SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

This is a game where you list 4 related things and people discuss which they would remove from existence and why.

First round:

Harry Potter
Game of Thrones
Mistborn Trilogy
Farseer Trilogy

Interesting game! Out of that list, I don’t particularly want any of them removed from existence. However, since you’re giving me threatening looks and forcing me to choose, I would choose Game of Thrones.

My reasoning is two-fold:
1. It’s an incomplete series, I have great doubts that it will ever be finished, and I prefer to read complete series. So its incomplete existence annoys me and, if it’s never completed, I may never read it anyway. (I did read the first book way back when.)

2. Of that list, it’s the only one I haven’t read in its entirety, and I’ve never watched the show. Removing something from existence surely must include removing everybody’s memories of it also or else people might be able to work together to make a reasonably close recreation. Therefore, removing GOT will leave the fewest holes in my memory and I would like to minimize tampering with my memory!

Hm..

I grew up with the Harry Potter books and movie as Harry was roughly my age over the course of the books. So that one is definitely staying.

I've recently read the first two trilogies by Robin Hobb and while I did prefer the liveship traders, Fitz needs to exist too. So that's staying.

I've only read the first book of both mistborn and game of thrones. I want to continue game of thrones whenever the next books might come out and it has such a big fanbase. It was fun watching the series with everyone at the same time and speculating what might happen.
I've never really had any interest in reading book 2 of the mistborn series. I think I started it for a bit and then got bored and gave up. I might try again, but I'm not sure.

So while I know everyone adores Sanderson these days, I'd vote for making mistborn disappear. Sorry!

Well, since I’ve never read any of the Mistborn series, I have to choose that one. I obviously have no feelings about it and as said above, it would leave the fewest holes in my already sieve-like memory.

No brainer for me: Farseer. I didn't even like the first book all that much. The others, I love, so they stay. Farseer, go see yourself far away.

So.... question. Is it just the books we're removing, or anything related to it? So for example would the GoT series still exist if we removed the books from existence (Ok, yes they're based on the books, but if we pretend the books were never written but instead optioned as a show it could happen? RIGHT?)

Actually, it doesn't matter. I'd probably choose Game of Thrones. I know it's a big series that a lot of people enjoy but I am not one of them, and I really don't enjoy the grimdark imitators that it has spawned.

That being said, if someone could present a case for it being an influential work, and an important one that should stick around I'd also be willing to part with Mistborn.

out of those 4 I know 3 series and I could live without all of them.

BUT, my boys love Harry Potter, so this has to stay. Folks who are precious to me love Farseer, so this has to stay.

Therefore I would go with Song of Ice and Fire.

Gotta say Game of Thrones. I read the whole series to date, wanted more and... IMHO, George R.R. Martin completely forgot about his readers (the people who got him there in the first place) and ran off to play Game of Hollywood. He has been promising the next BOOK in the series for over five years now, and no sign of it (it even has a title -- Winds of Winter).

Further, while I have not watched the series, others who have read the books and watched the series tell me the entire storyline has been changed to suit the whims of HBO (e.g. characters who died in the books remain alive on HBO because the character had a fan base and ratings might suffer).

I am reminded of what Hollywood did to Robert Heinlein's classic Starship Troopers. No, Game of Thrones has got to go.

Interesting question. I'd choose the Farseer trilogy.
Harry Potter and Game of Thrones were cultural revolutions, Harry Potter in movies and books for children and GoT put fantasy adaptations in everyone's minds.
I want to read the Mistborn trilogy, and although I am also curious about Robin Hobb's books, I could live without them.

Harry Potter - if i want to read about wizards in training, there are better books and I didn't like the books all that much. however, I haven't read Mistborn so that could be the one

I care about none of these series but I have a hateon for Game of Thrones. Who needs torture and rape porn?


So, Game of Thrones would be out of here.

I tried reading Game of Thrones and was so upset by the Lady bit that I threw the book down and gave it away so it definitely would be my choice for obliteration.

MrsJoseph *grouchy* wrote: "I care about none of these series but I have a hateon for Game of Thrones. Who needs torture and rape porn?


So, Game of Thrones would be out of here."

Ditto.

Mistborn. Because I feel like we could do with a few less words from Sanderson. He has SO MANY in print. ;)

I could do away with Potter. Just to clear it from haunting my GR recommendations: (view spoiler)[


Makes sense.


I can see it.


Was to be expected.


What!?


Seriously??


No.

(hide spoiler)]

LOL

Kristin B. wrote: "Mistborn. Because I feel like we could do with a few less words from Sanderson. He has SO MANY in print. ;)"

I don't disagree that he's prolific, but I think that we could keep Mistborn and ditch some of his other stuff. Like the Reckoners series, or the Alcatraz series, or any sci-fi stuff he writes (based on the one that I've read)... Let's choose quality over quantity! :P

Wow, this is so tough...


Aside from Harry Potter, they could pretty much all go as far as I'm concerned. ^_^

Well, let's see.
Keep - Harry Potter - lots of strong girl/women. Girls on the sports teams, best in some classes. Even on the baddie side, women. It also brought lots of kids to reading and many adults too. Can't knock that. So it's a keeper.

Keep - Game of Thrones - women didn't do so well often. But Martin took the idea of weakness, Tyrion, and made him the ultimate winner (or Benihoff-Weiss did). Same with Ayra. She was only ten when it started but made it to the end, with much grief of course, but still her own person. So in a sense Martin made perceived weakness a virtue. Who would think a little kid and a dwarf would come out on top.

Down to Farseer and Mistborn. Hmm . . .

Keep - Mistborn since I would probably read it some day and it has really high ratings among GR friends.

Not fair :P but I guess that leaves Farseer as the Go. However, I could arbitrarily leave the last two to a coin toss.

Hi, it's your friendly neighborhood GoT spoiler watch! Please tag all things that reveal how GoT ends or what happens to specific characters, thanks! :) This of course applies to all other series, too.

Not harry Potter. Not because of it is the best thing out there but because it has had a positive impact on many people's lives and has become integrated into our culture. Getting rid of it would take other things with it. Sorry The Farseer Trilogy.

Tempted as I am to say Harry Potter, because I'm not a fan and think they're hugely over-rated, I do recognise the cultural impact Rowling has had, especially to a generation of kids, many of whom may not have become book lovers without these novels.



I've only read the first three SoIaF books - purely because of the publication gaps, I decided to wait until Martin had published them all ( or an many as he is going to ) and then I'd go back to them.



I love the Farseer books, so they stay.



Much as I hate to dismiss books I've not read, it has to be Mistborn, purely due my experience of reading other Sanderson books which I thought were fine, but far from special or memorable.



Of course, I do have Mistborn on my to-read mountain, so I may have to return to this comment in future.




( Well done, by the way, Allison; cat and pigeons well and truly combined! )

I couldn't get into the first Mistborn book and added it to a very small DNF list.

Phillip wrote: "I couldn't get into the first Mistborn book and added it to a very small DNF list."

It was close to having that fate with me too. It took me 3 attempts to make it past the first chapter, but after that I loved it.

This game is depressing and I’m not gonna play it. 👹👹👹

Anthony wrote: "This game is depressing and I’m not gonna play it. 👹👹👹"

Haha! Maybe I should make one JUST FOR YOU

(view spoiler)[ Fifth Season, Assassin's Apprentice, Perdido Street Station and A Closed and Common Orbit =P (hide spoiler)]

BIG NOPE

I couldn’t even finish the first book of the Mistborn series, I guess I would pick this one…

Hah :D Dang, Allison. Mean.

Haha! (As with all things, this game is ENTIRELY OPTIONAL and I reserve the right to be a wee bit cheeky with it ;-) )

One of my friends, when she's playing this game and it hurts her too much to give one up she says "leave them alone! I'll go!"

Me neither, Wen! I thought it was a flaw in my character!! I love Fitz, the Fool and Nighteyes, so the Farseer books are definitely keepers. Never read Harry Potter and don't intend to, but my kids would be devastated if they went the way of the dodo; they stay. I may give Mistborn another chance when I'm desperate, because I liked how Sanderson handled the last of the Wheel of Time books. That means GRRM would be nixed. Those books were just too much of a downer for me.

@Allison, It occurs to me how vulnerable we all are, were you ever to evolve into a real 'literary super villain': you know all our weaknesses, and could so easily hold hostage all we hold dear 😱

Luckily, despite what Anna would have you believe, if I were to go full villain, I'd be much more likely to make all books more accessible than I would be to take any away!

Except Moby Dick.*

Fight me!

*JK. OR am I?? Removing an allegory about the monster in our selves is very meta, don't you think? I bet Melville could go on ad nauseum about that!

She's the Bookinator!

Allison wrote: "....Melville could go on ad nauseum about that..."

Literally.

Michelle wrote: "She's the Bookinator!"

heehee!

I would likely also get rid of Mistborn.

I think the other three are really, really important works in different ways, and while Mistborn may be quite good, it didn't quite resonate with me and I think Sanderson's told a better story elsewhere, so it's not like we wouldn't have the cosmere, which would make me sad!

Allison wrote: "I would likely also get rid of Mistborn.

I think the other three are really, really important works in different ways, and while Mistborn may be quite good, it didn't quite resonate with me and I ..."

As much as I'd like to say Game of Thrones (it should have been something I was really into but I'm really not into rape and torture porn) I agree with Allison and will say Mistborn. It would never have been Harry or Fitz anyway and would have come down to GoT and Mistborn in the end. I haven't read Mistborn yet either so that probably sways me a bit and even though I haven't read GoT I do have some ties with the characters after watching a couple of seasons of the series.

I'd like to say that the TV show contained far more graphic torture and rape scenes than Martin's books do. The show was more geared towards sensationalism

I've changed my mind after reading even more of Oathbringer and remembering my struggle with the last three installments of the The Eye of the World by Sanderson, I'm voting to remove Mistborn. I'm not sure I'm going to read further into the Stormlight series if a book 4 comes out.

As all TV shows are nowadays Chessie. One of my favs from 20 years ago was about the happenings in a sleepy coastal town. The show itself was as unhurried as the town and it was a much loved Sunday night thing in our house and many others. Recently they've done a new one set 20 years down the track. I can overlook the change in location (sort of because they've gone from a more open to the sea spot down in Victoria to a sub tropical location in New South Wales up near the Queensland border and it is sooooo different to the original) but everything is just so hectic in this new one. Everyone is rushing around and things are happening left, right and centre and it's so fast compared to the laid back original. The charm of the original was that it was so calm and laid back. Even when things were going wrong. I suppose it wouldn't be what audiences want nowadays eh

Definitely keep Mistborn; probably havevto keeo Potter to read to the kids soon...so A Game of Thrones even though Ive never actually read any of the Farseer??

Prepare the pitchforks.

I’d get rid of Harry Potter.

It’s the only one I really don’t care about reading. I was too old for it when it came out, I wasn’t really reading fantasy at the time, and as an adult, I still don’t feel any desire to read it.

I’m sorry.

I would not miss seeing “Unapologetic Slytherin” on everyone’s Twitter profile. Because I have no idea what that means.

My daughter is also not old enough to miss it. I’m not even sure she knows who he is.

Again... *really sorry*.

Sarah wrote: "Prepare the pitchforks.

I’d get rid of Harry Potter.

It’s the only one I really don’t care about reading. I was too old for it when it came out, I wasn’t really reading fantasy at the time, and a..."

I pushed for that one too earlier in the thread and then changed my mind and went for Mistborn

To be honest- I think the argument about Game of Thrones never being finished actually makes the most sense... But I did at least read that one (and plan to continue someday).

And Mistborn I’m pretty indifferent about too, but I’m still mildly interested in that one.

I think I’ve said this before- but magic that comes from spells and wands is not something I’ve ever really cared about. I segued into fantasy from historical fiction so all those types of books where spellcasting is a big focus I usually avoid.

I just found this thread, and I hate it in a good way?

These 4 series are all some of my favorites, so I have no idea what to do. As I was reading this thread, I kept going back and forth, because there are good arguments for all of them.

I don't know if it was intentional, but since it just says Farseer Trilogy instead of the whole Realm of the Elderlings series, that's the one I have to go with. We would still get a lot of great writing from Robin Hobb, and we would still see the story, but certain events would just be anecdotes instead of things we witnessed.

One subject's gotta go:

-Time travel
-Portal worlds
-Body hopping
-Telepathy/ESP

Body hopping

This one fills me with no sadness or pain whatsoever to consider, and it’s an easy one for sure: body hopping.

Body hopping, without a doubt.