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TL;DR:

  • Audiences are comparing fantasy series House of the Dragon and The Rings of Power.
  • George R.R. Martin claims the rivalry between the shows “mostly exists in the media.”
  • The Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings prequels can and should co-exist.
George R.R. Martin, who addressed the rivalry between 'House of the Dragon' and 'The Rings of Power.' He's wearing a grey hat, black suit, and pin on his left side.
George R.R. Martin | Rich Polk/Getty Images for IMDb

The fall 2022 television season is a great time for fantasy fans, as both House of the Dragon and The Rings of Power made their debuts. Because they’re running at the same time, the two shows have been compared relentlessly. But according to author George R.R. Martin, the intense rivalry between them “mostly exists in the media.”

‘House of the Dragon’ and ‘The Rings of Power’ comparisons are rampant online

HBO’s House of the Dragon and Amazon’s The Rings of Power premiered within a week of one another, and the two fantasy series have faced rampant comparisons online. That’s not entirely surprising. After all, they’re both big-budget shows set in worlds viewers already know and love.

Of course, Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings are vastly different franchises. The world of Westeros is far more brutal than J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth, and the latter boasts more traditional tropes and archetypes than George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire.

Needless to say, both franchises are unique in their own ways. And George R.R. Martin knows that. In fact, the author feels their rivalry is a bit overstated.

George R.R. Martin says the rivalry between shows ‘mostly exists in the media’

Although fans seem insistent on comparing House of the Dragon to The Rings of Power, author George R.R. Martin doesn’t view the shows as competitors. In fact, in a post on his Not a Blog, he claimed that their rivalry “mostly exists in the media.”

Reiterating what he said in an interview with The Independent, Martin went on to wish for more successful fantasy series. A fan of the genre himself, he wants The Rings of Power to succeed — along with all the other shows delving into the fantastical:

“I am a fantasy fan, and I want more fantasy on television, and nothing would accomplish that more than a couple of big hits. THE WITCHER, SHADOW & BONE, WHEEL OF TIME… and THE SANDMAN, a glorious adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s groundbreaking comic series… those are a good start, but I want more.”

Those enjoying House of the Dragon and Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series will no doubt agree with his sentiment. After all, high-quality fantasy shows weren’t easy to find before Game of Thrones. Now, fans of the genre have plenty of stories to fall into. Why should they be forced to choose just one?

‘House of the Dragon’ and ‘The Rings of Power’ can and should co-exist

Related

George R.R. Martin Wants HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’ Universe to Have ‘Variety’ Like Marvel

There’s no denying that Game of Thrones’ success paved the way for series like House of the Dragon and The Rings of Power to thrive, and viewers should be thankful that both shows currently exist. Not long ago, so many fantasy series airing at once would have been unimaginable. Now, fans have options — and the success of the current fare could lead to even more in the future.

As mentioned earlier, the two series elicit very different feelings. Because of that, their audiences may not overlap as much as the media seems to think. And even viewers who do watch both should be able to enjoy the things that set them apart rather than dwell on them. After all, playing the same stories over and over would no doubt get boring. At least now fantasy lovers have a bit of variety in their content.

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