Yer A Franchise, Harry: Transmediality in Harry Potter and A Song of Ice and Fire

Abstract

Harry Potter and A Song of Ice and Fire are two series currently at the forefront of our culture. Their popularity is partly due to their successful film adaptations that have increased the membership of their fan bases and allowed the story to expand itself into different mediums. While many scholars conduct literary analysis or film analysis of these texts, viewing them as separate and independent entities, I wish to examine how each series is connected to its adaptation, and how they influence each other, creating a cyclical adaptation process. I argue that the adaptations play an integral part in our readings of these texts, affecting us with their reinterpretations of events, embodiment of characters and visualization. These fundamental changes not only alter our definition of “canon,” but also alter our understandings of authorship.