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Post by lenlenlen1 on May 24, 2019 14:17:21 GMT
I love LOTR but that's cliche. A great worldbuilding story is Mistborn and it involves Great Houses too but is more fantasy. LOTR is cliché but still valid, and yes, Mistborn is great. Another by the same author, Brandon Sanderson, The Storm-light Chronicles is also amazing and has some strong parallels to GOTG.
But what makes GOTG unique is its willingness to throw in scandalous machinations, betrayals, sex, incest, screwing over people who are good over and over, and rewarding villains over and over.
And, its a bit lighter on the fantasy stuff, so it makes it a bit more palatable to those who aren't ordinarily fantasy readers. It's a much more adult take than your average fantasy books.
I know people who are not into fantasy at all who got into both the books and TV show because of that.
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Post by lenlenlen1 on May 24, 2019 14:20:49 GMT
I still haven't finished The White Queen. I'm terrible at watching TV shows… You're just terrible.
heh heh heh See what I did there? LOL
Len makes the jokes
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Post by lenlenlen1 on May 24, 2019 14:28:38 GMT
I enjoyed the Dark Tower series as well...but that’s kind of a hybrid of genres. The first one feels a lot less fantasy than the rest and parts take place in the ‘real world’, others in a futuristic dystopia, others in the land of OZ. It’s not very stylistically similar to Game of Thrones, is why I didn’t mention it...but it is fantasy. The Dark Tower series is too spotty for me to recommend it as a sustained masterpiece, though it has its moments.
Even with GOTG's final season not being as good as previous seasons (I'm making the comparison in terms of story) I would still recommend it overall as a masterpiece.
But yes, its a big sprawling epic fantasy that one should experience at least the first few books of. You'll know by the end of the 2nd one if you want to continue. It took me about 5 of them before I went "meh". lol
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Post by CoolJGS☺ on May 24, 2019 15:16:48 GMT
I enjoyed the Dark Tower series as well...but that’s kind of a hybrid of genres. The first one feels a lot less fantasy than the rest and parts take place in the ‘real world’, others in a futuristic dystopia, others in the land of OZ. It’s not very stylistically similar to Game of Thrones, is why I didn’t mention it...but it is fantasy. The Dark Tower series is too spotty for me to recommend it as a sustained masterpiece, though it has its moments.
Even with GOTG's final season not being as good as previous seasons (I'm making the comparison in terms of story) I would still recommend it overall as a masterpiece.
But yes, its a big sprawling epic fantasy that one should experience at least the first few books of. You'll know by the end of the 2nd one if you want to continue. It took me about 5 of them before I went "meh". lol
I think it depends on what the focus is. The stuff surrounding Gilead and young Gunslinger would be great. I would leave the actual Dark Tower stuff for another day. I’ve never had much confidence in an adaptation of the main story because it requires too much knowledge of Kings works and Stephen King himself. Ultimately it’s far more personal than epic. But the Gilead stuff can easily be made epic. I mean he descends from King Arthur!
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Post by Marv on May 24, 2019 18:54:15 GMT
I enjoyed the Dark Tower series as well...but that’s kind of a hybrid of genres. The first one feels a lot less fantasy than the rest and parts take place in the ‘real world’, others in a futuristic dystopia, others in the land of OZ. It’s not very stylistically similar to Game of Thrones, is why I didn’t mention it...but it is fantasy. The Dark Tower series is too spotty for me to recommend it as a sustained masterpiece, though it has its moments.
Even with GOTG's final season not being as good as previous seasons (I'm making the comparison in terms of story) I would still recommend it overall as a masterpiece.
But yes, its a big sprawling epic fantasy that one should experience at least the first few books of. You'll know by the end of the 2nd one if you want to continue. It took me about 5 of them before I went "meh". lol
As for The Dark Tower...first book I liked, but I can see how people stop there because the vibe is very different then. Far more gritty and western. The second book is where you know if you’ll like the rest. That’s where the plot starts setting up and several main characters are introduced. The idea of a fantasy world begins in book 2...and is further elaborated in book 3. Book 4 is mostly flashback but interesting. Book 5 was my favorite. The katet is at its strongest here and I loved it. But a lot of people thought it lacked the feels of book 2 and 3...and maybe it did because that was after King accident and he was in a different frame of mind. Book 6 is filler and book 7 is great, imo. With the glaring exception being how Randall Flagg was handled.
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Post by lenlenlen1 on May 24, 2019 20:40:25 GMT
The Dark Tower series is too spotty for me to recommend it as a sustained masterpiece, though it has its moments.
Even with GOTG's final season not being as good as previous seasons (I'm making the comparison in terms of story) I would still recommend it overall as a masterpiece.
But yes, its a big sprawling epic fantasy that one should experience at least the first few books of. You'll know by the end of the 2nd one if you want to continue. It took me about 5 of them before I went "meh". lol
I think it depends on what the focus is. The stuff surrounding Gilead and young Gunslinger would be great. I would leave the actual Dark Tower stuff for another day. I’ve never had much confidence in an adaptation of the main story because it requires too much knowledge of Kings works and Stephen King himself. Ultimately it’s far more personal than epic. But the Gilead stuff can easily be made epic. I mean he descends from King Arthur! That's what the comics series did, and it was pretty good.
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Post by lenlenlen1 on May 24, 2019 20:45:01 GMT
The Dark Tower series is too spotty for me to recommend it as a sustained masterpiece, though it has its moments.
Even with GOTG's final season not being as good as previous seasons (I'm making the comparison in terms of story) I would still recommend it overall as a masterpiece.
But yes, its a big sprawling epic fantasy that one should experience at least the first few books of. You'll know by the end of the 2nd one if you want to continue. It took me about 5 of them before I went "meh". lol
As for The Dark Tower...first book I liked, but I can see how people stop there because the vibe is very different then. Far more gritty and western. The second book is where you know if you’ll like the rest. That’s where the plot starts setting up and several main characters are introduced. The idea of a fantasy world begins in book 2...and is further elaborated in book 3. Book 4 is mostly flashback but interesting. Book 5 was my favorite. The katet is at its strongest here and I loved it. But a lot of people thought it lacked the feels of book 2 and 3...and maybe it did because that was after King accident and he was in a different frame of mind. Book 6 is filler and book 7 is great, imo. With the glaring exception being how Randall Flagg was handled. So folks who haven't tried it yet are recommended to muscle through at least the first two. After that if you're in... you're in.
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Post by CoolJGS☺ on May 27, 2019 18:44:41 GMT
You were right about this one. I'm hooked
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Post by bluerisk on May 27, 2019 19:54:45 GMT
You were right about this one. I'm hooked I'm glad to hear that.
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Post by bluerisk on May 27, 2019 19:59:06 GMT
Well, if you liked the political side of GoT, I would recommend the UK version of House of Cards with Ian Richardson. Absolutely. I some regards better the the US versions despite the lower production quality. I have still to watch the 6th season of the US version (got my the blu-ray box already) but I'm dreading a bit...I heard only the worst about it. But overall it started superb but went downhill as fast as an anthrax infection.
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Post by moviebuffbrad on May 29, 2019 8:45:23 GMT
Well, if you liked the political side of GoT, I would recommend the UK version of House of Cards with Ian Richardson. Absolutely. I some regards better the the US versions despite the lower production quality. I have still to watch the 6th season of the US version (got my the blu-ray box already) but I'm dreading a bit...I heard only the worst about it. But overall it started superb but went downhill as fast as an anthrax infection. I stopped watching the US version after season 3. By that point it was twice as long as the UK version yet half had happened. Plus things like random threesomes and Democrats trying to abolish Medicare made me feel like I was having a stroke. Richardson was also so much slicker and more charismatic in tbe role, while Spacey was just blatantly unlikable and evil...as was his character (hey-o!).
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Post by Rey Kahuka on May 29, 2019 12:11:03 GMT
Definitely The Last Kingdom for a GoT-like show. It doesn’t aspire to GoT’s scope, which is actually refreshing — it follows its hero, Uhtred Ragnarsson, aka Uhtred of Bebbanburg, during the Viking conquests of the English kindgoms. Hero is a loose word here, because Uhtred wants pussy, power and gold, and he has a massive ego, but he’s a fun character to follow and the rest of the cast is very good.The Wheel of Time is a motherfucking commitment. It’s 16 books written over 2 1/2 decades, and the books are whoppers, thicker than the ASOIAF novels easily. Also keep in mind that Robert Jordan, the author, died before the series was completed, and fantasy novelist Brandon Sanderson stepped in to complete it. This is a big source of anxiety among ASOIAF fans who worry about the same thing happening with George RR Martin, and Martin is slow AF compared to Jordan in terms of cranking out books. However, putting aside all those caveats, Wheel of Time has some fucking insane world-building, with dozens of cultures, nations and factions, each with their own unique dialog, cultural practices, style of dress and behavior, etc. it’s almost endless. Layered on top of that is an absurdly detailed hierarchy of power among the various noble families of different cities, as well as the White Tower, which is like a Catholic Church for magic users, as well as various alternate dimensions, a dream world and all sorts of other crazy shit. I can’t do it justice, so suffice to say you gotta be in for the long haul to read that series. Uhtred is a total dick, but the show is fantastic. I almost felt like Alfred was the central character of season 3 and the show was better for it. It's going to be interesting without him in season 4.
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Post by Rey Kahuka on May 29, 2019 12:19:50 GMT
Anyone seen this?
I can't vouch for its quality given the likelihood of an extremely low budget, but if it's based on European history it has to be worth watching. If you like Game of Thrones, there are endless docudramas about European history out there. I'd recommend countless books as well but since we're talking about tv shows I'll stay on topic.
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Post by CoolJGS☺ on May 29, 2019 13:18:30 GMT
Definitely The Last Kingdom for a GoT-like show. It doesn’t aspire to GoT’s scope, which is actually refreshing — it follows its hero, Uhtred Ragnarsson, aka Uhtred of Bebbanburg, during the Viking conquests of the English kindgoms. Hero is a loose word here, because Uhtred wants pussy, power and gold, and he has a massive ego, but he’s a fun character to follow and the rest of the cast is very good.The Wheel of Time is a motherfucking commitment. It’s 16 books written over 2 1/2 decades, and the books are whoppers, thicker than the ASOIAF novels easily. Also keep in mind that Robert Jordan, the author, died before the series was completed, and fantasy novelist Brandon Sanderson stepped in to complete it. This is a big source of anxiety among ASOIAF fans who worry about the same thing happening with George RR Martin, and Martin is slow AF compared to Jordan in terms of cranking out books. However, putting aside all those caveats, Wheel of Time has some fucking insane world-building, with dozens of cultures, nations and factions, each with their own unique dialog, cultural practices, style of dress and behavior, etc. it’s almost endless. Layered on top of that is an absurdly detailed hierarchy of power among the various noble families of different cities, as well as the White Tower, which is like a Catholic Church for magic users, as well as various alternate dimensions, a dream world and all sorts of other crazy shit. I can’t do it justice, so suffice to say you gotta be in for the long haul to read that series. Uhtred is a total dick, but the show is fantastic. I almost felt like Alfred was the central character of season 3 and the show was better for it. It's going to be interesting without him in season 4. what Lost Kingdom did perfectly was set up how he is of two different cultures. I don’t like him but I need him to be the lead character. That first episode is just perfect and I bought into the premise I was initially skeptical of Things move so quickly though that you don’t have time to care a whole lot about people that they did such a fantastic job of developing. The lead character fell in love like 3 times in the first season and I actually liked each of women. No one is a caricature in this show which Gane if Thrones couldn’t pull off. I made the mistake of watching Barry and Chernobyl during the same weekend so I hope to start season 2 after Barry.
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Post by Rey Kahuka on May 29, 2019 13:40:40 GMT
Uhtred is a total dick, but the show is fantastic. I almost felt like Alfred was the central character of season 3 and the show was better for it. It's going to be interesting without him in season 4. what Lost Kingdom did perfectly was set up how he is of two different cultures. I don’t like him but I need him to be the lead character. That first episode is just perfect and I bought into the premise I was initially skeptical of Things move so quickly though that you don’t have time to care a whole lot about people that they did such a fantastic job of developing. The lead character fell in love like 3 times in the first season and I actually liked each of women. No one is a caricature in this show which Gane if Thrones couldn’t pull off. I made the mistake of watching Barry and Chernobyl during the same weekend so I hope to start season 2 after Barry. *Self edit, I just realized this observation was spoiler filled and you haven't gotten to season 2 yet* But yeah his character works because as you said he's a great window into both worlds the show is depicting.
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Post by CoolJGS☺ on May 29, 2019 13:50:23 GMT
what Lost Kingdom did perfectly was set up how he is of two different cultures. I don’t like him but I need him to be the lead character. That first episode is just perfect and I bought into the premise I was initially skeptical of Things move so quickly though that you don’t have time to care a whole lot about people that they did such a fantastic job of developing. The lead character fell in love like 3 times in the first season and I actually liked each of women. No one is a caricature in this show which Gane if Thrones couldn’t pull off. I made the mistake of watching Barry and Chernobyl during the same weekend so I hope to start season 2 after Barry. *Self edit, I just realized this observation was spoiler filled and you haven't gotten to season 2 yet* But yeah his character works because as you said he's a great window into both worlds the show is depicting. i saw the other season numbers and stopped reading. LOST has taught me to always be prepared for spoilers.
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Post by Leo of Red Keep on May 29, 2019 13:53:02 GMT
Anyone seen this? I can't vouch for its quality given the likelihood of an extremely low budget, but if it's based on European history it has to be worth watching. If you like Game of Thrones, there are endless docudramas about European history out there. I'd recommend countless books as well but since we're talking about tv shows I'll stay on topic. Just watching the first episode. It is a narrating voice over some costumed actors with the occasional inconsequential line. Not exactly drama, more a documentary with something to make it easier to digest.
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Post by Rey Kahuka on May 29, 2019 14:02:07 GMT
Anyone seen this? I can't vouch for its quality given the likelihood of an extremely low budget, but if it's based on European history it has to be worth watching. If you like Game of Thrones, there are endless docudramas about European history out there. I'd recommend countless books as well but since we're talking about tv shows I'll stay on topic. Just watching the first episode. It is a narrating voice over some costumed actors with the occasional inconsequential line. Not exactly drama, more a documentary with something to make it easier to digest. Ah. I remember seeing a commercial for it a while back, it made it look more like a drama. I'd still like to check it out.
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Post by xystophoros on May 30, 2019 1:29:19 GMT
Uhtred is a total dick, but the show is fantastic. I almost felt like Alfred was the central character of season 3 and the show was better for it. It's going to be interesting without him in season 4. Uhtred is an asshole but he has plenty of reason to be, considering his entire backstory and all the shit he endured. Much of the show’s tension comes from the fact that Uhtred genuinely does not understand Saxon culture or tradition, because he’s been raised as a Dane. But his complete ignorance of Saxon culture also makes for some great comedic moments, which are sorely missing in shows like Game of Thrones and Vikings. I’d much rather have a beer with Uhtred and Leofric than, say, Ivar the Boneless or Jon Snow.
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Post by Leo of Red Keep on May 30, 2019 4:48:17 GMT
Just watching the first episode. It is a narrating voice over some costumed actors with the occasional inconsequential line. Not exactly drama, more a documentary with something to make it easier to digest. Ah. I remember seeing a commercial for it a while back, it made it look more like a drama. I'd still like to check it out. I made it through half the first episode and it's pretty terrible. Better read Wikipedia. Dan Jones "Britain's Bloody Crown" documentaries are much, much better and more entertaining.
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