The Sword and Laser discussion

okay, so I watched and loved the TV series. I plan to read (or audibly read) the series.

The question, should I read "a game of thrones", or skip it and go to "a clash of kings"

Thanks

definitely start with GoT, there's enough difference that i think you'd get a few WTF? moments if you didn't.

A friend of mine, who had watched the series, has just read the book for the first time and reckoned it added a lot.

Read the book first. The series was reasonably faithful to the plot and content of the book, but there's several really important details that they left out or modified for sake of being able to fit the book into a 10 episode tv show. Some of the characterizations are a little different too (I found TV series Cersei to have been played differently enough from book Cersei as to be distracting to me at points)

OK, I'm sold... thanks

do NOT skip any book. some chapters sure if you find them slow and just want to skim them, but don't skip the entire books. There are a lot more in the Game of Thrones book that goes more in depth and give some characters far more depth than the TV show game them (looking at Tyrion)

I'm listening to the Audiobook of Game of Thrones, having watched the TV series, and I'm not have a good time of it.
It's well written and read but I think knowing what's going to happen next spoils it.

I'll make sure to read the second book well before the next series.