Anyone who has ever watched Game of Thrones or picked up a book from George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series knows that s*x plays a big role in that fictional universe. Love it or hate it, the franchise did set a standard for how s*x is portrayed in fantasy television. While some moments could be empowering, others were downright disturbing and George R.R. Martin never shied away from the details, making his stories more intense, leaving an everlasting impression on fans.
When asked about the creative decision of going big on NSFW content in his books, George R.R. Martin very confidently spoke about the importance of s*x. He also talked about how the absence of it from Lord of the Rings will forever be a mystery for the fans.
Why George R.R. Martin included s*x in his books
In an interview with Sky Atlantic’s Grace Dent (via YouTube), George R.R. Martin was asked about his books, A Song of Ice and Fire series, being “full of s*x.” Martin’s simple answer? Life is full of s*x.
He then went on to talk about J.R.R. Tolkien‘s epic fantasy series, Lord of the Rings, and how the stories never addressed an important part of his fictional world – the biological side.
He stated,
Well, life is full of s*x. As much as I admire Tolkien, and I do, he was a giant of literature and I think he wrote a great book that will be read for many years, but you do have to wonder where all those Hobbits came from since you can’t imagine Hobbits having s*x, can you?
Valid question…
Martin went on to explain the importance of s*x and how it “motivates” us, makes us do “noble” and sometimes downright “stupid” things. But at the end of the day, it is a very human thing. Without it, Martin believes, it would be an “incomplete world.” Clearly, the writer stands by his choice, even if some of his fans don’t.
George R.R. Martin’s fans wrote letters criticizing him
Explicit content in books seems to be the norm these days and fans actually enjoy reading about the bedroom secrets of their favorite characters. However, a few years ago, when Martin dabbled in it, the world wasn’t so accepting.
Talking to Dent, he revealed that he would often get letters from angry fans calling him a “dirty p*rnographer” all because he chose to write what many wouldn’t.
He recalled,
I get letters regularly from people saying, ‘I loved your books until I hit the p*rnography and now I will never read them again because you’re just a dirty p*rnographer. I write back to some of them and I say, ‘I’m sorry you feel that way, you know, you can skip over those scenes if you want although some of them are important for revealing things about characters or revealing plot points.
On the contrary, Martin, who is being trolled by fans for not completing his next book, never got any complaints about the gore and violence he put into his books, even if he explained an axe going through a skull in explicit detail. Says a lot.
Game of Thrones is available to watch on Max.
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