TV fans are hyped for the premiere of Game of Thrones season 7 this weekend. But while that show enters its final phase of storytelling (the series will conclude with season 8), there’s still buzz surrounding the planned spinoff shows — not to mention, the book series by GoT creator George R.R. Martin, which still needs completion.
With the Game of Thrones franchise more popular and lucrative than ever, it’s going to surprise a lot of fans that Martin is actually moving to a new project with HBO: a new TV series adaptation of the sci-fi/fantasy novel, Who Fears Death.
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The creator of Who Fear Death, Nnedi Okorafor, announced the HBO series and Martin connection on her Twitter page, which you can see below. Martin will serve as executive producer of the show.
According to the Wikipedia synopsis, Who Fear Death explores “a fictionalized post-apocalyptic future version of Sudan, where the light-skinned Nuru oppress the dark-skinned Okeke. The protagonist, Onyesonwu (Igbo for “who fears death”), is an Ewu, i.e. the child of an Okeke woman raped by a Nuru man. On reaching maturity, she goes on a quest to defeat her sorcerous father Daib using her magical powers.”
That premise is certainly going to be fodder for some controversy, considering that Martin is often criticized for what some see as “less than tactful” representations and metaphors about race in his Game of Thrones books.
Many other GoT fans are going to hear the announcement and have the same agitated reaction: wondering when the hell Martin is going to finish the “Song of Ice and Fire” book series — including the long, long, overdue sixth book, Winds of Winter.
In a recent interview, Martin spoke on WoW‘s release, claiming that it’s, “Not done yet, but I’ve made progress. But not as much as I hoped a year ago, when I thought to be done by now… I think it will be out this year. (But hey, I thought the same thing last year).”
My novel WHO FEARS DEATH has been optioned by @HBO & is now in early development as a TV series with George RR Martin as executive producer. pic.twitter.com/POF7Dj2hWP
— Nnedi Okorafor, PhD (@Nnedi) July 10, 2017
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