Did everybody see Tiger Beatdown's take on George R.R. Martin? (Hint: the "R" stands for Rape!)

Spoilery galore for the books.

Who recc'ed Imaginary Girls? Just finished it. Very enjoyable.

Thanks for that, David. I can't read the article at work (Category: Social Networking), but I've been looking for some info on the books. I just randomly discovered a copy of Game of Thrones in my barely-touched bookshelf that holds the jillion or so books I bought (at 4 or 5 for a dollar) when my fave used bookstore lost their lease a few years back. I've been wondering whether to read it - I'm not so into Huge Sweeping Fantasy, so I wasn't sure, despite the love expressed here. Your link looks like it might be helpful, especially since the title implies a certain-hot-button issue.

I think I probably recc'ed Imaginary Girls, Kat. I'm really looking forward to her new novel, too.

I am having a hard time putting Code Name Verity down (this is also Amy's doing). But tonight I am reading Glass Heart, because it just arrived!

Given what I had heard, I expected ASOIAF to be some huge rapefest, but, thankfully, it is not, at least in the first three books. That is, there is a fair amount of rape in the world, present and past, but there aren't a lot of rape scenes. It's mostly just talked about.

I'm not so into Huge Sweeping Fantasy, so I wasn't sure, despite the love expressed here.

I was the same until I got hooked.

Meh, I disagree pretty strongly with that reading of ASOIAF. But I guess that makes me one of those stupid fans that just can't listen or something.

There are MANY valid criticisms to make about GRRM (Orientalism out the wazoo is only the most obvious), but I hardly think it's useful to simply list every bad thing that happens to all the female characters, willfully misreading at least half of them, and then point and say SEE? SEXISM!

It's not like bad things happening to women isn't historically factual.

I think there are valid cases to be made that GRRM's portrayal of women is frequently sexist. I think most of the examples in this post are chosen not because they're good arguments but because they're easy rants. (And I'm not sure it's ever helpful to frame an argument as "I could make a good argument, but since you won't listen anyway, here's a really shitty argument with lots of capslock instead." Unless the real goal is click-baiting, in which case well done.)

I think there are valid cases to be made that GRRM's portrayal of women is frequently sexist.

Outline a few for me? That are better than her complaints.

Not a challenge just curious where you'd make the distinction.