I don’t think that’s an entirely fair reading of George, he’s a big admirer of Tolkien and LOtR, he just said he’s more interested in the messier parts of history like politics. I don’t think he’s ever said that he’s superior to Tolkien, he’s just interested in different aspects of fantasy. I will agree that he’s a lazy, unfocused fuck who’s gotten increasingly high off of his own supply lately.
LotR and GoT are so fundamentally different that you can't even compare them. Tolkien wanted to create a folk saga like Nibelungen. A Song of Ice and Fire is a low fantasy drama purely for entertainment.
Even the LotR movies are still miles above GoT despite already being reduced to mostly entertainment fantasy compared to the books which is why Tolkiens son absolutely fucking hated them.
I don’t think that’s an entirely fair reading of George, he’s a big admirer of Tolkien and LOtR, he just said he’s more interested in the messier parts of history like politics. I don’t think he’s ever said that he’s superior to Tolkien, he’s just interested in different aspects of fantasy. I will agree that he’s a lazy, unfocused fuck who’s gotten increasingly high off of his own supply lately.
LotR and GoT are so fundamentally different that you can't even compare them. Tolkien wanted to create a folk saga like Nibelungen. A Song of Ice and Fire is a low fantasy drama purely for entertainment.
Even the LotR movies are still miles above GoT despite already being reduced to mostly entertainment fantasy compared to the books which is why Tolkiens son absolutely fucking hated them.