Game of Thrones: The HBO Series

Total Read Time: 2 minutes

In case you missed it, last night was the debut of HBO’s series based on George R.R. Martin’s best-selling fantasy novels, Game of Thrones.  When I first heard that the series was being made, I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to watch it.  Then I saw the trailer.  It gave me goose bumps.

The premiere did not disappoint.  The scenery is gorgeous, giving the show a sweeping, epic feel.  The costumes and set design feel authentic, and I think the casting is well done.  I even liked how the opening credits orient the viewers to the layout of Westeros.

Was it gritty and violent?  Yes.  Was there nudity?  You bet.  But was this really a surprise?  First of all, the show is on HBO, the network that delivers such child-friendly programming as Deadwood and True Blood.  Secondly, HBO’s interpretation is true to Martin’s books.  Anyone who has read them knows that Westeros is filled with depraved characters, who scheme and kill to survive.

While I think the HBO series is well-made and true to Martin’s vision, I still find myself holding back from embracing it.  As someone who has read the books, I find it difficult to separate my concerns about their future from the fate of show.  There is a lot of material to cover in the first four books, but when will the remaining volumes be released?  Fans have been waiting for years for the fifth installment, A Dance with Dragons.  It’s Martin’s prerogative to take as long as he wants/needs to release each book, but the wait and shifting release dates are a valid concern (not to mention frustration) to readers.  Will the book series ever be completed? 

Martin’s work has polarized readers everywhere, with hardcore fans and detractors alike.  Even his bitterest detractors are usually former fans who have lost patience with his writing/release schedule.  Can the HBO series bring us all back together to those happy times when Martin’s first three books were coming out?  We’ll see.

Winter is coming.