George R.R. supporters are calling for a boycott. Martin’s new book The Rise of the Dragon: A Illustrated History of the Targaryen Dynasty. Volume One due to his co-authors Linda Antonsson and Elio M García Jr comments on inclusive casting. Touted as a “deluxe reference book,” it is for those who wish to know more about the most powerful family in Westeros.
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As soon as the book was announced on Martin’s Twitter handle, enraged fans called out his co-authors, stating that they have a “history of racism.” However, the married couple is speaking out about these comments, with Antonsson telling Variety that she is not racist while García adds that he feels under attack for sticking to his views about Martin’s original works.
Your “co author” Linda is a major part of racist gatekeeping within your fandom and has pushed against @HBO’s decision to cast @StevieToussaintIn #HouseOfTheDragon pic.twitter.com/V3TEfoT1b7
— HexAegon (@AegonNo) September 26, 2022
Antonsson stated that Corlys was wrongly cast in House of the Dragon when Steve Toussaint played him. “There are no Black Valyrians and there should not be any in the show,” she .
Antonsson further states that fans “cherry-picked statements stripped of context.” In her discussion with Variety, she unveiled that it bothers her to be “labeled a racist, when my focus has been solely on the world building.” While she says she has no issue with inclusive casting, however, she strongly believes that “diversity should not trump story.”
García Jr also said,“It is immensely frustrating, but we will not be browbeaten or silenced by people who are happy to lie about us or exaggerate our alleged faults so that they can feel good about themselves or gain likes on social media.”
So, we throw consistency and worldbuilding from House of the Dragon out the window to accommodate political correctness.
— Linda (@hippoiathanatoi) February 11, 2021
“If George had indeed made the Valyrians Black instead of white, as he mused on his ‘Not a Blog’ in 2013, and this new show proposed to make the Velaryons anything other than Black, we would have had the same issue with it and would have shared the same opinion,” Antonsson says.
‘House of the Dragon’ Star Steve Toussaint Slams Racist Viewers: ‘They’re Happy With a Dragon Flying’ but Not a ‘Rich Black Guy’ https://t.co/DrdXBobl91
— Variety (@Variety) August 22, 2022
Recent months have seen debates about inclusive casting for fantasy shows, with Black actors being included. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Obi-Wan Kenobi facing racism online. Toussaint also highlighted that some fans who were not against his role as a “rich Black guy” have no issue buying into the existence of dragons.
Linda telling people not to be so sexy when they cast a black person in Game of Thrones. Year 2012. https://t.co/ulAWQJ3Elh pic.twitter.com/Ibg0ONDt82
— Claire | Addam of Hull best Drag QUEEN ever 👑 (@CNymerosMartell) August 26, 2022
But Antonsson dismisses Toussaint’s comments as a “false dichotomy which completely misses the point of how secondary world fantasy functions.” Changing the ethnic makeup of characters “raises all sorts of logical questions,” she contends.
However, it’s due to this inclusivity that lacked previously in Game of Thrones This is why the show is so successful. Miguel was extremely grateful for it. [Sapochnik] and I to create a show that was not another bunch of white people on the screen,” the House of the Dragon co-creator Ryan Condal Entertainment Weeklyearlier in the year. “We wanted to find a way to put diversity in the show, but we didn’t want to do it in a way that felt like it was an afterthought or, worse, tokenism.”
Black Valrians do not break any lore of A Song of Ice and Fire, especially when it’s own creator signed off on them. Linda Antonsson is wrong. House Velaryon’s casting was flawless https://t.co/wH23hi6qvL pic.twitter.com/BCRkPIm3EE
— Okiro (@TheFirstOkiro) October 4, 2022
This is a huge pass from me. I would rather light the $60 on fire than let Linda Antonsson receive a percentage. https://t.co/Ldaf8MwBhR pic.twitter.com/rvaoNVH3qv
— Joe Magician 🧙 HOTD Enjoyer (@TheJoeMagician) September 27, 2022
While Martin declined to comment, Antonsson says he is “very much aware” of the arguments but “doesn’t see the point in engaging with people” on social media, “he has not suggested we should stop sharing our opinions.”
Interestingly, Antonsson is in support of boycotting authors who she doesn’t agree with — the just wishes fans were doing it “because of our actual opinions rather than those they project on us.”
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The couple are Game of ThroneThey have been active since 1999, when they started Westeros.org. Martin quickly recruited them as fact-checkers to his book. A feast for Crows. They were coauthors of T in 2014he World of Ice & FireThe illustrated companion book to the series of novels is titled.
Ten Speed Press, publisher behind Rise of the DragonThese comments were not answered by,
