George R.R. Martin Talks Game of Thrones Season 8 Backlash

Game of Thrones season 8 ended last month, closing a fantasy series that has become a titan of popular culture. Like 24 and Lost before it, Game of Thrones was a series that left its fans drooling after every episode, eager to find out what happens next. Its success has even inspired HBO to produce a handful of spin-offs set within its intricate fictional universe.

But if you’re native to the cauldron of chaos that is the internet, you’ll know that the reactions to the show’s final season were…well, mixed. A considerable number of Game of Thrones fans took to social media and ranted furiously about how badly they thought the writers screwed it up. Inconsistent character development was a prime complaint amongst the outcry. Heck, a petition to remake Season 8 was even started.

But while it’s highly unlikely an eighth season remake will emerge, we at least have George R.R. Martin’s response to the feedback. The A Song of Fire and Ice author – whose multi-book series Game of Thrones is based on – appeared on Leonard Maltin’s Maltin’ on Movies podcast to discuss the TV series. On it, he lamented the harshness of the internet:

“The Internet is toxic in a way that the old fanzine culture and fandoms — comics fans, science fiction fans in those days – was not,” said Martin, “There were disagreements. There were feuds, but nothing like the madness that you see on the internet.”

But on a more positive note, Martin did take the time to discuss the work-in-progress Game of Thrones spin-off. He is working on the show with Jane Goldman and the pilot episode is currently in production. Yet, even despite this looming on the horizon, Martin doubts that it will have the same cultural impact the original show had.

The scale of ‘Game of Thrones’s’ success has — reaching all over the world and invading the culture to [such an extent] — it’s not something anyone could ever anticipate, not something I expect to ever experience again.

But given how popular culture takes unexpected turns, who knows?

What are your thoughts on Game of Thrones season 8? Will you watch the spin-off? Let us know in the comments below!