I’m going to assume that the vast majority of Goths are into Game of Thrones, either the book version or the TV show. However, one thing that is pissing on the collective bonfire of many of us is the fact that George R. R. Martin seems to have stalled in his writing somewhat, to the point that the TV show has now overtaken the books and branched out into whole new storyline areas-whether the books will catch up and emulate these plots remains to be seen.
Anyway, without any more GoT to keep me entertained, I have spent some time hunting down some alternative reading suggestions that I think will appeal to GoT readers-with the caveats that they be long, mystical sagas or standalone books that are complex but readable, and will take the edge of the shaky stages of the currently enforced GoT cold turkey.
So, here’s my suggestions.
The Liveship Traders Trilogy by Robin Hobb
This trilogy was malingering in my Kindle “wishlist” for ages, and I cannot recall how I originally got switched onto it-but when I started reading the first book, I was immediately sold on it, and have now completed the trilogy and moved onto the next set of novels in the Liveship Trader universe.
There is less rape and murder than GoT (although it is not entirely absent), but lots of dragons, mystical storylines, and sentient ships. The world of the Liveship Traders itself is vaguely reminiscent of the GoT universe too, but not so much as to be derivative, or have crossovers or parallels.
Additionally, this trilogy is endorsed with a front-cover shout out from George R.R. Martin himself!
The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King
The Dark Tower Series is a massive seven-book work set in a parallel universe to our own, although the veil between the two is not as thick as it may first appear. This series is a must-read for anyone who likes complex adventure sagas, fantasy fiction and all things Stephen King-whole internet pages and forums are dedicated to discovering the Easter-egg references within the series to various of King’s other works.
Fevre Dream by George R.R. Martin
It may come as a surprise to some people to learn that George R.R. Martin had a life before GoT, but he did indeed, and Fevre Dream is a long-ish novel that pre-dates GoT and was memorable enough that I remembered George R.R. Martin’s name as a result of it when GoT first began pinging my radar.
Think boats, vampires, and the Mississippi River, and George R.R. Martin’s inimitable plotting talents and writing style.
Weaveworld by Clive Barker
While Clive Barker might be most commonly associated with Hellraiser-style horror, he is by no means a one trick pony-Weaveworld is right up there among my favourite books of all time, and I cannot think of another book that sucked me straight in and chewed me up from the first few pages like Weaveworld did. Mystical races, good versus evil, and a fine border between our world and the hidden-read it, trust me.
Looking for some more ideas? Check out these, and these.
