“These are just terrible”: Stephen King Couldn’t Tolerate One Fantasy Series That Sold 90 Million Copies – It’s Not Game of Thrones

SUMMARY

• Stephen King is known for his unbiased opinions about works of fantasy.
• King had some harsh words to say about Robert Jordan's novel series, The Wheel of Time.
• However, George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones novels impressed him greatly.

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There’s barely any horror fanatic who isn’t familiar with the name Stephen King. The renowned author with a high book-to-adaptation ratio is not only famed for his unique take on horror but also for his outspoken nature.

Image via Stephen King In His Own Words Featurette | YouTube

King has often gotten into controversies for his critique of other literary figures. However, he correctly predicted a trend that would go on to shape the future of two fantasy shows – Game of Thrones and The Wheel of Time.

Stephen King didn’t like The Wheel of Time

Robert Jordan’s novel series, The Wheel of Time, a 14-volume read, is quite popular among young adults and admirers of fantasy. Back in 2016, at The Kiva Auditorium in Albuquerque, King had a chat with George R.R. Martin, where he admitted his dislike for Jordan’s work.

The Wheel of Time| Amazon Prime

King said:

I had not read any of the Game of Thrones books. I had kind of, a thing, where I said to myself ‘You know, I probably don’t want to read these things because I tried to read Robert Jordan, and I couldn’t read any of those books’, and so I thought, probably ‘these are just terrible.’

The Wheel of Time was adapted into a series by Amazon Prime in 2021. And it’s safe to say, King’s feelings were reciprocated by the viewers, as the show generated mixed feelings at best.

George R.R. Martin’s books were a life savior for Stephen King

There’s a reason why Martin is one of the most beloved authors of the current generation, despite his slow writing speed. The world of Westeros completely sucks you into another dimension, with stories inspired by the reality that keeps them grounded.

A still from Game of Thrones| HBO Max

Stephen King, being an acclaimed connoisseur of dark fantasy himself, understands these nuances. He went on to praise Martin’s work,

I’ll try one of these fucking George Martin books and see if this thing is any good. It just carried me away. What I had not expected, the last thing I had expected from those books, is what page-turners they are. I just got lost. When I couldn’t sleep at night, I read the books, and then when I had to go and record this thing, I had the audio versions, and I’d plug in the CDs in the car. They saved my life man, so thank you.

King, at the time, was having trouble sleeping due to his chronic sciatica. And every night, he found himself wandering in the halls of The Red Keep and Winterfell, which distracted him from his pain. Hopefully, Martin will cure the fans of their pain as well by completing his ASOIAF series.

The Wheel of Time is streaming on Amazon Prime.

Game of Thrones can be streamed on HBO Max.

Written by Sayantan Choudhary

Articles Published: 100

Sayantan is an editor for FandomWire/Animated Times. He has previously worked with reputed websites like Wiki Of Thrones and Collider over the past 4 years, and is deeply passionate about TV shows, films, anime, gaming, and everything pop culture.