Realistic narrative in ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’

A study examines parallels between real-life social networks and those found in the fantasy novel series “A Song of Ice and Fire.” George R. R. Martin’s fantasy novel series “A Song of Ice and Fire,” which became the basis for the television show “Game of Thrones,” garnered critical acclaim for complex storytelling and unpredictable storylines. By analyzing characters’ social networks and examining the timeline of events in “A Song of Ice and Fire,” Ralph Kenna and colleagues explored the narration characteristics of significant incidents in the series. Social networks of the most connected characters, while seemingly extensive, mirrored the typical range of social networks that humans maintain. Furthermore, characters’ social networks did not extend beyond the cognitive limit of social connections that humans are able to sustain. Although the time intervals between significant deaths in relation to the story’s timeline may appear random, they were consistent with a realistic chronology of human experiences. The findings suggest that despite unexpected plot twists and extensive content, the narrative structure of “A Song of Ice and Fire” is composed of realistic unpredictability, allowing readers to follow and relate to the story, according to the authors.

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Article # 20-06465:


“Narrative structure of A Song of Ice and Fire creates a fictional world with realistic measures of social complexity,” by Thomas Gessey-Jones et al.

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Pádraig MacCarron

University of Limerick, IRELAND

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University of Warwick,

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University of Oxford

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