George R.R. Martin has created a fantasy milestone with his epic surrounding Game of Thrones. However, the other great epic, The Lord of the Rings, has a major problem according to him, which he himself cannot have yet: the ending.
George R.R. Martin and Westeros. With A Song of Ice and Fire, Martin created a grand fantasy epic that not only received smaller spin-offs but also live-action adaptations in the form of Game of Thrones. The stories from Westeros seem to never end. House of the Dragon is currently airing, and with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, there will be new material in the future.
Unlike the series, A Song of Ice and Fire is not yet finished. Since 2011, fans of the series have been waiting for The Winds of Winter and for a soon ending of the story. Although he has not finished it yet, he has criticized the ending of The Lord of the Rings in 2014.
Another fantasy author is certainly faster than Martin: The author of “The Witcher” writes faster than George R.R. Martin – new novel is finally finished
Martin has nothing to say about medieval philosophy
What does Martin say about Tolkien? In 2014, George R.R. Martin spoke with Rolling Stone magazine about Game of Thrones, and The Lord of the Rings also came up. At one point, he is asked about power in Game of Thrones and how everyone uses it poorly.
He explains that his portrayal of the power of rulers is a response to Tolkien. While he admires him, he questions Tolkien’s depiction of power. Martin refers to a medieval philosophy
which suggests that if the person on the throne is good, the land will also prosper.
When we look at real history, it is not that simple. Tolkien can say that Aragorn became king and ruled for a hundred years, and he was wise and good. But Tolkien does not ask: What were Aragorn’s tax policies? Did he maintain a standing army? What did he do in times of floods and famine?
These are the questions Martin wanted to address in his works because real-life kings have real-life problems.
He does not think good intentions are enough to govern a kingdom properly.
George R.R. Martin argues from a modern perspective. As reddit user brian5476 explained ten years ago, Martin obviously argues from a modern perspective. He compares this to Shakespeare, who of course also does not have modern narrative structures, yet he remains an important source of inspiration for stories to this day.
Additionally, one could argue that both works, despite the fantasy setting, represent a different sub-genre of fantasy. However, fans will probably have to wait a long time for the ending of A Song of Ice and Fire. In another instance, Martin commented on his approach to dragons: George R.R. Martin promises to clarify a central mystery of House of the Dragon in his novel – provided it gets published
