George R.R. Martin blames “anti-fans” on social media for the “rational discourse” around films and television shows ending.
The Game of Thrones author recently opened up in a post on his blog about what a “nightmare” last year was for him, both “professionally and personally.” He also admitted that he feels “so far 2024 looks to be even worse.”
While Martin said he tries to “take solace where I can. In chocolate thrones, if nowhere else, in books, in films and television shows,” he added that even “toxicity is growing” in those areas thanks to the era of social media.
“It used to be fun talking about our favorite books and films, and having spirited debates with fans who saw things different… but somehow in this age of social media, it is no longer enough to say ‘I did not like book X or film Y, and here’s why,’” he explained. “Now social media is ruled by anti-fans who would rather talk about the stuff they hate than the stuff they love, and delight in dancing on the graves of anyone whose film has flopped.”
Martin wrote the Song of Ice and Fire book series, which is what HBO’s Emmy-winning show Game of Thrones is based on. The author is also the co-creator and executive producer of the Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon.
He wrote on his blog in December that season two of the series has wrapped filming and is set to premiere this summer. Though HBO hasn’t renewed House of the Dragon for another season yet, Martin also shared at the end of last year that he “spent two days locked in a room with [showrunner] Ryan Condal and his writing staff” to talk “about the third and fourth seasons of House of the Dragon.”