R+L=J

George R.R. Martin is, perhaps, the most celebrated American author within the Fantasy genre. While his writings encompass far more than his magnum opus, A Song of Ice and Fire, this as yet unfinished saga of masterful storytelling has captivated the imagination of the Millennial Generation with fervor unmatched by any works of Fantasy save the crowning achievements of the early masters, J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Impressive nomenclature isn’t the only thing that Martin shares with both the great Tolkien and Lewis. All share an uncanny ability to build a world of mystery, intrigue and enchantment that captures our imagination. While Tolkien is without a doubt the patron saint of Fantasy, Martin stands poised to join the regrettably limited collection of fantasy works within the literary canon. Indeed, as a connoisseur of Fantasy novels myself, I reluctantly admit that most Fantasy works have no place within proper literature. They serve as a wonderful diversion, an escape, but they lack the heady issues, lurid prose, and wonderful verbosity of the great masters. This is not to denigrate the works of R.A. Salvatore or Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman, but their novels, however wonderful, however enjoyable, lack the sort of literary panache and critical cache to become a true member of classic literary canon. However, credit must be given where credit is due, and it is a certainty that without the wondrous diversion of shared world fantasy stories, many readers, me included, would never have discovered the genius of Martin. One of the things about shared world fiction is that, due to the collaboration of many different authors, is that it generally possesses a much more detailed and vibrant back story than works by single authors. This is, indeed the defining characteristic of a Tolkien, or a Martin. The Legendarium of Tolkien, largely contained in the epic Silmarillion, if fleshed out, could fill upwards of twenty novels. Likewise, the background of A Song of Ice and Fire, as discussed in interviews with Martin, as well as coming through in works of the main series, rivals the details and majesty, and in many cases even exceeds that of the main work itself. This is a monumental achievement by any writer, and it explains the exhaustive editing and writing processes of both writers. One of the biggest criticisms of Martin is that he takes so long to produce a book. The reason for this, in my not so humble opinion, is that he is an artist, not an architect. He doesn’t plot out the pieces methodically and formulate every event before returning and fleshing it out. Rather, he prefers his stories to grow organically and follows the threads of the characters as he weaves them into one magnificent tapestry. Because this writing process is so exhaustive, Martin primarily includes elements from the back story that tend to have some form of importance for the story later on. While it is true that some of the background details exist simply for the purpose of increasing the depth of the story, many others have critical importance for the overall narrative. Indeed, this brings us to the purpose of this article, essay, or what have you. The inclusion of the details about the root cause of one of the most critical elements of the background of A Song of Ice and Fire, Robert’s Rebellion, and particularly, the “abduction” of Lyanna Stark by the crown prince Rhaegar Targaryen exist not to justify the rebellion to the reader, but serve as subtle hints to the true protagonist of the story and his heritage. The ensemble nature of the work, as well as the first novel, A Game of Thrones inclusion of decoy protagonist Ned Stark makes the identification of a true protagonist difficult. The most obvious candidate for the protagonist would be the daughter of the deposed king, the Mother of Dragons, Danaerys Targaryen. On the surface, she fits all of the criteria for the heroine of an epic tale. She’s a princess in a foreign land, trying to find a way to win back her kingdom. She commands a group of outcasts and misfits and ex slaves in the process of becoming a formidable army. Rather than moving on, leaving the destruction of cities in her wake, she has attempted to learn how to rule a hostile city, one that she has deprived of its very livelihood, of the slave trade. Her “children” a trio of dragons, are both the sigil of her deposed House and the last three dragons in existence. Danaerys seems placed in prime position to win the day in Westeros, that is, if she ever gets there. All this sounds wonderful, if somewhat formulaic. Therein lies the rub of wonderful Fantasy writing in the post Tolkien era. Tolkein was able to work without the notions of his tropes being tired clichés. He invented the genre, nearly singlehandedly. Even so, the end of the Lord of the Rings still featured a subversion of the traditional heroic narrative, in which Frodo was unable to complete his mission, and it was only through the consequences of his pity toward the creature Gollum that the Ring was destroyed at all. One of the best things about great writing is unpredictability. Twists and turns both delight and dismay readers, as our expectations are thwarted, or fulfilled in unexpected ways. So, then, what if the true hero of the Song of Ice and Fire is not the magical, almost fey princess of House Targaryen? What if, on the contrary, the true protagonist was hidden in plain sight throughout the entirety of the saga? There exists, both within the text of the novels, as well as the subtext of the books as well, ample evidence that the true hero of the story is a bastard boy. This boy is a member of a storied and ancient Order of protectors. An order which exists to guard the realms of men against the encroachment of the evil Others, dark fey in the mold of the old Fair Folk whom Martin describes as “Sidhe made of ice.” However, this once noble institution now serves as a sort of last frontier, a place where those condemned by decent society can flee to escape execution. The order of the Night’s Watch, which once served in honor, now serves as a dumping ground for the dregs of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. This is where Ned Stark’s bastard, Jon Snow, finds himself as the novels progress. A casual reading of the novels makes no doubt that Jon is indeed Ned’s son, however, the mystery surrounding the identity of his mother is a question that many readers have pondered and researched, leading them to comb back through the memories and thoughts of Ned Stark to find evidence of her identity. Some readers, myself included, upon this close reading of the text, have come to the conclusion that in reality, Jon Snow is not Ned Stark’s son at all. In fact, ample evidence exists that he is in fact the son of the crown prince Rhaegar Targaryen, Danaerys’ older brother, and Lyanna Stark, Ned’s sister. If such is the case, then Jon is the son of the eldest child of the previous king, and therefore, if legitimate, holds a better claim to the throne than even Danaerys Targaryen herself. Jon’s Stark (Ice) and Targaryen (Fire) lineage makes him the true protagonist and hero of the story, as well as the subject of the titular Song of Ice and Fire.

Background Mythos

I wrote a bit yesterday about my favorite authors. I don’t know if I quite did Tolkien justice. I’m watching a special on the History Channel right now about the mythos behind the stories. Despite the reputation of the History Channel for screwing up their source material, they aren’t doing too terribly with this one. They cannot pronounce any of the Elvish names, though. Most of us have all read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. However, something fantastic that I have noticed with great writing is that the back story is more interesting than the main plot. This is certainly the case with the history of The Lord of the Rings, the Silmarillion. In the Silmarillion, we learn the story of the First Age of Middle Earth. The biggest issue that I have with this is that we have a huge amount of history stuffed into the relatively modest sized Silmarillion. This is a shame, because the stories are even more compelling; particularly the story of the Flight of the Noldor, the Kinslaying at Alaquonde, and the subsequent Ban of the Valar. The Elves as we know them in the main published works of Tolkien are perfectly good. The Elves of the Silmarillion run the gamut between good and evil, however, their fell natures may be more a case of the tropes of the fair folk, and good is not nice. Even the noble Elves in the Silmarillion are violent warriors, skilled in arms and terrible in their wrath. One of them, Feanor, has a spirit of wrath so bright that when he is killed trying to recover his treasure, his body burns to ash with the fires of his soul. That is some pretty fantastic imagery. I don’t want to spoil too much, so I’ll move on to George R.R. Martin and A Song of Ice and Fire next for how back story is important. There is a richly detailed back story for his works as well. Aegon’s Conquest, Robert’s Rebellion, and even the Dunk and Egg novellas. I would recommend that anyone who is a fan of either series explore the incredible mythos that both authors have established. I hope that when I finally get my story together, I am able to have a back story a quarter as detailed.

Ice and Fire and Roses and Capets

The Red Wedding. I waited for three years to see this scene. It drove me crazy not being able to spoil anything. So that said, spoilers ahead. This show reminded me why I hate the Freys. I've read the books through at least four times, and by now, I think that I began to view the Red Wedding with an almost surgical detachment. One thing that I have to say is that GRRM is one of the best storytellers that I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I would have to say that my favorite sagas are the Lord of the Rings, A Song of Ice and Fire, and the Accursed Kings by Maurice Druon. Iggulden's Khan and Emperor series are fantastic as well. I love the Dragonlance series (not to mention Forgotten Realms), but it doesn't quite have the literary cache of the others. I love Jack Whyte's Templar and Camulod chronicles as well, even though they tend to fizzle near the end. It's strange to me to see the parallels between historical fiction and fantasy. Especially when you have gritty realistic fantasy like the Godless World by Brian Ruckley. The main thing that I have noticed is that history, legend and myth are so interchangeable. I think that fantasy and historical fiction are under appreciated, consigned to the science fiction ghetto, when in actuality they are far more enjoyable reads. Not to hate too vigorously on science fiction, there are quite a few enjoyable science fiction novels as well. The main thing that I LOVE about ASOIAF is that it has so many parallels to the real world and real history. You can see the influences of Maurice Druon in the intrigue and the violence, and the worship of Tolkien in the fantastic elements and some of the story parallels (Maedhros and Jaime's hands). What is fantastic to me is the nature of the characters, as anyone with knowledge of English history will know that the House of Lancaster and John of Gaunt were the inspiration for the inimical Tywin Lannister and House Lannister. I love the fact that if the Rhaegar and Lyanna = Jon Snow theory is true, then we have Jon analogous to Henry VII, who ended the Wars of the Roses, upon which the series is based. I guess there weren't really any spoilers, just my ramblings, but I love to read.

I'm three weeks on the new job. Loving it quite a bit. I wonder when the novelty will wear off? I assume soon, but then I am no stranger to work ethic and effort, the two factors that combine to form what we (true) hip hop fans describe as, "the hustle." I really am enjoying the new firm that I am working for. One of the things that I like the best is my ability to wear what I want (within the professional dress code) to work and establish my own professional appearance and identity as one that is, while slightly dandyish, capable and possessed of a reasonable ethos on the products and services that we offer. Basically, I get to dress smartly, and sharply, as the Brits would say, and I am loving every minute of it. The navy suit is making a serious professional and fashionable comeback at the moment, which suits me perfectly, as it is a shade of my favorite color, as well as the type of suit that I find I look best in. This may just be a matter of personal opinion, but I have Instagram photos aplenty for the doubters. I could go on and on about my new found sartorial freedom, but I don't want to bore all six of you reading this to tears. As for other news, Celia and I are still not expecting as of late which has come to be a source of angst and frustration for both of us. We both need to have fertility testing, because she is convinced that it is her, whereas I am convinced that the problem lies within myself. The most frustrating thing about this situation is that for the month of June, I won't be able to do anything about it, as I elected not to carry my former employer's COBRA coverage over across the bridging month. Also, this affects my ability to find out what exactly I did to my plantaris muscle in my lower leg as well as treat any problems that I have had with my feet recently. So, I am reduced to soliciting online opinions from people who, while experts, are unable to look directly at the injury/foot. I'll have to make a visit to my favorite podiatrist when my new insurance kicks in July first. Those are the basics for this past week. Oh, and I turned twenty eight. Entirely uneventful, although the festivities were fun. I still don't feel any more grown up than I did at eighteen. Maybe that's the whole point. We never actually grow up and all the petulant dick measuring in Congress is a result of that. Anyway, have a great weekend. Adieu.

Frustration

Percy Harvin. I spent this man's entire college career rooting against him. Mainly because he happened to play on the same team as Tim Tebow. But I won't turn this into a bash Tebow post, as it could easily become. I'll just say that I don't like him and leave it at that. However, rooting for Harvin will take some adjustment. I'm very excited for our upcoming Seahawks season this fall even so. There are a bevy of new players (pending draft picks as well) to welcome to the team, as well as all our favorite Hawks. It's a very exciting time in Seattle Sports, especially with our Sonics coming back soon. Our former Sonics, in OKC, had an empty stadium at the end of a nine point loss to Denver. Best fans in the NBA? They should stay the whole game when they have a title contender. They don't even have the excuse of a bad team to be leaving early. How much traffic is there in Oklahoma City anyway? Anyway, I think that I'm going to actually say what I think today. Slowly but surely, BYU is starting to integrate its sports teams. What I mean by that is that the proportion of black athletes on the sports teams, particularly the football team, is considerably greater than the corresponding proportion of students on campus (.5%ish). This is a huge thing for BYU Alumni of color. I argued earlier this year that Jabari Parker would not have found BYU an agreeable place to go to school. Black athletes, even LDS ones, have found a rough go of it. The administration itself seems to have some kind of vendetta, but that's neither here nor there. We are seeing more faces of color in the skill positions and on the basketball court, and despite what some of the BYU old timers believe, that's a good thing. Young black students are more likely to enroll if they see faces like theirs in places other than the independent study website. This brings me to my second point. Why does it seem that when black men or women share information about white racism still existing, a white man has to come in and vehemently deny that it's him. I know it's not you, if it was you, we wouldn't be friends. What you are doing, however, is perpetuating a culture in which black men and women must have their views endorsed by white voices. You think that you are doing us a service by pointing out the fact that racism as a belief paradigm is in the minority, but the way you are treating us is racism in action. Our opinions are no less valid than yours because we have darker skin than you, and yes, it takes generations for us to "get over" the types of abuses that were systematically and ubiquitously forced upon our people. So, forgive us if we let ourselves get emotional over such things. I know that you, young white man, do not feel that you are better than anyone because of the color of your skin, but you reserve the right to treat those who think, look, and believe differently than you with disrespect if they don't show you the proper deference. Our views and opinions should be able to stand on their own without your validation. If you are not one of the racist voices, why does it bother you when we point them out? DL

Wedding Cakes and Football

Being married is definitely hard work. Celia (The girl from my previous posts) and I have gone through a lot of ups and downs in our first year as a happily married couple, but thankfully, we are still happily married. I credit our marital happiness to our beloved Seattle Seahawks. There are plenty of things that we do not see eye to eye on. I'm progressive, she's more traditionalist. I am impulsive, she likes to plan things. I LOVE sports, and she loves reality television. However, one thing that helped us through was a tradition that we started when we were dating, about a week before the proposal, in August of 2011. We got tickets to the Seahawks training camp at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center (VMAC) and we enjoyed the entire day watching the team practice.

A year later, we returned to the VMAC, where we first noticed a rather short quarterback slinging the ball all over the field. Of course, this was not the first time that we'd seen Russell Wilson. We did see him at the Mariners/Giants game a few months earlier, and he is every bit as short as advertised. His diminutive stature aside, Wilson turned out to be a fantastic leader and field general for the team this year, taking the Hawks to a 12-6 record and a divisional playoff run for the second time in Pete Carroll's three year tenure. My wife and I bonded over this team in a way we hadn't before, and Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman, Marshawn Lynch and company became a fixture on our television. They grow on you, and a love of the town, and the team, has helped us to greater appreciate our own love for each other. Go Hawks!

denim, football and chicken

Today is an interesting day to post. It's a Sunday, my wife isn't feeling well so we aren't at church today, and I am sitting here at my computer watching the London Olympics. I'm contemplating getting rid of some of my prized denim collection. This is serious business, if you know me. I am very serious about the fifty-odd pairs of jeans sitting in my closet. I am a pretty poor Marxist, after all, given how completely I have given myself over to consumerism and wearing fine apparel. I wish such were not the case, but I am definitely a sucker for a nice pair of denim woven on a shuttle loom. I've tried to get my wife as into it as I am, but it's not working as quickly as I'd hope. I honestly probably hope it never works. It's been quite a while since the last time that I wrote, but I need to get myself back into the habit. I would like to try and share some of my thoughts with you every day, if I can remind myself to do this. Yesterday, my wife and I went to the Seattle Seahawks first day of training camp. It was quite a bit of fun. It was nice watching the new players. The defense looks miles ahead of the offense right now. The defensive backfield looks fast and the pass rush with the addition of Bruce Irvin looks lethal. I was shocked how quickly he was able to get to the quarterback against the first team. I know that our offensive line needs work, but Irvin was averaging 1.5 seconds to get to the quarterback from the snap. That's insane. He's fast enough to go outside of a tackle, avoiding him completely, and get to the quarterback right as he's settling in to his three step drop. The quarterbacks looked shaky. Tarvaris had the best grasp of the offense, but Flynn's check-downs and release were much faster. If I had to make a call, once Flynn grasps the offense, he will be the definite starter. After all, the knock on Jackson was never his talent or ability, it was his decision making. I'm really excited to see how my team does this year. That defense is going to be giving anyone that comes up against it some serious problems. After the practice, my wife and I went to Ezell Stephens' new restaurant: Heaven Sent Fried Chicken. The moniker fits. The chicken is soft and melts in your mouth, the batter is crispy and pops with just the right amount of spice. If you want to try this succulent deliciousness, I suggest that you order either a two piece dark meal, or an order of strips, in the spicy, of course. I've been a huge fan of Ezell's Famous Chicken for years, but Ezell has definitely outdone himself with this latest venture. That's it for the update, but I do have some updates with regard to some other things that I'd like to post here in the future. Have a great day!