The Works of George R. R. Martin

[Ninja Bunny]

Eh, for me it would be silly and meaningless if Aerys were the father. "I killed the guy who managed not to kill me as an infant out of Lannister pride" has less punch than "I killed my father."

It's a deeper cut if Tywin never accepted his trueborn son, the child who was actually the most like him, who should be the heir to Casterly Rock, and who spent his life desperately seeking his father's approval and never getting it. If Aerys was the father, then all of their arguments, Tyrion constantly hearing the "thrum" of the crossbow and seeing Tywin's face in nightmares would mean nothing.

The Targaryens were a large family that banged everything that moved. They left LOTS of bastards. Probably everyone on Dragonstone and in and around the Crownlands and well beyond have some Targaryen blood in them. It would not be a surprise if the Lannisters had a Targaryen ancestor somewhere so Tyrion, Cersei, and Jaime could have Targ blood without needing Aerys to be the father. (Though it would be funny if Jaime and Cersei were Aerys's, then Tywin's favorites weren't even his and Jaime would also have killed his father.)

[Coffeecakes]

I'm thinking if anyone is Aerys' it's Jamie and Cersei. That would also explain their love for incest.

I am currently reading the Princess and the Queen and they had bastards everywhere. I also see why the Lannisters have so much money. Instead of writing that George should've finished Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring.

[Ninja Bunny]

I don't think a desire for incest is genetic but comes down to narcissism and entitlement (something both the Lannisters and Targaryens have in abundance).

I glad that HBO decided to make a TV show out of it. I've heard that George has picked up the pace of his writing to stay ahead of the show, but if he does get outpaced he gave the producers outlines of what's going to happen. So at least we'll have something while waiting for the books.

[kostgard]

I agree that the cut is deeper if Tywin just could never accept Tyrion. I mean, if he's someone else's kid, not a whole lot of people in this world would object to Tywin tossing Tyrion out, writing him out of the will and washing his hands of him. He could just shrug "Not my kid. I knew the Lannisters could never produce a perverted little dwarf like that!" and he would be rid of him finally.

But he is a Lannister. Yes, the mighty lion DNA produced someone who looks like that. He is the fruit of Tywin's loins, Tywin has never been able to accept that, and that is his great sin/failure. Tyrion has the cunning to be an awesome lord of Casterly Rock, but he doesn't look the part. Cersei and Jaime are tarnishing the family name themselves, but they at least look the part. If Tywin could have gotten past the dwarf thing (not Tyrion's fault) or the wife dying in childbirth thing (also not Tyrion's fault) he would have built a stronger legacy for the family name he holds so dear. If Tyrion weren't his kid, Tywin would be fairly blameless here.

On a side note, the Beauty and the Beast series from the 80s is now streaming on Netflix. Ol' George was a writer/ producer on the show, and he even made a cameo appearance in an early episode as a subway passenger. He looked exactly the same as he does now. Even the same hat.

[Coffeecakes]

Just finished reading The Princess and The Queen and would love to see a little mini series on it. It was good. The books talks about one of the dragons was never seen again along with its rider. Maybe the dragon is still alive and has children, etc? It would be interesting if there were more dragons that Dany or maybe Jon could command against the Others.

[Babycakes]

With the series about to catch up to the books, I was wondering who will actually come out on top, and win the Iron Throne in the end. But the more I think about it, no one actually deserves to sit on the Iron Throne. I don't even know if I believe that Dany deserves a place in Westoros. The Lannisters sure as hell don't deserve it, Tywin and his spawn are selfish and cruel and don't care about the little people. Stannis is ruled by pride, and wants what's owed to him by right. Although, I guess now he is fighting to save the realm from the others, but he is overly influenced by Melisandre. I don't think any of the remaining Starks would be good rulers, or would even want it. The other families--Tyrells, Tullys, Freys(!), Greyjoys-- I can't think of one that should rule Westoros.

Maybe they should just go back to the days of a divided realm with separate rulers in each one. The Starks in the North. The Tyrells at The Reach. The Lannisters at Casterly Rock. Tullys, Greyjoys, Baratheons, and so on, and so forth. But should Dany have a kingdom in Westoros? What should she have? King's Landing? I don't know. I just wish that Martin would finish the series.

[Ninja Bunny]

I'm tired of Dany. She got bogged down in Meereen and if she stays there and we never hear from her again I'm fine with that.

I don't think any of the dragons from Princess and The Queen are still alive, they'd be over 250 years old at the youngest and a dragon's lifespan is around 200 tops. Also, with the birth of Dany's dragons the book seemed to make a big deal about dragons being in the world again for the first time in a long time. I think they're the only ones who are alive, though there could be more eggs out there.