For those interested in learning more about the theories, lore, and history that underlie Game of Thrones and A Song of Ice and Fire, there are few with more expertise than YouTuber Alt Shift X. He’s consistently done a bang up job of explaining aspects of the world to both experts and beginners alike, as in this video where he discusses the locations and owners of all the Valyrian steel swords currently known to exist:
A couple months back, the fan behind Alt Shift X launched an ambitious new channel called Alt Schwift X. Instead of exploring theories and whatnot, every video on this channel is dedicated to summarizing and analyzing each and every chapter from the five novels released thus far in the Song of Ice and Fire series. Yes, each and every chapter of the entire series. We don’t know where he finds the time, but we salute him nonetheless.
Titled “Game of Thrones Abridged,” the commentary on this series is far sillier than on Alt Shift X. (A sample thought: “Why don’t they ever call Catelyn Catfish? I bet Ned does. I bet Eddard’s pet name for Catelyn is Catfish.”) But that’s not a bad thing, particularly when it’s this consistently entertaining. We’re not sure if there’s alcohol involved, but if there is, we heartily approve.
And there’s plenty of analysis, too. For instance, when going through Bran’s first chapter, Alt Schwift X notes that the description of the morning weather portends things to come — summer shifting to winter, peace to war. That’s the sort of thing we wish we could catch on our first reading. Or second. Or third. Moving on.
At present, there are nearly 40 videos up. They range in length from roughly 10 to 45 minutes, so they can keep you busy for a good lone while.
The videos are an excellent mix of insightful commentary and wry humor, and we salute Mr. Alt Schwift X for his dedication. Give these a listen, and up your Game of Thrones knowledge to maester level.