George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones (more officially, A Song of Ice and Fire) is an irresistible blend of modern-day allegory, fantasy, lewdness, and dragons. So we were wondering…would the uniqueness of George R. R. Martin’s fantasy world translate if you switched the genre to science fiction?
The answer must be yes. After all, the elements of A Song of Ice and Fire themselves could translate easily into a spaceship story: A series of planetary systems instead of kingdoms… One of them having control over a vast “Iron Fleet”… A dark and cold threat that no one seems to be paying attention to… A Wall made of black holes or star-fire or a condensed Oort Cloud… Dragons that are basically still dragons but they can breathe, fly, and shoot fire in space…
Okay, we’d read that in a heartbeat. But perhaps that story is already out there?
- “The Expanse” series by James S. A. Corey is the first series that comes to mind when considering an overall comparison. (And reviews for the TV show are quick to dub it “Game of Thrones in space”.)
- In terms of political inter-family intrigue, Ian McDonald’s “Luna” series seems to be shaping up as a worthy successor. It’s only two books along, but is already being compared to Game of Thrones.
- And for those looking for the more fantastical elements of A Song of Ice and Fire, but set in space, it would be eyebrow-raising not to point out that Anne McCaffrey’s classic Dragonriders of Pern already got there, well before A Song of Ice and Fire ever existed! (Dragonriders was even being considered for a screen adaptation back during the networks and producers were rushing to have their own GoT-style hit.)
These are great starting points for this question, but that can’t be everything. Time for some book recommendations! What other space-based science fiction might scratch that Game of Thrones itch?
