Xavier Garcia (no relation), a professional concept and 3D artist who has worked with Electronic Arts and Hasbro in the past, is building up a portfolio of new work. Being a big fan of A Song of Ice and Fire, he decided to use the series as his focus, trying his hand at visualizing the look of the characters. He shares a number of images and his thought process that leads to them at his blog, including portrait sketches of a number of characters, full body drawings of Jon and Jaime, and even a number of fanciful designs for the Stark’s heirloom sword, Ice.
After having posted about HIlario Abad’s orchestral score inspired by A Game of Thrones, the composer contacted us to share the exciting news that his score will be adapted to be performed by a live concert band. Musician and conductor Diego Palma will carry out the adaption.
Although the score is intended for a full orchestra, for this adaption the strings and choir passages will be adapted to woodwinds and percussion.
We’ve reported in the past on various musical acts and songs inspired by A Song of Ice and Fire—including the heavy metal band Winterfell, and songs from fellow metal bands Hammerfall and (most recently) Blind Guardian—and just yesterday came across the very first Ice and Fire hip-hop that I’m aware of. Now, there’s something else: pieces of a proposed traditional score for the first novel A Game of Thrones which is currently being adapted to series by HBO.
Aspiring Spanish composer Hilario Abad brought his work to our attention, and we have to say, we’re quite impressed. There are three extended snippets, covering a main theme, plus music for two important sequences in the novel. It’d be interesting to hear what this would sound like with a full orchestra.
After a long, bloody struggle between enthusiastic (and, in some few cases, over-enthusiastic) fans of both Rand al’Thor and Jaime Lannister, the Dragon Reborn narrowly took the title in Suvudu’s inaugural Cage Match. Just 180 votes out of just over 30,000 separated winner from loser. Hats off to everyone who took part and made it a fun event (and boo to those who tried to take the fun out of it!)
In particular, a warm thanks to Suvudu’s editors for conceiving and running the event, and who wrote a fine wrap-up (video wrap-up promised tomorrow), and to all the authors who participated with arguments and stories: Steven Brust (Vlad was robbed!), Patrick Rothfuss, Naomi Novik, Brandon Sanderson (who has written a funny version of how Rand won), and of course George R.R. Martin, who gave many fantasy fans new reason to check out A Song of Ice and Fire thanks to his terrific write-ups.
GRRM has written a wonderful write-up for Suvudu’s championship match between Jaime Lannister and Rand al’Thor, with cameos by Birgitte of the Bow, Nynaeve al’Meara, Egwene al’Viere, Aviendha, the Great and Powerful Turtle, Lohengrin, Melisandre, and of course Tyrion. It has some wonderful touches aimed as nods towards Robert Jordan, who was a friend of George’s and whose blurb on the cover of A Game of Thrones was a big help when the series first started. There’s also passing references to a number of other authors, such as Jack Vance and a fun one right at the end to another of GRRM’s good friends, Roger Zelazny.
The last line is chillingly right, for all you fans of A Song of Ice and Fire.
There’s just one day left to vote, and Jaime presently trails by 600 votes. Read the write-up and vote at Suvudu!
It’s time to get out the vote, folks, as Suvudu.com’s popular Cage Match 2010 hits the final round. Two titans of fantasy are facing off. In one corner: Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn, master of half of a continent, fated to save the world from the Dark One. And in the other: Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. In common: good looks, popularity, and an unfortunate lack of a hand.
Jaime issued a challenge, calling for a trial of seven. Rand’s response was to refuse to take six champions with him into battle ... but he allowed Jaime whatever support he wanted, and Jaime means to take it. We’re all waiting to see the write-up from GRRM, which he’ll doubtless post to “Not a Blog” once it’s ready. Brandon Sanderson has promised he’ll provide some sort of analysis (though not a full write up) of how things should go from his perspective.
But don’t wait until then, vote now! It’s neck and neck, and the comments section is filled with commentary.
A member of the A Song of Ice and Fire forum has poured an incredible amount of work to create an animated timeline map for the series. Ser Mountain Goat’s map is not anywhere near done, as of yet, but there’s enough there to see the possibilities that the map will offer, once it tracks multiple characters as they criss-cross Westeros. His FAQ goes into great detail about the origins of the map, his sources, and his methodology. We’re very much looking forward to see it develop.
If you’d like to comment on the map, there’s a thread dedicated to it.
Suvudu.com’s Cage Match 2010—reported on in the New York Times, among other places—enters the final round when voting opens tomorrow to determine who’s the most dangerous of them all. Jaime Lannister, surging with the help of his supporters, has prevailed to face Rand al’Thor… but at the advice of Tyrion, he issued a challenge. Rand’s response? A confident refusal to take advantage of the offer of having six companions join him.
But perhaps it was too confiden. He allowed Jaime his six, and Tyrion is liking the odds. We’ll soon see what George thinks will happen, some time after voting opens tomorrow.
Suvudu’s Cagematch 2010 is in its penultimate round and Ser Jaime Lannister needs your help! Though Suvudu’s editors have rated him the underdog three times in a row, he’s managed to defeat Hermione Granger, Cthulhu, and the dragon Temeraire. But now it’s his toughest match yet: Kvothe, Patrick Rothfuss’s creation in The Name of the Wind. This time, Suvudu’s editors placed Jaime as the victor… but that seems to have jinxed him, because Jaime’s trailing by the narrowest of margins.
Who’ll Jaime face if he manages to pull off the win? Looks like Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn. Who can resist seeing two such titans clash? Besides Kvothe’s fans, that is. ;)
If you want to tip the scale in the Kingslayer’s favor, there’s just one day left: voting ends on Friday at Noon, Eastern Time.
Go to Suvudu.com and vote now!
Suvudu.com’s Cagematch 2010, pitting fictional characters in battles to the death, has now reachd the penultimate round before the final. And still standing strong? Jaime Lannister, against Patrick Rothfuss’s Kvothe, the protagonist of the much-lauded The Name of the Wind. It’s Kingslayer versus Kingkiller, and it’s up to you to see who’ll win. The winner—and, being partisan, we hope it’s Jaime—will then face Rand al’Thor or Drizzt do’Urden in the final match to decide who’ll be the last man standing.
Go here to vote now!
Round 3 of Suvudu’s Cagematch 2010 has started, and Jaime Lannister—after surprise defeats of Hermione Granger and Cthulhu—is now facing ... well, a rather polite and charming dragon. Naomi Novik’s creation, Temeraire, is a fine, personable young dragon in an alternate 19th century England, but the story she’s written to explain why she thinks Temeraire will win draws in quite a bit of pop, 21st-century culture (two words: reality television).
Go there and vote now! A final thought: dragons were bred for battle in the Seven Kingdoms, and in battle they died. Time for the Kingslayer to become the Dragonslayer.
It’s now Round Two for Jaime Lannister in Suvudu’s Cagematch 2010. After vanquishing Hermione Granger with ease, he’s facing one of the tougher contenders in the competition: the Great Old One, Cthulhu. Even GRRM thinks that he’d have to bet on Cthulhu taking the prize, but who knows: Casterly Rock’s favored son may pull this out of the fire.
Suvudu.com, a publisher SF/F website, is hosting a fun little Cage Match tournament as an alternative to March Madness. Pitting fictional genre characters against one another, voting has been swift and furious in support of the various candidates aiming to be champion of them all. As they say: there can be only one!
Among the characters? The infamous Ser Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer! Go here to see his first match up, George R.R. Martin‘s commentary on how the fight would go as he sees it (with a cameo by Tyrion, and see if that convinces you to vote for the golden son of Casterly Rock.
Over at the A Song of Ice and Fire forum, a member by the name of Lady Nymeria points out an amazing series of character illustrations by a fan of the series in Japan. Drawn in various styles traditional to Japanese manga, there’s some gorgeous pieces. Here’s a few of our favorites: the Lannister siblings, the Lannister twins, and Melisandre of Asshai.
Lady Nymeria runs through yet more A Song of Ice and Fire art scattered elsewhere on the artist’s blog, at this thread, where she offers to help identify characters whose names are only given in Japanese and who aren’t obvious.
A member of the A Song of Ice and Fire forum at Westeros.org, Wastrel, put into motion a plan to collate favorite genre book lists from members of the forum. What has resulted is a list of 100 books that members of the forum who participated in the voting esteemed most, plus some additional titles for honorable mentions and a list specific to 21st century novels.
It was quite the task to take on, and Wastrel explains his methodology very thoroughly. It’s fascinating to see Gabriel Garcia Marquez rubbing shoulders with Thomas Mallory, Douglas Adams, and Alan Moore, to name a few on the list.