Back again

Update, with some 'lighter' reading and a return to fantasy, sci-fi, and comics

Just completed the first Song of Ice & Fire book -- Game of Thrones and have the second lined up. I've also been reading Iain M Banks culture series. I've also been reading some comics on and off. I used to be very big on them, reading superhero stuff, to darker Batman ones, to Vertigo and related titles like Preacher and Hellblazer. I've picked up Northlanders (which is a viking sort of setting. It's ok... not much going on however), some Warren Ellis stuff, and Y: The Last Man. I also mean to pick up Transmetropolitan as I'd read some of it years ago. These are digital copies...

I like the GoT TV series. I discarded fantasy in my teens, the sword & sorcery stuff obvious lacks depth to my usual reading whilst science fiction at least has other themes and tends to be better written by author who use it as a device rather than a contraining genre to fit into. I however loved a lot of HBO shows such as The Wire, gave the GoT show a go and enjoyed the drama elements in it and the character depth it had. The setting is great too. You can hear about the show from numerous other places.

I picked up an eBook of the first novel. It's almost identical to the first series of the show. A stale read for that reason, but some small differences in places. I want to see if the books are actually decent, or as good as the show. I don't know yet. There isn't much description or the amount of violence in the show. Deaths and other such things tend to happen very matter-of-fact suddenly. The first book was a recap, and filled in some of the gaps the show didn't, such as different side events and characters. I mainly read the book when I commute, it's a good book for that. I think the amount of characters, geographic elements, and the world itself connote to that Tolkien mentality... hence there being a wiki on the book series.

It will be interesting to see if I can get enjoyment from the books, get sucked into that aforementioned mentality, or just accept I enjoy the HBO show for reasons I enjoy all their dramas. Or I could wear a beret and read James Joyce when I'm on the bus...