The Atlantic

<em>Game of Thrones</em>: HBO Shows the Ugly Edge of Fantasy

The first in a five-part series about the new show, which represents the network’s first foray into fantasy
Source: HBO

HBO’s new series, Game of Thrones, premieres on Sunday. In the days ahead, we’ll feature five different takes on the show, which is the first foray into fantasy for a network that has built its programming on grimly realistic stories like The Sopranos and The Wire. Atlantic correspondent Alyssa Rosenberg begins the conversation:

Fantasy fiction lets us dwell, however briefly, in days of miracles and wonder. The wonders can be anything from that inspire the reunification of fractured countries to a with a delightfully unorthodox curriculum. But the

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