The author seems frustrated by what he terms "The Fremen Mirage" and how often it appears in popular fiction. > The Fremen Mirage is a literary trope, unconnec

The author seems frustrated by what he terms "The Fremen Mirage" and how often it appears in popular fiction. > The Fremen Mirage is a literary trope, unconnected to historical reality, which presents societies as a contrast between unsophisticated, but morally pure, hyper-masculine and militarily effective ‘strong men’ societies honed by ‘hard times’ (that is, the Fremen of the term) and a sophisticated but effeminate and decadent ‘weak men’ societies weakened by ‘good times,’ frequently with an implicit assertion of the superior worth of the former. More specifically, he seems wary of the impact that myth has in modern politics. > fiction is often how the public conceptualizes the past and that concept of the past shapes the decisions we make in the present. In the case of A Song of Ice and Fire in particular, this vision of the past is particularly worth interrogating because it serves as the basis for a parable on power and violence. I've had conversations with people who believe fiction such as George R. R. Martin's is "realistic" and worth examining as if it were a history. So, yes, apparently it would shock some people. Yet, no, you should not be shocked.