House of the Dragon: George RR Martin complains about anti-fans of ‘Star Wars’, ‘Star Trek’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’

George RR Martin is not only the creator of “Game of Thrones” and therefore also of “House of the Dragon”, he has also been a passionate fan of science fiction and fantasy stories for decades. Martin is even more bothered by the fact that fan culture has changed significantly in recent years and has become more and more negative.

In an interview with The Independent during the Santa Fe Literary Festival, Martin compared Internet discussions of the Amazon series “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” to World War II. But Martin is also encountering more and more controversies with other franchises.

It used to be that if you were a Star Trek fan, you liked Star Trek. Now it seems like half the people who call themselves “Star Trek” fans hate “Star Trek,” and the “Star Wars” fans hate “Star Wars,” and the Tolkien fans hate “The “Rings of Power”. What the hell? Maybe it’s because something is changing, but as a writer you’d go crazy if you didn’t change something. You want to tell new stories and not the same stories over and over again.

George RR Martin

In a recent blog entry, Martin followed up. In a long text that mainly deals with the numerous problems around the world, Martin also spoke of the fact that in the past, at least films and series could provide a little distraction and peace of mind, but now no longer:

Well, I take comfort where I can. […] In books. In movies and TV shows…although even there the toxicity is increasing. It used to be fun to talk about our favorite books and movies and have spirited debates with fans who disagree… but somehow, in the age of social media, it’s no longer enough to say, “I liked book X or film Y doesn’t, and here’s why.” Now social media is dominated by anti-fans who would rather talk about what they hate than what they love and who dance with joy on the graves of those whose film was a flop.

George RR Martin

Satisfied fans are in short supply

It is not without reason that Martin criticizes the fact that many “fans” now hardly care about some film series or series. Different opinions are not a problem and fans don’t have to like everything that is published from their favorite franchise, but more and more often it seems as if they are specifically looking for errors and problems.

This may be because the exchange with other fans takes place to a much greater extent today than in George RR Martin’s youth. Well-thought-out fan theories quickly emerge on the Internet, which are then considered the correct and only acceptable solution. When the next movie or season goes in a different direction, fans are upset and don’t recognize this official version.

On the other hand, you also have to remember that the fans who complain, praise or discuss on the Internet are just the tip of the iceberg. A large part of the audience continues to enjoy new releases from “Star Wars”, “Star Trek” or “The Lord of the Rings” without subsequently sharing their own opinions on the Internet.

Martin, whose “Game of Thrones” books were mostly praised, is probably worried, after all, HBO’s series adaptation of the same name continued to fall in favor with fans and Martin still has two “Game of Thrones” novels to publish himself. Can he now expect significantly sharper feedback?

However, “Game of Thrones” fans will next turn their attention to “House of the Dragon” season 2, which awaits us in summer 2024. And who knows, maybe “House of The Dragon” will already be in its 3rd or 4th season when “The Winds of Winter”, the 6th “Game of Thrones” book that Martin has been writing since 2011, finally appears .