HBO’s Iron Throne Vs. George R.R. Martin’s Iron Throne

I think it is safe to assume you are all aware by now of how much of a Game of Thrones freak I am. I was even lucky enough to get a picture of myself taken sitting on the Iron Throne the last time I went out to Las Vegas.

Well, I spotted this on Google news today (from Mashable.com) and thought it was an interesting perspective on how readers see characters, places, or objects in books versus the way the author envisions them.

The Iron Throne, as depicted in the series Game of Thrones, is a lot different than its inventor envisioned.

George R. R. Martin, the author of A Song of Ice and Fire on which Game of Thrones is based, wrote a blog post explaining how he sees the true Iron Throne:

“The HBO throne has become iconic. And well it might. It’s a terrific design, and it has served the show very well. (…) And yet, and yet… it’s still not right. It’s not the Iron Throne I see when I’m working on THE WINDS OF WINTER. It’s not the Iron Throne I want my readers to see. The way the throne is described in the books… HUGE, hulking, black and twisted, with the steep iron stairs in front, the high seat from which the king looks DOWN on everyone in the court… my throne is a hunched beast looming over the throne room, ugly and assymetric…”

To illustrate his idea, Martin posted a drawing from French artist Marc Simonetti. The image (pictured below) depicts a huge Iron Throne cast from thousands of swords, much bigger than the throne from the TV series, which is made of approximately 200 swords.

For those not familiar with the books or the series, the Iron Throne is the seat of kings in the Seven Kingdoms, the realm in which the events in the books take place.

Which Iron Throne do you prefer — the one in the TV series or the one in this picture? Share your opinions in the comments.

Image courtesy of Marc Simonetti

Article compliments of Stan Schroeder at Mashable.com