Game Of Thrones. Now That I Have Your Attention...

Talk about saving the most entertaining til last! Listening to a panel about one of my (and I'm assuming a number of people) obsessions was a lovely way to end my weekend. Now I know what you may be thinking:

"Hell yeah I love me some Game of Thrones"

or

"It's not THAT good. It's just fantasy porn with violence"

If you love it - then great! I have more good news for you. If you're not a major fan of it - please stick around and see how you feel. At least appreciate some of the points it makes. 

Just to clarify this isn't a post on why you should be a fan, it's more about the clever things it addresses. 

As a genre it does fit into the fantasy seen and is heavily influences by the  European Medieval era. However this isn't a show about bold and daring quests to save a princess from a dragon, but it's about that princess and a large number of others wishing to gain power. One of the members of the panel even described it as "Sopranos with battle axes". Instead of it revolving around the fantasy aspect however, it focuses more on the politics and religion of the world and in some cases is just an incredibly raw an brutal interpretation of our own patriarchal world. 

It looks at the rise and fall of certain characters, the different religions and how they influence a kingdom, and even the intense changes of climate (yes yes, "Winter is Coming" and how a lot of people higher up are refusing to believe there is a serious problem). What I particularly enjoy also is how the way you take power determines how well you hold onto it. One particular king didn't take and use his power in the best way, and as a result held onto it only long enough to marry. 

The children in the show aren't exactly treated as kids either, and are even younger in the books. In that time period it may not have been seen as such a crazy notion, but it can also reflect in our society how kids are growing up quicker than we intend.

I could go on about this book series and the TV series for a long time. But I will just leave suggesting to anyone that the next time they watch or pick up the book to just notice how their world reflects certain parts of our own. 

Unfortunately the dragons are not here. One day.

Overall I would have to say that the Writers Festival has been a real eye opener to the beauty of words, and I would encourage everyone to attend next years.