A Song of Ice and Fire books are in the list of banned books in Kansas state prisons

Reading about dragons and ice zombies can help you break out of prison. Or so Kansas Prison authorities seem to be thinking these days. A list of all the books (some 7,000 of them) banned for reading in Kansas state prisons has recently come to light, and all the five books from George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series (on which Game of Thrones is based) are on it.

If Martin feels bad for the exclusion, he may find some solace in the illustrious company. Among the books banned in those prisons are Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange, Ron Stallworth’s Black Klansman, Soloman Northup’s 12 Years A Slave, E.L. James’ Fifty Shades of Grey, Neil Gaiman’s American Gods and several James Patterson novels. The list also includes many ‘How to’ books, role-playing manuals, several Marvel and DC comics, and magazines like Cosmopolitan, Allure, Elle, Art in America, Hot Bike and Hooters. 

The list was accessed by Human Rights Defense Center (HRDC) in association with Books for Prisoners, a humanitarian organization that donates books to prison facilities. Books to Prisoners organizer and Public Records Manager at the HRDC Michelle Dillon told Newsweek that while it’s common for prison authorities to restrict access to some books, the sheer number of books banned at Kansas state prisons seem unbelievable. In her words, “Kansas… it just seems like they hate books.” 

We just received the banned books list from KDOC & it’s unbelievable. Kansas has fewer than 10,000 prisoners, yet more than 7,000 books are banned for them, from “A Clockwork Orange” to “Are Prisons Obsolete?”

RT with the most absurd book you find! https://t.co/8JDgrM4NLU

— Books to Prisoners (@B2PSeattle) May 29, 2019

Some of the choices might make sense from strictly a prison authority point-of-view; they may not want books that include lots of sex and violence, prison breaking details, maps, or anything that may inspire chaos inside the facilities or help foster plans of escape.

However, many of the books and magazines on the list do not fit even that description. the ASOIAF books, for example, have not been banned for violent or explicit content, but for its inclusion of maps. Now, the maps in those books are obviously all imaginary and would help no one unless they were looking for a secret tunnel into the Red Keep. But prison authorities seem to have missed those finer distinctions.

Dillon puts this mainly to“no accountability, no oversight and very vague policies that allow for a lot of interpretation.” Any random employee, for example, may shuffle through a copy of A Game of Thrones, spot the Westeros maps, and immediately put it on the banned section, not bothering to check whether the map in question was real or imaginary.

Guess somebody should tell them the difference now since the ASOIAF series seem to be much in demand – there have been several appeals for the books in the past few years!

Talk to us in the comments, down below!

The 21st century has witnessed an unprecedented rise in science and technology. These advances have helped bring fantasy to life. The last decade saw the bar for quality TV shows getting raised to never-before-seen heights. Game of Thrones played a major role in raising that bar even higher. Scientists have researched the show’s incredible success, relating it to real life. The fantasy epic still holds the record for most Emmy awards won. Once again the series proved that it still rules the heart of the audience. Game of Thrones was voted as the Greatest TV Show of 21st century by Digital Spy readers.

Digital Spy shortlisted 150 shows for their readers, and they voted for their favourite shows. The shows were curated from viewing figures, popularity ratings, newsworthiness and online presence. As expected the cream rose to the top. Game of Thrones was favourited by the most number of voters, showing off its popularity even after it ended more than a year ago.

The list also included other famous shows like Breaking Bad and Peaky Blinders from the past two decades. Despite the controversial final season, the series seems to have maintained its fan base. It’s a big win for Game of Thrones fans from all over the world!

Are you happy about the voting results? Tell us in the comments below!

The New Year brings with it new hopes and opportunities for everyone around the world. People all over the world are trying to get back on their feet after everything that happened in the Red Wedding year. Many are trying to get a fresh start, including some of Game of Thrones stars. Emilia Clarke, famous for playing Daenerys Targaryen, recently sold off her lavish California home at $4.4 million.

The modern home in Los Angeles’ artsy beachside Venice neighbourhood was truly a fit for the Queen of Dragons. The 2,817-square-foot home was built in 2009. It includes two bedrooms and three full bathrooms.

The gated property features a courtyard with a 30-foot pool and multiple areas for lounging, including a covered space. The front patio has 80-year-old olive trees. The 0.12-acre property offers privacy behind its walls and mature greenery. It is also conveniently close to the beach and hip shopping and dining around the corner on Abbot Kinney Boulevard.

Clarke paid $4.6 million for the property in 2016, records show. She put it on the market for just under $5 million in August. It sold just before the end of the year after a price cut in November.

This might indicate Emilia plans to stay in England permanently. Earlier in 2020, Maisie Williams expressed her desire to move to France with her boyfriend. Do you have any such plans? Talk to us in the comments below!

The year 2020 was tough for people all around the world. In times like these, they need a distraction for momentary relief. That’s where the entertainment industry steps in. The artists work really hard on and off-screen to manage their job as well as their family. Some put up a smile even when they face grave problems in real life, like Game of Thrones’ Jason Momoa. Entertainment Weekly recently honoured Game of Thrones alum Pedro Pascal for his performance on The Mandalorian.

Pascal is one of the actors who was titled Entertainer of The Year, 2020 by Entertainment Weekly. The show Mandalorian kept the audience hooked all through the year, pretty much like how Game of Thrones did for a decade. Moreover, Pedro was a part of both.

“It is why I wanted to do this show. Selfishly, I knew [the Child, a.k.a. Baby Yoda] was likely to make people fall in love with the show,” Pedro explained to Entertainment Weekly.

He continued, “I’m not even sure if I would be able to do it if it weren’t for the amount of direct experience that I’ve had with being on stage to understand how to posture yourself, how to physically frame yourself into something and to tell a story with a gesture, with a stance, or with very, very specific vocal intonation.”

Keeping viewers interested in an act for such a long time is not an easy job. Talk to us and congratulate Pedro over his achievement in the comments below!