#The real war of thrones update
#The real war of thrones series
#The real war of thrones tv

High fantasy fans are so used to almost exclusively white stories, it can be really hard to shift our mindset about race.

#The real war of thrones series

Game Of Thrones is regularly praised for its “gritty realism” despite the fact that Westeros is probably far more violent than real-life medieval Europe (as Medievalpoc points out in this excellent essay), So why couldn’t another high fantasy series offer that same pseudo-realistic feel while being a little more diverse? The real-life War of the Roses (an oft-cited inspiration for the series) stretched over 30 years, but Martin selected the best bits and crammed them into just a few years to make his show more exciting. Meanwhile, actress Nathalie Emmanuel-who plays one of the few characters of color on the series- told The Telegraph: “We’re dealing with a fantasy world in an almost Medieval setting, set around a fantasy version of the British isles, where history tells us that a queen would have been white, generally.” Martin later wrote that “Westeros around 300 AC is nowhere near as diverse as 21st century America, of course,” seeming to forget that he created Westeros wholesale.Īdmittedly, this method would require a good deal of historical cherry picking, but historical cherry picking is what makes Games Of Thrones so compelling in the first place. There weren’t a lot of Asians in Yorkish England either.” Martin wrote on his blog: “Well, Westeros is the fantasy analogue of the British Isles in its world, so it is a long, long way from the Asia analogue. For example, when asked why his series has a handful of black characters but no Asian ones, author George R.R. This is also generally how the show’s cast and crew have responded to questions about the show’s diversity. The answer probably seems painfully obvious, at least if you’re a defender of the show: The world of Westeros is modeled after medieval England, so it would be inaccurate to have an ethnically diverse set of ruling families. Because in the English game of Thrones, you either win….Here’s a question for Game Of Thrones fans: Why aren’t the Lannisters black? The stories within are as strange and wonderful as any in fiction. I hope you’ll enjoy these books as much as I did. Henry VIII and his collection of wives are here, but did you know that Henry’s great-grandfather was a household servant who secretly married a princess? During their spare time, the Tudors created a measure of stability in England, and laid the earliest groundwork for the modern world….

#The real war of thrones tv

It’s easy to see why George RR Martin cited this period as one his inspirations for Game of Thrones!įinally, “Tudor” by Leanda DeLisle gives us a guided tour of the intrigue, scandal, spycraft and war that make the Tudor monarchs so fascinating (and the subject of their own TV show). Battles, murder, and accusations of incest and adultery abound in a family feud for the ages.

cousin” war as England’s elite tear each other apart for the throne. “The Wars of the Roses” is by the same author, Dan Jones, and essentially picks up where “The Plantagenets” ends.

Watch Henry II’s four sons fight against their father–and each other! “The Plantagenets” introduces us to England’s most dysfunctional ruling family. They’re smart, modern, and read like novels, not textbooks. These three books are a great place to get your medieval intrigue fix. Fortunately, there are plenty of stories in history just as intriguing, juicy and fun to read about, even if the only dragons are on flags.

#The real war of thrones update

If you’re like me, you’ve grown more than impatient waiting for the next update in the “Game of Thrones” book series and TV show.