This month APOIAF will be reviewing the Beyond the Wall book during one of our episodes: http://www.smartpopbooks.com/book/beyond-the-wall.

We were sent advanced copies and I have to say it has been an interesting read. We will also be having some of the authors (from our favourite articles) guest hosting with us during our ongoing A Clash of Kings chapter reread.

awesome! damnit, I wish I had time to read it through first

Sounds very interesting, awesome that you start to have benefit from your dedication (in comparison to the Maesters Path). But how will you approach that? You have read it, the writers (presumably Linda and Elio) know what they have written - but we, the listeners, don't know he essays.

Will you do it in a spoiler-free or other way?

Well the guests hosts will be joining us after the book is released, so technically you could read the particular article before hand. Or listening to the podcast discussion may inspire you to check out the relevant article. I am not sure yet what format we will do and how much will be dedicated to article discussion vs having the guest host join in on the 2 chapter reread.

Here are the articles in the book (listed at the linked website I posted above):

oh! thanks, i'll check em out soon enough then.

Already have the book pre-ordered from Amazon, so I'm looking forward to this.

My copy just came in the mail. Looking forward to diving into this before the podcast reviews it!

The initial reaction I have from just glimpsing at the table of contents and such is that this will be an intriguing read.

Wow, Barnes & Noble isn't even shipping it 'til the 26th. Jealous!

Just ordered my copy. Looking forward to reading it and the podcast discussion.

definitely a thought-provoking read thus far.

I agree wholeheartedly with Mimi here. I'm only about half-way through, and all of the different chapters/essays convey GRRM's world in a different light.

All in all, it feels as if I'm reading a succession of essays from Tower of the Hand, and that's just fine with me.

Oh wow. If you guys could get Alyssa Rosenberg as a guest host I might just have a stroke. She's my pop-culture hero.

We will very likely have Alyssa Rosenberg as a guest host. If you have any comments or suggested questions for that episode, feel free to let us know here.

So I did my own review of the book in lieu of the upcoming podcast episode.



I'm really looking forward to how the podcast crew interpreted the essays and if they agree with what was presented in text.

Sadly this isn't released on UK kindle until the 26th. Will definitely check out the podcast once ive read it.Not sure a spoiler free ep is needed for a critical essay collection as opposed to source material.

Isn't there a book coming out this summer with a lot of new maps and timelines in it? Is this that book?

Based off of pheonix's video, it sounds like this book talks a lot about some of the more serious and less off topic discussions that we have on these forums.

Wow, I love Alyssa Rosenberg's stuff. I'm excited to download the book next week and listen to the podcast!

Just ordered it. I just finished my ADWD re-read, so hopefully this will help with my withdrawal.

If you or anyone have some general questions for Alyssa in relation to her ASOIAF/GOT articles, feel free to suggest them here (and soon).

How soon do you record? Just downloading my kindle edition

Here's my question: Alyssa argues eloquently that Westerosi society is somehow corrupted by its complicity in sexual violence, eg its tolerance of the useful brutality of The Hound. But she also speaks of the obstacles Dany faces in reforming sexual mores. Does Alyssa feel that Dany's reforming spirit is anachronistic and therefore non credible in the world of ASOIAF? Does Alyssa feel that reform is even possible in the world of ASOIAF? Has Dany decided that that is the case by the end of Dance?

While I haven't read her essay, Alyssa spoke on this subject briefly on the most recent Boiled Leather Audio Hour and I got the sense that she was of a mind that Daenerys' attempts at reform were both anachronistic and in some ways hypocritical. In her eyes, it isn't right for political hierarchies to maintain if they aren't justified, but she still believes that she has every right to rule Westeros on birth alone.

As for Alyssa's idea of whether or not reform is possible, I wouldn't be comfortable speaking for her, but I know that she used Alys Karstark as a sort of foil for Daenerys in the way that she operates and as an example of a true reforming female character. Someone who was unwilling to accept a political marriage to a man she did not hold any affection for, instead marrying the Magnar of Thenn, leader to a Wildling state. This can be construed as a move for reform, as it had never been done previously and there was a very real sense that she had a say in this political decision, despite still working within the principles of Westerosi nobility. While the result hasn't been made clear yet, this method of reform while still conforming in some sense seems like it will be met with more success than Dany's blunt tactics.

I listened to the Boiled Leather podcast as well and I am just now reading Alyssa's essay -- I really enjoyed their discussion of Dany's sexual relationship with Daario, and how Dany's expression of sexual autonomy isn't necessarily antithetical to being a good ruler (whether or not she actually IS a good ruler is a different question).

I just see a LOT of hate against Dany in the fandom because she's gettin' her bone on -- is it just that everybody hates Daario, everybody hates Dany (now) because she's mucking things up in Meereen, or they just hate that she's having a hot, sexxxy time? If she wasn't boning Daario, would she REALLY be doing a better job of being a ruler? (I say no, but I'm one of those crazy people who liked AFFC/ADWD and thinks that the whole "endgame" of Dany riding her dragons triumphantly into Westeros and gettin' shit done is kind of beside the point. I like "worldbuilding" almost better than I like "holy shit crazy murdery plot twists". GASP!)

I would also love Alyssa to break down how each culture views rape and sexual assault -- especially the Wildlings, who IMO have one of the more liberated, "modern" views on sexuality and female agency related thereto (Ygritte likes sexytimes and she doesn't have to be married to do it!). How is this related to the generally more "democratic" way of doing things beyond the wall? Are the Wildlings really so wild?

While there are no doubt numerous opinions of why Dany's sexual relationship with Daario isn't favorable to many readers, I wouldn't say that they all necessitate a correlation with an opinion on whether or not she is a good ruler. I know many people that quite like Dany and just think that she's too good for Daario. Other's believe that their relationship slows down the story because she's too busy mooning over that golden tooth to make progress in the way that they would prefer. Not liking that particular relationship and the results of it doesn't mean that people think that she's a bad ruler. Only that she was making a specific poor decision in that relationship that could potentially affect other aspects of her life.

Are we too late?

I just downloaded the book but I have not yet read any of it, but I was struck by her dismissal of Tyrion as a raper in the BLAH podcast. Does she discuss ADwD Tyrion VI at all? If not I would like her to if/when you have her on.

Recording 8pm central/9pm eastern tonight. If you are around on skype (add us apoiaf) and send me a single message when you see us online (saying you are online and have a question for alyssa) then you might very well be pulled in to ask a question or two (no guarantees but thought that might be a cool option).

I just download the book today to read while I am O/S, looking forward to reading it and following along with the Podcast!

Awesome! Will try to be online,