As part of the ongoing Flashback Friday series, here is a post that was originally published in May 2014 George R. R. Martin, the author of the novels on which the “Game of Thrones” television series is based, fielded some questions via email regarding why he included sexual violence in his works. He stated that his philosophy … Continue reading Violence in Books: Do We Need the Details?
Tag: Violence
When I was little, I used to interpret the movie rating systems as follows: G--Good PG--Pretty Good PG-13--Pretty good for Thirteen-Year-Olds R--Rotten And I still don't care for R-rated films. Most of what I watch falls under PG-13 criteria (or well under), and most of what I read follows suit. I just don't care for … Continue reading What PG-13 Means in Books
To wrap up our series on violence in books, I wanted to look at the philosophical side of this problem. As recently featured author Aya Walksfar wrote, “Like it or not, accept it or not, authors impact the world by setting up limits for acceptable behavior, admirable behaviors and how greatly one can dream. We … Continue reading Violence, Vicariously Viewed: Reading Works with Graphic Content
As readers, many of us seem appalled when our favorite characters suffer at the hands of their authors; when they get killed off, harmed, or traumatized, we close the book with a frown and think, “Why can’t the authors just leave them alone?” Or, perhaps, we chuck the volume across the room, emotionally, and write … Continue reading Writing Violence: A Confession
In our earlier post, we outlined the three methods for handling violence in books—close exposure, offstage, and retelling. Some readers like all the detail (and excitement) of experiencing the action first hand, while others prefer to glance the other way while dreadful, gruesome happenings are taking place. Here, we’ll examine real-life examples from novels, starting … Continue reading Three Examples of Violence in Books
Violence has always had its place in stories. In early religious writings, myths, and legends, you can find enough murders, robberies, and assaults to keep a full time police force busy for years. However, how the violence is handled has varied. Sometimes it’s gorily descriptive; sometimes dismissively (or discreetly) vague. Many genres currently gravitate towards … Continue reading Three Ways to Deal with Violence in Books
Fifty Shades of Grey opens this weekend, and while I personally haven’t read the book, and have no intention of watching the movie, I can understand why the story has found such an audience. Past the shock and curiosity, there is a cultural hunger for a love we can feel. And if someone loves us … Continue reading A Love We Can Feel
Recently, George R. R. Martin, the author of books on which the “Game of Thrones” series is based, fielded some questions via email regarding why he included sexual violence in his works. He stated that his philosophy of writing was one of “show, not tell” and “[whatever] might be happening in my books, I try … Continue reading Thoughts on George R. R. Martin’s Recent Interview
Andrea Lundgren 