Brandon Sanderson Identifies Fatal Fantasy Flaw in Game of Thrones

Brandon Sanderson remains one of the prominent voices in the fantasy genre. Beyond writing and publishing, he works as an accessible scholar. He expands the Cosmere on a near-annual basis while also delivering lectures on Tolkien’s magic systems and teaching his time-management wizardry.

In a talk with fellow fantasy author Joe Abercrombie, shared on YouTube earlier this year, the pair discussed the craft of writing. That conversation turned toward Game of Thrones as a prime example of the strengths and weaknesses found in epic fantasy.

“I grew up reading the big epics. I think it’s the most natural form for fantasy in some ways. It gives you a lot of time to dig into that world and immerse yourself in it and explore another place,” Sanderson said. “I think that’s why Game of Thrones did well.”

When asked about the downside of these stories, Sanderson spoke from personal experience, sharing that burnout is a real problem, with him having to take a break from the writing process at around the 10th pass of the draft.

“Epic fantasy has this danger. It starts very personal, and then it can drift away from being personal about the characters if you’re not careful. Authors tend to get more excited about side characters later on. We see this happening a bit in Game of Thrones and in A Wheel of Time. How can you make sure something that big remains fresh and personal and exciting? That’s a real challenge with the genre.”

This discussion mirrored a previous meeting between the two writers in 2025, where George R.R. Martin’s series also arose while discussing the release of Abercrombie’s The Devils, which came out last year. “Don’t you dislike maps? Isn’t that something I once heard, that you don’t like maps?” Sanderson asked.

“I mean, I love maps,” replied Abercrombie. “But I think they need to be exercised in the right way. I suppose what I don’t like is a kind of lazy application of maps.”

“When I was first writing The First Law, I guess I wanted to write something that was very character focused, that was almost told in tight closeup on the people. And to start with the widest shot imaginable of the whole world felt like exactly the wrong kind of tone to begin with if you want,” Abercrombie said.

While immersive and exciting, the inclusion of a map creates specific expectations for the reader. It also adds a layer of realism, providing visual information that can later create logistical problems for the author. Sanderson mentioned the Game of Thrones franchise to illustrate this point. “And once you put the map in, you run into some problems. Maybe like some later Game of Thrones seasons, we’re like, ‘Well, how did they get from here to here?'” he said.

“And when you’re trying to be very realistic when presenting some of that stuff, it can get you into trouble,” Sanderson added. “I still love them.”

George R.R. Martin agrees with Brandon Sanderson

Martin has been open about the struggle to narrow the scope in an epic fantasy series like A Song of Ice and Fire. The cycle of novels is planned to span seven books, with five already published. Martin has spent the past 15 years writing the sixth novel, Winds of Winter, while the HBO adaptation ultimately surpassed him in the chronology of the saga’s events.

Sanderson frequently analyzes Game of Thrones while streamlining his own epic fantasy world for television and film. Following a mega-deal with Apple, he is currently writing a screenplay for a Mistborn movie, with plans to follow it by writing a pilot for a Stormlight Archive television series. Martin serves as the closest model for how such massive adaptations unfold.

Source: Polygon