Struggles for power make for some compelling television, as the success of HBO's "Game of Thrones" has demonstrated. Word on Fire Research Assistant, Jack Thornton, takes us on a spin through the fantasy world of Westeros, where vies for power can teach us a lot about our own shortcomings.
The beginning of April was a high point for many Americans and I’m not talking about April Fools jokes, although those are fun too (I guess). No, I’m referring to cable TV season premieres. All the big, famous TV shows that win awards and accolades kicked off their new seasons earlier this month. The biggest winner, by a landslide, has been HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” Its ratings have easily beaten out all other cable shows and have increased greatly over last season’s record high finale.
It is extremely popular and rapidly getting more so. Why?
Allow me to put my nerd pants on and give you a brief overview of the world contained within this show so you have some idea of what the heck I’m talking about. Don’t worry, I won’t reveal more than the basics so there are no spoilers here.
Most of the action happens within a land called Westeros—a place much like Tolkien’s Middle-earth except where wonders such as elves, goblins and dragons are accepted as real in Middle-earth, in Westeros they are seen as myths or, at best, extinct...
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