George R. R. Martins A Song Of Ice And Fire sequence of fantasy novels were one of literatures best kept secrets for nearly fifteen years that is, until the premier episode of HBOs cable television adaptation Game Of Thrones was broadcast in April 2011 and blew poor Georges comfortable life to smithereens. Theres no question that Martins been fortunate with HBOs treatment of his novels and, by extension, so have his fans. Game Of Thrones has only started significantly deviating from the story being told in Martins ongoing novels in the latest season: True Blood only used Charlaine Harris Southern Vampire Mysteries as a starting point, and Dexter treated Jeff Lindsays original novels more as a loose guideline. Following on from the rampant success of Game Of Thrones, the race was on to find another series of novels that might replicate the shows popularity to some degree. Its a tradition with true pop cultural phenomena: exploit the swelling fanbase! Lets see what else theyll watch! But just because its a cynical ploy to ride the coattails of a genuine hit, doesnt mean we cant get some quality television out of it. After all, there might be no Aerosmith without the Rolling Stones, but Sweet Emotion is a classic tune. Scarface is a remake, The Maltese Falcon is a reboot: proof that trying to recapture lightning in a bottle isnt always doomed to failure. Weve already seen Outlander and The Vikings attempt to ape HBOs flagship show, and MTVs adaptation of Terry Brooks Elfstones Of Shannara hits TV screens in January 2016. But lets not make the mistake of thinking that the next Game Of Thrones will necessarily need to be a sword n sorcery fantasy extravaganza. No, what we need is source material that captures the imagination and makes for the same kind of compulsive, must-see television. Source material like the following
Professional writer, punk werewolf and nesting place for starfish. Obsessed with squid, spirals and story. I publish short weird fiction online at desincarne.com, and tweet nonsense under the name Jack The Bodiless. You can follow me all you like, just don't touch my stuff.
