The Thrones Effect: How HBO's Game of Thrones Conquered Pop Culture

by Gil Kidron, Theo Gangi, Valentina Carias

In the past decade, there has never been such a pop culture titan as Game of Thrones. We all now live in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, yearn for the Iron Throne, believe in dragons and know the magic word that makes them breathe fire. What is it in the HBO show, spawned by George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels, that has propelled it into the cultural Hall of Fame and made it such a global phenomenon, with loyal fans from all nationalities, cultures, ages, genders, and even tastes? Game of Thrones has made fantasy, once relegated into a subgenre, mainstream and cool, and its characters, scenes, themes, and quotes have permeated into our twenty-first culture.Whether winter is coming or going, we live and breathe Game of Thrones 365 days a year. We are YouTube content creators, podcasters, writers, novelists, designers, teachers, professors, techies, and therapists, and we have collaborated on this book after dedicating much of the past decade to better understanding and appreciating Game of Thrones. We are the swords in the darkness and the watchers on the walls. We’ve built community followings of nearly one million people from all over the world to discuss and expand on this pop-culture phenomenon, and this is our ultimate and complete analysis of this incredible story.

Genres: Fantasy, Pop Culture

146 pages, Paperback

Published April 26, 2019

Reviews

[Tommy S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A normal book...Nothing special

[Barbara L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having followed all of these YouTubers the entire time Game of Thrones was on HBO, I already felt like I knew them. We all had so much in common and this book was something I know we all had in the back of our minds. We chatted about it all the time. Hearing what it meant to each of them and how if affected them, shined a light on how it really affected ALL of us, for better, for worse, and I'm sure long into the future.

I laughed, I cried, I couldn't wait to read each person's account. It was a thrilling ride and maybe one day we'll all be able to get back on for that last book George has promised us. I miss the camaraderie we all shared, but every now and then we get to delve into it again.

Honest, enlightening, and so very real. I loved this book and all of its contributors.

[Philina · Rating 3 out of 5]

All those essays are interesting, but some are only stories without research or true analysis.
Aziz and Ashaya‘s essay was very entertaining to read, GreyArea has a point, Gil’s is interesting and Anthony Medina‘s, Theo‘s and Noga’s essays are outstanding. Quinn‘s essay is good but nothing new.
I liked learning more about Val‘s personal story because I like her channel, but this is not something I would usually pay money for.

All in all, interesting essays but I can get higher quality content for free. The eBook is not really worth the 7€ I paid for it.
On the other hand, I bought this book simply to support all these wonderful content creators I follow on YouTube and some of whom I also support on Patreon. Mission accomplished 😉

[Elizabeth A. Leiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Now I get it!

I'm a dedicated GoT and ASOIAF fan, and I follow most of the "The Thrones Effect...." contributors on YouTube. So I thought my understanding of the subject was informed and complete. But this book brought new insight and comprehension of the story to me. If you're like me, and think you've got a good handle on GoT/ASOIAF, give this book a try. If you're a fan who's never been involved other than viewing the series: Please! Read this book! It's a well written, enjoyable, and informative book, and will enhance your GoT experience immeasurably!

[Cathie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of 10 essays by people who had blogs and you-tube channels dissecting Game of Thrones. A few of the essays were interesting, but most were forgettable -- so much so that I got halfway through the book and set it down and forgot about until I found it straightening up.

[Will · Rating 3 out of 5]

A number of short essays on the effect of Game of Thrones; interesting to the superfan, but unlikely to be of interest to anyone else.