The mass media tends to ignore fantasy stories, especially high fantasy stories. After all, they require actual imagination. 
 But one of the few stories that has wormed its way into our consciousness -- partly because of the brilliant TV adaptation -- is George R.R. Martin's fantasy epic A Song Of Ice And Fire. And the first volume, "A Game of Thrones," is a powerfully complex, gritty story, plenty of grime, blood and a tangle of convoluted plots and counterplots. 
 The castle of Winterfell is thrown on its ear when King Robert Baratheon of Westeros arrives to ask Eddard Stark to be his Hand. But soon after he agrees, he receives a message from his mentor's widow, informing him that Queen Cersei's family, the Lannisters, are secretly plotting against the king -- and that they are killing off anyone who might be a threat to them. 
 One of his younger sons is gravely wounded when he sees something shocking, and the acid-tongued dwarf Tyrion is framed for the crime. And across the Narrow Sea, exiled princess Daenerys Targaryen is wed to the barbarian lord Khal Drogo, so that her brother can invade Westeros and take back the throne. Daenerys quickly grows in strength and wisdom, but will pay a terrible price. 
 And Eddard's illegitimate son Jon joins the Night's Watch near the Wall -- but has little idea of the horrors that are approaching. As Stark takes to his new duties, he begins investigating the death of his predecessor, and begins to uncover a shocking secret about the queen and her children. Treachery, death and war will be brought to Westeros, and a war will begin with the blood of the good-hearted. 
 "A Game of Thrones" is truly an epic story -- it takes place over the length and breadth of Westeros, and stretches across to Dothraki lands across the sea. There are countless plot threads woven into one enormous, bloodsoaked tapestry, linked together even if they are technically separate. Lots of plot threads are left dangling, but in such a way that you end up wanting to know what happens next. 
 And Martin writes in a vivid, unromanticized style -- his world is a bleak, wild place shrouded in winter, full of cold stone walls, grimy medieval atmosphere, windswept steppes and dark seedy plots. He doesn't shy away from graphic violence or sex, but the focus here is always on the clashing families, battles and seedy plots of the queen. And despite that focus, there is still a hint of the magical in this fantasy -- talk of dragons, the White Walkers and their undead wights. 
 It also has a wide-ranging cast of characters, from fiery little girls to dissolute kings. The most powerful are Eddard Stark, an admirable and charismatic man who seems destined for ruin because of his search for the truth; Daenerys grows from a pale, frightened wallflower into a strong queen who loves (and loses) people close to her; and a bunch of rich characters like Tyrion, Jon, Catelyn, the evil Cersei and her brother/lover Jaime, and many others. 
 "A Game of Thrones" is a truly spellbinding experience, tearing away the rosier veils of high fantasy. Bloody, complicated and full of richly-developed characters, this is a modern classic.