By Katharine Trendacosta and Charlie Jane Anders . This weekend sees the return of Game of Thrones , and once again we ’ll be check the nobles of Westeros slaughtering and betraying each other . But George R.R. Martin is n’t the only tremendous source to capture the huge sweep of battles over power and aureole . Here are 10 other great story of epic power struggles to help keep you turning pages to see tress and turns on a terrific exfoliation .
Top image : Diplomatic Immunity cover artistic production by Frank Berkey .
The two serial publication ( as explain by The Mallorean ) revolve around a centuries - spanning battle of supremacy between a “ wanton ” prophecy and a “ drab ” one . Basically , an fortuity knocked the whole universe out of alignment , creating two possible futures where there used to be one . And the hereafter take in sentiency and have been battling it out ( through avatars called the Child of Light and the Child of Dark ) . And they play back basically the same events over and over , until they get a unequivocal result .
Aclassic alt - chronicle novel , The Man in the High Castle engage place in a world where the Axis won World War II . Which mean , of line , that Japan , Italy , and Germany are engage in various intrigues against each other , especially in the former United States . Plus , there ’s the monolithic office battle that launch the Word of God , with Fuhrer Bormann demise and Joseph Goebbels , Reinhard Heydrich , Hermann Göring , etc . fighting over who gets to exchange him .
Another alt - history novel , Roth ’s book envisions a world where Charles Lindbergh defeats FDRfor re - election and may or may not be a national socialist puppet ( but is in spades a Nazi sympathiser ) . It also features Walter Winchell leading an anti - Lindbergh movement and being assassinate by a possible American Nazi , with KKK help . Then there ’s a coup by the Vice President and history redress itself at Pearl Harbor . And then there ’s the German propaganda blame a Judaic conspiracy for Lindbergh ’s fade and the Lindbergh child snatch — versus the prevail conspiracy theory that the Nazis were behind everything .
So the Elves are all mirthfully living with the Valar on Aman , while Melkor / Morgoth has the dark and Middle Earth ( Melkor destroyed the two lights of the world , so Aman is lit by two trees ) . Feanor is top executive of one of the elf radical ( the Noldor ) , and creates the Silmarils — jewels which glow with the light of the two trees and are sacred . Then Melkor steals the Silmarils and destroys the trees . Feanor lose his dirt , and he and his sons swear vengeance on not only Melkor / Morgoth , but on anyone who observe the Silmarils from him . In the physical process , they happen to attack another group of gremlin ( the Teleri ) . The Valar tell the Noldor that if they impart , they can not amount back . Feanor is still dictated to get his jewels back , so he go anyway , and many follow him . The Noldor pretty much fail at convey the Silmarils back , fighting Morgoth and lose a mess . Beren , a man who ’s in love with the elf , Luthien , is give the task of slip a Silmaril , which he does — and his heir inherit the Silmaril . Unsurprisingly , this annoys the Word of Feanor , who attack the elves who have the Silmaril to get it back . They , again , fail . The Silmaril and its keeper , Elwing , go to the Valar . The Valar help defeat Morgoth , but the sons of Feanor steal the two stay Silmarils from the Valar ( who are basically gods ) because , again , they are made of fail . So made of fail , in fact , that they ca n’t actually touch the Silmarils anymore . So one of the sons pull suicide and the other throws the Silmaril into the sea . So much fail in the house of Feanor . The Valar filch the banishment , but some pixy stay in Middle Earth . All of this contribute up to the first War of the Ring , which then result to The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings .
The Yuuzhan Vong invade from outside the galaxy , creating a scourge so monumental that Grand Admiral Thrawn joins the Empire because he believes they stand the good chance against the invaders . And then the Imperial Remnant ( the remainder of the Empire ) and the New Republic actually form an alliance to vote down them . Yeah , the descendents of the Empire and the Rebel Alliance work together to get control of the galaxy back . The result is an epic struggle for control over the galaxy , which lead to the Yuuzhan Vong hat the “ heretic ” Jedi .
plenteousness of phantasy epics postulate feuding nobles and interminable betrayals and scheme — but few of them take place in a land where sexuality is celebrated , sanctified sex workers are central to the political structure and a super - masochist turns out to be the main savior of the realm . The key concern of the first Kushiel trilogy is who ’s work to rule over Terre D’Ange , a edition of medieval France where everybody worship the groovier son of Jesus , instead of Jesus himself . And as nobles pedal and deal and betray each other , the villainous Melisande Shahrizai plays them off against each other , while getting other , far - off nations take in her schemes . The politics of the series slowly become more and more planetary and the intrigue more byzantine , as more players get involved . Basically , imagine A Song of Ice and Fire with safewords and happier sex workers .
Even before Miles Vorkosigan — who ’s basically Tyrion Lannister in space — is born , the feudal satellite Barrayar is at state of war with the Cetagandan Empire . But once that state of war is over , there ’s another war , with the Beta Colony — and Miles ’ parent occur from opposite side of meat of that war . But that ’s all just the backdrop to a saga that sees the wily Miles catch up in an endless series of schemes , ability plays , wars and monstrous machination . And Miles lie and wander with the best of them , preserve a few steps ahead of the rest period of the pack .
The Honor Harrington series follow Harrington , a successful military leader and tardy politico , through a time of interstellar agitation . The universe of discourse that the serial publication takes place in consists of tension and actual battles between three might : the Solarian League ( rule from Earth ) , the Star Kingdom of Manticore ( Harrington ’s home ) , and the People ’s Republic of Haven ( based on the born mating of Napoleonic France and the Soviet Union . At the start of the series , People ’s Republic of Haven ( hilariouslycalled the “ Peeps , ” ) faces a massive shortfall problem stemming from its Socialist / Communist - same point of view , and decides to fix that trouble by bellyache up its military and develop revenue from military subjugation . Unfortunately , the Star Kingdom is in the path of that design . Later , the series also includes a confederacy of corrupt Solarian leader and businessman who want to destruct the old order , which also need an epical battle by the Star Kingdom and its Peeps ( see what we did there ? ) to prevent .
Frankly , the whole Dune series counts as an epic power struggle , but the plot of just Dune on its own is proclaim by a major one . The Bene Gesserit wander themselves as servants to the Empire , while using pernicious manipulations ( and , you know , a massive procreation plan ) to reach their ending . The House Atreides is given control of Arrakis by the Emperor because he feared the popularity of Leto Atreides and wants to get the Atreides away from the safety of their tycoon base . And he does that by allying with House Harkonnen , who has a massive feud with House Atreides . Giving House Atreides Arrakis did not so much flex out as expected .
What ’s your favorite epic power struggle from skill fiction or fantasy ? Sound off below !
BooksGame of ThronesGeorge R.R. MartinJacqueline CareyStar Wars
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