Beyond the Wall: Exploring George R. R. Martin's a Song of Ice and Fire

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Beyond the Wall: Exploring George R. R. Martin's a Song of Ice and Fire

by James Lowder (Editor), R.A. Salvatore (Foreword)

3.67 of 5 stars 3.67 · rating details · 212 ratings · 48 reviews

Foreword by "New York Times" bestselling author R.A. Salvatore
Go beyond the Wall and across the narrow sea with this collection about George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, from "A Game of Thrones" to "A Dance with Dragons."
The epic game of thrones chronicled in George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series has captured the imaginations of millions of readers....more

ebook, 240 pages

Published 2012 by BenBella Books

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Beyond the Wall: Exploring George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, From A Game of Thrones to A Dance with Dragons
by James Lowder (Editor), R.A. Salvatore (Foreword), Linda Antonsson (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Elio M Garcia (Contributor), Myke Cole (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Brent Hartinger (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), John J. Miller (Contributor), Alyssa Rosenberg (Contributor) , more…

"There were a number of books about A GAME OF THRONES (the HBO series) and A Song of Ice and Fire (the books) published last year . . . the one that i…more

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Aug 16, 2012 Johnny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: literary-criticism

Robert A. Salvatore’s “Foreword” to Beyond the Wall: Exploring George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, From A Game of Thrones to A Dance with Dragons sets a near-perfect tone for this entire book of criticism on George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. He says all of those things we’d like to say to those who demean the fantasy genre in specific (and fiction, in general) and he says it all with his particular flair. I must take slight issue with his description of Martin’s work as the...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Saphana rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This book is not what it claims to be.

A typical "companion" to a well-received and award-winning series should delve into insights in the background, the characters, maybe even enlighten us to mysteries or prophecies which permeate the series.

Not so. Instead we get a rambling opening article (I refuse to use the word "essay") that honestly tries to place Martin's writing in the era of "Romanticism", not even once analyzing or comparing Martin's prose to an author of said era. The history of art...more

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Jun 27, 2012 Eustacia Tan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

Beyond The Wall is one of those books that explores the world behind the books. In this case, it explores the world in the A Song of Fire and Ice series by George R.R. Martin. You may be surprised to see this because I haven't talked about A Song of Fire and Ice before and you're right. Before I picked up this book, I had absolutely no knowledge of this amazing world.

It seems counterintuitive, not to mention spoiler-ish, but I actually became interested in this series because of this book. I'm t...more Beyond The Wall is one of those books that explores the world behind the books. In this case, it explores the world in the A Song of Fire and Ice series by George R.R. Martin. You may be surprised to see this because I haven't talked about A Song of Fire and Ice before and you're right. Before I picked up this book, I had absolutely no knowledge of this amazing world.

It seems counterintuitive, not to mention spoiler-ish, but I actually became interested in this series because of this book. I'm the otaku kind of fan, so when I become a fan, I like to know as much as possible about the world (you should see how often I'm at the Detective Conan wiki!). I don't mind spoilers because honestly, I like to read for the writing.

And wow, I'm still not even half-way through A Game of Thrones and it's such a great book. It's also a very long book though, so a review will come later. Maybe much later :p

Ok, now back to Beyond The Wall. Beyond The Wall is very easy to read because each chapter is a stand-alone chapter, discussing one particular issue about the series. This means you can jump around chapter sequences and what not, and it wouldn't make much difference.

And well, the topics themselves were interesting (and prepared me, in a good way, for what to expect from the series). They cover things like topics from feminism, sexual violence to things like the challenges of adapting it as a graphic novel and a brief guide to collecting the series (incidentally my favourite chapter, since I like to collect books. And stuff in general). Each essay is written in an interesting (and distinctive) style. The length is just right too, enough to inform me but not long enough to bore me.

With such diverse topics, it's interesting to see that one common feature would be a comparison of A Song of Fire and Ice with Lord Of The Rings. And the comparison is not favourable. Adjectives like "simple" are used often to describe LOTR so if you're a fan, just take note. For the record, I believe that Lord of The Rings is much much deeper than they make it appear to be. And if you have a problem with the moral absolutism in LOTR, then why are you imposing an absolute judgement on the book?

From this, I have a rough idea of the series so far, and it makes me want to read all the books. I'm not sure how I'll deal with some aspects (like the whole sexual violence thing), but at least I'm prepared for it.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

First posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile (less)

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May 27, 2012 Wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reads

Beyond the Wall is a wonderful companion read that allows the reader to view the remarkable series of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire and its striking cast of characters in new ways.

It delves into our concept of good and evil and discusses how no clear line is drawn between the two in the world of Westeros and beyond. Most of the characters aren't clearly good or purely evil. The essays discuss how we're able to look past some of the character's misgivings and not others. It offers...more

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Jun 20, 2012 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: earcs, ebook, nonfiction, mythology, fantasy, geeky

I was really excited to read this book, because I knew it would validate the geekery I feel about the Song of Ice and Fire books. Beware if you haven't read them all, though. If you're coming from the TV show only, you will encounter lots of spoilers for future events in the series. It's funny to read essays from well-known (in their fields, at least) authors on the subject of a fictional world, when so much of the scientific literature I read (for work, of course) is so grounded in reality. But...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Steph rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a really interesting compendium of essays on Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. As with any collection of essays, some were better than others, and some appealed more to me than others. My favourite chapters included Alyssa Rosenburg's examination of the use of rape as a war weapon in the series; the character study of Littlefinger through the lens of psychopathy; and Whitehead's chapter on the uncertain history of Westeros. The chapters on religion, magic, the Dunk and Egg prequel...more

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Feb 15, 2013 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: literary-criticism

Too many feels to not start reviewing this right away. :P ~~Hopefully I'll be finished with the entire book in a few days.~~ DONE! Spoiler warning--this review contains spoilers for all published ASOIAF books.

Overall, this book is what I've been hoping for--literary criticism worthy of me adding a new shelf to GoodReads. :P We start with Elio and Linda's (the uber-fans who even GRRM goes to for fact checking, amongst other things,) and their essay romanticism, pulling me into the deep tapestry of AS...more Too many feels to not start reviewing this right away. :P ~~Hopefully I'll be finished with the entire book in a few days.~~ DONE! Spoiler warning--this review contains spoilers for all published ASOIAF books.

Overall, this book is what I've been hoping for--literary criticism worthy of me adding a new shelf to GoodReads. :P We start with Elio and Linda's (the uber-fans who even GRRM goes to for fact checking, amongst other things,) and their essay romanticism, pulling me into the deep tapestry of ASOIAF's worldview and it's perhaps surprising emphasis on beauty and deep-feeling ritual. This medieval obsession on the vaulted past is highly Christian in our world, but perhaps even as a Jew I can get in on it? What else is Zionism, anyway, than at it's core a quest for liberty and self-determination in a land where, in ancient times, our ancestors were not subjects to our persecutors? I read the ASOIAF books, too, and feel a pull towards the past--not perhaps as predated as the past to which many adult characters subscribe, but definitely to the past that the Stark children remember when they were safe and happy at Winterfell.

I was similarly impressed with Alyssa Rosenberg's essay, "Men and Monsters," which pointed to GRRM's focus on highlighting rape and violence as wholly destructive as he focuses on developing its victims as people. Brent Hartinger's "A Different Kind of Other" also focuses on how GRRM gives a voice to the powerless. "An Unreliable World" by Adam Whitehead and "Back to the Egg" by Gary Westfall focus on the mythos of Westeros: the unreliable time-keeping, which speaks to the power of legends over science as character and world-defining; and the Dunk and Egg stories, which GRRM has written as prequels to flesh out his world. "Of Direwolves and Gods" by Andrew Zimmerman Jones and "A Sword Without a Hilt" by Jesse Scoble prod at the murky reliability of gods, magic, and prophecy and what it all means. On an even more macro scale, Ned Vizzini's "Beyond the Ghetto" summarizes the history of the literary vs genre fiction divide, how popular fiction often "subverts" realist fiction in a way, and how GRRM's books in turn subvert their own genre. Pretty fascinating look into literary culture and storytelling tropes.

I identified a bit with all of the broader and most of the smaller points Caroline Spector made in "Power and Feminism and Westeros." She analyzes the character arcs of Sansa, Arya, Brienne, Cersei and Daenerys, often coming back to Sansa for comparisons as she best represents the medieval and Westerosi feminine ideal. Oftentimes, she even centered on how similar Sansa was to the others, for example Brienne shares her naive idealism about knighthood and Dany and Cersei both had moments of being used as pawns. I wish she had delved a little deeper, however, particularly with the two sisters. Unquestionably Arya and Sansa have two different temperaments and two different ways of looking at/interacting with the world. But much is similar in their stories as well. They both suffer a fall from grace when things go south (no pun intended) for Ned. Sansa has to adjust her behavior to that of a hostage knowingly living under the rule of vindictive captors; and Arya must adjust her behavior to that of a fugitive and low born commoner, often at the brunt if the violence that comes to define much of her story. Both sisters are now fugitives, under the tutelage of questionable men; both have shed their former identities for the time being and both are continuing to hone skills--Arya learns to become an assassin and Sansa learns the politicking behind the game of thrones.

I question Spector's omission of the fact that although Sansa never chose to take personal power in King's Landing (her relationship with Dontos ultimately revealed as one of Littlefinger's chess moves,) if she had acted out as Arya likely would have, she would have faced death. Not only did her countenance leave her with fewer choices but her situation as a highborn hostage under the microscope lens left her with few as well. And yet Sansa wasn't just a wall flower before Littlefinger whisked her away to the Eyrie. Her time as a hostage is peppered with acts of goodness--saving Dontos's life, encouraging Joffrey to give a modicum of charity to the needy, praying for friends and foes alike in the sept, taking over at Blackwater when Cersei leaves her women in turmoil. As her husband Tyrion--considered by most to be one of the best political masterminds--comments to himself that she would have been a great queen of Joff only had the sense to love her. Sanaa's ability to make small talk in the political arena and her ability to run a household at the Eyrie perhaps doesn't save her the way a sword saves Arya or Brienne, or conquering makes Dany the most powerful, but it's worth noting. This is the way, after all, that most noble women of Westeros make a small bit of impact.

Myke Cole's essay on how PTSD affects certain characters was a little too black and white for me in how it painted Arya as empowered and Theon as weakened. Although he brings up some great points (especially about Theon's psychology before falling to Ramsay) I think the truth lies a little closer to the middle. I question how Arya's vengeful list is truly empowering (maybe on a psychological basis to get her through the day to day) and it also stands to reason that what the Faceless Men have taught her comes at the demanded sacrifice of her identity. Yes, she's gone from a victimized fugitive to a burgeoning professional assassin, but is she really wholly Arya Stark or is she "no one," simply an agent of the Faceless God? Whereas for Theon, though his existence as Reek laid him low, he still ended "Dance With Dragons" with a selfless act that not only reclaimed his identity as a man but surpassed who he used to be. He's not only Theon again, but a Theon who saved an innocent girl and might help take out the tretcherous Boltons.

I also found Matt Staggs's article on Littlefinger's mental condition to be a little too all or nothing for me, but he made a compelling argument and doubtless the character leans far more towards being a psychopath than being compassionate.

My least favorite essay is Susan Vaught's "The Brutal Cost of Redemption in Westeros," which I think wildly misinterprets both the overarching world and several individual characters. After starting her essay by proclaiming that most people judge Westeros based on their own biases she proceeds to do just that, labeling Jaime's slaying of King Aerys as appropriate by Westerosi standards (really? That must be why almost everyone reviles him and calls him "Kingslayer"); and she fails to bring up that Ned's decision to raise his bastard son as equal to his true born children is seen as scandalous. She also plays the "victim-blaming" game, faulting Robb not only for his recklessness with Jeyne but with his own murder (as if Walder Frey has no agency, much less that the Red Wedding featured a ghastly betrayal of guest rites); similarly she blames Catelyn not only for her reckless decisions but for starting a war (again, where is Tywin Lannister's agency? No one had a gun to his head when he chose war over diplomacy.) The Helen of Troy theory is lazy bullshit; there was no "face that launched a thousand ships" in a war named for five kings and even more motivations.

Vaught, like several "anti-fans," doesn't seem to have read Catelyn's chapters at all--or somehow missed the pages and pages of the character's self-examination and contrition--and misinterprets Catelyn's reckless decisions as selfish and vengeful, when in reality she spoke out against vengeance and made every decision (whether good or bad can be debated) for the betterment of her family. Vaught is similarly dismissive of Cersei, labeling her as unfeeling towards Joffrey's death due to having sex with Jaime near his corpse (which could, after all, be a form of grief, not to mention all of the more traditional ways that she grieved for her son.)

Like many liberals of the modern day, I struggle between the dichotomy between recognizing that the world is in fact a pluralistic society with multiple points of view vs embracing relativism and giving a free pass to all manner of cruelty and atrocity. Vaught chooses the extreme take on good vs evil--she clings to the character-flattening doctrine of "the path of redemption." I don't find GRRM's books nearly so provincial when prodding the complexity of human nature. More to the point, he proves that war, violence and rape extend far beyond any one individual; they are the communal faults of a corrupt society.(less)

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Dec 04, 2012 Brian rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 28, 2012 Ken rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Thanks BenBella Books and Smart Pop Books for providing me a review copy of Beyond the Wall. If you are a fan of A Song of Ice and Fire then you will definitely love the essays in Beyond the Wall. Each essay explores a different facet in A Song of Ice and Fire with contributors ranging from some of the biggest names in modern Fantasy to experts on the series.

My favourite essays were the ones that looked at things in the series that a casual reader would miss. Such as in "An unreliable World", Ad...more

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Mar 14, 2013 Belinda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

Really fantastic book for fans of this series. Scholarly but very approachable. Explores the world of A Song of Ice and Fire from the perspective of the characters and their motives and personalities, as well as the sociological context of the series and it's characters appeal to readers. One of my favorite chapters was written by an expert on PTSD (something I have personal experience with) and his description of the characters of Arrya and Reek and how they live with different conditions of PT...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Taryn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: what-i-read-in-2012

Beyond the Wall: Exploring George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, From A Game of Thrones to A Dance with Dragons is a collection of essays that critically examine different aspects and themes of George R.R. Martin’s popular A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels. While the first book in the series, A Game of Thrones, came out in 1996, it has recently experienced a resurgence in popularity due to the release of the fifth book in the series, A Dance With Dragons–and of course, with...more Beyond the Wall: Exploring George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, From A Game of Thrones to A Dance with Dragons is a collection of essays that critically examine different aspects and themes of George R.R. Martin’s popular A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels. While the first book in the series, A Game of Thrones, came out in 1996, it has recently experienced a resurgence in popularity due to the release of the fifth book in the series, A Dance With Dragons–and of course, with HBO’s highly-praised adaptation. With this expanded audience, the time was ripe for some solid critical writing.

I wanted to start off by saying that overall, the essays where I actually learned something new were my favorites. Some tended toward rehashes of plot points from the novels, and while that would be helpful for any ASoIaF newbies reading, I think that the audience for this book is more likely to be veteran fans (especially as there are some spoilers for later books and fan theories in Beyond the Wall!) There could probably have been a bit more editing done, with that audience in mind; each essay tended to start with some quick generalizations of Martin’s work, such as Westeros’s startling brutality, the many crimes committed against women, the serious nature of the text despite being a “genre” work, etc. If each piece were standing alone, those sorts of introductions would have been fine; however, coming one right after another, the repetition was somewhat unnecessary.

I also found that the chapters I enjoyed most were the ones coming from outside writers and critics (rather than writers or other artists within the fandom). A certain distance is helpful when trying to apply a critical lens to a popular series. I certainly don’t begrudge any of the writers their close involvement with different aspects of ASoIaF (such as helping to develop its tabletop gaming incarnations) or their personal friendships with Martin, but I think it makes it that much more difficult to provide deeper criticisms. However, the caliber of the writers assembled for this collection tended to be high, and their pedigrees–as writers, comic book artists, professors, and game creators–were impressive.

Some of the essays deserve special mention. “Art Imitates War,” by Myke Cole, was fantastic: an examination of post-traumatic stress disorder in the series and how it empowers some characters (Arya) and destroys others (Theon), written by a military officer. Learning about Condition Yellow and Condition Black–ways in which we conceptualize the different states of mind of people in combat or crisis situations–was so interesting, and Cole interwove the more scientific issues and ASoIaF character studies impeccably. I’ve already talked about this essay to some friends/fellow fans of Martin, actually.

To read the rest of my review, please head over to Bookwanderer!(less)

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Jan 19, 2013 Jim rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Various writers-and fans- analyze aspects of George R.R. Martin's series in this book. There are articles on such topics as moral ambiguity in the stories, feminism, the history and religions of Martin's world,the use of magic, and so on.
I thought one particular topic of interest was concerning the role of outcasts, in Brent Hartinger's " A Different Kind of Other: The Role of Freaks and Outcasts in A Song of Ice and Fire." Some of Martin's most interesting characters are people who usually mig...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Jen*The Geeky Book Gal* rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I enjoyed most of the 14 essays in this book. Some were a bit dry or overly analytical but, some were extra compelling, such as "Petyr Baelish and the Mask of Sanity" by Matt Staggs which discussed Petyr Baelish's psychopathic nature as a clinical rather than a popular definition of the often used term. Andrew Zimmerman Jones discusses the various religions of Westeros in "Of Direwolves and Gods" ;and the essay on romanticism "The Palace of Love, the Palace of Sorrow" by Elio M. Garcia Jr goes i...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Alice rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: essays

This is a book of essays on various takes of George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series.

For many Sci-Fi/Fantasy is seen as a ghetto; much like Romances. Some fans and writers have hunkered into Rodney Dangerfieldism. The essayists argue that GRRM is elevating the genre into a permanent respectability.

Some of the essays are of interest. The other essays were plaintive of the non recognition by cultural elites. I say to the latter group don't hold your breath for a Nobel or Man Booker Prize....more

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Jun 16, 2012 Liviu rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012_release_read, non-fiction, read_2012, review_fbc, t1_recommended_2012

FBC Rv:

INTRODUCTION: As a huge series fan and also as I own the art books inspired by the novels, I was very curious about this essay book since I heard about it some months ago.

While the recent A Feast of Ice and Fire is a bit "too out" for my interests, the upcoming map book "The Lands of Ice and Fire" is another huge asap, so this year we will have been treated with a lot of ASOIAF material, from the excellent HBO series, to three related works including the one discussed here!

Note that Beyo...more

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Apr 26, 2013 Patricia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-catalog

I'm a fantasy lover but my biggest sin is to not yet have read any of George R.R. Martins works. Unbelievable, I know, unforgivable, I also know that.
But through NetGalley I found the chance to be introduced to this author's books from the eyes of people that know what to say when it comes to writing fantasy and perhaps give some light into my unforgiving "ignorance" on this great author's books.

"Beyond the Wall" was elaborated by James Lowder and had the participation of people that are master...more I'm a fantasy lover but my biggest sin is to not yet have read any of George R.R. Martins works. Unbelievable, I know, unforgivable, I also know that.
But through NetGalley I found the chance to be introduced to this author's books from the eyes of people that know what to say when it comes to writing fantasy and perhaps give some light into my unforgiving "ignorance" on this great author's books.

"Beyond the Wall" was elaborated by James Lowder and had the participation of people that are master at what they do, they are for us, that always want to know more, light in a dark room.
It's divided into various parts and each of them is written by one person. I don't really know what I was expecting but I got positively impressed.

From R.A. Salvatore comes Foreword, with an easy speech the words analyze the question that is frequently asked, why fantasy and what are the various opinions of who defend that fantasy is just fantasy or the ones like me defend that fantasy is food for the mind.
One phrase striked out to me to be the reason that I love fantasy so much and like other fantasy authors, George R.R. Martin tells stories that feel "like we were sitting around a campfire on a dark winter's night, whispering of adventure.".

Following comes one of my favorite explanations for the success of this author, the Romanticism that we catch in so many parts and chapters, that leaves us wanting more and coming back to the nostalgia of the old days and the old ways.

This book definitely takes off the legend of George R.R. Martin being cataloged as a genre.
His definition has an author is so much more than a literary genre, he is one of a kind and in his works the fantasy genre takes on a much higher level of fantasy.

"Beyond the Wall" is a must in criticism, understanding and analyses, on the various roads that Mr. Martins works and adaptations take.
For people like me that have missed his books, it was an unique opportunity to understand and be prepared for the reading of such an important work of fantasy and I'm glad that I had this opportunity.

The book has the collaboration of various people that write in an understanding, clear way, where knowledge and simplicity is the word.
I'd recommend it to everyone and anyone that has read George R.R. Martin's works and to those like me that are only starting the fantasy. (less)

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Jun 07, 2012 Peter rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads

This is a must have for ASOIAF fans, and even aspiring authors.

This book is a series of essays exploring various aspects of ASOIAF. Written by mostly authors, bloggers and dedicated fanboys. The book hits ASOIAF from pretty much every angle, and will have you looking at the world, the history, and it's characters in new or different ways

Some of the highlights

Author Daniel Abraham's essay on the transition of the series to a graphic novel was fascinating. I found his chapter to be full of informa...more

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Jun 23, 2012 Shiloh (SnarkyWriter) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: academic, fantasy, medieval, mythology, pop-culture, non-fiction

I don't usually read collections of essays like this straight through. I really don't do it in only a couple of sittings. But this collection is brilliant, with incisive analysis and thoughtful explorations of the characters and themes in A Song of Ice and Fire. The essays are not written in academese, so they're easy to read and understand. Even if I didn't always agree with the conclusions the essayists came to, I always had to respect the way they got there and the thought process they showed...more

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Apr 18, 2013 Joana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-or-egalley, epic-fantasy, read-2013

"We read fantasy to find the colors again, I think. To taste strong spices and hear the songs the sirens sang. There is something old and true in fantasy that speaks to something deep within us, to the child who dreamt that one day he would hunt the forests of the night, and feast beneath the hollow hills, and find a love to last forever somewhere south of Oz and north of Shangri-La."

This book is an insightful look in the world created by George R.R. Martin in the A Song of Ice and Fire seri...more

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Jun 29, 2012 the golden witch. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook, net-galley, 2012, anthology, fantasy, wishlist, non-fiction, reviewed, religion-what, best-of-12

When it comes to series I love, I love reading any kind of scholarly (or even pseudo-scholarly) discourse and discussion on it. George R R Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” has long warranted at least one kind of anthology with essays about the series, and I’m happy to say that Ben Bella books has really done fans a solid by releasing this gem of a book. “Beyond the Wall” isn’t just useful for fans, but for aspiring authors, as well (regardless if you’re writing fantasy or contemporary). Whether...more When it comes to series I love, I love reading any kind of scholarly (or even pseudo-scholarly) discourse and discussion on it. George R R Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” has long warranted at least one kind of anthology with essays about the series, and I’m happy to say that Ben Bella books has really done fans a solid by releasing this gem of a book. “Beyond the Wall” isn’t just useful for fans, but for aspiring authors, as well (regardless if you’re writing fantasy or contemporary). Whether you’re a casual or a die hard fan of the series, or if you’re just getting into “ASOIAF”, “Beyond the Wall” is definitely a must read for you.

There are quite a few awesome essays in this book – covering everything from magic to politics, sexism and sexual violence to religion, how fantasy series compare, and more. The authors for each essay make the language of their work very easy to access so that you don’t have to be in academia to understand what they’re saying or the argument they’re making. They lay out their points very clearly, and use the text of the book (and interviews with the author) to back up what they’re saying. Reading something like this is a joy because of the ease in which you can just dive in and really kind of get into the conversation about some of the long-argued areas (both controversial and not) that the fans have been talking about for the last 15 years.

I think, though, my favorite essays are the ones by Alyssa Rosenberg (“On Men & Monsters” – on the controversial ‘rape culture’ within ‘ASOIAF’), Susan Vaught (“The Brutal Cost of Redemption in Westeros” – on how ‘ASOIAF’ can be seen as a series of tales of redemption and moral ambiguity), Myke Cole (“Art Imitates War” – on PTSD within the series), Jesse Scoble (“A Sword Without a Hilt” – on magic within the series), and Ned Vizzini (“Beyond the Ghetto” – how GRRM’s work transcends genres). These five essays are my favorite because each author really hits the nail on the head for all of their arguments, and gives some really brilliant examples within their discourse from the actual text. If you’re just going to skim a few essays from this anthology, make it these five – they cover all of the hotly contested areas of the series, as well as go into places I hadn’t even thought about in terms of symbolism, foreshadowing, and how time flows within the books. If you’re a fan, you really need to read this book as it’ll definitely illuminate things you had brewing in your head or things you’d noticed subconsciously when reading.

I really hope this is just the first of many books to come on this series, if we’re going to get more of the same brilliant essays that we were given in this book. We all know that there are a lot more arguments to make about and within the “ASOIAF” series, so here’s hoping that this is just the first one. And bravo to Ben Bella books for releasing it first – they tend to release some absolutely awesome essay collections on some of my favorite TV shows and books with high-quality academic-type of discourse on each topic.

“Beyond the Wall” is now available from Ben Bella books in North America, so be sure to check it out! It was an absolute treat to read, and perfect for that in between TV season and book wait for the series.

(posted to goodreads, shelfari, and birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com)(less)

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May 24, 2012 Lindsay rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley.

Being a huge fan of both the Song of Ice and Fire series and literary analysis, I was very excited about the existence of this book. I blew through it in a couple days and loved each and every essay, and I hope to find other interpretive works on the series, both as it is and as the future volumes are added. A must-have for hardcore fans of the books.

For brief summaries of some of the essays, check out my review on my blog

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Sep 15, 2012 Katia added it · review of another edition

So far, so good. I'm on the middle of it and it opened my eyes so much wider. Beyond its own conclusions even. And I think that is precisely the point. Period. Seeing everything with new eyes and open mind. This people elaborate over thousands of pages seeking for answers or explaining what they love about this saga, studying it for almost every angle, how it fits with the real world and so, how reliable it is. The characters became real people through the eyes of the contributors and the reader...more

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Jun 21, 2012 pip rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

a brilliant collection of essays centering around G. R. R. Martin's 'A Sing of Ice and Fire,' series and exploring various facets of the epic fantasy world and complex characters he has created...i especially found the exposition on the character of Petyr Balish and the study of feminism as it relates to the series particularly fascinating...

the inclusion, at the end of the book, on the subjects of collecting editions and genre wars, read very dry to me, but other than that, i found myself unabl...more

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Aug 08, 2012 Meredith rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, fantasy, magic, mythology, nonfiction

Originally posted on The Librarian Next Door:

Since the first novel was published in 1996, George R.R. Martin’s epic fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire (better known by the name of the first novel, A Game of Thrones) has captivated thousands of readers, many of whom vowed a dislike of fantasy novels until they read Martin’s work. Originally a trilogy, the series has expanded twice – first to five novels, and currently to seven (as of today, anyway). With more than 15 million copies published...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Becca rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

*WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD*
I just couldn’t write this review without some spoilers (so if you haven’t finished the series so far please stop reading right here, right now!).

What a treat this book is for any George R. R. Martin fan who loves to delve deep into the story and engage in discussions regarding the series, explore deep into the characters’ minds, analyses the plot closely and read interesting theories. This rich collection was an absolute pleasure to read, a collection brimming with the m...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Amanda (Pearl the Book Girl) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-release, anthology, fantasy, june, egalley, own, on-the-kindle, bir-2012

I am a huge fan of the Song of Ice and Fire series. I think it's absolutely brilliant and by far the best epic fantasy I have ever read. The characters are complex and they live in a rich world with long running history, religions, and cultures (not to mention some fantastic geography, the backbone of any good fantasy in my opinion). I love discussing the different themes and events that occur in the series so I was very interested in this collection of essays about the popular series. However,...more

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Sep 18, 2012 Ami Kismet rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a really fun and interesting read, but I can't help but feel that some of the essays could have gone a little deeper in their analysis. This could very well be because the series itself is not finished and Martin defies what readers expect at every turn. It was a fun quick read though that allowed me to spend some more time in Martin's world. I am sure once the series is completed, there will be more variety and deeper explorations such as this book. As it is, check it out. Gives new pe...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Nicki Markus rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a great book for any fan of Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series. The essays are all varied and interesting and several show great insight into the characters and situations in the series so far. It was enjoyable to see how the views of others compared to my own, particularly in regards to characters and motivations. Two of my favourite essays were on gender and power as shown in the books and also a great study of Littlefinger as a psychopath.

Any fans of the series will find this a wort...more

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Aug 04, 2012 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Beyond the Wall is a good educational companion to George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. It's a compilation of different essays written about different subject matters relating to the books. I personally found R.A. Salvatore's foreward fascinating, as well as, Alyssa Rosenberg's essay about the sexual politics in the series. I also found the Westeros.org founders' essay about romanticism really interesting and talked about it with my husband (who has also read the books). The essay...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Ryan Curry rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was absolutely incredible. Thoroughly enjoyed all of the articles. Particularly the one about collecting the song of ice and fire, touched a special place in my heart. Also loved how intense the final essayist got about the "genre war" and how fantasy is finally starting to come into its own! All in all, i loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who has finished the series up to date!

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About James Lowder

aka Richard Awlinson, J D Lowder

James Lowder has worked extensively in fantasy and horror fiction on both sides of the editorial blotter. He's authored several best-selling dark fantasy novels and has had short fiction appear in such anthologies as Shadows Over Baker Street and The Repentant. He's penned comic book scripts for several companies and the city of Boston. His book and film reviews, fe...more

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Books by James Lowder

Knight of the Black Rose (Ravenloft, #2)

Realms of Valor (Forgotten Realms: Anthologies, #1)

Realms of Infamy (Forgotten Realms: Anthologies, #2)

The Ring of Winter (Forgotten Realms: The Harpers, #5)

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