AIBU to be so angry to have just found out that 'Game Of Thrones' has not been completed yet?

Yeah, s'true, GRRM is very slow writer. They do say he has told the producers of the TV show what's going to happen in case he does peg it before he's done. Or if they overtake the books, which seems likely.

Link to Neil Gaiman's George RR Martin is not your bitch comment...

Oh that flaying stuff made me feel ill. He really was a particularly horrible chap.

@RatHammock

The sadistic flayer is Ramsay Snow/Bolton.

Ah, I was confusing Renly with Ramsey. I am definitely going to reread these as I think I probably missed a lot the first time round.

I don't think that Renly is particularly identified as being gay in the books, but he only has a bit part really. I think they added that in the series to add some more sexual tension (and include a bit of male totty to slightly balance the excessive tit scenes).

Not sure about red flags and Jamie, as he seems pretty trapped in that relationship, and Cercei is just as bad if not worse. In any case he can't get married as he is in the Kingsguard.

I thought that the series was done very well (so far I've not seen series 3 yet) apart from the gratuitous sex scenes which I found very grating. I have tried to avoid reading the books too close to watching it though because obviously they've left things out and made a few changes which I think would really jar. I have the DVDs with commentary so sometimes they explain the changes which is interesting.

You don't need to read all of Discworld in order (in fact, skip the first two (The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic) unless you are a fantasy nerd, as those were written as parodies of other fantasy epics and it was only towards the end of TLF that Pratchett seemed to realise that he could do something interesting of his own using this setting).

There's actually a diagram of possible approaches to reading order.

'So is Discworld really that good? It's so enormous I feel daunted. If I know absolutely nothing about it, where should I start?'

You have to think of Discworld being a bit like this
www.geometrycode.com/wp-content/uploads/img/sg/seed-of-life.png

Interlocking stories that create a whole.
Start with Guards Guards or Wyrd sisters.
Yes, for those of us that are DW fans, it is one of the most original, innovative and fantastically eccentric series ever written.

Oh god I'd forgotten about him throwing Bran from the tower. The Stark's really aren't the luckiest of families, are they?

Jaime is a strange character; his actions in the first books don't seem to marry with the man he becomes later on.

WRT Renly, am I thinking of the right person? The sadistic one?

The baratheons conquered the targaryens. Therefore Stannis is the rightful king unless Danaerys defeats him.

Jaime didn't force Cersei to abort Robert's child. All her own doing. He did throw Bran from the tower though.

Would still rather date him than Stannis. Scary scary man.

But, but, but he had sex with his SISTER! Poor old Brienne deserves better than that.

So is Discworld really that good? It's so enormous I feel daunted. If I know absolutely nothing about it, where should I start?

Ah but Brienne seems to be the thing that may redeem Jaime. I don't think he forced Cersei to abort Robert's child, I don't think she needed any encouragement at all to do that, she was intent on cuckolding him because of Lyanna.

Stannis is hilarious, he has an amazing dry wit and doesn't suffer fools at all. I want a series about Davos and Stannis' bromance.

Renly is gay? Wow, that went completely over my head. Jaime is dreadful, can you imagine what MN would say about a man who not only had sex with his twin sister but fathered three children with her? And forced her to abort her DH's child if I remember correctly. Red flags everywhere.

I can't stand Stannis, he's so wooden. Jon Snow is fab though, and Samwell, and Tyrion is my absolute fave.

Oh bugger it, I'm going to have to read them again now.

I'm surprised you'd not picked that up before you started to read them to be honest. There was a huge gap between 4 and 5, and a lot of complaining (hence the Gaiman article). The complaints weren't so much about the gap, but the misinformation, as George RR kept saying that the book was due out, Amazon had release dates covers etc and then nothing. Repeatedly. For years. It was very annoying. I really would not hold your breath, and the chances that books 6 and 7 will be published by 2015 I would have thought were slim to none.

Misery is a book by Stephen King that got made into a pretty good film. It's about a woman who basically kidnaps her favourite writer and makes him write his next book the way she wants.

I'd keep watching the tv series! It gets better and better.

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Renly is gay in the books. It's subtle but it's there.

And Brienne should end up with Jaime, not Tyrion. I'm afraid that by the end of ADWD I was not a big Tyrion fan at all.

Everything Stannis does just makes me love him more though!

I actually warn people whenever I recommend them as it gave me the rage too lol

It makes me excited to know he's still got more to write/imagine/decide

Yes. It is bloody frustrating. I have read The Hedge Knight, didn't realise he'd written some more of those (though I wish he'd stop doing backstories and ancient history and get on with the main story).

I reckon Tyrion's going to end up with Danaerys =D

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I read all 5 in one go and am now re-reading them as, having finally got around to watching the tv show, I totally didn't realise that Renly was gay... so I'm re-reading to see if that's actually a thing in the books or just something they decided to do for the sake of the telly!?

Thanks Marianne, I'll look them up. I also just finished GOT without realising the series wasn't finished and am bereft.

Does anyone else really want Tyrion to find a lovely girl and live happily ever after? Maybe he could get together with Brienne?