George R.R. Martin Discusses The Nitty Gritty Details of Westeros
By Ani Bundel
As we reported over the weekend, George R.R. Martin made it a point to go see the Staten Island Direwolves play at a special Game of Thrones-themed baseball night. (The Staten Island team had originally been called the Yankees, but since Martin is a Mets fan it just seemed wise to change the name.)
Had a great time at the Direwolves game tonight, check out their cool throne made of baseball bats! pic.twitter.com/KjIzFQsF3x
— George RR Martin (@GRRMspeaking) August 9, 2015
Staten Island Live was on hand for the event as well, and sat down to interview Martin. The subjects ranged from Staten Island to baseball, and of course Game of Thrones.
When the interviewer brought up the subject of the A Song of Ice and Fire series being the Lord of the Rings for our generation, Martin pointed out that he was far more into the nitty gritty details of the world of Westeros in a way that Tolkien never was.
For instance, Martin said, Tolkien may write that Aragorn “ruled wisely and well for years,” but what does that mean? “What was his tax policy? How did the economy function? What about the class system?”
“There are still tens and thousands of orcs at the end of Lord of the Rings,” Martin said. “Did he pursue a policy of genocide toward them? Or did he reach out and try to educate them? We never get answers to any of these questions. We just get ‘he ruled wisely and well.'”
“That’s what I try to do in showing rulers as diverse as Robert and Ned Stark and Cersei Lannister and Daenerys Targaryen — show how people achieve a position of power and then what do they do with it, how do they deal with the divisions of their societies and violence and crime and economic matters.”
Though some fans complain that Dany’s scenes in Meereen drag, and that some of the politicking can be frustrating to read, it’s those sorts of real world details that set Martin’s novels apart, and help the show cross over from the fantasy genre and appeal to a wider audience.
Sadly, there was no word on when the next installment The Winds of Winter will be coming out, but with rumors flying that this trip to the northeast will double as a meeting with Martin’s publishers, we can hope that it’s only a matter of months now.