On Fantasy - George R.R. Martin

George R.R. Martin reading the passage he wrote for the book "The Faces of Fantasy: Photographs by Pati Perret".

The best fantasy is written in the language of dreams. It is alive as dreams are alive, more real than real ... for a moment at least ... that long magic moment before we wake. Fantasy is silver and scarlet, indigo and azure, obsidian veined with gold and lapis lazuli. Reality is plywood and plastic, done up in mud brown and olive drab. Fantasy tastes of habaneros and honey, cinnamon and cloves, rare red meat and wines as sweet as summer. Reality is beans and tofu, and ashes at the end. Reality is the strip malls of Burbank, the smokestacks of Cleveland, a parking garage in Newark. Fantasy is the towers of Minas Tirith, the ancient stones of Gormenghast, the halls of Camelot. Fantasy flies on the wings of Icarus, reality on Southwest Airlines. Why do our dreams become so much smaller when they finally come true? We read fantasy to find the colors again, I think. To taste strong spices and hear the songs the sirens sang. There is something old and true in fantasy that speaks to something deep within us, to the child who dreamt that one day he would hunt the forests of the night, and feast beneath the hollow hills, and find a love to last forever somewhere south of Oz and north of Shangri-La.They can keep their heaven. When I die, I'd sooner go to middle Earth.

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[MasterLink1234]

Where could I find or download this audio?

[DozenYears]

@MasterLink1234 It was available for a short amount of time for free download, but I do not think that is still the case. I would suggest using the program SoundCapture. It is free, takes up little space on your computer, and is extremely useful in many cases.

[jurnag12]

This is just.......no words, man, no words.

Fantastic author, great man.

I'll hope you'll find Middle Earth, George.

[ohumanchild]

Damn right. I cannot understand people who say fantasy is pointless. They just haven't lived.

[philipmarie1854]

@GeneralJelly Er, Westeros may not be the msot pleasant place to live in...

[NinjaRodent]

Goosebumps every time I hear this

[4duff5]

Wow GRRM is incredibly insightful. Excellent speech.

[NinjaRodent]

That was just beautiful...

[romanlegions]

@GeneralJelly Well as much as I love ASOIF, there is no way I would prefer to live in Westeros considering the crapsack hellhole the place is.

[DjUmKuE]

@flatronl1915SLG for your information, he has other fantasy novels and novellas besides ASOIAF, which this video doesn't even mention.

Way to assume buddy. And go hide behind your disabled account before you hurt yourself. I bet you don't even know who Ran is or know who that is.

[flatronl1915SLG]

@DjUmKuE you don't know the meaning of the word bandwagoner, I'm sorry to say

I'm just recommending you read other stuff, not just the most popular series of this guy, peace retard.

[DjUmKuE]

@flatronl1915SLG and to bring that sort of negativity to this great video and quote GRRM made is disgusting. You're the reason I'd rather be in Middle Earth

[DjUmKuE]

@flatronl1915SLG what the hell? you are commenting on a post I made 2 years ago. You are the bandwagoner it seems. Why don't you make your profile available instead of hiding? I have been reading his novels for years and following his posts on Not A Blog, as well as being an active poster on asoiaf.westeros.org. You don't tell me i am a "bandwagoning faggot" when you are the one that his just visiting this video. Can you see the irony?

[flatronl1915SLG]

@DjUmKuE you should read his sci-fi too if you're not just a bandwagoning faggot