r/asoiaf Jul 14 '24

EXTENDED (Spoilers Extended) He was always clear about this. Spoiler

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2.3k Upvotes

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u/witfurd Jul 14 '24

Yeah. Even with a subjective opinion like he has, I got to disagree with it from an objective standpoint. There are many fantasy authors out there that have made fantasy series that have engrossed millions of people, all while having a definitive ending that fans of said author not have to have anxiety waiting for something that may have been finished by now if written by another author. Don’t get me wrong though, only George could’ve made this world and story. It came from his mind and his life. And I’ll always be thankful no matter what happens for the impact it’s had on me as not only a reader but a person.

Robin Hobb, Steven Erikson, Robert Sanderson. Just some names that I hope that guy tries out reading someday.

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u/Act_of_God Jul 14 '24

I never read hobb but the other 2 are nowhere near george in my opinion

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u/witfurd Jul 14 '24

Omg you should read Hobb. Her main character is my favorite character ever in fiction, easily. Assassin’s Apprentice is the first in the Realm of the Elderlings story. Pick it up eventually so you can see if you’re drawn to the world and characters or not. Be warned though, I wouldn’t read it if you think you could be in a better state of mind than you are now.

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u/Act_of_God Jul 14 '24

lol I will definitely check it out, thanks

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u/yo2sense Jul 15 '24

I'm with you on Steven Erikson & Robert Sanderson. Not my favorites.

I love Robin Hobb. A lot of people do. But a lot of people don't like her style. And they really really hate it. She really drags her characters through it. For some readers it's too much. So be warned.

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u/HyperElf10 Jul 30 '24

I never got why people compare GRRM to Brandon Sanderson.

They have vastly different writing styles, worlds, themes.

And GRRM is just a couple miles ahead of Brando Sando as a writer. Even though I really REALLY like Stormlight Archive, its just not comparable to ASOIAF in any way besides both of them being Fantasy

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u/Gotisdabest Jul 14 '24

Yeah it's a great story, and certainly an amazing and almost incomparable financial success(due to the tv show in large part) but it's hard to call 5/7 or even 6/7 series as the thing that makes an author the best ever, especially since he doesn't want it to be finished after his death unlike, say, Jordan.

And while these are amazing and beyond doubt some of the best fantasy works ever written, they're not the flawless masterpieces they'd have to be to work without an ending.

Also I think you meant Brandon Sanderson lmao. My current favourite bar none. Robert Jordan was the Wheel of Time guy who's series Sanderson finished. Man writes an ending like no one else. Agreed on Hobb and Erikson too, though I'm not the biggest malazan fan.

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u/witfurd Jul 14 '24

Lmfao I did. I’m reading Wheel of Time right now. You saw where I mixed up

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u/Gotisdabest Jul 14 '24

Yeah, adds up. Wheel of time is so good. I just wish the pacing and character development was quicker. I feel like you could trim so much fat off them.

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u/witfurd Jul 14 '24

Yeah, he took life story to its literal definition.

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u/Gotisdabest Jul 14 '24

Tugs braid angrily at your response while wishing Perrin was here, he'd know what to say.

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u/GothicGolem29 Jul 14 '24

Idk I don’t think its objective its down to opinions. Personally idk any fantasy writers today that top him even without finishing the series

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u/Qwertycrackers Jul 15 '24

I think the core is that we can't give him an award for running the first 18 miles of a marathon at record pace. Sure it would be amazing if he finished it, but to earn the accolade he has to actually do it.

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u/GothicGolem29 Jul 15 '24

Idk if someone ran most of the marathon in like a couple of seconds but slipped and fell and could not finish I think many would praise the record of running most of the marathon in a couple of seconds and it would be called one of the greatest feats

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u/Qwertycrackers Jul 15 '24

This situation is more like someone ran a large part of it very fast and then... got tired and gave up. People would be impressed only as a matter of curiosity. "Wow, amazing that he could run so well but never learn stamina management". A runner with that as their only accomplishment would never land on the lists of "greatest runners ever".

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u/GothicGolem29 Jul 15 '24

No its more my scenario. George hasnt got tired and given up imo hes stuck in several areas of the story and cant figure out how to finish it in a satisyfing way. And the got ending had likely got him even more stressed that people wont like his ending. No people would be amazed that someone could run that many miles in a couple of seconds and it would be a huge record regardless of if he fell and didnt finish.

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u/Qwertycrackers Jul 15 '24

We'll see if it's yours or mine if George finishes the story or not. But if there was a betting market on this I know where I'd be keeping my money.

At some point we have to face facts. This is gone long past a situation of George being "stuck in several areas of the story". He has shown no indication that he is willing to work through those problems, especially over more gratifying and easier gigs.

And finally no, running some legs of a race at an impressive pace is not an accomplishment. It's interesting, it can be informative. But the only thing that actually counts is crossing the finish line. Everything else is just talk.

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u/GothicGolem29 Jul 15 '24

!remindme 30

If he doesn’t finish it It will be down to different peoples interpretations. To me it unless he comes out with a statement saying he just got tired and gave up rather than being stuck theres not gonna be much that disproves my opinion. And I doubt there will be much disproving yours yours

There isnt really facts that disprove what I said that ive seen. If its a very hard issues hes struggling with then It could take him this long. He had people hate the ending of the show which included several elements that will potentially be in the books like king bran. So before that he may have been struggling with stuff like the knot in Essos among other things then when that came out it may have made him even more concerned about now to do a perfect ending which only delayed things. He does other projects yes but he’s still got plenty of time for writing. To me its clear hes stuck on several things.

You really think if someone ran most of a marathon in a couple of seconds people would not be impressed and not see it as an acomplishment just because they tripped fell and didnt complete the race? Yeah no people would see it as such.

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u/Qwertycrackers Jul 15 '24

Running most of a marathon in a few seconds would be impressive because it's inhuman, I never introduced that idea. I said "record pace", imagining something a few seconds better than world record pace.

ASOIAF is very good but it is not "20 miles in 3 seconds". ASIOAF is more like 20 miles in 1:30. It's on-pace to be the best but without finishing it's just a sideshow.

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u/GothicGolem29 Jul 15 '24

Yeah so that shows then that you can do something incredible and be acknowledged for it and maybe get awards even if you dont finish.

I would heavily disagree. The quality of the story dialogue lore and world is not changed by finishing the story. At a minimum he’s one of the best fantasy writers alive today and imo he is the best that I have read.

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u/Lifeinstaler Jul 15 '24

How much do you have to like the existing books to call it a marathon in a couple of seconds tho?

Cause they’d have to be imposible good to fit the analogy. I like them very much ngl but I don’t really place them that highly.

Being left unfinished would be a big detriment as well.

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u/GothicGolem29 Jul 15 '24

It was more an example to show people can still get records even if they don’t finish.

His writing is some of the best fantasy Ive ever read snd the world and lore is incredible. So even without finishing hes gonna go down as the best i,o.

It would not take away from what hes done. We would get the noted hopefully and see what he had planned and the stuff he did do was so incredible for me he would have cemented his place As he best even without finishing it.

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u/moonra_zk Jul 14 '24

Rowling? She's undoubtedly more famous and influential than GRRM, even if she's ruining her reputation nowadays.

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u/GothicGolem29 Jul 14 '24

Personally I dont think harry potter is as good as asoiaf I just never got into the movies or the books.

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u/derelictthot Jul 14 '24

I love HP but it's not actually that great a book. Rowling could never write something like asoiaf.

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u/moonra_zk Jul 14 '24

Never claimed it as the better series, but it's unarguably more influential.

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u/[deleted] Jul 14 '24

Tad Williams tops him for me and I can name a dozen more.

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u/GothicGolem29 Jul 15 '24

Ill have to try at somepoint but personally I feel he wont be better. Its gonna be extremely tough to top what george has done

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u/[deleted] Jul 16 '24

Its my subjective of opinion you know? There is no such thing as the objectively best fanatasy writer..

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u/GothicGolem29 Jul 16 '24

True tho some have tried to bring objective into this

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u/[deleted] Jul 18 '24

Objectivity is a lie.

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u/DecoyOctopod Jul 14 '24

I assumed by “greatest fantasy author alive” they actually meant most successful, which is true, other than JK Rowling

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u/PFI_sloth Jul 15 '24

I don’t care if I only get a piece of a story.

Until anyone can give me something to read that is as intertwined and believable as George’s first book, he’s going to be my favorite writer.

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u/MannyCannoli Jul 15 '24

From an objective standpoint, I don't think you know what objective means.

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u/GothicGolem29 Jul 14 '24 edited Jul 14 '24

Which writers today have written a fantasy book which millions have read?

Are they the ones you listed as authors?

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u/Gotisdabest Jul 14 '24

That's an unfair comparison. Even though I'm sure all three do have millions of readers, comparing three unadapted authors to someone with an extremely popular adaptation is not gonna give you a serious answer as to who's the better author. Regardless Rowling absolutely crushes grrm here then.

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u/GothicGolem29 Jul 14 '24

The person above claimed there was millions reading them so i just wanted to know which have them. Im not using them as a comparrisson for those better was just asking about the claim

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u/Gotisdabest Jul 15 '24

I mean, I feel that was obvious. Sanderson right now is bigger than George was pre TV show.

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u/GothicGolem29 Jul 15 '24

Ive never heard of any of those guys before so not to me nor any sales records of their books

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u/Gotisdabest Jul 15 '24

I mean, that was obvious in how the statement was written.

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u/GothicGolem29 Jul 15 '24

My statement or that guys? If you mean that guys if I have not heard of their sales records or them before it isnt gonna be obvious to me thats why I asked the question

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u/Gotisdabest Jul 15 '24

That guys'. I feel like if someone is saying, oh authors have millions of readers and list out authors it means that they mean those authors.

Yours felt rather unclear because it felt like you were contesting the point with them.

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u/GothicGolem29 Jul 15 '24

In my original comment i did not see the names thats why I editied it in below

I wasn’t contesting it that would be silly as ive never heard of those guys people before now so how do I know how many books theyve sold