Can Westworld Do for Science Fiction What Game of Thrones Did for Fantasy?

Five years ago, Game of Thrones turned our expectations upside down. Here was a fantasy show that focused not on the portentous prophecies and heavy spellbooks, but on the politics and personalities of its medieval realm--and in the process, cultivated millions of fans. Now, HBO is hoping to do the same thing for futuristic science fiction with Westworld, a lavish adaptation of Michael Crichton's 1973 movie. Like Game of Thrones, Westworld has a mature, sophisticated approach to beloved genre ideas--but can a theme park full of malfunctioning robots capture the popular imagination the same way that Westeros did in 2011? As with the original movie, Westworld takes place in a special vacation resort where you can visit the Wild West and interact with shockingly lifelike robots.