Started Game of Thrones, got about half way through and couldnt take it anymore. Does anyone have anything remotely original that isnt a Soap Opera?

How come you couldn't take it anymore?

I've seen part of it, been meaning to watch more. Really cool thus far, isn't it? Gotta wonder how Hollywood could pass up such a good story (and not screw it up, that is). I guess I wouldn't want them to do it anyway. Pretty cool, most people hear about this stuff from me first, so it's cool to see others like it. I own the Penguin Saga of Icelanders, and it's a really good buy for what you pay especially.

Where's the soap opera? It's a huge series with an insane scope and cast, takes a while to build...

I didn't even know, that there are books of Game of Thrones and wouldn't want to read them either if they are as crappy as this TV series.

I just finished the second volume of Game of Thrones (Clash of Kings). I tried reading the series a couple of years ago, and hated it - HATED it - for the endless pointless violence, the voluminous nattering on about armor that could never exist, the hateful gratuitous rape scenes, and in general everything about the novel that does not advance the story - which is about two-thirds of what's in it.

And then, just as I was putting it all down in peace as something I'd bought with best intentions and would never finish, everyone in the whole world started reading and watching it (I can't abide the HBO series either, made it through 1.5 episodes and decided life is too short).

So I decided I'd give it another stab (ha, stab). It's much easier the second time through. The story is really very good, and now that I'm used to what I dislike about the writing it doesn't hurt as much. I really wish it were shorter and a little less, well, television-writery, but Martin is a television writer, so it is what it is.

With some trepidation, I'll move on to the third now.

The whole series (actually called A Song of Ice and Fire) is planned to have 7, 5 are currently out (though you may find the 3rd and 5th, not sure if also 4th, split in two due to size). The second and third are absolutely outstanding imho, and after being skeptical initially, once I actually read it some 5 years ago (well, the 4 that were out at the time) I had to agree with those putting the series as a whole as #1 in fantasy series rankings (even if the fantasy element is light, extremely light in the first books), at least out of those I'm aware of.

The series... Great compared to other fantasy TV series, but quite meh compared to the books.

Now this is interesting, an article about the French series that inspired Martin to write A Song of Ice and Fire.

Finished reading Red Nails, the last story written by Robert E. Howard featuring Conan the Cimmerian and his bloody adventures. 4/5, would read again.

Doing a research paper on anti-insurgency. so I've been reading Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife, David Petraeus' Army and Marines Counterinsurgency Manual, CIA Factbook, and tons of Soldier of Fortune. Wanted to get some John Cann Portuguese Colonial war history books, but didn't want to pay that much for a source on a paper.

Modesty Blaise - Mister Sun.

Peter O'Donnell writing, and still so deeply missed Jim Holdaway drawing.

As regards Game of Thrones, I got as far as the book where he brought in a whole new roster of characters, have never read past that one, the whole thing was too dragged out and that was just one bit of "padding" too far.

I watched the first TV series, couldn't watch any more of it tbh.

I've been recommended Kafka on the Shore... it seems good so far :)

Then you will love the movie Black Death, he dies real good in that :)