While I like GRRM's writing as a whole (I particularly liked his SF from way way back), I am not a fan of The Game of Thrones, simply because I don't like gritty fantasy. I like heroic (dare I say uplifting?) fantasy, and, yes, Tolkien is my beau ideal in that sense. I don't tend to think a book is better because it has mud, blood, shit and semen staining the pages.

Otherwise, in re: point 2, thanks for that link. I do know that I am happier as a consumer now than I ever was before, because I never enjoyed the "search" as much as the actual listening and reading/watching.