This chapter was originally part of the prologue, of which was 250 pages. Now the material will be spread throughout the book. POVs are listed and George says "Meeren with Dany" and it sounded to me like she was going to stay there throughout the book.
George was asked if he would change anything and he says nothing major.
We are completely "shit out of luck" if George dies.
Regarding the size and geography of Westeros: it is about the size of South America. It is Not in the southern hemisphere. Stop asking George about distances and travel time. Measuring the realm by the reference of how long the Wall is NOT valid.
George says he is drowning in POVs and will have to start killing some off soon. (said with laughter)
AFFC is getting longer and more difficult to fit the entire 5 years in.
Some people will never be POVs: Littlefinger, Varys, Howland Reed, and others who know too much.
George gave out props to Ran and says he checks with Ran for mistakes. (GO RAN!!! Yes, we cheered you)
ASOIAF is loosely based on the War of the Roses and the 100 year war.
Politics: look at all people, not just POVs and he thinks through what these people want-what they are after, what is in it for them.
No regrets about killing of chars.
George talks about nutty fans, and related a story about a woman who contacted him complaining that he killed her daughter, who was named Kathryn (Beauty and the Beast).
[Note: Edited for brevity. The beginning relates to the heraldry fiddlings mentioned in the previous mail, when it was decided to modify Bracken somewhat.]
Ancient enemies?
The feud between the Brackens and the Blackwoods goes back to the Age of Heroes. Both Houses ruled the riverlands as kings at various times. They were also divided by religion; the Brackens went over to the new gods, while the Blackwoods remained with the old.
We saw the update on your site about the coins. Do hope those are successful. The "sepp" looks quite interesting, although we contacted the fellow at Shirepost.com and he said that that was his own invention as you haven't really settled on anything in that regards.
He coined the term "sepp," which I didn't really like. We've agreed in future to call it a "star." Since the stag and dragon are known for the symbols on the obverse, this one should be as well.
Initially he set out to make a copper penny, but the coin he ended up with wound up being too large and heavy for a penny, in my estimation. Also, once I paused to consider, it struck me that the coinage was just too simple if it was copper/silver/gold and only one coin of each metal. I mean, for comparison, look at the real British system, of old: http://www.btinternet.com/~johnandsandy.colby/measures/coinage.html
An odd-numbered coin denomination is rather strange, but you're right about the craziness of the (old) British system. Much livelier than a simple decimal system.
Yes indeed. And much more medieval. It occurs to me too that Westerosi coinage is probably more complex than actual British medieval coinage, since the Seven Kingdoms were actually seven kingdoms once... and presumably each king minted his own coins. So expect to see references to halfpennies, threepennies, stars, and groats popping up in future books.
[Note: This message relates to various heraldry fiddlings that were being worked upon. The message has been edited for brevity, focusing on the interesting thematic statement made.]
If not, maybe we could suggest a weirwood by making it a white tree on a black eschutcheon. The Blackwoods are one of the few southron worshippers of the old gods, after all.
[Note: The following interview is made available through the Internet Archive.]
My name is Morgan, and I'm helping Amok (the Russian artist) with exact original English translations to get his cards right for the Fantasy Flight Games cards.
Hello, Morgan. Nice to "meet" you.
FFG has asked him to do a character card for Grey Worm (a potentially cool character, btw). Anyway, since there is very little description of Grey Worm himself (there is lots for a standard Unsullied), I wanted to ask you if his 'race' or physical description will become important in later books. I can easily see his heritage being a factor somewhere along the line, and I want to help Amok get things as accurate as possible.
I have no plans for Grey Worm's race or personal history to become important at this time, though I do reserve the right to change my mind. Sometimes the muse plays strange tricks on me.
If Grey Worm's physique is important (or will be), what would you like to tell about his description??
And if not, I'll pass on the word to Amok, and he can use his creative juices to the fullest.
Grey Worm is young, late 20s or so. As a eunuch, his face would be very smooth, with no trace of facial hair. No beard, mustache, stubble, etc. He's a soldier, so he's fit, but he would not have a bodybuilder's physique. I see him a square, solid guy, maybe a bit on the stocky side, medium height, short brown hair. The Unsullied are trained to be very clean, so his uniform and gear, while plain and without ornament, would be immaculate. A serious looking face, on the edge of solemn. The Unsullied do not display much emotion.
In the new book I mention that his bronze cap has three spikes, arranged front to back in descending height, to mark him as an official. Ordinary unsullied have only one spike on their helms. He'd have a quilted tunic, a short sword, and three spears.
Not sure if I should be doing this as most boarders I know at Ran's ezboard site suggest we do not mail you until AFfC is finished but I am curious to know something. If I am being a bother feel free to disregard this message.
Many people feel that the Kingslayer had little to no value as a hostage while he was at Riverrun. I tend to disagree. My question is, if Cat had not freed the Kingslayer would the Red Wedding still have went ahead and if it did, would Ser Brynden still be in a good position having the Kingslayer as a bargaining tool?
"What if" questions are hard to answer. No one really knows.
Lord Tywin had not shown much tendency to be cowed by his enemies holding hostages... but Jaime was special.
Also. Did Ser Loras kill Ser Emmon and Ser Robar in a fair fight?
A red rage, more like it. Not a formal duel or anything like it.
I hope you are doing fine and that AFfC is going well.
It's coming more slowly than I'd like. Thanks for the patience.
Question: Can direwolves and regular wolves mate and breed viable offspring?
Presumably. Wolves and dogs can interbreed, after all. So can chihuahuas and Great Danes.
Did Ned Stark have any uncle or aunt?
No.
I asume that important families like the Starks would keep in touch with their greatuncle and greatuncle's grandkids; cousin and 2nd cousin and 3rd cousin and so forth. So there would be a lot more Starks around than just the 7 we saw (like the Freys or Lannisters).
There are probably some descendants of offshoot branches from the family tree floating around the north, most likely in White Harbor and Barrowton.
I'm sorry to bother you again, but one thing struck me as off, when I read about Mance Rayder's wife, Dalla, preparing to give birth. I know that you haven't asked, but in case there are other births in your books...
Laboring and birthing in bed is something of a modern, western thing. As a woman who has given birth three times, twice unmedicated and once in my own home, I can tell you that unmedicated women in labor are powerful, not passive! They walk, they sway and dance and move. They moan, howl, rock, pace, squat. They give birth squatting, or on hands and knees, and are quite capable of catching their baby in their own hands. Check out Sheila Kitzinger's book Rediscovering Birth. It explains some of the history and anthropolgy of birth in different cultures.
Fierce warrior women would not take birth lying down! They would be active, strong, and show how powerful they are while bringing forth new life.
Well, point taken. I'll take a look at that book if it turns out that I need to describe another birth... especially if it's from the viewpoint of one of POV characters.
However, in my own defense, I should note that Dalla was not a "warrior woman" per se. She was from a warrior culture, yes; one that gave women the right, but not the obligation, to be fighters. Ygritte was a warrior woman, as was (most conspicuously) the fearsome Harma Dogshead. Dalla and Val were not.
Also, though I don't go into details, something was obviously amiss during Dalla's labor, since it killed her. Childbirth isn't quite the killer in Westeros that it was in medieval Europe in the real world, since Westeros has the maesters, who are a considerable improvement over medieval barber/surgeons... but the levels of mortality for both infant and mother would still be frighteningly high by modern standards. And the wildlings don't have maesters. Nor do they have any handy healing magics, such as we see in many other fantasy epics. Dalla did not even have a midwife at the crucial moment. Presumably the midwife was scared off by the big battle going on all around them as the birth was happening. Dalla had only her sister Val. All that being said, if I do depict another birth, I promise to consider all of this more thoroughly beforehand.
I love your books, and I would be glad to answer any questions you might have about birth or breastfeeding!
I'll take you up on that... although this question may be outside your area of expertise. In a medieval setting like mine, if neither the mother nor a wet nurse is available to feed an infant, what sort of milk would be best for the child? Cow's milk? Goat milk? Mare's milk? Could anything be added to it to make it more nourishing, and a better substitute for human breast milk? At what age can solid food be added... and what sort of solid food should it be, in a world before Gerber's? I know honey can kill infants, but I don't know what's good for them. Porridge? Mashed turnips? Stewed something-or-other? Stewed fruit sounds as though it might be an idea, but they don't have a lot of fresh fruit on the Wall right now, with winter almost upon them.
Any info you can provide would be appreciated.
When was the year of the false spring?
Don't have my references to hand, but it was a year or two before the start of Robert's Rebellion.
I am re-reading AsoIaF (I am about of the way through AsoS as I write this). I would have to say that this series, considered as a single work, is one of my favorite stories - definitely the best within the genre.
Thanks. That's high praise indeed.
About a year ago I was lucky enough to find a first ed. HC copy of A Game of Thrones offered for sale on the internet by a used bookstore in Washington state. I happily paid over the $35 or so dollars that the seller wanted for it.
You got quite a bargain. That book goes for several hundred dollars now. Take good care of yours.
Well, it turns out that you were doing a signing in another area bookstore and the seller offered to have it signed at no additional charge. Of course I agreed. I'm proud to have that book as the centerpiece of my growing collection of books.
Anyway, I look forward to reading your latest installment. I know it will be great. Thanks for writing it.
A FEAST FOR CROWS continues to grow, though slowly. Sorry it has taken so long. I hope it will be worth the wait.
Meanwhile, there is an excerpt from the new book in the March issue of DRAGON magazine, available at most good newsstands and gaming stores. It's called "Arms of the Kraken." Check it out. It may help pass the time until the novel is done.
Please consider visiting the Chicago area for a signing. I would love to meet you in person and have you personalize a copy of the new book for me!
I did signings in Chicago for the first and second books, but the turnout was pretty meagre, so my publisher did not send me back for the third. Whether or not Chicago will be back on the tour for the fourth volume, I couldn't say. It's my publisher who makes these calls, not me. All I can tell you in to watch the Appearances page on my website.
Let me start with the big fan opener: I am one, read ASOIAF 5 times over, can't wait for the next book, etc., etc...
Glad to hear it.
Now to the meat of this email.
Where do you get the names of your characters?
I make them up. In many cases, they are variants of real names -- Eddard for Edward, for example. They have to have the right "sound," though. It is hard to explain... and hard to do as well.
I am a big proponent of the theory that "names have power". Not in the fantasy sense, where the holder of a true name can make you stand on your head or somesuch, but in the phonetic sense, for lack of a better description. I feel that names can evoke a feeling about a character, describe a character, better than a whole page devoted to just that.
I agree.
You should read some Jack Vance. He's marvelous with names. Tolkien was very good as well.
Almost every name you use in ASOIAF do just that.
Greatjon Umber Gregor Clegane Lannister Stark
I could go on and on.
So, Where do you get the names of your characters? How do you come up with them? Do you TRY to give characters names that will evoke feelings in the mind of the reader, or is that just a lucky coincidence?
You want the names to be evocative, yes.
Would you think about naming any of your characters Bale, in honor of my EZboard nick...? ;)
Nice try.
Thank you, and keep up the great work! We are all rooting for you!
I appreciate it.
I hope I'm not intruding on your writing time, and I hope your writing is going really well. But I have a couple of questions about your work (which is brilliant) that I would like to ask you.
Are you going to let Littlefinger survive the series? I really hope so, because you should see the number of arguments that he causes at our message boards. He is one of your best characters, and I for one hope he lives.
That's not something I am like to answer in a letter. Keep reading.
Are the Others just pure evil, or are we going to find out more about their motives later on?
Keep reading.
Did one of the Brandon Starks ever reach Asshai by the Shadow?
No.
Does Littlefinger feel an attraction to Sansa solely because of her beauty, or is it because she is Catelyn's daughter? I personally prefer the former, though. :)
Both.
Finally, on a slightly different topic, can you recommend any good informative books for want-to-be fantasy writers like me?
Lisa Tuttle's recent book on writing SF and fantasy is valuable. There's a link on my website, under "What I've Read."
Thank you for reading this e-mail, and I hope it hasn't taken up too much of your time. I look forward to reading your reply.
Good luck.
[Note: There is a very large potential spoiler contained herein. We must note that there are contradictory claims from those who say GRRM addressed the issue at ConJose the previous year. It is entirely possible GRRM changed his mind between one point or the next, or that one person or another misheard him -- although the present reporter has said in a later mail that she is 99% certain that she heard correctly.]
I just came back from a weekend book convention in Boston at which George R.R. Martin was present. I went to several panels where he debated many issues with other fantasy authors. He talked about the difference between sci-fi and fantasy (or the lack thereof) and several other things. My husband and I got to go to an event called a Kaffeklatsche where about 10 people get to sit around a table with an author and ask questions. I will detail some of the questions that I recall.
"IS A FEAST FOR CROWS DONE YET?"
(Pointing to his hat that says, "No, AFfC is not done yet") He has several hundred pages of manuscript but he is not finished yet. This one is taking a lot longer to write than he expected. He hopes to be done with the manuscript this fall. He said that he started writing the book set several years after the events of the last book but after he was several hundred pages in he decided that that just wasn't working; that he had to leave too much out. He is doing a different type of prologue this time. It has chapters. He says that he is also planning on adding Theon (I think that was who he said) as a viewpoint character.
"DO YOU HAVE CULINARY EXPERIENCE?"
(asked since he has a wonderful knack for describing food) No, he doesn't love to cook, but he loves to eat. (a direct quote I swear!) He just thinks that in in order for something to seem "real" you have to describe the sights, smells and tastes of everything around you.
"DO YOU HAVE AN INTEREST IN HERALDRY?"
Yes, he does. He in fascinated by heraldry though the "tossed out" one of the major heraldic laws, the tincture rule.
"HOW MANY BOOKS WILL THERE BE"
He says there were only supposed to be three but he couldn't fit everything into three books. He says that he hopes there will only be six (but where have we heard this before?).
"WHY DO YOU KILL OFF EVERYONE?"
Because wars don't care who is "good" and who is "bad"
"WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTER"
Tyrion
"DO YOU HAVE THE LANGUAGES ALL PLANNED OUT?"
No he'll make up a word here and there but he does NOT have the whole language written.
There were a whole bunch of other questions that I don't recall well enough to rewrite their answers. He did a signing on Sunday and after his line disappeared I got to go over and schmooze a little bit with Him, Alex Irvine and Tamora Pierce. And, the crown jewel of the weekend was the reading that he did. an hour and a half (two chapters) from AFfC that won't be in DRAGON magazine this month (for those who don't know, there will be four chapters from the prologue in DRAGON magazine this month and these were not two of the four). Martin seemed way more "down and dirty" with his fans that Jordan was. Jordan was a very pleasant individual but he seemed intent on keeping himself wrapped in a cloak of mystery. With Martin, what you see is what you get. In general, a way cool individual to chat with!
Wow, Jordan and Martin in three weeks! I don't think I'll get to Terry Goodkind until this summer. My mom is hoping to have him come and sign at her bookstore when his next book comes out. I will give you a full report after that happens as well. Have a wonderful evening!
The visit to Boskone was fun. I got there around 11:00 am and paid my fee and then went over to the book signing. There was about 35 people in line and it moved pretty quickly. I was one of the last people to get an autograph. I thought he was real nice and you can tell he has a pretty ggod sense of humor. I intro'd and asked him where i could track Parris down. He pointed me over to the art exhibit so i left GRRM to finish signing and met Parris.
She was looking at some exhibits (she and George were bidding on some art) along with 2 gentlemen. She remembered me from the board so that was pretty cool. She introduced me to her 2 friends who turned out to be Les and Ernst from Roaring Studios so we talked about the progress of the Hedge Knight for a while and they made me promise to go on their site and check out The Battle of the Trident picture they did (Robert vs. Rhaeghar). They are really hoping the Hedge Knight does well so they can hopefully do some comics of ASOIAF. We talked about how difficult the skope of something like that would be but they were confident it could be done. They were great guys. Parris said a lot of nice things about Ran (as did Les and Ernst). She dropped Lodengarl's name too. She told me not to asked Trebla's question about Bill Parcells. George is pretty pissed that Parcells is coaching the Cowboys. She said George spends time on the Usenet groups talking Jets and Giants. She reiterated to me that he does not go on this board.
After speaking with them for awhile i went back over to George and hit him with a few question even though i felt like a total geek:
1. Who owns the Sept at Dragonstone?
Stannis does, the owner of the castle owns the sept within his grounds if it comes down to a question of actual ownership.
2. Why did Stannis sit silently on Dragonstone for months when he had reason to believe that Robert may have been in danger after Jon Arryn was murdered?
Stannis did not have a strong enough base of power but more importantly Robert and Stannis were just not close enough. They did not get along so Stannis may not have been considering the threat to Robert as much as he would have if they had been close.
3. Is Ned Dead?
Ned is dead.
4. My follow up question was "is he definately not coming back?"
He said Nothing is definate so the whole faceless man getting his head chopped off in Ned's place is still a very remote possibiliy (i can Dream right? )... He went on to say he does not give away specific plot details...
After that it was wrapping up and i really could not get anymore questions in at that time. Plus he was kind of stuggling to answer the questions i asked so i just felt weird. I did get one piece of info at the signing that i am not sure people know about. He is doing a story for Legends 2 that is about Dunk and Egg a couple of years after the Hedge Knight. That should be cool.
After the signing i went to the panel discussion about "What should good Fantasy do?" It had GRRM, Ellen Asher, Ellen Kushner and Beth Meacham.
It was alright but not really my cup of tea. The only parts that interested my was George's take on writing and Fantasy. Here are the details:
Sci Fi versus Fantasy - George does not see a big difference in the genre's. The main difference is in the "furniture" ie. Is there a sword in place or a space ship? Everything is story and character driven. He compared a couple of books which would be considered Sci Fi but were actually Fantasy and vice versa - "Metropolitan" by Walter John Williams and "Born to Exile" by Phyllis Eisenstein (sp?)
He was asked his favorite book and he said Lord of the Rings with no hesitiation. He went on to discuss Tolkein's use of magic as he has done in interviews in the past. The main theme was Tolkien's use of magic, or lack of "onstage magic". He thinks it is an effect way to write fantasy. Magic in writing does not have to be explained. Once it is explained it ceases to be magic.
George's take on bad fantasy was that bad fantasy often feels like someone is writing in the perspective of a lame D&D game. The more typical the worse it tends to be.
That was the panel. After that the readings were done.
When asked about the progress of his writing he said AFFC is not yet finished and it is taking a long time. He has Dany pretty much done and most of the Lannister chapters. He is still not done with the story on the Wall. He does not write in order but works on different POV's as it suits him.