Tag: ASOIAF

A gentle reminder that this is New England in winter

Although we are WAY under our usual quota for snow so far this season, winter has decided to let us know that it is still here, and that all those warnings from the Starks were not for nothing.

This morning when I got up, the temperature according to the little weather tool on the kitchen computer was -3 degrees Fahrenheit, and the wind chill was somewhere between -20 and -25 degrees, depending on just how hard the wind was blowing.  It would be white walker weather, except for the lack of snow.

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Winter is here

Last night the temperature dropped well into the teens, and it hardly felt any warmer this morning when I got up and went to work.  So it’s safe to say that winter is no longer just coming, it’s here, and we got our new hot water heater just in time.  Hot water is essential for winter survival – just ask the Starks of Winterfell.

Every winter is a new adventure here in Cambridge.  Not for us, really, because we have seen New England winters, but for so many of the students around here that hail from sunnier climes.  Many of them tend to not know what to make of serious winter weather, especially when they are driving.

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The identity of Lightbringer – a theory

OK, that title alone should constitute a spoiler warning for anyone who might otherwise complain about spoilers.

Kelly and I may have figured out something highly significant, with the assistance of the new book George R.R. Martin released recently, The World of Ice and Fire.

The possible identity of Lightbringer, and boy is this a doozy of a theory.

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Direwolves and the Stark children

As I am rereading the entire Song of Ice and Fire series (as it exists so far), I am spending a lot more time wondering about some of the symbolism in the series.  And it seems to me that the direwolves are literally and figuratively the symbols of the Starks, and each individual wolf is a reflection of its owner.

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So… about that whole Syrio Forel thing

OK I have been avoiding talking about Syrio Forel, because it is one of those ASOIAF/GoT topics that just brings out the crazy in so many people.  There are a lot of fan theories about things that may or may not be going on in the books and show.  And there are all sorts of theories about Syrio, mostly about him still being alive, and many of those being about he and Jaqen H’Ghar being the same person.

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Missing characters in ASOIAF/GoT

While writing about Jaqen H’Ghar and Syrio Forel the other day, it occurred to me that there are a number of characters whose fate is uncertain.  Of course, Syrio Forel is one of the most famous and most popular, but there are definitely a few others I have been thinking about.

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The Faceless Men in ASOIAF/GoT

So I haven’t written much lately, and I have been meaning to do something about that.

I have had this idea in my mind about some stuff from the books (and some on TV too, but mostly the books) concerning the mysterious assassins from Braavos: the Faceless Men.

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Language, words, power, and Game of Thrones

I’ve been thinking a lot ever since I first cracked the books in the series A Song of Ice and Fire and watched the HBO show Game of Thrones about the language in the world GRRM has created.  Aside from the fact that most all of the actors speak British English (bravo, Peter Dinklage), there are a lot of interesting accents (bravo, Pedro Pascal), dialects, languages, and such to contend with on screen.

Off screen, in the written word, there’s a lot going on as well.  There’s a great essay here taking apart what’s happening, what GRRM has done and hasn’t done, and things like the necessity of having professional linguists create Dothraki and Valyrian, etc.  Click through, it is absolutely worth a read.

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GRRM, Neil Gaiman, Paul & Storm… so much geek awesomeness concentrated in one spot…

I think there may have actually been danger of having some sort of geek singularity of awesomeness form on stage.

But before I tell you what I am talking about, some context.

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