and royal families. They utilise the low level technology, the lack of scientific discovery, and the master and subject quality of the middle ages, without any of the unpleasantness of where power comes from and why it's expressed as it. The dark ages setting became a cliché. I think Martin's work is in direct reaction to this.
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Post by Melifeather on Apr 7, 2016 0:15:49 GMT
UK fans you can now order seasons 1-6 boxed set complete with gorgeous Harpy mask: linkAt least I think that's the Harpy?
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Post by Ser Duncan on Apr 7, 2016 2:39:25 GMT
UK fans you can now order seasons 1-6 boxed set complete with gorgeous Harpy mask: linkAt least I think that's the Harpy? I don't think you get the mask itself, but yes the cover is definitely a Harpy mask. The show didn't use the Freedmen or the Shavepates so the only ones wearing masks are the Sons of the Harpy.
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Post by Melifeather on Apr 7, 2016 10:39:32 GMT
I don't think you get the mask itself I didn't mean it that way! Just that it was on the cover.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2016 19:21:27 GMT
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Post by Maester Flagons on Apr 8, 2016 0:46:32 GMT
I thought show Myrcella was dead. And why is Jon not on the list of cast? By the trailers! everyone knows he is in season six .
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Post by Melifeather on Apr 8, 2016 12:07:34 GMT
Game of Thrones Season 6 - first episode name released: The Red Woman - link
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Post by Deleted on Apr 8, 2016 20:44:08 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2016 5:47:26 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2016 16:10:52 GMT
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Post by Melifeather on Apr 14, 2016 15:18:43 GMT
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