A Fever of Ice and Fire

I write an account of an obsession that has completely taken me over and is not likely to subside very soon.

Game of Thrones is a TV series, based on A Song of Ice and Fire, a series of books written by George R R Martin, the first book of which is called A Game of Thrones.

How I came across it

Half a year ago, in a Quiz held at the institute, I stumbled upon what was allegedly a huge cultural phenomenon, called Game of Thrones. The quiz question had something to do with the TV show, and contestants answered correctly, as if it too obvious. Except that it didn't seem quite so obvious to me. It must be something enormous in significance, I thought, if it was part of a Quiz, and several people seemed to have heard of it. I decided to look into it. And I haven't looked back since.

About the show

Game of Thrones is based in the Medieval Era, in a civilization in which certain crude phenomena like death, torture and violence are almost a routine. A man would sooner have your head than a piece of your mind. The show is about survival in such a society. The said civilization is also not entirely factual, but laced with mysteries, magical creatures, prophecies and superhuman beings. There are krakens, dragons, elks, giants, mammoths and the like.  There exists a great struggle for power over the seven great kingdoms of the continent of Westeros, while a worse, more vicious power hangs over the continent threatening to wipe it out entirely. The plot of the series touches highly volatile issues like child abuse, incest, infidelity and brutality.

What I like about Game of Thrones

Getting the obvious out of the way, I have always had a fascination for English TV shows, especially British media (BBC's Sherlock, the Harry Potter series, etc.).

The most poignant reason for my liking, are the characters. None of them is entirely good, and none entirely evil. They have a well-defined past, and equally ambiguous ambitions. They’re not like the everyday hero who has his teeth sunk deep in a single goal. Some struggle to maintain their honor  and yet have questionable pasts, while others are vicious, ruthless, but every once in a while you see a human side to them which surprises so pleasantly that you can’t not watch more of it. A character is written so meticulously, that one would completely understand why they did something, and are not left puzzled. 

I see various beloved characters put to the knife, only to realize that an honorable path does not always ensure glory. I hoot at witty one-liners, and whistle at sharp comebacks. I pray to keep the admirable characters out of harm’s way, and curse vile ones, wishing for them to be given a ruthless death. And so do countless other viewers, when they watch Game of Thrones.

I’m not kidding when I say I can’t get enough of it. When I’m not watching it, I’m reading it. When I’m not reading it, I’m tweeting about it while its OST plays in the background. And when I’m doing neither, I write a blogpost about it.

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