The fantasy genre is one that I have been deeply fascinated with since a young age. “The Swan Princess,” “The Chronicles of Narnia,” and “The Lord of the Rings,” were all met with wonder and amazement on my part, and with an equally imaginative and ever curious mind, I played with the tales and wove my own stories within the characters.
At the time, I didn’t have a word for what I was doing, but I did it all the same. I was especially jealous of my flights of fancy, and by nature, I hid all my stories and kept them to myself. However, now as I grow older, writing draws me to its beckoning call, and little by little, I heed its siren’s song.
This naturally drew me to seek out books written and based in fantastical settings and several series stick out in my mind, namely: “The Inheritance Cycle,” “Temeraire,” and “A Song of Ice and Fire,” (by Christopher Paolini, Naomi Novik, George R. R. Martin, respectively).
But “A Song of Ice and Fire” I wanted to take a closer look at for a particular reason. George R. R. Martin, while an excellent writer, is praised especially for his ability to create a more 'realistic” depiction of a medieval fantasy setting. Some reviews of the book series from "Good Reads" state how much the readers enjoy the political intrigue Martin's story offers.
John Lanchester, from London Review of Books, also had this to say about the infamous series: “The violence in this milieu is not Tolkienian sword-fighting between warriors and orcs: it is long on murder of the innocent, poisoning and rape. It’s not a world any sane person would want to live in, not for a moment; which is another respect in which it manages to resemble the real Middle Ages.”
Seemingly admirable that a fantasy author would strive to depict realism from a medieval fantasy, many people who do not normally delve into this genre, went in with low expectations, and came out wholeheartedly loving Martin’s realm of Westeros. However, for my part, I caution against embracing “A Song of Ice and Fire’s” radical realism, and stating this is what 'fantasy should be.'
Martin’s work is not an ideal to be emulated, but an outlier. The deaths of innocent people, rape, and then all their webs of treason are heavy topics to consider, and in all honesty, do not fit in with the general theme of traditional fantasy. To say I do not enjoy the series would be an outright lie, but that very violence that John Lanchester describes in Martin’s work, I find wearying; not thrilling. It takes me a great deal of effort to make it past the darkness. I like, more than anything, the few bright stars from the series.
Daenerys, Jon Snow, and Tyrion Lannister, even while compromising their morals to stay alive in certain instances, are still some of the relatively decent characters portrayed. They hold a moral standard not found within the majority of Westeros. Even still, good characters die left and right, and they are considered weak for the very things I consider the greatest strengths of all: gentleness and intelligence.
To me, fantasy has been an escape from the horrors of everyday life, not a tool to bring them into sharp focus. Certainly, go and enjoy Martin’s world for what it is, but I urge anyone listening not to deride other fantasy writers for stories meant to convey dreams over reality. Let us keep a place to share those impossible wishes and hopes. Let fantasy remain what it has always been: unrestrained imagination.
And lastly, for those adamant fantasy readers out there, keep reading what you love.
