Game of Thrones & Philosophy

Pieced together by a series of essays by different writers focusing on various aspects of Philosophy and Metaphysics in connection to George R.R. Martin's A Song of Fire & Ice; Game of Thrones and Philosophy is the latest in the series of pop culture and philosophy books. Having just finished reading the first five parts of Martin's epic straight through as well as being half way through the second season of the television series it seemed the perfect time to read this.

The book examines both classic and modern Philosophers and Theologians, using characters and events from A Song of Fire & Ice to better examine and illustrate their theories. By analysing the motivations and actions of characters and events through a philosophic microscope, we are not just enlightened on complex philosophy and metaphysics but also given great insight into Martin's work itself.

I personally enjoy readying these types of books as they are more often than not written with good humour as well as much intellect. Of course the general principle of using pop culture to help readers identify and understand complex theories is a very clever one - allowing us to relate these somewhat dry theories, with works we really enjoy and already know much about. This book ultimately leaves readers with a better understanding of both Martin's work and philosophic theories.