A Game of Thrones
A Game of Thrones is the inaugural novel in A Song of Ice and Fire, an epic series of fantasy novels crafted by the American author George R. R. Martin. Published on August 1, 1996, this novel introduces readers to the richly detailed world of Westeros and Essos, where political intrigue, power struggles, and magical elements intertwine. The story unfolds through multiple perspectives, each chapter focusing on a different character, allowing readers to experience the narrative from various angles. This complex structure has become a hallmark of Martin's storytelling, immersing readers in the lives and motivations of a diverse cast. Plot Summary Set in the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos, the narrative revolves around the power struggles among noble families vying for the Iron Throne, the seat of power in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. The story is rich with political intrigue, betrayal, and epic battles, as well as a deep exploration of themes such as loyalty, honor, and the consequences of power. Themes The novel explores themes of power, loyalty, and the moral complexities of leadership. It delves into the consequences of ambition and the struggle between personal honor and political necessity. The richly detailed world-building and intricate character development make A Game of Thrones a compelling and immersive read. Key Characters • Eddard "Ned" Stark: The honorable Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, known for his unwavering honor and sense of duty.
Stats for nerds
7recommend
49mentions
46people
2010–2025years
14% recommend84% neutral2% critical
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
- I’m reading the third book right now and so far the series has been a real struggle to get through. In the first two I found the setting mildly interesting, but mixed with uninteresting characters, dialogue, and plot, with writing that was entirely too verbose and with too many repetitive phrases (like “he raised an eyebrow,“ which happens about once a chapter and sometimes even multiple times per page—see also chuckling, rolling eyes, and snorting, which occur at about the same frequency). Clearly not everybody finds this irritating but I definitely did.
I don’t think I had any problems like that with the writing of other fantasy series like Lord of the Rings and A Game of Thrones. Nor with two other trilogies I read for the first time this year, C. S. Lewis’s Space Trilogy and The Three‐Body Problem.
- The Hobbit - Liked, classic.
How Ideas Spread - It was decent, I feel like it could be condensed into an infographic after the fact, and hold great value.
The Lean Startup - Excellent. Changed the way I do business.
A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1 - Great book, wonderful universe. Apparently Martin loves himself a good descriptions of clothes.
A Clash of Kings: A song of Ice and Fire, Book 2 - Great book.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Good book for a kid, pretty irritating kid though (the kid in the book, not mine).
The Andromeda Strain - Excellent!
Christ the Sum of All Spiritual Things - Great book! Very healthy view of a Christocentric theology.
Dracula - Sleeper hit of the year. This book was awesome.
Pippi Longstocking - Read this to my son, and we really enjoyed it.
The Secrets of Power Negotiating - Helped me out during the process of buying a house by understanding various negotiation gambits. Would recommend.
Scrum - Another book that changed the way I work. Would absolutely recommend it.
The Wizard of Oz - Much better than the movie.
The 4-Hour Workweek - .... It was "okay". I don't know. I'm still torn.
The Swiss Family Robinson - Awesome book, full of fun things to talk about with your kids.
The BFG - This was the start of the Roald Dahl stage for bedtime reading.. It's a great book, one of my favorite Dahl books.
Matilda - Reading this as an adult, it was not nearly as fun as when I was a kid, however my son loved it.
The Fantastic Mr. Fox - Fun and easy read for the kids.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Pretty decent book.
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator - Terrible. Absolutely terrible.
- "Game of Thrones" and its successors, by George R. R. Martin.
- +1 for Wikipedia, not just for reading something but as a reference if you want to verify something as the old Encyclopedias we used to use. To just fill the hours, I would suggest some nice book, even better good series, like Foundation and Robot Series by Isaac Asimov, A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) by George R.R. Martin etc.. With those I think those 5 weeks will fly..
- I was immediately reminded of The Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson. arethuza also mentions this series elsewhere in this comment section. A few of scenes from the books take place in London Coffeehouses, which are described much like the linked article.
Read these books! It's a bit of a time investment, but IMO it's better than Game of Thrones!
Neal Stephenson's attention to historical detail is extraordinary.
- "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin: http://www.amazon.com/Game-Thrones-Song-Fire-Book/dp/0553381...
GRRM manages to create an alternate world that feels real, where characters have flaws, nothing is black and white, and the good guys don't always (or even frequently) win. By far the best book (and series) I've ever read.
