George R.R. Martin's upcoming "Winds of Winter" was seen to be slow in writing, which made fans worried that the show might not have the material before the next "Game of Thrones" Season 6. Though Martin is said to be determined to read the book, he did not mention an exact release date, rather he confessed the reason of the slow process. Further, two columnists stated opinions about the benefits of reading Martin's books over watching it on TV, and the advantage of the "Game of Thrones" producers straying from the book plot.
George R.R. Martin said, "I was red hot on the book and I put it aside for six months. I was so into it. I was pushing so hard that I was writing very well. I should have just gone on from there... but I didn't because I had to switch gears into the editing phase and then the book tour. The iron does cool off."
A columnist noted that this resulted to speculations that the show will "eventually eclipse" the "Winds of Winter" book, where fans can expect to know the ending of Martin's story "spoiled" on the TV show before having the chance to read it
Also, this is said to imply that the "greater interest" of this generation is more on television shows than novels, implying that perhaps reading for pleasure could be dying or declining now. Martin's five books that have a total of 5,216 pages may get people to be discouraged from reading it. However, despite the fact that the TV show runs almost 40 hours, it doesn't seem to be a big deal for some, and would still favor TV over books.
The column gave benefits of choosing to read the "Game of Thrones" instead of watching it:
- Books could offer more details, a longer story, and other benefits such as explanation of the character's thought process
- Reading has cognitive benefits such as memory improvement, and decreased risk of Alzheimer's Disease
There is also a tendency that the TV show might stray from the book, which some fans have aired concerns that the script was too far from the book, characters were in places where they should not be, and plot that were not in the book, and overlapping of timelines.
However, another piece said that it may not be a bad thing. According to it, two sides could potentially happen:
1. Martin could give advice and direction to "Game of Thrones" cast and crew.
2. If the TV show production is not in line with the book, it may open up the series to a new meaning and fan base, and is not "subject to such fandom scrutiny for everything that did or did not go exactly according to plan."
The piece concluded, "...it is worth considering whether or not producer's are doing right by considering straying away from the books and ultimately creating a legend of their own right."
What are you expecting on Martin's upcoming book? What do you think about the benefits of reading the "Game of Thrones"? How do you want the cast and the crew to produce the "Game of Thrones"? Let us know by sharing your comments.
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