George R.R. Martin Laments The Passing Of “Rational Discourse” On Film, Music, And Books Via Social Media

George R. R. Martin no longer finds the fun in debating about books, movies, and TV. He blames social media for “toxicity” that stifles any dissent.

The author behind the books that became the TV series Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, Martin lamented the passing of “rational discourse” on his blog.

Martin said he would typically take his mind off of the real world’s troubles with the fictional stories found in books, movies, and television shows. Now, he said, people celebrate failures rather than great work.

“Well, I take solace where I can,” Martin said. “In books. In films and television shows… though even there, toxicity is growing. It used to be fun talking about our favorite books and films, and having spirited debates with fans who saw things different… but somehow in this age of social media, it is no longer enough to say ‘I did not like book X or film Y, and here’s why.’ Now social media is ruled by anti-fans who would rather talk about the stuff they hate than the stuff they love, and delight in dancing on the graves of anyone whose film has flopped.”