The source material is subject to criticism as well, but it should also be given credit. The reason we're even talking about it is because the books were really

The source material is subject to criticism as well, but it should also be given credit. The reason we're even talking about it is because the books were really good and had a huge impact around the world. It's no coincidence that movies based on books tend to be great. Authors think through their world in detail which serves as a foundation for the screen adaptation. Deviating from this is risky, as directors have different skills, and more than likely they won't write a better world and dialogue than a renown author. This was very clear with Game of Thrones with George RR not being able to finish his saga, and this being so obvious after season 4 (or 5). The quality dropped dramatically and it all crashed and burned by the last season. Had they planned it more carefully, so that George was in charge of the story until the end, I think we would have seen the most successful fantasy show of the century.