This is just about the best series I have ever read. It’s very dark and feels very real (for a Fantasy book). But I will not read another one of these books until the series is completed as I have been waiting for about 2 years for the next book and have forgotten some of the plots and characters. I will wait until the series if finished and start over. I would recommend this series above all others, but not until it is completed!

I never “claimed” to be a genius. I just like to read good books and dislike people that just don’t get it. But I disagree with your point. The Darkness of the books is what makes them great, maybe you should click on the top children’s book link if you want a to feel all warm and fuzzy inside. If these books don’t get you thinking about European history than your not thinking at all.

gawd.. the point with the whole iq thing was that u dont need any to it to understand these books..and 'right' coherent statements huh?

Saying your IQ is at "tops" doesn't mean anything. That means just as well that your IQ could be 100 at lowest. So you really said nothing at all advantageous to you. Good job Mr. 150. How insightful

A 150 IQ should at least help you right a coherent statement PB

I don't really care what the 'haters' have to say about George R. R. Martin's writing... I find it excellent. Excellent. Excellent. Excellent.

I agree, there are boring parts where the book seems to drag ooooon and oooon and ooooooooon... BUT most of the best fantasy books I've read HAVE that quality-- and those bits actually help to build up characters by a great deal.

Sometimes it seems harsh when GRRM makes horrible things happen to main characters, but THAT'S what makes the series so unpredictable! I don't even see the POINT in picking up a novel where you can pretty much figure out the whole story after reading the first page.

The only thing I'm annoyed about is the WAIT. I've been waiting for the next book for a long time, and it's quite frustrating when the publishing date keeps getting repeatedly delayed.

I recommend any adult to read this series-- if you don't like it, well, I don't really care!

LOL is all i can say.. u hit the nail on the head with the fact that this series is dark.. and since when do we judge good fantasy by the fact that it is "dark" and "realistic".. the whole point of fantasy for me at least is that it should be exactly that-> a fantasy.. and dont give me that jargon about low iq seeing that my iq is easily top 150s and i dont like these books.. admittedly hes a good author but hes overlooked the fact that he should be writing fantasy not books which just weigh you down.. darkness i get everyday.. need some fantasy more than reality

I ravenously devoured the first three volumes of this series but the fourth one was a severe dissappointment. I was, as some others were, frustrated at the absence of almost all of the most interesting characters (i.e. Jon Snow, Tyrion & Danaerys). Also, it's been so long between books and with Martin waffling on when it will be done (and you can see from his website he's doing all kinds of other things INSTEAD of working on the next Ice and Fire book). If you told me book 5 would come out tomorrow I'm not sure I would care.

...Or I should say, that I have read. Admittedly, I haven't read every author on this list. However, I have read extensively, including a great majority of all the 'classic' literature referenced in some of the preceeding posts. And I must say that Martin understands nuance better than any other modern author. Perhaps as much as any author in history.

Honestly, the series has its flaws, but given the scope and expanse of the story, its quite remarkable. I don't doubt that many people fail to understand what Martin has accomplished with this series. And as a matter of taste, of course many instinctively detest it. This is no surprise, given our society's love of 42 minute intervals of extreme violence, interrupted intermittenly by drivel and "comedy" aimed at the sub-90 IQ audience that drives network television programming. And don't forget a dose of erectile fuction remedies being pitched during the breaks in your 'entertainment'.

I find the argument that the series is somehow "pornographic", or not suitable on the grounds of content, to be particularly stupid. The books do a fantastic job of illuminating just how evil some people can be. And also that most people have a dark side. The most intriguing character in that regard is Jaime Lannister, who encapsulates on a very human level the eternal struggle between good and evil, as well as how the perception of others necessarily shapes the options available to each of us within the boundaries which society sets.

The scope of this story is as wide as can be, for a reason. It is an ambitious tale! Its a tale of people, of society. Of leaders and followers. Of winners and losers. Of existence. It offers insight as to how things come to happen, from familial conflicts to local issues to national crises. Those who miss the obvious analogies to war, subterfuge, economic breakdown, political unrest and misplaced loyalty here in our own times are totally blind. As for incest, rape and the exploitation of children, we have to look no further than Haiti with the violence and newly developing problem of child trafficking. Yes, it is terrible. Sometimes, its hard to read, to be sure. However, feel free to put the book down at any time and go watch t.v., maybe that will be black and white enough for your liking.

Then again, this world isn't black and white, much as ours isn't. Perhaps you would prefer a Disney-esque tale, in which the subject of the next installment of animated story propaganda will involve Native Americans and the European settlers? The tomahawks will no doubt be used to chop firewood in an effort to help, and reciprocation will come in the form of some nice, clean, warm blankets. blech!

If its too long, then don't bother with War and Peace, Moby Dick, and certainly not the Illiad and the Odyssey. Nor Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Paradise Lost, or even the Bible. You probably wouldn't enjoy the subject matter there either.

A great writer. Plots whithin plots and stories whithin stories. You can feel, taste, and smell the surroundings.
However, for me, I found the depth tended to drag at times. I also wanted a little more in terms of action and fantasy.

I decided to give the fantasy genre a try with this series because of the high praise it has received here and elsewhere, but, sadly, that was a mistake and a waste of my time--a lot of my time. I barely managed to finish the first book and I have absolutely no desire to continue on. Martin has been touted as a great author, but he is not. It seems to me that he got lost in his own little world and forgot to actually put a story into the book at all. The fact that it drags on and on with no real development is the sign of a weak author, one who cannot control and direct the yarn as it unravels.

You know, it's funny because the whole idea of "genres" in bookstores exist only to entice people into buying books that aren't actually good. There are far more "fantasy" books out there that far, far transcend anything on this list, but they would never be compared to books on this list because they are considered great works of literature, not just fantasy. These books are only great books of the fantasy genre, nothing more. The only series on this list that could come close to being considered great literature is LOTR, and that is still debated. Martin does not deserve that kind of praise. A Game of Thrones is nothing more than a dime novel--800 pages worth of pointless subplots and plot twists that are about as absurd as the twists and turns of the show Lost. I cannot imagine myself slogging through a half dozen more of the same bland, meandering plot. Any novel of that length must be truly great in order to be worth reading, such as Les Miserables or Moby-Dick, not Martin's trash.

Examples of real "fantasy" books that stand far apart from anything on this list, except perhaps LOTR: The Arabian Nights, The Odyssey and the Iliad, Dante's Inferno, Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift, The Metamorphoses by Ovid, The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, Animal Farm by George Orwell, and The Giver by Lois Lowry, just to name a few that I can recall reading. These books have stood the test of time, and will continue to do so, because they are powerful and profound stories. Martin has plot twists and ambiguous characters and all the other hallmarks of modern writing, but that is not enough to be remembered; that requires a story that truly invigorates you, or makes you question the very core of yourself. Martin achieves no such vista. I only recommend reading this if you want to kill a lot of time and you don't mind foregoing the chance of reading real literature during the weeks it will take you to kill off these massive tomes.

Well met Tom. That is because Fantasy has this stigma that only young kids and dorks read it. Upon closer examination I think the entire genre is more adult than most people realize. Add to that the new type of fantasy of which you spoke, and the grittiness of it is a stark contrast to the old gaily lit scenes of the shire folk. Happiness and dancing and beauty are now only rewards for the unwilling hero and only if he can find a way to set aside his/her own pettiness and greed. The Anti-Hero is the new Lord and his rings are made of steel and iron.

One more thing for those of you that think Gemmell is better you’re a little off. Legend was a great book until he just ended it to end it. His writing style is exciting at times but also very predictable. He probably should be on the list but who to kick off? I would bet that most of uses haven’t read all 25 authors

Ice and Fire is definitely one of the best series of all time. It’s more historical Fantasy than anything else. But to call it Pornographic is just plain stupid. All you have to do is just look back at the history of medieval England and you will find Murder, Rapes and pillaging. It’s just a little dose of reality in your little Fantasy bubble. Martin destroys the romantic view that some people have about Fantasy and throws it right in your face that’s why it’s upsetting to some. If you people don’t believe me compare a map of England and Westeros and tell me I’m wrong. There is even a wall at the north of the continent to keep the wildlings (Scottish) out. Also read a little on the War of the Roses and compare the feuding families with the Starks, Tully’s and Lannisters.
One last thing 5 years between books sucks. Martin should stop trying to create an unnecessary back story and get on with finishing the series!

This has potential to be my top series. It's vibrant and gritty, has great twists, and complex characters. The world building is well done, and the point of view narrative style from multiple characters gives it a great dynamic and depth. And I love how he writes about heraldry- it is done very skillfully, and helps give the series that "special something" for me. I also recommend his short stories about the "Hedge Knight".

BUT

While the third Book was amazing (the best of the series in my opinion), book 4 was sub-par. And there is no reasonable excuse for the delay. Supposedly book 4 was published because it was too long, so he split it down the middle with only half of the characters. Book 5 was going to be published a year later with the other characters (who just so happen to be my favorites). If that is the case, why so long a delay? He made it sound as if it was practically already written, and justified the character/chapter book split as a publishing technicality. Years have passed, and still no John Snow, or the Imp.

For fans/readers of The Wheel of Time series, there is perhaps a cold feeling beginning to creep in. While the early books were excellent, I am beginning to loose faith in their creator. After all, this is an EPIC - long, and open ended. As other posters have said, there is no guarantee that it will finish as good as it started, and the signs are there that it may well not.

However he is good. Really good, and even if it disappoints a bit, I think it will still be pretty good, and I would be surprised if it fails as hard as WOT did (though to be fair, maybe WOT is being saved as we speak). Maybe he’s taking forever to make it live up to it’s potential. I sure hope so, because if it does then I think it is in contention for best Fantasy.

To the potential reader I recommend it for sure. You are in for a great read. It is adult material as previously stated – no it’s not porno as others alluded, but very dark, erotic at times, and has it's share of graphic atrocities. If you can handle it, go for it. Don’t worry about people getting killed off – it’s part of what makes it so damn good (I would never have spoiled that as such, but if you’re reading this list, the damage has already been done). But I must temper the recommendation, because Mr. Martin is really making it hard to feel confident about things right now. If the 5th book is as good as the 3rd, I will have renewed faith!