The Boiled Leather Audio Hour

Women of Westeros, Part IV: Margaery, Melisandre, and Lysa

BLAH 19 | Women of Westeros, Part IV: Margaery, Melisandre, and Lysa

sean@seantcollins.com (Sean T. Collins & Stefan Sasse) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:58:00 -0400

It’s a power-player episode of BLAH this time out, as our irregularly scheduled series on the women of Westeros tackles a trio who have little in common except their positions near the top of the power structure: Margaery Tyrell, Melisandre of Asshai, and Lysa Arryn. The combination was Stefan’s idea, and the result of the odd juxtaposition is a pretty diverse set of questions tackled over the course of the episode.

How do the differences and similarities between book-Margaery and show-Margaery stack up? How does Melisandre’s use of magic compliment or compromise what you might expect from a woman in her position in Westerosi society? What does Lysa tell us about the costs of the Westerosi gender system, and the limits of audience empathy? Let’s find out together, just you and us.

Women of Westeros Part III: Catelyn and Daenerys

BLAH 18 | Women of Westeros, Part III: Catelyn & Daenerys

sean@seantcollins.com (Sean T. Collins & Stefan Sasse) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 07:00:00 -0500

The mother of dragons squares off against/pairs up with the mother of direwolves in our new episode — the third installment in our irregularly scheduled series on the prominent female characters of A Song of Ice and Fire. Cat and Dany are interesting to talk about in tandem because more, perhaps, than any other characters, they draw strength from traditional female roles while in the process of subverting or expanding them. From their shared embrace of the mantle of motherhood to their shared perceived missteps with dashing, arrogant swordsmen to their divergent fortunes on the books’ TV adaptation, we tackle as much as we can about these pivotal characters.

And hey, if you like listening to us yak about A Song of Ice and Fire, and I should certainly hope you do if you’re reading this, please give a listen to our guest stint on the most recent episode of A Podcast of Ice and Fire. Stefan and I join regular hosts Amin, Ashley, and Kyle — plus unexpected guests Elio & Linda from Westeros.org — to play fast and loose with the most important questions you can ask about any fictional characters: who’d beat whom in a fight, and whom you’d most like to have sex with. Consider it BLAH 17.5!

She’s Like the Wind: Analyzing the New Sample Chapter from “The Winds of Winter”

BLAH 17 | She's Like the Wind: Analyzing the New Sample Chapter from "The Winds of Winter"

sean@seantcollins.com (Sean T. Collins & Stefan Sasse) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 07:00:50 -0500

2013 gets its first case of the BLAHs! Once again, George R.R. Martin has posted a preview chapter from The Winds of Winter, on which I presume he’s merrily plowing along in between announcing the publication of novella-length stories no one had any idea he was even working on. And once again, Stefan and I take to the airwaves to pick the thing apart. This time out the focus is on Arianne and her journey to a rendez-vous with Jon Connington and, ostensibly, destiny. At first glance this seems much smaller beer than the previous sample chapter, but as Stefan and I read and re-read and talked, we were surprised how meaty the thing really is, and we think you will be too. From the mind of Doran Martell to the sex appeal of Gerold “Darkstar” Dayne to the traitor in Arianne’s midst to the growth of Arianne herself, we tackle it all.

One quick meta note: Don’t hold me to this, because I am a notorious liar, but Stefan and I have some hope that we’ll be able to record these suckers a bit more frequently, at least for a while. Hope to see you around then — dig this in the meantime!

Book Report: “The Lands of Ice and Fire” and “A Flight of Sorrows”

BLAH16 | Book Report: "The Lands of Ice and Fire" and "A Flight of Sorrows"

sean@seantcollins.com (Sean T. Collins & Stefan Sasse) — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 07:03:07 -0500

Christmas is just around the corner, but what do you get the A Song of Ice and Fire fan who has everything? Don’t worry, we’re here for you, as always.

Please consider this your shoppers’ guide to two major A Song of Ice and Fire-related releases from the past couple months or so: The Lands of Ice and Fire , the first-ever collection of officially sanctioned maps of everything in George R.R. Martin’s world as designed by Jonathan Roberts, and A Flight of Sorrows, an ebook collection of essays by contributors to Tower of the Hand (including mine own illustrious co-host Stefan Sasse) and A Podcast of Ice and Fire. Are they worth stuffing your ASoIaF-nerd loved one’s stocking with? Listen and find out!

Women of Westeros, Part II: Brienne & Asha

BLAH15 | Women of Westeros, Part II: Brienne & Asha

sean@seantcollins.com (Sean T. Collins & Stefan Sasse) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 12:52:30 -0500

WARRIOR WOMEN OF WESTEROS IN HOT SWORD-ON-SWORD ACTION! Haha j/k LOL. Stefan and I proudly present the second installment in our intermittent series of episodes focusing on female characters. Our leading ladies today: Brienne of Tarth and Asha Greyjoy. The similarities are obvious, and the juxtaposition instructive, I think. We look at their attitudes toward violence and war, sexuality, gender, and their “careers,” to use an anachronistic term; the way their societies and their circle of acquaintances have shaped their lives; their resonance with the mindsets of modern readers; and much more. We also take some detours into Jaime Lannister and Victarion Greyjoy, always a good time. And be sure to listen until the very end, when we answer the only question that really matters. You’ll see.

By the way, I think our audio issues have been resolved. We’re not going to win a technical Grammy or anything, but you should no longer want to rip your headphones out and throw them across the room, either. Let us know!

Prophet Motive: The Geopolitical Impact of Prophecy

BLAH14 | Prophet Motive: The Geopolitical Impact of Prophecy

sean@seantcollins.com (Sean T. Collins & Stefan Sasse) — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 06:56:01 -0400

Can you co-host also be your special guest? We’re about to find out, as I interview my BLAH partner Stefan Sasse about his marvelous essay “Under the Bleeding Star: On the Role of Prophecy in Songs of Ice and Fire.” Before you do anything else, click the link to read it in its entirety at Tower of the Hand, where it’s been posted as a preview of the forthcoming essay-collection ebook Tower of the Hand: A Flight of Sorrows, featuring contributions from a whole bunch of snazzy TotH and A Podcast of Ice and Fire regulars.

Stefan’s essay attacks the issue of prophecy in the books from a novel and rewarding angle. Rather than another attempt at interpretation or an examination of prophecy’s literary or philosophical import, the essay traces prophecy’s direct impact on the story and on the world therein, through the observable deeds of the books’ major players. As Stefan methodically lays out how belief in prophecy has influenced such prominent political leaders as Daenerys Targaryen, Cersei Lannister, Aeron Greyjoy, Stannis Baratheon, and Rhaegar Targaryen, it becomes strikingly clear that without prophecy’s influence, the world would be a very different place. Reading the essay was a “eureka” moment for me, and I was excited to explore Stefan’s insights with the man himself.

So go, read Stefan’s essay, listen to our discussion of it, and buy A Flight of Sorrows when it hits Amazon this Saturday!

Women of Westeros, Part I: Sansa & Cersei

BLAH13 | Women of Westeros, Part I: Sansa & Cersei

sean@seantcollins.com (Sean T. Collins & Stefan Sasse) — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 06:59:17 -0400

BLAH’s long summer has ended at last! We’re back with the first in what promises to be a more or less ongoing series of episodes dedicated to the distaff. Part One of our lengthy look at the women of Westeros focuses on two of the series’ most divisive characters, Sansa Stark and Cersei Lannister. I’ve found myself growing fonder and fonder of them both as characters (as characters, emphasis added, in Cersei’s case), which leads me to suspect that the ire directed their way has done some good, at least: It’s forced me to do a lot of thinking about them, and the more thinking I do, the more I find there to think about. Indeed, this was one of those podcasts where the more we talked, the more lightbulbs kept switching on in my head — you’ll hear me say “I never thought of it this way until just now, but…” three or four times during the course of the discussion. Topics include how both of them function as nobility, as women, as members of an important house, as rulers or potential rulers, and as vectors for what GRRM wants us to think about when we contemplate the system that shaped them.

Thank you to longtime All Leather Must Be Boiled commenter Michal for suggesting that we talk about Sansa and inspiring our most ambitious podcast project to date — in fact, please follow her lead and pop into the comments and let us know which women you’d like us to take a look at next!

Hopeless, Romantic: Romanticism and the Weight of History in A Song of Ice and Fire (feat. Elio M. García, Jr. and Linda Antonsson)

BLAH12 | Hopeless, Romantic: Romanticism and the Weight of History in A Song of Ice and Fire (feat. Elio M. García, Jr. and Linda Antonsson)

sean@seantcollins.com (Sean T. Collins & Stefan Sasse) — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 13:45:40 -0400

Stefan and I have had several special guests before, but joining us this week are two of the three people without whom I, for one, would likely not be hosting this podcast at all. (I’ll let you figure out the third. Here’s a hint: His initials are GRRM. You have three guesses. Ready, set, go!)

Elio Garcia and Linda Antonsson are the co-founders of Westeros.org, the oldest and largest continuously running ASoIaF fan site on the Internet. They’ve been enormously influential and inspiring to me as writers; as people, even more so, since you can trace a direct line from their enjoyment and support of the writing I’ve done for All Leather Must Be Boiled through Elio hand-selecting me to help annotate A Game of Thrones for Subtext to my gig covering Game of Thrones for Rolling Stone. Stefan and I were both thrilled to have the chance to speak with them about the issues and ideas in the series, which they know better than just about anyone else.

Obviously, they’d make terrific guests any old time, but we brought them onboard for a reason: their contribution to Beyond the Wall, the excellent collection of essays on A Song of Ice and Fire edited by James Lowder and published by Smart Pop Books. (In that light this episode is a sequel of sorts to last week’s conversation with their fellow contributor Alyssa Rosenberg.) Titled “The Palace of Love, the Palace of Sorrow: Romanticism in A Song of Ice and Fire” (you can read the first page or so here), Elio & Linda’s essay traces the way in which the series reflects the historical, aesthetic, and ethical values of the Romantic period, both in the repeated intimations of a greater, fallen world of the past and in the use of charismatic, misunderstood Byronic heroes.

This is a hugely important aspect of the books, and one that yields some of its most memorable passages. (The Tower of Joy, anyone?) However, given that the TV show has largely eschewed the books’ historical information in favor of a tighter focus on the here-and-now (though story editor Bryan Cogman has said this will eventually change), it’s a topic we don’t often get the chance to tackle during the weeks of intense conversation about the material generated by and revolving around the HBO series. Talking about it in depth therefore seemed like an ideal use of BLAH.

How do Martin’s romanticist inclinations complement or conflict with his literary and military realism? How do they stack up against the use of similar elements throughout the epic fantasy tradition? How do the stories the characters tell one another, and themselves, about their own pasts and the past of their society shape those characters and that society? Can a romanticized view of the world that was help as well as hinder societies dominated by such views? I’m really pleased with the answers we came up with and hope you will be too.

(Special thanks to Alex Kropinak for the audio assist.)

The Body Is a Battleground: Women, Sexual Assault, and Sexuality in A Song of Ice and Fire (feat. Alyssa Rosenberg)

BLAH11 | The Body Is a Battleground: Women, Sexual Assault, and Sexuality in A Song of Ice and Fire (feat. Alyssa Rosenberg)

sean@seantcollins.com (Sean T. Collins & Stefan Sasse) — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 10:04:00 -0400

This week, one of the best commentators in the fandom joins us to tackle one of the most contentious issues in the series. Alyssa Rosenberg is the culture blogger for ThinkProgress.org, where her posts on both A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones frequently approach the material from unexpected and rewarding angles, reflective of a concern for issues of social justice that Stefan and I share. Alyssa’s also a contributor to Beyond the Wall, a fine collection of essays on A Song of Ice and Fire edited by James Lowder and published by Smart Pop Books. Her essay on the role and impact of rape, sexual assault, and domestic violence in the story is one of the book’s standout pieces and likely the definitive statement on the topic. We were thrilled to have her aboard BLAH this week to discuss the piece, and a wide array of other issues pertaining to the central questions: How do the women of Westeros and Essos deal with their lack of control over their own bodies and sexuality? What does that lack of control say about those societies? And what effects on those societies can we trace back to this fundamental fact of life for half the population? It’s meaty, often troubling stuff, and we couldn’t be more pleased to have the chance to pick Alyssa’s brain about it all.

If you like what you hear, don’t hesitate to follow Alyssa’s blog, or to pick up Beyond the Wall, which also features essays by Elio M. Garcia Jr. & Linda Antonsson from Westeros.org, Adam Whitehead from The Wertzone, fantasists R.M. Salvatore and Daniel Abraham, and many more. Not to get all blurby about it, but if you’re a serious fan of A Song of Ice and Fire, it’s a must read.

‘Game’ Theory’: What ‘Game of Thrones’ Season Two Got Right and Wrong

BLAH10 | ‘Game’ Theory’: What ‘Game of Thrones’ Season Two Got Right and Wrong

sean@seantcollins.com (Sean T. Collins & Stefan Sasse) — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 15:06:54 -0400

For the first time ever, my co-host Stefan Sasse I focus exclusively on the show rather than the books, for an in-depth discussion of Game of Thrones Season Two. In large part we’re discussing the show as an adaptation, weighing it against the source material in A Song of Ice and Fire. This, too, is a first-time-ever deal for me, given that I tried to keep my Rolling Stone reviews focused primarily on what was on screen versus the pages whence it sprung, so even if you’ve read all my reviews so far this season, you’ll still be hearing some new perspectives from both me and Stefan alike. But we’re not letting “it’s different” stand as its own critique, positive or negative, I promise. I think that in every case, we understand why the show chose to make the changes it made, so we’re not questioning the a priori legitimacy of such changes; rather, it still comes down to the quality of the showas a show.

We pay particularly close attention to Jon, Qhorin, and the material north of the Wall; Robb, Talisa, and the Jeyne Westerling that wasn’t; Daenerys, Qarth, and the House of the Undying (lots and lots on that issue); and lastly, Littlefinger. Unfortunately my impassioned plea to the filmmakers to show Richard Madden’s ass, aka the Ass in the North, next season had to be cut for space, but hopefully you’ll enjoy the episode anyway.

Suffer the Children/Blackwater Bonus: Children and Violence in A Song of Ice and Fire, plus thoughts on Game of Thrones’ “Blackwater” episode

BLAH09 | Suffer the Children/Blackwater Bonus: Children and Violence in A Song of Ice and Fire, plus thoughts on Game of Thrones' "Blackwater" episode

sean@seantcollins.com (Sean T. Collins & Stefan Sasse) — Tue, 29 May 2012 12:12:55 -0400

Stefan Sasse and I are once again a dynamic duo for this week’s episode, which once again tackles two topics for the price of one.

First up, BLAH goes to the Blackwater, for a discussion of this week’s tremendous episode of Game of Thrones. You can find my full review of “Blackwater” at Rolling Stone, but the nice thing about our conversation is that the review hadn’t yet been posted when we recorded it, so we range into aspects of the episode not covered in the written piece. (SPOILER ALERT: We both loved it!)

Second, and on a more serious note, we talk about a part of the novels that’s as unpleasant as it is frequently described: violence against children. As I say on the podcast, between the show’s treatment of this issue during its second season (four out of nine episodes aired so far end with the murder of children or infants) and a remarkably grim series of real-world events, I’ve found myself noticing this aspect of the books more and more during my current re-read. Stefan and I argue that violence against children may well be as big a theme of the books as the treatment of women or the allure of faded history, albeit a far stealthier one than either. It’s rough stuff, obviously, so prep for that going in, but hopefully you’ll agree with us that there’s much of value to be mined here. Check it out.

Fun and Prophet: Examining the Nature of Prophecy, plus a look at ‘A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel’

BLAH08 | Fun and Prophet: Examining the Nature of Prophecy, plus a look at 'A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel'

sean@seantcollins.com (Sean T. Collins & Stefan Sasse) — Wed, 09 May 2012 07:02:45 -0400

We’re back! Since our last podcast, Stefan and his lady wife produced an heir to House Sasse, a joyous event for which we thank the old gods and the new, but which understandably caused a longer than normal hiatus (as well as any scatterbrainedness you may detect from my illustrious co-host during the podcast). But much as Daenerys’ Meereenese idyll will give her the strength and experience she needs to conquer Westeros in fire and blood, so to has our absence enabled us to rise again, harder and stronger.

And we didn’t come alone. Our special guest this week is Steven Atewell, the blogger behind the in-depth chapter analyses and irreverent episode recaps at Race for the Iron Throne, as well as a recent, noteworthy contributor to Tower of the Hand. Thrilled to have him aboard.

Our first topic this week is the graphic-novel adaptation of A Game of Thrones by Daniel Abraham and Tommy Patterson, a comic Stefan reviewed for Tower of the Hand and I reviewed for The Comics Journal. Spoiler alert: None of us liked it! Our explanations as to why tackle issues of adaptation, the strengths of comics as an art form, George R.R. Martin’s experience and interests in the field, the Dunk and Egg comics, the flourishing of alternative-fantasy comics, and Catelyn Stark’s nude scene.

But our main topic, which kicks off around the 15:51 mark, is prophecy—what it is, how many different kinds there are, how it works as both a plot device and literary technique, what it means for the free will of the characters, reader reaction (in some cases overreaction), and (inevitably) what we think is going on with Azor Ahai, the Prince That Was Promised, the House of the Undying, and all that good stuff. When you’re a big ASoIaF fan this topic is sort of like crystal meth, so take a big freaking hit with us, won’t you?

Winter Is Gaming: Games of Ice and Fire, by Sean T. Collins, Stefan Sasse, and special guest Amin

BLAH07 | Winter Is Gaming: Games of Ice and Fire, by Sean T. Collins, Stefan Sasse, and special guest Amin

sean@seantcollins.com (Sean T. Collins & Stefan Sasse) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 07:00:00 -0400

We work hard here at the Boiled Leather Audio Hour, but we play hard too. That’s why we’re doing something a little different this week and talking about games based on A Song of Ice and Fire. Specifically, we’re covering A Game of Thrones: The Board Game and the Battles of Westeros miniature-based board game, both from Fantasy Flight Games, and A Game of Thrones: Genesis, the PC strategy game from Cyanide.

If you’ve never played any of these games, don’t worry—neither have I! My experience with them was limited to reading this very entertaining review of the board game at Shut Up & Shit Down, which (positively!) portrays the game as an experience just shy of the Stanford Prison Experiment, psychologically speaking. That got me wondering a lot about how these games translate and transmit the themes, values, and appeal of the prose novels in what is obviously a very different medium. In competition-based games where backstabbing and conflict are key, can you behave honorably and still win? When the original property is renowned for its genre revisionism, must the games retain that kind of iconoclasm in order to remain true to their source material? That’s the kind of stuff I’m asking Stefan and Amin about, as a sort of stand-in for all y’all who haven’t played any of the games either.

Oh, right—we’re joined once again (on the mic and the mixing booth alike) by Amin from A Podcast of Ice and Fire! Love the show, love Amin, love having him aboard. And hey, if you missed it, be sure to check out the recent APoIaF “Guys’ Night Out” episode, featuring Amin, his co-host Kyle, APoIaF forum regular Apocalypse Dan, Alex from The Tower of the Hand, Elio from Westeros.org, and our very own Stefan! It’s like BLAH 6.5, if you will. Enjoy!

Everyone Knows It’s Windy: The Winds of Winter Sample Chapter - by Sean T. Collins, Stefan Sasse, and special guest Amin

BLAH06 | Everyone Knows It’s Windy: The Winds of Winter Sample Chapter - by Sean T. Collins, Stefan Sasse, and special guest Amin

sean@seantcollins.com (Sean T. Collins & Stefan Sasse) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 07:02:00 -0500

The Boiled Leather Audio Hour/A Podcast of Ice and Fire crossover event of the century continues! Once again, Stefan and I are joined by Amin, co-host of the venerable A Podcast of Ice and Fire. This time out we’re turning our attentions to the sample chapter from The Winds of Winter that George R.R. Martin posted to his website last month. The characters, the concepts, the clues, the trademark BLAH focus on man’s inhumanity to man, you name it, we cover it. Spoilers galore, as you can imagine, so don’t listen unless you’ve read the chapter. And if you’d like to do some further boning up, I suggest my earlier post on the chapter, as well as this indispensable video podcast by Elio & Linda from Westeros.org, which is referenced quite frequently.

Many thanks to Amin for stopping by, and for his technical wizardry in editing these two episodes. Hail House Manwoody!

Mirror here.

Previous episodes here.

Podcast RSS feed here.

iTunes page here.

Subscribe using iTunes here.

Home blog here.

BLAH05 | Dirty South: Lady Dustin's "Southron Ambitions" Conspiracy Theory - by Sean T. Collins, Stefan Sasse, and special guest Amin

sean@seantcollins.com (Sean T. Collins & Stefan Sasse) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:02:00 -0500

Dirty South: Lady Dustin’s “Southron Ambitions” Conspiracy Theory - by Sean T. Collins, Stefan Sasse, and special guest Amin

The Boiled Leather Audio Hour meets A Podcast of Ice and Fire and NOTHING WILL EVER BE THE SAME! For our latest episode, Stefan and I are joined by our very special guest Amin, co-host of the mother of all ASoIaF/Game of Thrones podcasts, A Podcast of Ice and Fire. Together we’re taking on “Southron Ambitions,” Stefan’s provocative essay for The Tower of the Hand, which takes its title from the words of the supremely pissed-off Lady Barbrey Dustin in A Dance with Dragons. If you recall, Lady Dustin blames the end of her love affair with Brandon Stark on his father, who promised him to Catelyn Tully; she in turn blames Rickard’s maester, Walys Flowers of Hightower, for sowing the seeds of ambition in Rickard, leading him to attempt to marry off his kids to the scions of great Southern houses rather than to his own vassals, as is customary. Is the good Lady right to suspect a scheme? If so, what might it have been? Read Stefan’s essay, then listen up and see what you think!

iTunes Store page here.