Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin is baffled by the negativity many pop culture fans seem to direct at the object of their supposed adoration. Pointing out that Amazon’s forthcoming TV series based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings has already got plenty of fans angry about its mere existence, Martin told The Indepenedent that he doesn’t understand the appeal of being part of a “fandom” that seems to hate he thing its members are fans of. In addition to The Lord of the Rings, Martin pointed to the two stalwart “controversial” sci-fi fandoms: Star Trek and Star Wars.
Martin, famously a fan of comic books (especially Marvel) didn’t wade into the controversy over the DC Films universe, or the recent conservative revolt against a more diverse Marvel Cinematic Universe on social media, but those and properties like Ghostbusters could fight right into the conversation he’s having.
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“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power isn’t even on yet, but if you follow what’s going on online, the controversy about it is like World War Two. They’re dropping atomic bombs on each other,” Martin told The Independent. “It used to be if you were a fan of Star Trek, you liked Star Trek. Now it seems like half the people who call themselves Star Trek fans hate Star Trek, and the Star Wars fans hate Star Wars, and the Tolkien fans hate Rings of Power. What the hell?”
Martin somewhat pointedly didn’t mention Game of Thrones in that comment, which allows him to sidestep the issues of quality, or potential criticism that his commentary is more sour grapes.
In that same interview, Martin told the paper that he was excited to see both Rings of Power and Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon go head to head on major streaming services, pointing out that both of them succeeding would be good for the genre as a whole.
“I know a lot of articles, the minute the dates were announced, it’s: ‘Oh, the battle for fantasy supremacy. It’s Rings of Power versus House of the Dragon, who will win?’ I don’t know why they always have to do that,” Martin told The Independent. “I hope both shows succeed. I’m competitive enough. I hope we succeed more. If they win six Emmys – and I hope they do – I hope we win seven. But nonetheless, it’s good for fantasy. I love fantasy. I love science fiction. I want more shows on television.”
