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This is the conclusion of a study conducted by scientists from Great Britain and Ireland. The number and intensity of social contacts that the characters cultivate are, therefore, comparable to those that people have on average in real life, the researchers write in the specialized journal “PNAS”.
In their research using network analysis and mathematical methods, psychologists and mathematicians do not refer to the known series, but to its literary model: the books “A Song of Ice and Fire” by the American author George RR Martin.
The action seems credible
The first book in the series, which gave the later series its name “Game of Thrones,” was published in 1996 and has since sold more than 70 million copies. In the story, different kingdoms fight for the supremacy of the iron throne in a fictional world based on the Middle Ages, in which fantastic beings also live.
The sequence in which popular character deaths or other unpredictable events are introduced is also critical to success, the researchers write. They come often and surprisingly to captivate readers, but not so often that it’s beyond the ability to follow the plot or seems implausible.
“Unexpected twists”
“These books are known to take unexpected twists, often with a view to the death of a main character,” said co-author Padraig MacCarron of the University of Limerick, Ireland. “It’s interesting to see how the author arranges the chapters in an order that makes this seem even more random than it would in a chronological narrative.”
Robin Dunbar from the University of Oxford (UK), also involved in the study, said: “This study provides compelling evidence that good writers work very carefully within the psychological limits of the reader.”
https://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2006465117
