Wikipedia

A Song of Ice and Fire

A Song of Ice and Fireis a series ofhigh fantasynovels by the American authorGeorge R. R. Martin.He began writing the first volume,A Game of Thrones,in 1991, and published it in 1996. Martin, who originally envisioned the series as a trilogy, has released five out of seven planned volumes. The fifth entry in the series,A Dance with Dragons,was published in 2011. Martin continues to write the sixth novel, titledThe Winds of Winter.A seventh novel,A Dream of Spring,is planned to follow.

A Song of Ice and Fire
A Song of Ice and Fire
book collection box set cover
AuthorGeorge R. R. Martin
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreHigh fantasy[1][2]
Publisher
PublishedAugust 1, 1996 – present
Media type

A Song of Ice and Firedepicts a violent world dominated bypolitical realism.What little supernatural power exists is confined to the margins of the known world.Moral ambiguitypervades the books, and their stories continually raise questions concerning loyalty, pride, human sexuality,piety,and the morality ofviolence.The story unfolds through a rotating set of subjectivepoints of view,the success or survival of any of which is never assured. Each chapter is told from a limited third-person perspective, drawn from a group of characters that grows from nine in the first novel to 31 by the fifth.

The novels are set on the fictional continents ofWesterosandEssos(the world as a whole does not have an established name). Martin's stated inspirations for the series include theWars of the RosesandThe Accursed Kings,a series of Frenchhistorical novelsbyMaurice Druon.[3][4]The work as a whole consists of three interwoven plots: a dynastic war among several families for control of Westeros, the growing threat posed by the powerful supernaturalOthersfrom the northernmost region of Westeros, and the ambition of the surviving members of the dethroned Targaryen dynasty to return from their exile in Essos and reassume theIron Throne.

As of 2015, more than 90 million copies in 47 languages had been sold.[5][6][7]The fourth and fifth volumes reached the top of theNew York TimesBest Seller listswhen published in 2005 and 2011.[8]Among themany derived worksareseveral prequel novellas,two television series,acomic book adaptation,and severalcard,board,andvideo games.The series has received critical acclaim for its world-building, characters, and narrative.

Plot synopsis

edit
Further information:List of A Song of Ice and Fire charactersandWorld of A Song of Ice and Fire

A Song of Ice and Firetakes place in a fictional world in which seasons last for years and end unpredictably. Nearly three centuries before the events of the first novel, the Seven Kingdoms ofWesteroswere united under theTargaryendynasty, establishing military supremacy through their control of dragons. The Targaryens ruled for three hundred years, continuing beyond the extinction of the dragons. Their dynasty eventually ended with a rebellion led by LordRobert Baratheon,in which Aerys II "the Mad King" Targaryen was killed and Robert proclaimed king of the Seven Kingdoms. At the beginning ofA Game of Thrones,15 years have passed since Robert's rebellion, with a nine-year-long summer coming to an end.

The principal story chronicles the power struggle for theIron Throneamong the great Houses of Westeros following the death of King Robert inA Game of Thrones.Robert's heir apparent, the 13-year-oldJoffrey,is immediately proclaimed king through the machinations of his mother, QueenCersei Lannister.When LordEddard "Ned" Stark,Robert's closest friend and chief advisor, discovers that Joffrey and his siblings are the product of incest between Cersei and her twin brother SerJaime Lannister,Eddard attempts to unseat Joffrey, but is betrayed and executed for treason. In response, Robert's brothersStannisandRenlylay separate claims to the throne. During this period of instability, two of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros attempt to become independent from the Iron Throne: Eddard's eldest sonRobbis proclaimed King in the North, while LordBalon Greyjoydesires to recover the sovereignty of his region, the Iron Islands. The so-called "War of the Five Kings" is in full progress by the middle of the second book,A Clash of Kings.

The second part of the story takes place in the far north of Westeros, where an 8,000-year-old wall of ice, simply called "the Wall",defends the Seven Kingdoms from supernatural creatures known asthe Others.The Wall's sentinels, the Sworn Brotherhood of theNight's Watch,also protect the realm from incursions by the "wildlings"or" Free Folk ", a number of human tribes living on the north side of the Wall. The Night's Watch story is told primarily through the point of view ofJon Snow,Lord Eddard Stark'sbastard son.[9]Jon follows in the footsteps of his uncleBenjen Starkand joins the Watch at a young age, rising quickly through the ranks. He eventually becomes Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. In the third volume,A Storm of Swords,the Night's Watch storyline becomes increasingly entangled with the War of the Five Kings.

The third storyline followsDaenerys Targaryen,daughter of Aerys II, the last Targaryen king. On the continent of Essos, east of Westerosacross the Narrow Sea,Daenerys is married off by her elder brotherViserys Targaryento a powerful warlord but slowly becomes an independent and intelligent ruler in her own right. Her rise to power is aided by the historic birth of threedragons,hatched from eggs given to her as wedding gifts. The three dragons soon become not only a symbol of her bloodline and her claim to the throne but also devastating weapons of war, which help her in the conquest of Slaver's Bay. The story follows her year-long conflict with the region's city states, in which she aims to consolidate power, disrupt the Essosi slave trade, and gather support for her ambitions to reclaim Westeros.

Publishing history

edit

Overview

edit

Books in theA Song of Ice and Fireseries are first published in hardcover and are later re-released as paperback editions. In the UK,Harper Voyagerpublishes special slipcased editions.[10]The series has also been translated into more than 30 languages.[11]All page totals given below are for the US first editions.

# Title Pages Chapters Words Audio US release
1 A Game of Thrones 694[12] 73 292,727[13] 33 h 53 min August 1996[12]
2 A Clash of Kings 768[14] 70 318,903[15] 37 h 17 min February 1999[14]
3 A Storm of Swords 973[16] 82 414,604[17] 47 h 37 min November 2000[16]
4 A Feast for Crows 753[18] 46 295,032[19] 31 h 10 min November 2005[18]
5 A Dance with Dragons 1056[20] 73 414,788[21] 48 h 56 min July 2011[20]
6 The Winds of Winter Forthcoming[22]
7 A Dream of Spring Forthcoming[23]
Total 4,244 344 1,736,054 198 h 53 min 1996–present

First three novels (1991–2000)

edit
George R. R. Martinat Archipelacon inMariehamn,Åland,2015

George R. R. Martin was already a successful fantasy and sci-fi author and TV writer before writing hisA Song of Ice and Firebook series.[24]Martin had his first short story published in 1971 and his first novel in 1977.[25]By the mid-1990s, he had won threeHugo Awards,twoNebula Awards,and other awards for his short fiction.[26]Although his early books were well-received within the fantasy fiction community, his readership remained relatively small and Martin took on jobs as a writer in Hollywood in the mid-1980s.[26]He worked principally on therevival ofThe Twilight Zonethroughout 1986 and onBeauty and the Beastuntil 1990, but he also developed his own TV pilots and wrote feature film scripts. He grew frustrated that his pilots and screenplays were not getting made[26]and that TV-related production limitations like budgets and episode lengths were forcing him to cut characters and trim battle scenes.[27]This pushed Martin back towards writing books, where he did not have to worry about compromising the size of his imagination.[26]Admiring the works ofJ. R. R. Tolkienin his childhood, he wanted to write an epic fantasy, though he did not have any specific ideas.[28]

When Martin was between Hollywood projects in the summer of 1991, he started writing a new science fiction novel calledAvalon.After three chapters, he had a vivid idea of a boy seeing a man's beheading and finding direwolves in the snow, which would eventually become the first non-prologue chapter ofA Game of Thrones.[29]PuttingAvalonaside, Martin finished this chapter in a few days and grew certain that it was part of a longer story. After a few more chapters, Martin perceived his new book as a fantasy story[30]and started making maps and genealogies.[24]However, the writing of this book was interrupted for a few years when Martin returned to Hollywood to produce his TV seriesDoorwaysthatABChad ordered but ultimately never aired.[27]

"The first scene...chapter one of the first book, the chapter where they find the direwolf pups...just came to me out of nowhere. I was...at work on a different novel, and suddenly I saw that scene. It didn't belong in the novel I was writing, but it came to me so vividly that I had to sit down and write it, and by the time I did, it led to a second chapter, and the second chapter was the Catelyn chapter where Ned has just come back."

—George R. R. Martin in 2014[31]

In 1994, Martin gave hisagent,Kirby McCauley,the first 200 pages and a two-page story projection as part of a planned trilogy with the novelsA Dance with DragonsandThe Winds of Winterintended to follow. When Martin had still not reached the novel's end at 1,400 manuscript pages, he felt that the series needed to be four and eventually six books long,[27][32]which he imagined as two linked trilogies of one long story.[33]Martin choseA Song of Ice and Fireas the overall series title: Martin saw the struggle of the cold Others and the fiery dragons as one possible meaning for "Ice and Fire", whereas the word "song" had previously appeared in Martin's book titlesA Song for LyaandSongs the Dead Men Sing,stemming from his obsessions with songs.[34]Martin also namedRobert Frost's 1920 poem "Fire and Ice"and cultural associations such as passion versus betrayal as possible influences for the series' title.[35]

The revised finished manuscript forA Game of Throneswas 1,088 pages long (without the appendices),[36]with the publication following in August 1996.[12]The Wheel of TimeauthorRobert Jordanhad written a short endorsement for the cover that was influential in ensuring the book's and hence series' early success with fantasy readers.[37]Blood of the Dragon,a pre-release sample novella drawn from Daenerys's chapters, went on to win the 1997 Hugo Award for Best Novella.[38]The first book was marketed as part of the "Song of Ice and Firetrilogy "in 1996, but by the second book's release, the" trilogy "suffix had been dropped and the series was retitled toA Song of Ice and Fire.[39]

The 300 pages removed from theGame of Thronesmanuscript served as the opening of the second book, entitledA Clash of Kings.[32]It was released in February 1999 in the United States,[14]with a manuscript length (without appendices) of 1,184 pages.[36]A Clash of Kingswas the first book of theSong of Ice and Fireseries to make the best-seller lists,[27]reaching 13 onThe New York TimesBest Seller listin 1999.[40]After the success ofThe Lord of the Ringsfilms, Martin received his first inquiries to the rights of theSong of Ice and Fireseries from various producers and filmmakers.[27]

Martin was several months late turning in the third book,A Storm of Swords.[26]The last chapter he had written was about the "Red Wedding", a pivotal scene notable for its violence (seeThemes: Violence and death).[41]A Storm of Swordswas 1,521 pages in manuscript (without appendices),[36]causing problems for many of Martin's publishers around the world.Bantam BookspublishedA Storm of Swordsin a single volume in the United States in November 2000,[16]whereas some other-language editions were divided into two, three, or even four volumes.[36]A Storm of Swordsdebuted at number 12 in theNew York Timesbestseller list.[38][42]

Bridging the timeline gap (2000–2011)

edit

AfterA Game of Thrones,A Clash of Kings,andA Storm of Swords,Martin originally intended to write three more books.[26]The fourth book, tentatively titledA Dance with Dragons,was to focus on Daenerys Targaryen's return to Westeros and the associated conflicts.[33]Martin wanted to set this story five years afterA Storm of Swordsso that the younger characters could grow older and the dragons could grow larger.[43]Agreeing with his publishers early on that the new book should be shorter thanA Storm of Swords,Martin set out to write the novel closer in length toA Clash of Kings.[36]A long prologue was to establish what had happened in the meantime, initially just as one chapter ofAeron Damphairon the Iron Islands at the Kingsmoot. Since the events on the Iron Islands were to have an impact in the book and could not be told with existing POV characters, Martin eventually introduced three new viewpoints.[44]

In 2001, Martin was still optimistic that the fourth installment might be released in the last quarter of 2002.[34]However, the five-year gap did not work for all characters during writing. On one hand, Martin was unsatisfied with covering the events during the gap solely through flashbacks and internal retrospection. On the other hand, it was implausible to have nothing happen for five years.[43]After working on the book for about a year, Martin realized he needed an additional interim book, which he calledA Feast for Crows.[43]The book would pick up the story immediately after the third book, and Martin scrapped the idea of a five-year gap.[34]The material of the written 250-page prologue was mixed in as new viewpoint characters from Dorne and the Iron Islands.[44]These expanded storylines and the resulting story interactions complicated the plot for Martin.[45]

The manuscript length ofA Feast for Crowseventually surpassedA Storm of Swords.[43]Martin was reluctant to make the necessary deep cuts to get the book down to publishable length, as that would have compromised the story he had in mind. Printing the book in "microtype on onion skin paper and giving each reader a magnifying glass" was also not an option for him.[36]On the other hand, Martin rejected the publishers' idea of splitting the narrative chronologically intoA Feast for Crows,Parts One and Two.[8]Being already late with the book, Martin had not even started writing all characters' stories,[46]and also objected to ending the first book without any resolution for its many viewpoint characters as in previous books.[43]

With the characters spread out across the world,[22]a friend suggested that Martin divide the story geographically into two volumes, of whichA Feast for Crowswould be the first.[8]This approach would give Martin the room to complete his commenced story arcs as he had originally intended,[36]which he still felt was the best approach years later.[22]Martin moved the unfinished characters' stories set in the east (Essos) and north (Winterfell and the Wall) into the next book,A Dance with Dragons,[47]and leftA Feast for Crowsto cover the events in King's Landing, the Riverlands, Dorne, and the Iron Islands.[36]Both books begin immediately after the end ofA Storm of Swords,[22]running in parallel instead of sequentially, and involve different casts of characters with only little overlap.[36]Martin split Arya's chapters into both books after having already moved the three other most popular characters (Jon Snow, Tyrion, and Daenerys) intoA Dance with Dragons.[47]

Upon its release in October 2005 in the UK[48]and November 2005 in the US,[18]A Feast for Crowswent straight to the top ofThe New York Timesbestseller list.[49]Among the positive reviewers was Lev Grossman ofTime,who dubbed Martin "the American Tolkien".[50]However, fans and critics alike were disappointed with the story split that left the fates of several popular characters unresolved afterA Storm of Swords'cliffhanger ending.[51][52]WithA Dance with Dragonssaid to be half-finished,[51]Martin mentioned in the epilogue ofA Feast for Crowsthat the next volume would be released by the next year.[53]However, planned release dates were repeatedly pushed back. Meanwhile,HBOacquired the rights to turnA Song of Ice and Fireinto a fantasy drama series in 2007[54]and aired the first of ten episodes coveringA Game of Thronesin April 2011.[55]

With around 1600 pages in manuscript length,[1]A Dance with Dragonswas eventually published in July 2011 after six years of writing,[27]longer in page count and writing time than any of the preceding four novels.[24][51]The story ofA Dance with Dragonscatches up with and goes beyondA Feast for Crowsaround two-thirds into the book,[46]but nevertheless covers less story than Martin had intended, omitting at least one planned large battle sequence and leaving several character threads ending in cliffhangers.[24]Martin attributed the delay mainly to his untangling "theMeereeneseknot ", which the interviewer understood as" making the chronology and characters mesh up as various threads converged on [Daenerys] ".[52]Martin also acknowledged spending too much time on rewriting and perfecting the story, but soundly rejected the theories of some of his critics that he had lost interest in the series or would bide his time to make more money.[51]

Planned novels and future (2011–present)

edit

Martin believed in 2012 the last two volumes of the series will be large books of 1500 manuscript pages each.[56]The sixth book will be calledThe Winds of Winter,[57]taking the title of the last book of the originally planned trilogy.[22]Displeased with the provisional titleA Time for Wolvesfor the final volume, Martin ultimately announcedA Dream of Springas the title for the seventh book in 2006.[23]Martin said in March 2012 that the final two novels will take readers farther north than any of the previous books, and that the Others will appear.[58]Martin indicated he would not permit another writer to finish the book series.[51]

The Winds of Winter

edit
Main article:The Winds of Winter

The Winds of Winterwill resolve the cliffhangers fromA Dance with Dragonsearly on and "will open with the two big battles that [the fifth book] was building up to, the battle in the ice and the battle [...] of Slaver's Bay. And then take it from there."[58]By the middle of 2010, Martin had already finished five chapters ofThe Winds of Winterfrom the viewpoints ofSansa Stark,Arya Stark,Arianne Martell,andAeron Greyjoy,coming to around 100 completed pages.[57][59]After the publication ofA Dance with Dragonsin 2011, Martin announced he would return to writing in January 2012.[24]He spent the meantime on book tours, conventions, and continued working on hisThe World of Ice & Firecompanion guide and a newTales of Dunk and Eggnovella.[60][61]In December 2011, Martin posted a chapter fromThe Winds of Winterfrom the viewpoint ofTheon Greyjoy;[62]several other chapters have been made public since. Four hundred pages of the sixth novel had been written as of October 2012,although Martin considered only 200 as "really finished"; the rest needed revising.[35]During the Guadalajara International Book Fair in Mexico in early December 2016, Martin offered the following hint as to the tone of this book: "There are a lot of dark chapters right now... I've been telling you for 20 years that winter was coming. Winter is the time when things die, and cold and ice and darkness fill the world, so this is not going to be the happy feel-good that people may be hoping for. Some of the characters [are] in very dark places."[63]Martin did not intend to separate the characters geographically again.[28]

In 2011, Martin gave three years as a realistic estimate for finishing the sixth book at a good pace,[1]but said ultimately the book "will be done when it's done",[22]acknowledging that his publication estimates had been too optimistic in the past.[24]In 2015 there were indications that the book would be published before thesixth seasonof the HBO show[64][65][66][67][68][69]but in early January 2016 Martin confirmed that he had not met an end-of-year deadline that he had established with his publisher for release of the book before the sixth season. He also revealed there had been a previous deadline of October 2015 that he had considered achievable in May 2015, and that in September 2015 he had still considered the end-of-year deadline achievable. He further confirmed that some of the plot of the book might be revealed in the then-upcoming sixth season ofGame of Thrones.[70]In February 2016, Martin stated that he dropped all his editing projects except forWild Cards,and that he would not be writing any teleplays, screenplays, short stories, introductions or forewords before deliveringThe Winds of Winter.[71]In March 2020, Martin stated that he was writingThe Winds of Winterevery day,[72]and in June he hoped to be done with it in 2021.[73]In October 2022, Martin said that he had written approximately three quarters of the book.[74][75]

A Dream of Spring

edit

Martin is not firm about ending the series with the seventh novel.[24]With his stated goal of telling the story from beginning to end, he will not truncate the story to fit into an arbitrary number of volumes.[41]He knows the ending in broad strokes as well as the future of the main characters,[28]and will finish the series with bittersweet elements where not everyone will live happily ever after.[38]Martin hopes to write an ending similar toThe Lord of the Ringsthat he felt gave the story a satisfying depth and resonance. On the other hand, Martin noted the challenge to avoid a situation likethe finale of the TV seriesLost,which left some fans disappointed by deviating too far from their own theories and desires.[22]

In 2012, Martin had acknowledged his concerns aboutA Dream of Springnot being completed by the time the TV seriesGame of Thronescatches up in its storyline to the novels.[76]

In 2015, Martin said that he was not writingA Dream of Springtogether withThe Winds of Winter,[77]and in early 2016, he said he did not believeA Dream of Springwould be published before the last season of the HBO show.[78]

During a question-and-answer session at the 2016Guadalajara International Book Fair,Martin emphasized: "I'm not going to tell you how I'm going to end my book, but I suspect the overall flavor is going to be as much bittersweet as it is happy."[63]

In April 2018, Martin commented he had not started working on the book,[79]and in November he said that afterThe Winds of Winterhe would decide what to do next:A Dream of Springor the second volume ofFire & Bloodor one or two stories for theTales of Dunk and Egg.[80]

In May 2019, Martin reiterated he had not started writingA Dream of Springand would not do so before finishingThe Winds of Winter.[81]

Other writings

edit

RegardingA Song of Ice and Fireas his masterpiece, Martin stated he would never write anything on this scale again and would only return to this fictional universe in the context of stand-alone novels.[44]He prefers to write stories about characters from otherA Song of Ice and Fireperiods of history such as hisTales of Dunk and Eggproject, instead of continuing the series directly.[44][82]Martin said he would love to return to writing short stories, novellas, novelettes, and stand-alone novels from diverse genres such as science fiction, horror, fantasy, or even a murder mystery.[30][37]

Inspiration and writing

edit

Genre

edit
Further information:Themes in A Song of Ice and Fire

"[Martin'sIce and Fireseries] was groundbreaking (at least for me) in all kinds of ways. Above all, the books were extremely unpredictable, especially in a genre where readers have come to expect the intensely predictable. [...]A Game of Throneswas profoundly shocking when I first read it, and fundamentally changed my notions about what could be done with epic fantasy. "

—Fantasy writerJoe Abercrombiein 2008[83]

George R. R. Martin believes the most profound influences to be the ones experienced in childhood.[84]Having readH. P. Lovecraft,Robert E. Howard,Robert A. Heinlein,Eric Frank Russell,Andre Norton,[30]Isaac Asimov,[34]Fritz Leiber,andMervyn Peake[85]in his youth, Martin never categorized these authors' literature into science fiction, fantasy, or horror and will write from any genre as a result.[84]Martin classifiedA Song of Ice and Fireas "epic fantasy",[1]and specifically namedTad Williams' high fantasy epicMemory, Sorrow, and Thornas very influential for the writing of the series.[34][85]One of his favorite authors isJack Vance,[34]although Martin considered the series not particularly Vancean.[33]

Martin experienced some harsh winters when living inDubuquea few years in the 1970s, and suspects these winters had an influence on his writing; "I think a lot of the stuff inA Game of Thrones,the snow and ice and freezing, comes from my memories of Dubuque ".[31]

The medieval setting has been the traditional background for epic fantasy. However, where historical fiction leaves versed readers knowing the historical outcome,[85]original characters may increase suspense and empathy for the readers.[84]Yet Martin felt historical fiction, particularly when set during the Middle Ages, had an excitement, grittiness, and a realness to it that was absent in fantasy with a similar backdrop.[86]Thus, he wanted to combine the realism of historical fiction with the magic appeal of the best fantasies,[87]subduing magic in favor of battles and political intrigue.[26]He also decided to avoid the conventional good versus evil setting typical for the genre, using the fight between Achilles and Hector inHomer'sIliad,where no one stands out as either a hero or a villain, as an example of what he wants to achieve with his books.[88]

Martin is widely credited with broadening the fantasy fiction genre for adult content.[51]Writing forThe Atlantic,Amber Taylor assessed the novels ashard fantasywith vulnerable characters to which readers become emotionally attached.[89]CNNfound in 2000 that Martin's mature descriptions were "far more frank than those found in the works of other fantasy authors",[90]although Martin assessed the fantasy genre to have become rougher-edged a decade later and that some writers' work was going beyond the mature themes of his novels.[41]Adam Robertscalled Martin's series the most successful and popular example of the emerging subgenre ofgrimdarkfantasy.[91]

Writing process

edit
A Song of Ice and Fireseries was partly inspired by theWars of the Roses,a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England. This paintingSanctuarybyRichard BurchettportraysEdward IVdemanding that his defeated enemies be taken fromTewkesbury Abbey.

Setting out to write something on an epic scale,[90]Martin projected to write three books of 800 manuscript pages in the very early stages of the series.[85]His original 1990s contract specified one-year deadlines for his previous literary works, but Martin only realized later that his new books were longer and hence required more writing time.[43]In 2000, Martin planned to take 18 months to two years for each volume and projected the last of the planned six books to be released five or six years later.[38]However, withA Song of Ice and Fireseries evolving into the biggest and most ambitious story he has ever attempted writing,[47]he still has two more books to finish as of 2024.Martin said he needed to be in his own office inSanta Fe, New Mexicoto immerse himself in the fictional world and write.[26]As of 2011,Martin was still typing his fiction on anIBM PC compatiblecomputer runningMS-DOSwithWordStar 4.0.[92]He begins each day at 10 am with rewriting and polishing the previous day's work,[84]and may write all day or struggle to write anything.[26]Excised material and previous old versions are saved to be possibly re-inserted at a later time.[47]Martin does not considerA Song of Ice and Firea "series" but a single story published in several volumes.[93]

Martin set theA Song of Ice and Firestory in asecondary worldinspired by Tolkien's writing.[28]Unlike Tolkien, who created entire languages, mythologies, and histories for Middle-earth long before writingThe Lord of the Rings,Martin usually starts with a rough sketch of an imaginary world that he improvises into a workable fictional setting along the way.[51]He described his writing as coming from a subconscious level in "almost a daydreaming process",[94]and his stories, which have a mythic rather than a scientific core, draw from emotion instead of rationality.[30]Martin employs maps[26]and a cast list topping 60 pages in the fourth volume,[8]but keeps most information in his mind.[1]His imagined backstory remains subject to change until published, and only the novels count ascanon.[47]Martin does not intend to publish his private notes after the series is finished.[26]

Martin drew much inspiration from actual history for the series,[84]having several bookcases filled with medieval history for research[95]and visiting historic European landmarks.[45]For an American who speaks only English, the history of England proved the easiest source of medieval history for him, giving the series a British rather than a German or Spanish historic flavor.[96]For example, Ned and Robb Stark resembleRichard, 3rd Duke of York,and his sonEdward IV,and Queen Cersei resembles bothMargaret of Anjou[97]andElizabeth Woodville.[98]Martin immersed himself in many diverse medieval topics such as clothing, food, feasting, and tournaments to have the facts at hand if needed during writing.[38]The series was in particular influenced by theHundred Years' War,theCrusades,theAlbigensian Crusade,and theWars of the Roses,[84][95]although Martin refrained from making any direct adaptations.[84]Martin was also inspired by the French historical novelsThe Accursed KingsbyMaurice Druon,which are about theFrench monarchyin the 13th and 14th centuries.[3][4]Martin has also said that important events of the narrative are based on events in Scottish history such as the Black Dinner of 1440 and the Massacre of Glencoe in 1692.[99]

Martin has also drawn from Roman history for inspiration, comparing Stannis Baratheon to the Roman EmperorTiberius.[100]Martin has sourced theMassacre of GlencoeandBlack Dinneras inspiration for the "Red Wedding", a crucial twist inA Storm of Swords.[101]

The story is written to follow principal landmarks with an ultimate destination, but leaves Martin room for improvisation. On occasion, improvised details significantly affected the planned story.[102]By the fourth book, Martin kept more private notes than ever before to keep track of the many subplots,[34]which became so detailed and sprawling by the fifth book as to be unwieldy.[24]Martin's editors, copy editors, and readers monitor for accidental mistakes,[34]although some errors have slipped into publication. For instance, Martin has inconsistently referred to certain characters' eye colors, and has described a horse as being of one sex and then another.[51]

Narrative structure

edit
Number of chapters per point-of-view character
POV character Game Clash Storm Feast Dance (Winds) Sum
Bran Stark 7 7 4 3 21
Catelyn Stark 11 7 7 25
Daenerys Targaryen 10 5 6 10 31
Eddard Stark 15 15
Jon Snow 9 8 12 13 42
Arya Stark 5 10 13 3 2 ≥1[57] ≥34
Tyrion Lannister 9 15 11 12 ≥2[103] ≥49
Sansa Stark 6 8 7 3 ≥1[57] ≥25
Davos Seaworth 3 6 4 13
Theon Greyjoy 6 7 ≥1[62] ≥14
Jaime Lannister 9 7 1 17
Samwell Tarly 5 5 10
Aeron Greyjoy 2 ≥1[59] ≥3
Areo Hotah 1 1 ≥1[104] ≥3
Cersei Lannister 10 2 12
Brienne of Tarth 8 8
Asha Greyjoy 1 3 4
Arys Oakheart 1 1
Victarion Greyjoy 2 2 ≥1[103] ≥5
Arianne Martell 2 ≥2[57] ≥4
Quentyn Martell 4 4
Jon Connington 2 2
Melisandre 1 1
Barristan Selmy 4 ≥2[105][106] ≥6
Prologue/Epilogue 1/– 1/– 1/1 1/– 1/1 1/TBD ≥8
Total (characters) 73 (9) 70 (10) 82 (12) 46 (13) 73 (18) ≥13 (≥9) ≥357 (≥24)
Appears as a POV character
Appears as a non-POV character
No appearance

The books are divided into chapters, each one narrated in thethird person limitedthrough the eyes of apoint of viewcharacter,[51]an approach Martin learned himself as a young journalism student.[107]Beginning with nine POV characters inA Game of Thrones,the number of POV characters grows to a total of 31 inA Dance with Dragons(see table). The short-lived one-time POV characters are mostly restricted to theprologuesandepilogues.[38]David OrrofThe New York Timesnoted the importance of "theStarks(good guys), theTargaryens(at least one good guy, or girl), theLannisters(conniving), theGreyjoys(mostly conniving), theBaratheons(mixed bag), theTyrells(unclear), and theMartells(ditto), most of whom are feverishly endeavoring to advance their ambitions and ruin their enemies, preferably unto death ".[108]However, asTime'sLev Grossmannoted, readers "experience the struggle for Westeros from all sides at once", such that "every fight is both triumph and tragedy [...] and everybody is both hero and villain at the same time".[109]

Modeled onThe Lord of the Rings,the story ofA Song of Ice and Firebegins with a tight focus on a small group (with everyone inWinterfell,except Daenerys) and then splits into separate stories. The storylines are to converge again, but finding the turning point in this complex series has been difficult for Martin and has slowed down his writing. Depending on the interview, Martin is said to have reached the turning point inA Dance with Dragons,[22]or to not quite have reached it yet in the books.[110]The series' structure of multiple POVs and interwoven storylines was inspired byWild Cards,a multi-authored shared universe book series edited by Martin since 1985.[111]As the sole author, Martin begins each new book with an outline of the chapter order and may write a few successive chapters from a single character's viewpoint instead of working chronologically. The chapters are later rearranged to optimize character intercutting, chronology, and suspense.[38]

Influenced by his television and film scripting background, Martin tries to keep readers engrossed by ending eachA Song of Ice and Firechapter with a tense or revelational moment, a twist or acliffhanger,similar to a TVact break.[112]Scriptwriting has also taught him the technique of "cutting out the fat and leaving the muscle", which is the final stage of completing a book, a technique that brought the page count inA Dance with Dragonsdown almost eighty pages.[113]Dividing the continuousA Song of Ice and Firestory into books is much harder for Martin. Each book shall represent a phase of the journey that ends in closure for most characters. A smaller portion of characters is left with clear-cut cliffhangers to make sure readers come back for the next installment, althoughA Dance with Dragonshad more cliffhangers than Martin originally intended.[28][38]Both one-time and regular POV characters are designed to have full character arcs ending in tragedy or triumph,[38]and are written to hold the readers' interest and not be skipped in reading.[85]Main characters are killed off so that the reader will not rely on the hero to come through unscathed and will instead feel the character's fear with each page turn.[37]

The unresolved larger narrative arc encourages speculation about future story events.[51]According to Martin, much of the key toA Song of Ice and Fire'sfuture lies over a dozen years in the fictional past, of which each volume reveals more.[26]Events planned from the beginning are foreshadowed, although Martin is careful not to make the story predictable.[110]The viewpoint characters, who serve asunreliable narrators,[22]may clarify or provide different perspectives on past events.[114]Therefore, what the readers believe to be true may not necessarily be true.[26]

Character development

edit
Main article:List of A Song of Ice and Fire characters

Regarding the characters as the heart of the story,[115]Martin planned the epicA Song of Ice and Fireto have a large cast of characters and many different settings from the beginning.[22]A Feast for Crowshas a 63-page list of characters,[8]with many of the thousands of characters mentioned only in passing[51]or disappearing from view for long stretches.[116]When Martin adds a new family to the ever-growing number ofgenealogiesin the appendices, he devises a secret about the personality or fate of the family members. However, their backstory remains subject to change until written down in the story.[47]Martin drew most character inspiration from history (without directly translating historical figures)[26]and his own experiences, but also from the manners of his friends, acquaintances, and people of public interest.[34]Martin aims to "make my characters real and to make them human, characters who have good and bad, noble and selfish well-mixed in their natures".[38]Jeff VanderMeer of theLos Angeles Timesremarked that "Martin's devotion to fully inhabiting his characters, for better or worse, creates the unstoppable momentum in his novels and contains an implied criticism of Tolkien's moral simplicity"[117](seeThemes: Moral ambiguity).

Martin deliberately ignored the writing rule of never giving two characters names starting with the same letter.[47]Instead, character names reflect the naming systems in various European family histories, where particular names were associated with specificroyal housesand where even the secondary families assigned the same names repeatedly.[47]The story ofA Song of Ice and Firetherefore has children called "Robert" in honor of King Robert of House Baratheon, a "Brandon" in every other generation of the Starks in commemoration of Brandon the Builder (of the Wall), and the syllable "Ty" commonly occurring in given names of House Lannister.[32]Confident that readers would pay attention, Martin distinguished people sharing agiven name[47]by adding numbers or locations to their given names (e.g.Henry V of England). The family names were designed in association with ethnic groups (seebackstory): the First Men in the North of Westeros had very simply descriptive names like Stark and Strong, whereas the descendants of the Andal invaders in the South have more elaborate, undescriptive house names like Lannister or Arryn, and the Targaryens (being Valyrians from the Eastern continent), have the most exotic names with the letter Y.[32]

All characters are designed to speak with their own internal voices to capture their views of the world.[38]The Atlanticpondered whether Martin ultimately intended the readers to sympathize with characters on both sides of the Lannister–Stark feud long before plot developments force them to make their emotional choices.[118]Contrary to most conventional epic fantasies, the characters ofA Song of Ice and Fireare vulnerable so that, according toThe Atlantic,the reader "cannot be sure that good shall triumph, which makes those instances where it does all the more exulting."[89]Martin gets emotionally involved in the characters' lives during writing, which makes the chapters with dreadful events sometimes very difficult to write.[38]Seeing the world through the characters' eyes requires a certain amount of empathy with them, including the villains,[84]all of whom he has said he loves as if they were his own children.[85][115]Martin found that some characters had minds of their own and took his writing in different directions. He returns to the intended story if it does not work out, but these detours sometimes prove more rewarding for him.[47]

Arya Stark, Tyrion Lannister, Jon Snow, and Daenerys Targaryen generate the most feedback from readers.[119]They are also four of the "big six" main characters of the series, according to Martin (the other two being Sansa Stark and Bran Stark). Martin has stated that Tyrion is his personal favorite, as the grayest of the gray characters, with his cunning and wit making him the most fun to write.[85]Martin has also said that Bran Stark is the hardest character to write. As the character most deeply involved in magic, Bran's story needs to be handled carefully within the supernatural aspects of the books. Bran is also the youngest viewpoint character,[38]and has to deal with the series' adult themes like grief, loneliness, and anger.[112]Martin set out to have the young characters grow up faster between chapters, but, as it was implausible for a character to take two months to respond, a finished book represents very little time passed. Martin hoped the planned five-year break would ease the situation and age the children to almost adults in terms of the Seven Kingdoms, but he later dropped the five-year gap (see sectionBridging the timeline gap).[28][38]

Themes

edit
Main article:Themes in A Song of Ice and Fire
Although involving dragons and sorcery,A Song of Ice and Fireseries de-emphasizes magic as compared to many other epic fantasy works (emblem ofJ. Allen St. John's 1905 fantasy workThe Face in the Pool).

Modern fantasy may often embrace strangeness, butA Song of Ice and Fireseries is generally praised for what is perceived as a sort of medieval realism.[108]Believing that magic should be used moderately in the epic fantasy genre,[27]Martin set out to make the story feel more like historical fiction than contemporary fantasy, with less emphasis on magic and sorcery and more on battles, political intrigue, and the characters.[26]Though the amount of magic has gradually increased throughout the story, the series is still to end with less overt magic than most contemporary fantasies.[38]In Martin's eyes, literary effective magic needs to represent strange and dangerous forces beyond human comprehension,[61]not advanced alien technologies or formulaic spells.[120]As such, the characters understand only the natural aspects of their world, but not the magical elements like the Others.[108]

Since Martin drew on historical sources to build the world ofA Song of Ice and Fire,[84]Damien G. Walter ofThe Guardiansaw a strong resemblance between Westeros and England in the period of theWars of the Roses.[121]The Atlantic'sAdam SerwerregardedA Song of Ice and Fireas "more a story of politics than one of heroism, a story about humanity wrestling with its baser obsessions than fulfilling its glorious potential", where the emergent power struggle stems from the feudal system's repression and not from the fight between good and evil.[118]Martin not only wanted to reflect the frictions of the medieval class structures in the novels, but also explore the consequences of the leaders' decisions, as general goodness does not automatically make competent leaders and vice versa.[87]

A common theme in the fantasy genre is the battle betweengood and evil,[87]which Martin rejects for not mirroring the real world.[33]Attracted to gray characters,[122]Martin instead endorsesWilliam Faulkner's view that only the human heart in conflict with itself was worth writing about.[87]Martin explores the questions of redemption and character change in theA Song of Ice and Fireseries.[123]The multiple viewpoint structure allows characters to be explored from many sides, such that the supposed villains can provide their viewpoint.[90][44]

Although fantasy comes from an imaginative realm, Martin sees an honest necessity to reflect the real world where people, even beloved people, sometimes die ugly deaths.[38]Main characters are killed off so that the reader will not expect the supposed hero to survive, and instead will feel the same tension and fear that the characters might.[37]The novels also reflect the substantial death rates in war.[85]The deaths of supernumerary extras, or oforcsor their equivalents, have no major effect on readers, whereas a friend's death has much more emotional impact.[110]Martin prefers a hero's sacrifice to say something profound about human nature.[28]

According to Martin, the fantasy genre rarely focuses on sex and sexuality,[38]instead often treating sexuality in a juvenile way or neglecting it completely.[84]Martin, however, considers sexuality an important driving force in human life that should not be excluded from the narrative.[123]Providing sensory detail for an immersive experience is more important than plot advancement for Martin,[22]who aims to let the readers experience the novels' sex scenes, "whether it's a great transcendent, exciting, mind blowing sex, or whether it's disturbing, twisted, dark sex, or disappointing perfunctory sex."[123]Martin was fascinated by medieval contrasts where knights venerated their ladies with poems and wore their favors in tournaments while their armies mindlessly raped women in wartime.[38]The non-existent concept of adolescence in the Middle Ages served as a model for Daenerys' sexual activity at the age of 13 in the books.[112]The novels also allude to the incestuous practices in thePtolemaic dynastyofAncient Egyptto keep their bloodlines pure.[124]

Martin provides a variety of female characters to explore the place of women in a patriarchal society.[110]Writing all characters as human beings with the same basic needs, dreams, and influences,[25]his female characters are to cover the same wide spectrum of human traits as the males.[110][25]

Reception

edit

Critical response

edit

Science Fiction Weeklystated in 2000 that "few would dispute that Martin's most monumental achievement to date has been the groundbreakingA Song of Ice and Firehistorical fantasy series ",[38]for which reviews have been "orders of magnitude better" than for his previous works, as Martin described toThe New Yorker.[51]In 2007,Weird Talesmagazine described the series as a "superb fantasy saga" that "raised Martin to a whole new level of success".[30]Shortly before the release ofA Dance with Dragonsin 2011, Bill Sheehan ofThe Washington Postwas sure that "no work of fantasy has generated such anticipation sinceHarry Potter's final duel with Voldemort ",[116]and Ethan Sacks ofDaily Newssaw the series turning Martin into a darling of literary critics as well as mainstream readers, which was "rare for a fantasy genre that's often dismissed as garbage not fit to line the bottom of a dragon's cage".[62]Salon'sAndrew Leonardstated:

The success is all the more remarkable because [the series debuted] without mass market publicity or any kind of buzz in the fantasy/SF scene. George R. R. Martin earned his following the hard way, by word of mouth, by hooking his characters into the psyche of his readers to an extent that most writers of fantasy only dream of.[125]

Publishers Weeklynoted in 2000 that "Martin may not rivalTolkienorRobert Jordan,but he ranks with such accomplished medievalists of fantasy asPoul AndersonandGordon Dickson."[16]After the fourth volume came out in 2005,Time'sLev Grossman considered Martin a "major force for evolution in fantasy" and proclaimed him "the American Tolkien", explaining that, although Martin was "[not] the best known of America's straight-up fantasy writers" at the time and would "never win aPulitzeror aNational Book Award... his skill as a crafter of narrative exceeds that of almost any literary novelist writing today ".[50]As Grossman said in 2011, the phraseAmerican Tolkien"has stuck to [Martin], as it was meant to",[109]being picked up by the media includingThe New York Times( "He's much better than that" ),[126]theNew Yorker,[51]Entertainment Weekly( "an acclaim that borders on fantasy blasphemy" ),[24]The Globe and Mail,[53]andUSA Today.[122]Timemagazine named Martin one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2011,[53]andUSA Todaynamed George R. R. Martin their Author of the Year 2011.[127]

According toThe Globe and Mail'sJohn Barber, Martin manages simultaneously to master and transcend the genre so that "Critics applaud the depth of his characterizations and lack of cliché in books that are nonetheless replete with dwarves and dragons".[53]Publishers Weeklygave favorable reviews to the first threeA Song of Ice and Firenovels at their points of release, saying thatA Game of Throneshad "superbly developed characters, accomplished prose and sheer bloody-mindedness",[12]thatA Clash of Kingswas "notable particularly for the lived-in quality of [their fictional world and] for the comparatively modest role of magic",[14]and thatA Storm of Swordswas one "of the more rewarding examples of gigantism in contemporary fantasy".[16]However, they found thatA Feast for Crowsas the fourth installment "sorely misses its other half. The slim pickings here are tasty, but in no way satisfying."[18]Their review forA Dance with Dragonsrepeated points of criticism for the fourth volume, and said that, although "The new volume has a similar feel toFeast","Martin keeps it fresh by focusing on popular characters [who were] notably absent from the previous book. "[20]

According to theLos Angeles Times,"Martin's brilliance in evoking atmosphere through description is an enduring hallmark of his fiction, the settings much more than just props on a painted stage", and the novels captivate readers with "complex storylines, fascinating characters, great dialogue, perfect pacing, and the willingness to kill off even his major characters".[117]CNNremarked that "the story weaves through differing points of view in a skillful mix of observation, narration and well-crafted dialogue that illuminates both character and plot with fascinating style",[90]and David Orr ofThe New York Timesfound that "All of his hundreds of characters have grace notes of history and personality that advance a plot line. Every town has an elaborately recalled series of triumphs and troubles."[108]Salon 's Andrew Leonard "couldn't stop reading Martin because my desire to know what was going to happen combined with my absolute inability to guess what would happen and left me helpless before his sorcery. At the end, I felt shaken and exhausted."[128]The Christian Science Monitoradvised reading the novels with anA Song of Ice and Fireencyclopedia at hand to "catch all the layered, subtle hints and details that [Martin] leaves throughout his books. If you pay attention, you will be rewarded and questions will be answered."[129]

Among the most critical voices were Sam Jordison and Michael Hann, both ofThe Guardian.Jordison detailed his misgivings aboutA Game of Thronesin a 2009 review and summarized "It's daft. It's unsophisticated. It's cartoonish. And yet, I couldn't stop reading.... Archaic absurdity aside, Martin's writing is excellent. His dialogue is snappy and frequently funny. His descriptive prose is immediate and atmospheric, especially when it comes to building a sense of deliciously dark foreboding [of the long impending winter]."[130]Hann did not consider the novels to stand out from the general fantasy genre, despite Martin's alterations to fantasy convention, although he rediscovered his childhood's views:

That when things are, on the whole, pretty crappy [in the real world], it's a deep joy to dive headfirst into something so completely immersive, something from which there is no need to surface from hours at a time. And if that immersion involves dragons, magic, wraiths from beyond death, shapeshifting wolves and banished princes, so be it.[131]

Sales

edit
Sales performance ofA Song of Ice and Fireseries in theNew York Timescombined print and e-book fiction bestseller list in 2011 between the airing of theGame of Thronespilot episode and the publication ofA Dance with Dragons.[132]

The reported overall sales figures of theA Song of Ice and Fireseries vary.The New Yorkersaid in April 2011 (before the publication ofA Dance with Dragons) that more than 15 millionA Song of Ice and Firebooks had been sold worldwide,[51]a figure repeated byThe Globe and Mailin July 2011.[53]Reuters reported in September 2013 that the books including print, digital and audio versions have sold more than 24 million copies in North America.[133]The Wall Street Journalreported more than six million sold copies in North America by May 2011.[134]USA Todayreported 8.5 million copies in print and digital overall in July 2011,[135]and over 12 million sold copies in print in December 2011.[127]The series has been translated into more than 20 languages;[11]USA Todayreported the fifth book to be translated into over 40 languages.[122]Forbesestimated that Martin was the 12th highest-earning author worldwide in 2011 at $15 million.[136]

Martin's publishers initially expectedA Game of Thronesto be a best-seller,[24]but the first installment did not even reach any lower positions in the bestseller list.[60]This left Martin unsurprised, as it is "a fool's game to think anything is going to be successful or to count on it".[115]However, the book slowly won the passionate advocacy of independent booksellers and the book's popularity grew by word of mouth.[51]The series' popularity skyrocketed in subsequent volumes,[24]with the second and third volumes makingThe New York TimesBest Seller listsin 1999[40]and 2000,[42]respectively. The series gained Martin's old writings new attention, and Martin's American publisherBantam Spectrawas to reprint his out-of-print solo novels.[38]

The fourth installment,A Feast for Crows,was an immediate best-seller at its 2005 release,[24]hitting number one on "The New York Times" hardcover fiction bestseller list November 27, 2005, which for a fantasy novel suggested that Martin's books were attracting mainstream readers.[1]The paperback edition ofA Game of Thronesreached its 34th printing in 2010, surpassing the one million mark.[137]Before it even premiered, the TV series had boosted sales of the book series, withA Song of Ice and Fireapproaching triple-digit growth in year-on-year sales. Bantam was looking forward to seeing the tie-ins boost sales further,[55]and Martin's British publisherHarper Voyagerexpected readers to rediscover their other epic fantasy literature.[138]With a reported 4.5 million copies of the first four volumes in print in early 2011,[55]the four volumes re-appeared on the paperback fiction bestseller lists in the second quarter of 2011.[132][139]

At its point of publication in July 2011,A Dance with Dragonswas in its sixth print with more than 650,000 hardbacks in print.[140]It also had the highest single and first-day sales of any new fiction title published in 2011 at that point, with 170,000 hardcovers, 110,000 e-books, and 18,000 audio books reportedly sold on the first day.[135]A Dance with Dragonsreached the top ofThe New York Timesbestseller list on July 31, 2011.[8]Unlike most other big titles, the fifth volume sold more physical than digital copies early on,[141]but nevertheless, Martin became the tenth author to sell 1 millionAmazon Kindlee-books.[142]All five volumes and the four-volume boxed set were among the top 100 best-selling books in the United States in 2011 and 2012.[143]

The TV series has contributed significantly boosting sales of both the books and collectibles like box-sets, merchandise, and other items. The TV series also contributed to increasing the geographic coverage of the books, introducing new customers in emerging countries like India and Brazil to the book series. All this has significantly increased the overall book sales. As of April 2019, the book series has sold 90million copies worldwide.[5]

Fandom

edit
Main article:A Song of Ice and Fire fandom

"After all, as some of you like to point out in your emails, I am sixty years old and fat, and you don't want me to 'pull aRobert Jordan' on you and deny you your book. Okay, I've got the message. You don't want me doing anything exceptA Song of Ice and Fire.Ever. (Well, maybe it's okay if I take a leak once in a while?) "

—George R. R. Martin on his blog in 2009[144]

During the 1980s and early 1990s, Martin's novels had slowly earned him a reputation in science fiction circles,[145]although he said to only have received a few fans' letters a year in the pre-internet days.[84]The publication ofA Game of Thronescaused Martin's following to grow, with fan sites springing up and aTrekkie-like society of followers evolving that meet regularly.[145]Westeros.org, one of the mainA Song of Ice and Firefansites with about seventeen thousand registered members as of 2011,was co-founded in 1999 by a Swedish-based fan of Cuban descent,Elio M. García Jr., as well as Linda Antonsson,who introduced him to the series; their involvement with Martin's work has now become semi-professional.[51][146]The Brotherhood Without Banners, an unofficial fan club operating globally, was formed in 2001. Their founders and other longtime members are among Martin's good friends.[51]

Martin runs an official website[8]and administers a lively blog with the assistance ofTy Franck.[51]He also interacts with fandom by answering emails and letters, although he stated in 2005 that their sheer numbers might leave them unanswered for years.[84]Since there are different types of conventions nowadays, he tends to go to three or four science-fiction conventions a year simply to go back to his roots and meet friends.[147]He does not read message boards anymore, so that his writing will not be influenced by fans foreseeing twists and interpreting characters differently from what he intended.[147]

While Martin calls the majority of his fans "great", and enjoys interacting with them,[28]he lost some of them because of the six years it took to releaseA Dance with Dragons.[51]A movement of disaffected fans called GRRuMblers formed in 2009, creating sites such asFinish the Book, GeorgeandIs Winter Coming?[51][53]When fans' vocal impatience forA Dance with Dragonspeaked shortly after, Martin issued a statement called "To My Detractors"[144]on his blog that received media attention.[51][130][148]The New York Timesnoted that it was not uncommon for Martin to be mobbed at book signings.[145]The New Yorkercalled this "an astonishing amount of effort to devote to denouncing the author of books one professes to love. Few contemporary authors can claim to have inspired such passion."[51]

Awards and nominations

edit

Derived works

edit

Novellas

edit

Martin has written severalprequelnovellas. TheTales of Dunk and Eggseries, three novellas set 90 years before the events of the novel series, feature the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire "Egg", who later became King Aegon V Targaryen. The stories have no direct connection to the plot ofA Song of Ice and Fire,although characters from it are mentioned in the series. The first installment,The Hedge Knight,was published in the 1998 anthologyLegends.The Sworn Swordfollowed in 2003, published inLegends II.[44]Both were later adapted intographic novels.[159]The third novella,The Mystery Knight,was first published in the 2010 anthologyWarriors[160]and in 2017 it was adapted as a graphic novel, as well.[161]In 2015, the first three novellas were published as one illustrated collection,A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

The novellaThe Princess and the Queen, or, the Blacks and the Greensappeared inTor Books's 2013 anthologyDangerous Womenand explains some of the Targaryen backstory two centuries before the events of the novels.[162][163]The Rogue Prince, or, a King's Brother,published in the 2014 anthologyRogues,is itself a prequel to the events ofThe Princess and the Queen.[164]The novellaThe Sons of the Dragon,published in the 2017 anthologyThe Book of Swords,is the story of Aegon the Conqueror's two sons Aenys I and Maegor I "The Cruel". All three of these stories were incorporated as parts ofFire & Blood,a book chronicling the history of the Targaryen line.

Chapter sets from the novels were also compiled into three novellas that were released between 1996 and 2003 byAsimov's Science FictionandDragon:

  • Blood of the Dragon(July 1996),[165]taken from the Daenerys chapters inA Game of Thrones
  • Path of the Dragon(December 2000),[166]taken from the Daenerys chapters inA Storm of Swords
  • Arms of the Kraken(March 2003),[167]based on the Iron Islands chapters fromA Feast for Crows

Fire & Blood

edit
Main article:Fire & Blood (novel)

Fire & Bloodis Martin's complete history ofHouse Targaryen,to be released in two volumes. The first volume was released on November 20, 2018.[168]

Television series

edit
Main articles:Game of ThronesandHouse of the Dragon

With the popularity of the series growing,HBOoptionedA Song of Ice and Firefor a television adaptation in 2007.[54]A pilot episode was produced in late 2009, and aseries commitment for nine further episodeswas made in March 2010.[169]The series, titledGame of Thrones,premiered in April 2011 to great acclaim and ratings (seeGame of Thrones§ Reception). The network picked up the show for asecond seasoncoveringA Clash of Kingstwo days later.[170]Shortly after the conclusion of the first season, the show received 13Emmy Awardnominations, includingOutstanding Drama Series,winningOutstanding Main Title DesignandOutstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Seriesfor Peter Dinklage's portrayal of Tyrion Lannister.[171]HBO announced a renewal for athird seasonin April 2012, ten days after the season 2 premiere.[172]Due to the length of the corresponding book, the third season only covered roughly the first half ofA Storm of Swords.[173]

Early during the development of the TV series, Martin told major plot points to producersDavid BenioffandD. B. Weiss.[28]Martin was confident he would have published at leastThe Winds of Winterbefore the TV series overtook him.[28]Nevertheless, there were general concerns about whether Martin would be able to stay ahead of the show.[174]As a result, head writers Benioff and Weiss learned more future plot points from Martin in 2013 to help them set up the show's new possible seasons. This included the end stories for all the core characters. Deviations from the books' storylines were considered, but a two-year hiatus to wait for new books was not an option for them (as the child actors continue to grow and the show's popularity would wane).[175]

Shortly after the season 3 premiere in March 2013, the network announced thatGame of Throneswould be returning for a fourth season, which would cover the second half ofA Storm of Swordsalong with the beginnings ofA Feast for CrowsandA Dance With Dragons.[176]Game of Throneswas nominated for 15 Emmy Awards for season 3.[177]Two days after the fourth season premiered in April 2014, HBO renewedGame of Thronesfor a fifth and sixth season.[178]Season 5 premiered on April 12, 2015, and set aGuinness World Recordsfor winning the highest number ofEmmy Awardsfor a series in a single season and year, winning 12 out of 24 nominations, includingOutstanding Drama Series.[179][180] These episodes were watched by 8 million viewers, setting a record number for the series.[181]On January 2, 2016, Martin confirmed that the sixth volume would not be published before the start of the sixth season of the HBO series.[182]The sixth season premiered on April 24, 2016.[183]These episodes received the most nominations for the68th Primetime Emmy Awardswith 23, winning 12, including the award forOutstanding Drama Series.[184]The seventh season premiered on July 16, 2017. The eighth and final season premiered on April 14, 2019.[185]

A spin-off prequel series,House of the Dragon,was later developed based on Martin'sFire & Blood.The first season premiered on August 21, 2022.[186]

Other works

edit
Main article:Works based on A Song of Ice and Fire

A Song of Ice and Firehas spawned an industry of spin-off products.Fantasy Flight Gamesreleased a collectiblecard game,aboard game,and two collections of artwork inspired byA Song of Ice and Fireseries.[187][188]Various roleplaying game products were released byGuardians of OrderandGreen Ronin.[189][190]Dynamite EntertainmentadaptedA Game of Thronesinto asame-titled monthly comicin 2011.[191]Video gamesA Game of Thrones: GenesisandA Game of Thrones: The Board Game - Digital Editionwere released in 2011 and 2020, respectively.[192][193]The companion bookThe World of Ice & Fireby Martin and theWesteros.orgowners Elio M. García Jr. and Linda Antonsson was published in October 2014.[51]Other licensed products include full-sized weapon reproductions,[194]a range of collectable figures,[195][196]Westeros coinage reproductions,[197]and a large number of gift and collectible items based on the television series.[198]The popularity of the television series has made its version of the Iron Throne an icon of the entiremedia franchise.[199][200][201][202]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^abcdefFlood, Alison (April 13, 2011)."George RR Martin: Barbarians at the gate".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on April 9, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.
  2. ^Heen, Kent Erik (2013).A Perspective on the Unfamiliar: Epic Fantasy in George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire.Institutt for språk og litteratur(Master thesis). p. 89.
  3. ^abMilne, Ben (April 4, 2014)."Game of Thrones:The cult French novel that inspired George RR Martin ".BBC.Archivedfrom the original on July 21, 2016.RetrievedApril 6,2014.
  4. ^abKamin, Debra (May 20, 2014)."The Jewish legacy behindGame of Thrones".The Times of Israel.Archivedfrom the original on June 26, 2015.RetrievedMay 31,2015.They struck gold, however, with their next attempt: a television series based on a French fantasy series which in turn was based on a seven-part set of stories by a French Jewish immigrant. Maurice Druon was born in France in 1918 to Jewish immigrants from Russia and first made a name for himself in the realm of academic journals.
  5. ^ab"How Game of Thrones achieved world domination... long before the TV show even aired".The Independent.April 15, 2019.Archivedfrom the original on April 24, 2019.RetrievedApril 28,2019.
  6. ^"'George RR Martin revolutionised how people think about fantasy' | Books | The Guardian ".theguardian.Archivedfrom the original on December 17, 2017.RetrievedOctober 2,2015.
  7. ^grrm (January 16, 2017)."Another Precinct Heard From".Not A Blog.Archived fromthe originalon January 22, 2017.RetrievedFebruary 18,2017.
  8. ^abcdefgSmith, Dinitia (December 12, 2005)."A Fantasy Realm Too Vile For Hobbits".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on April 23, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.
  9. ^Kain, Erik (April 30, 2012)."'Game of Thrones' Sails into Darker Waters With 'Ghost of Harrenhal'".Forbes.Archivedfrom the original on June 5, 2013.RetrievedMay 2,2012.
  10. ^"A Dance with Dragons[Slipcase edition] ".harpercollins.co.uk. Archived fromthe originalon October 14, 2013.RetrievedJuly 14,2012.
  11. ^ab"Gallery of different language editions".georgerrmartin. Archived fromthe originalon February 15, 2013.RetrievedOctober 18,2011.
  12. ^abcd"Fiction review:A Game of Thrones".Publishers Weekly.July 29, 1996.Archivedfrom the original on October 21, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 13,2012.
  13. ^"A Game of Thrones Book Details".AR BookFinder.RetrievedNovember 28,2016.
  14. ^abcd"Fiction review:A Clash of Kings".Publishers Weekly.February 1, 1999.Archivedfrom the original on June 10, 2013.RetrievedFebruary 13,2012.
  15. ^"A Clash of Kings Book Details".AR BookFinder.RetrievedNovember 28,2016.
  16. ^abcde"Fiction review:A Storm of Swords".Publishers Weekly.October 30, 2000.Archivedfrom the original on February 9, 2013.RetrievedFebruary 13,2012.
  17. ^"A Storm of Swords Book Details".AR BookFinder.RetrievedNovember 28,2016.
  18. ^abcd"Fiction review:A Feast for Crows:Book Four ofA Song of Ice and Fire".Publishers Weekly.October 3, 2005.Archivedfrom the original on March 26, 2013.RetrievedFebruary 13,2012.
  19. ^"A Feast for Crows Book Details".AR BookFinder.RetrievedNovember 28,2016.
  20. ^abc"Fiction review:A Dance with Dragons:A Song of Ice and Fire,Book 5 ".Publishers Weekly.May 30, 2011.Archivedfrom the original on January 14, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 13,2012.
  21. ^"A Dance with Dragons".AR BookFinder.RetrievedNovember 28,2016.
  22. ^abcdefghijkBrown, Rachael (July 11, 2011)."George R.R. Martin on Sex, Fantasy, andA Dance With Dragons".The Atlantic.Archivedfrom the original on March 26, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 2,2012.
  23. ^abMartin, George R. R.(March 28, 2006)."this, that, and the other thing".grrm.livejournal. Archived fromthe originalon April 1, 2012.RetrievedOctober 18,2011.
  24. ^abcdefghijklHibberd, James (July 22, 2011)."The Fantasy King".Entertainment Weekly.Archivedfrom the original on May 12, 2013.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.
  25. ^abcHarte, Bryant (July 13, 2011)."An Interview With George R. R. Martin, Part II".indigo.ca.Archived fromthe originalon April 26, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 15,2012.
  26. ^abcdefghijklmnoRichards, Linda (January 2001)."January interview: George R.R. Martin".januarymagazine.Archived fromthe originalon March 20, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.(Interviewapproved by GRRMArchivedFebruary 4, 2012, at theWayback Machine.)
  27. ^abcdefgItzkoff, Dave (April 1, 2011)."His Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: George R. R. Martin TalksGame of Thrones".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on April 2, 2011.RetrievedFebruary 3,2012.
  28. ^abcdefghijHibberd, James (July 12, 2011)."EW interview: George R.R. Martin talksA Dance With Dragons".Entertainment Weekly.Archivedfrom the original on March 27, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.
  29. ^Gilmore, Mikal (April 23, 2014)."George R.R. Martin: The Rolling Stone Interview".Rolling Stone.Archived fromthe originalon April 28, 2014.RetrievedApril 25,2014.
  30. ^abcdeSchweitzer, Darrell(May 24, 2007)."George R.R. Martin on magic vs. science".weirdtalesmagazine.Archived fromthe originalon June 4, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.
  31. ^abWindolf, Jim (March 14, 2014)."George R.R. Martin Has a Detailed Plan For Keeping theGame of ThronesTV Show From Catching Up To Him ".Vanity Fair.Archivedfrom the original on April 24, 2014.RetrievedApril 25,2014.
  32. ^abcdMartin, George R. R.(March 12, 2012).In Conversation With... George R.R. Martin on Game of Thrones Part 1 – TIFF Bell Lightbox.TIFF Bell Lightbox.Event occurs at 4:00 min (publishing history), 15:00 min (names).Archivedfrom the original on April 11, 2012.RetrievedApril 1,2012.Transcript summary available byIppolito, Toni-Marie (March 13, 2012)."George R. R. Martin talks to fans about the making ofGame of Thronesand what inspired his best-selling book series ".thelifestylereport.ca. Archived fromthe originalon April 4, 2012.RetrievedMarch 22,2012.
  33. ^abcdGevers, Nick(December 2000)."Sunsets of High Renown – An Interview with George R. R. Martin".Infinity Plus.Archived fromthe originalon March 15, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.(Interviewapproved by GRRMArchivedFebruary 4, 2012, at theWayback Machine.)
  34. ^abcdefghiCogan, Eric (January 30, 2002)."George R.R Martin Interview".fantasyonline.net. Archived fromthe originalon August 18, 2004.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.(Interviewapproved by GRRMArchivedFebruary 4, 2012, at theWayback Machine.)
  35. ^abGuxens, Adrià (October 7, 2012)."George R.R. Martin:" Trying to please everyone is a horrible mistake "".adriasnews.Archivedfrom the original on January 15, 2013.RetrievedOctober 9,2012.
  36. ^abcdefghiMartin, George R. R.(May 29, 2005)."Done".georgerrmartin. Archived fromthe originalon April 15, 2012.RetrievedMarch 6,2010.
  37. ^abcdKirschling, Gregory (November 27, 2007)."By George!".Entertainment Weekly.Archivedfrom the original on December 25, 2011.RetrievedSeptember 18,2015.
  38. ^abcdefghijklmnopqrstRobinson, Tasha (December 11, 2000)."Interview: George R.R. Martin continues to sing a magical tale of ice and fire".Science Fiction Weekly.6, No. 50 (190).SciFi.Archived fromthe originalon February 23, 2002.RetrievedFebruary 2,2012.
  39. ^Brown, Charles N.;Contento, William G. (1999)."Martin, George R(aymond) R(ichard)".The Locus Index to Science Fiction: 1984–1998.Locus.OCLC47672336.
  40. ^ab"Best sellers: February 21, 1999".The New York Times.February 21, 1999.Archivedfrom the original on March 27, 2013.RetrievedFebruary 6,2012.
  41. ^abcHarte, Bryant (July 12, 2011)."An Interview with George R. R. Martin, Part I".indigo.ca.Archived fromthe originalon April 20, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 15,2012.
  42. ^ab"Best sellers: November 19, 2000".The New York Times.November 19, 2000.Archivedfrom the original on March 27, 2013.RetrievedFebruary 6,2012.
  43. ^abcdef"George R.R. Martin: The Gray Lords".locusmag.November 2005.Archivedfrom the original on July 18, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.
  44. ^abcdefLodey (2003)."An Interview with George R. R. Martin".GamePro.Archived fromthe originalon October 8, 2003.RetrievedFebruary 15,2012.
  45. ^abRobinson, Tasha (November 7, 2005)."George R.R. Martin dines on fowl words as theSong of Ice and Fireseries continues withA Feast for Crows".Science Fiction Weekly.11, No. 45 (446).SciFi.Archived fromthe originalon November 26, 2005.RetrievedFebruary 13,2012.
  46. ^abFlood, Alison (April 14, 2011)."Getting more from George RR Martin".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on April 9, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.
  47. ^abcdefghijRedman, Bridgette (May 2006)."George R.R. Martin TalksIce and Fire".book.consumerhelpweb. Archived fromthe originalon November 20, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.
  48. ^A Feast for Crows:Book 4 ofA Song of Ice and Fire.ASIN0002247437.
  49. ^"Best sellers: November 27, 2005".The New York Times.November 27, 2005.Archivedfrom the original on May 30, 2013.RetrievedFebruary 6,2012.
  50. ^abGrossman, Lev(November 13, 2005)."Books: The American Tolkien".Time.Archived fromthe originalon December 29, 2008.RetrievedAugust 2,2014.
  51. ^abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwMiller, Laura (April 11, 2011)."Just Write It! A fantasy author and his impatient fans".The New Yorker.Archivedfrom the original on April 5, 2012.RetrievedApril 23,2010.
  52. ^abPoniewozik, James(July 12, 2011)."The Problems of Power: George R.R. Martin'sA Dance With Dragons".Time.Archivedfrom the original on April 2, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.
  53. ^abcdefBarber, John (July 11, 2011)."George R.R. Martin: At the top of his Game (of Thrones)".The Globe and Mail.Archivedfrom the original on July 13, 2011.RetrievedAugust 18,2011.
  54. ^abFleming, Michael (January 16, 2007)."HBO turnsFireinto fantasy series ".Variety.Archivedfrom the original on March 5, 2012.RetrievedMarch 2,2011.
  55. ^abcThielman, Sam (February 25, 2011)."'Thrones' tomes selling big ".Variety.Archivedfrom the original on May 16, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.
  56. ^"George R. R. Martin Webchat Transcript".Empire.April 2012.Archivedfrom the original on May 15, 2012.RetrievedApril 26,2012.
  57. ^abcdeMartin, George R. R.(June 27, 2010)."Dancing in Circles".grrm.livejournal. Archived fromthe originalon March 18, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 4,2012.
  58. ^abRoberts, Josh (March 26, 2012)."Game of ThronesExclusive! George R.R. Martin Talks Season Two,The Winds of Winter,and Real-World Influences forA Song of Ice and Fire".smartertravel.Archivedfrom the original on March 31, 2012.RetrievedMarch 27,2012.
  59. ^abMartin, George R. R.(July 31, 2010)."Dancing".grrm.livejournal. Archived fromthe originalon March 18, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 4,2012.
  60. ^abFarley, Christopher John(July 8, 2011)."Game of ThronesAuthor George R.R. Martin Spills the Secrets ofA Dance with Dragons".The Wall Street Journal.Archivedfrom the original on March 21, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 15,2012.
  61. ^abPasick, Adam (October 20, 2011)."George R.R. Martin on His FavoriteGame of ThronesActors, and the Butterfly Effect of TV Adaptations ".New York.Archivedfrom the original on May 18, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 15,2012.
  62. ^abcSacks, Ethan (December 30, 2011)."George R.R. Martin surprisesSong of Ice and Firefans with free chapter of next book ".Daily News.New York.Archivedfrom the original on March 7, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.
  63. ^abGettell, Oliver (December 6, 2016)."George RR Martin on Winds of Winter: Things are getting worse".Entertainment Weekly.Time Inc.Archivedfrom the original on December 23, 2016.RetrievedDecember 21,2016.Watch Martin's full Q&A above.
  64. ^"'Game of Thrones' author George R.R. Martin determined to finish book by 2016 - EW ".Entertainment Weekly's EW.Archivedfrom the original on December 4, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 21,2020.
  65. ^"Winds of Winter release date: Book to be out before Game of Thrones Season 6".Archivedfrom the original on August 29, 2017.RetrievedJune 12,2015.
  66. ^"US".Independent.co.uk.Archived fromthe originalon September 12, 2015.RetrievedAugust 23,2017.
  67. ^Baratheon, Jesús (September 9, 2015)."Alejo Cuervo (Gigamesh):" Está previsto que Vientos de Invierno salga en 2016 (también en español) "".Archivedfrom the original on September 11, 2015.RetrievedMarch 15,2016.
  68. ^"Relacja z konwentu Kapitularz 2015 - Pieśń lodu i ognia - Gra o tron".October 1, 2015.Archivedfrom the original on August 29, 2017.RetrievedMarch 15,2016.
  69. ^"The Winds of Winter might be coming sooner than we thought".Independent.co.uk.October 2, 2015. Archived fromthe originalon August 29, 2017.RetrievedAugust 23,2017.
  70. ^R.R. Martin, George (January 2, 2016)."Last Year (Winds of Winter)".LiveJournal.Archived fromthe originalon January 2, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 2,2016.
  71. ^Selcke, Dan (February 17, 2016)."George R.R. Martin:" I am not writing anything until I deliver WINDS OF WINTER "".Winter is Coming.Archivedfrom the original on July 6, 2017.RetrievedFebruary 18,2016.
  72. ^Martin, George R.R. (March 17, 2020)."Strange Days".Not a Blog.
  73. ^"Writing, Reading, Writing".June 23, 2020.Archivedfrom the original on June 23, 2020.RetrievedJune 24,2020.
  74. ^Hibberd, James (October 26, 2022)."George R.R. Martin Says 'The Winds of Winter' Is Now Three-Quarters Finished".The Hollywood Reporter.Archivedfrom the original on October 26, 2022.RetrievedOctober 26,2022.
  75. ^Meaden, Max (October 25, 2022)."George R. R. Martin confirms he's 3/4 done with 'Winds of Winter'".The Brag.Archivedfrom the original on October 25, 2022.RetrievedOctober 26,2022.
  76. ^Griffin, Bryant (June 13, 2012)."Martin Talks 'Game Of Thrones,' 'The Winds Of Winter'".Airlock Alpha.Archivedfrom the original on August 23, 2012.RetrievedAugust 20,2012.
  77. ^grrm (August 31, 2015)."Back From Bubonicon".Archivedfrom the original on June 30, 2017.RetrievedJuly 13,2016.
  78. ^"George R.R. Martin says there will be 'Winds of Winter' spoilers in 'Game of Thrones' season six".Archivedfrom the original on March 17, 2016.RetrievedMarch 15,2016.
  79. ^"FIRE & BLOOD: On The Way - Not a Blog".georgerrmartin.Archivedfrom the original on April 25, 2018.RetrievedApril 26,2018.
  80. ^Cain, Sian (November 10, 2018)."'I've been struggling with it': George RR Martin on The Winds of Winter ".The Guardian.Archived fromthe originalon January 6, 2019.RetrievedOctober 4,2019.
  81. ^Martin, George R. R. (May 13, 2019)."Idiocy on the Internet".Archivedfrom the original on May 14, 2019.RetrievedMay 14,2019.
  82. ^Hudson, Laura (August 14, 2007)."Talking with George R. R. Martin Part 2".Publishers Weekly.Archivedfrom the original on September 10, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 13,2012.
  83. ^Abercrombie, Joe(February 16, 2008)."Influences, Ideas, andA Game of Thrones".joeabercrombie. Archived fromthe originalon April 14, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.
  84. ^abcdefghijkl"Interview: George Martin".Deep Magic.41:19–21. 2005.
  85. ^abcdefghMacLaurin, Wayne (November 2000)."A Conversation With George R.R. Martin".sfsite.Archivedfrom the original on January 11, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.(Interviewapproved by GRRMArchivedFebruary 4, 2012, at theWayback Machine.)
  86. ^Q&A With George R.R. MartinArchivedJune 19, 2014, at theWayback Machine
  87. ^abcdPoniewozik, James(April 18, 2011)."GRRM Interview Part 2: Fantasy and History".Time.Archivedfrom the original on April 27, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.
  88. ^"Adria's News: George R.R. Martin:" Trying to please everyone is a horrible mistake "".adriasnews.Archivedfrom the original on August 2, 2017.RetrievedOctober 2,2015.
  89. ^abTaylor, Amber (April 14, 2011)."Game of Thrones:A Brutal Fantasy With Mass Appeal ".The Atlantic.Archivedfrom the original on February 10, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 2,2012.
  90. ^abcdBaum, Michele Dula (April 11, 2001)."A Song of Ice and Fire– Author George R.R. Martin's fantastic kingdoms ".CNN.Archivedfrom the original on March 28, 2013.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.
  91. ^Roberts, Adam (2014).Get Started in: Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy.Hachette UK. p. 42.ISBN9781444795660.Archivedfrom the original on May 22, 2015.RetrievedJanuary 31,2015.
  92. ^Martin, George R. R.(February 17, 2011)."The Social Media".grrm.livejournal. Archived fromthe originalon August 3, 2013.RetrievedMarch 22,2013.
  93. ^grrm (February 7, 2018)."Hugo Nominations Open".Archivedfrom the original on February 9, 2018.RetrievedFebruary 8,2018.
  94. ^"A Word with George R. R. Martin".dragonsworn. December 2, 2003. Archived fromthe originalon January 13, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 13,2012.(Interviewapproved by GRRMArchivedFebruary 4, 2012, at theWayback Machine.)
  95. ^abPatrick (May 17, 2006)."George R.R. Martin".sffworld.Archivedfrom the original on March 17, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.
  96. ^Zadravec, Goran (December 2003)."An Interview With George R. R. Martin".mezmera.posluh.hr. Archived fromthe originalon December 23, 2011.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.(Interviewapproved by GRRMArchivedFebruary 4, 2012, at theWayback Machine.)
  97. ^West, Ed (March 29, 2014)."Game of Thrones tells the story of Britain better than most histories".The Spectator.Archivedfrom the original on September 28, 2015.RetrievedMarch 27,2014.
  98. ^Adair, Jamie (May 5, 2013)."Cersei Lannister: the evil queen we love to hate".historygot.Archivedfrom the original on September 16, 2017.RetrievedMay 18,2015.
  99. ^Conradt, Stacy (June 5, 2013)."The real-life events that inspired Game of Thrones' Red Wedding".The Week.RetrievedNovember 10,2021.
  100. ^Aegon Targaryen (April 4, 2018)."George RR Martin on the Inspiration for Stannis Baratheon".YouTube.Archivedfrom the original on October 28, 2021.RetrievedAugust 28,2021.
  101. ^"Game of Thrones' Red Wedding is based on Scotland's Black Dinner in 1440 and Glencoe Massacre of 1692".March 10, 2018.Archivedfrom the original on March 17, 2020.RetrievedMarch 17,2020.
  102. ^Poniewozik, James(April 19, 2011)."GRRM Interview Part 3: The Twilight Zone and Lost".Time.Archivedfrom the original on June 11, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.
  103. ^ab"EasterCon – Eat, Drink and talk SFF!".harpervoyagerbooks.April 10, 2012. Archived fromthe originalon April 16, 2012.RetrievedApril 11,2012.
  104. ^Martin, George R. R.(May 10, 2016)."A Taste of This, A Taste of That".Not a Blog.Archivedfrom the original on January 14, 2017.RetrievedNovember 25,2016.
  105. ^Martin, George R. R.(October 29, 2013)."The Dragons Are Here".grrm.livejournal. Archived fromthe originalon December 27, 2014.RetrievedApril 17,2014.
  106. ^"[TWoW Spoilers] Barristan – The Winds of Winter – A Forum of Ice and Fire".Asoiaf.westeros.org.Archivedfrom the original on March 27, 2014.RetrievedApril 17,2014.[better source needed]
  107. ^Cipriani, Casey (October 24, 2013)."10 Things We Learned About 'Game of Thrones' Author George R.R. Martin at the Sante Fe Independent Film Fest".indiewire.Archivedfrom the original on March 30, 2014.RetrievedApril 17,2014.
  108. ^abcdOrr, David(August 12, 2011)."Dragons Ascendant: George R. R. Martin and the Rise of Fantasy".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on January 20, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.
  109. ^abGrossman, Lev(July 7, 2011)."George R.R. Martin'sDance with Dragons:A Masterpiece Worthy of Tolkien ".Time.Archived fromthe originalon August 23, 2013.RetrievedAugust 2,2014.
  110. ^abcdeAnders, Charlie Jane(July 21, 2011)."George R.R. Martin explains why we'll never meet any gods inA Song of Ice and Fire".io9.Archivedfrom the original on July 28, 2011.RetrievedFebruary 13,2012.
  111. ^Tomio, Jay (June 5, 2006)."On the Spot at Fantasybookspot: George R.R. Martin".fantasybookspot. Archived fromthe originalon June 12, 2006.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.(Interviewapproved by GRRMArchivedFebruary 4, 2012, at theWayback Machine.)
  112. ^abcPoniewozik, James(April 15, 2011)."George R. R. Martin Interview, Part 1:Game of Thrones,from Book to TV ".Time.Archivedfrom the original on April 2, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.
  113. ^Martin, George R. R.(May 19, 2011)."Talking About the Dance".grrm.livejournal. Archived fromthe originalon July 3, 2013.RetrievedApril 17,2014.[ ]
  114. ^Rosenberg, Alyssa (August 31, 2011)."Fantasy on TV: HowGame of ThronesSucceeds WhereTrue BloodFails ".The Atlantic.Archivedfrom the original on April 24, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 2,2012.
  115. ^abcHammond, Chris (December 9, 2011)."Q&A George R.R Martin".Scotcampus.Archived fromthe originalon April 26, 2012.RetrievedApril 5,2012.
  116. ^abSheehan, Bill (July 12, 2011)."A Dance with Dragonsworth the long long wait ".The Washington Post.Archivedfrom the original on July 13, 2011.RetrievedFebruary 2,2012.
  117. ^abVanderMeer, Jeff (July 12, 2011)."Book review:A Dance With Dragonsby George R.R. Martin ".Los Angeles Times.Archivedfrom the original on June 2, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 2,2012.
  118. ^abSerwer, Adam (April 12, 2011)."Game of Thrones:When Fantasy Looks Like Reality ".The Atlantic.Archivedfrom the original on April 4, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 2,2012.
  119. ^"A Song of Ice And FireAnd Much More: George Martin on Fantasy Writing, Movies, Comics... "(PDF).Your Complete Guide to Comic-Con International Update.2.comic-con.org:34–35. 2006. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on March 6, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 1,2012.
  120. ^Kaveney, Roz(2000)."A Storm Coming – An interview with George R R Martin".Amazon UK.Archivedfrom the original on November 6, 2015.RetrievedFebruary 15,2012.
  121. ^Walter, Damien G. (July 26, 2011)."George RR Martin's fantasy is not far from reality".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on April 9, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.
  122. ^abcDonahue, Deirdre (July 11, 2011)."Fifth book inGame of Thronesseries released ".USA Today.Archivedfrom the original on April 16, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 15,2012.
  123. ^abc"The battle between good and evil reigns – Martin talks about new seriesGame of Thrones".Trinidad Guardian. June 11, 2011.Archivedfrom the original on January 5, 2013.RetrievedFebruary 2,2012.
  124. ^Itzkoff, Dave (December 11, 2011)."A Family Affair as Old as Oedipus".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on February 21, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.
  125. ^Leonard, Andrew (April 9, 2011)."The essential guide toGame of Thrones".Salon.Archivedfrom the original on April 29, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.
  126. ^Jennings, Dana(July 14, 2011)."In a Fantasyland of Liars, Trust No One, and Keep Your Dragon Close".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on April 18, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.
  127. ^abDonahue, Deirdre (December 28, 2011)."George R.R. Martin is our Author of the Year".USA Today.Archivedfrom the original on April 2, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 15,2012.
  128. ^Leonard, Andrew (July 10, 2011)."Return of the new fantasy king:A Dance With Dragons".Salon.Archivedfrom the original on March 30, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 2,2012.
  129. ^Wasson, Megan (July 12, 2011)."A Dance with Dragons,by George R.R. Martin ".The Christian Science Monitor.Archivedfrom the original on April 5, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 2,2012.
  130. ^abJordison, Sam(November 13, 2009)."Getting hooked on George RR Martin".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on March 7, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.
  131. ^Hann, Michael (December 20, 2011)."I'm hooked on George RR Martin's flights of fantasy".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on April 9, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.
  132. ^ab"Best Sellers Weekly Graphic: Fantastical Sales".The New York Times.July 22, 2011.Archivedfrom the original on March 27, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.
  133. ^Ronald Grover, Lisa Richwine (September 20, 2013)."With swords and suds, 'Game of Thrones' spurs sales for HBO".Reuters.Archivedfrom the original on February 24, 2015.RetrievedJanuary 16,2014.
  134. ^Alter, Alexandra (May 27, 2011)."The Season of the Supernatural".The Wall Street Journal.Archivedfrom the original on May 14, 2012.RetrievedMarch 28,2011.
  135. ^abMemmott, Carol (July 14, 2011)."Record sales for George R.R. Martin'sA Dance With Dragons".USA Today.Archivedfrom the original on February 19, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 15,2012.
  136. ^Bercovici, Jeff (August 9, 2012)."Women on the Rise Among The World's Top-Earning Authors".Forbes.Archivedfrom the original on March 27, 2013.RetrievedMarch 25,2013.
  137. ^Martin, George R. R.(October 6, 2010)."Odds and Ends and More Odds".grrm.livejournal. Archived fromthe originalon September 3, 2011.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.
  138. ^Picker, Lenny (April 11, 2011)."Throne of Gains".Publishers Weekly.256(15).Archivedfrom the original on September 13, 2011.RetrievedFebruary 13,2012.
  139. ^"Paperback Mass-Market Fiction".The New York Times.March 4, 2012.Archivedfrom the original on May 30, 2013.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.
  140. ^Flood, Alison (July 12, 2011)."A Dance with Dragonssends George RR Martin flying into charts ".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on April 9, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.
  141. ^Bosman, Julie (July 13, 2011)."A Fantasy Book Revives Store Sales".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on May 25, 2024.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.
  142. ^Kellogg, Carolyn (September 19, 2011)."George R.R. Martin joins Kindle million-seller club".Los Angeles Times.Archivedfrom the original on December 28, 2011.RetrievedFebruary 15,2012.
  143. ^"100 best-selling books of 2012, from the top down".USA Today.January 16, 2013.Archivedfrom the original on January 21, 2013.RetrievedJanuary 21,2013.
  144. ^abMartin, George R. R.(February 19, 2009)."To My Detractors".grrm.livejournal. Archived fromthe originalon July 21, 2011.RetrievedOctober 18,2011.
  145. ^abcLa Gorce, Tammy (March 12, 2006)."Books: Dreaming of Places Far, Far From Bayonne".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on March 27, 2013.RetrievedFebruary 6,2012.
  146. ^"Westeros: About".westeros.org.Archivedfrom the original on April 21, 2019.RetrievedMay 1,2019.
  147. ^abRyan, Maureen (April 29, 2010)."George R. R. Martin talksGame of Thronesas the HBO show's 'Daenerys' departs ".Chicago Tribune.Archivedfrom the original on April 1, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 2,2012.
  148. ^Flood, Alison (February 10, 2010)."Excitement as George RR Martin announces he's 1,200 pages into new book".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on April 9, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 21,2012.
  149. ^abcd"Locus Award Nominees List".locusmag.Archived fromthe originalon May 14, 2012.RetrievedApril 11,2012.
  150. ^"1997 World Fantasy Award – Winners and Nominees".worldfantasy.org. Archived fromthe originalon March 28, 2012.RetrievedApril 11,2012.
  151. ^ab"SFWA Nebula Awards".dpsinfo. Archived fromthe originalon November 28, 1999.RetrievedApril 17,2012.(Linked from sfwa.orgArchivedApril 11, 2012, at theWayback Machine,who present the Nebula Award.)
  152. ^"2001 Hugo Awards".thehugoawards.org. Archived fromthe originalon March 3, 2012.RetrievedApril 11,2012.
  153. ^"SFWA Nebula Awards".dpsinfo. Archived fromthe originalon December 2, 2001.RetrievedApril 17,2012.(Linked from sfwa.orgArchivedApril 11, 2012, at theWayback Machine,who present the Nebula Award.)
  154. ^"2006 Hugo Awards".thehugoawards.org. Archived fromthe originalon March 5, 2012.RetrievedApril 11,2012.
  155. ^"British Fantasy Award Nominees List".locusmag.Archived fromthe originalon April 13, 2012.RetrievedApril 17,2012.
  156. ^"2012 Locus Awards Winners".locusmag.June 16, 2012. Archived fromthe originalon June 22, 2012.RetrievedJune 18,2012.
  157. ^"2012 Hugo Awards".thehugoawards.org. Archived fromthe originalon September 3, 2012.RetrievedSeptember 3,2012.
  158. ^"2012 World Fantasy Award – Winners and Nominees".worldfantasy.org. Archived fromthe originalon December 5, 2012.RetrievedNovember 5,2012.
  159. ^Hudson, Laura (August 7, 2007)."George R. R. Martin's Adventures in Comics Part 1".Publishers Weekly.Archivedfrom the original on February 1, 2013.RetrievedFebruary 13,2012.
  160. ^Speakman, Shawn (March 8, 2010)."Warriors Review:The Mystery Knightby GRRM ".suvudu. Archived fromthe originalon April 7, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 14,2012.
  161. ^Martin, George R. R.(July 9, 2013)."Dunk and Egg Return to Comics".grrm.livejournal. Archived fromthe originalon January 25, 2013.RetrievedJuly 12,2013.
  162. ^"Dangerous WomenArrives on Tor ".Tor.July 24, 2013.Archivedfrom the original on April 9, 2015.RetrievedNovember 19,2013.
  163. ^Martin, George R. R.(January 23, 2013)."A Dangerous Delivery".Archived fromthe originalon January 25, 2013.RetrievedJanuary 23,2013.
  164. ^Reiher, Andrea (March 16, 2014)."George R.R. Martin announces new 'Game of Thrones' prequel short story, 'The Rogue Prince, or, the King's Brother'".Zap2it.Archivedfrom the original on June 15, 2015.RetrievedApril 17,2014.
  165. ^"Blood of the Dragon".Asimov's Science Fiction.July 1996.Archivedfrom the original on May 22, 2013.
  166. ^"Path of the Dragon".Asimov's Science Fiction.December 2000.Archivedfrom the original on May 22, 2013.
  167. ^"Arms of the Kraken".Dragon.27 No. 10 (305):90–111. March 2003.
  168. ^Not a Blog:Fire & Blood:On The Way (April 25th, 2018)ArchivedApril 25, 2018, at theWayback Machine
  169. ^McKevitt, Greg (March 11, 2010)."What's the appeal ofGame of Thrones?".BBC.Archivedfrom the original on October 11, 2011.RetrievedApril 1,2012.
  170. ^Hibberd, James (April 19, 2011)."HBO renewsGame of Thronesfor second season ".Entertainment Weekly.Archived fromthe originalon April 22, 2012.RetrievedApril 1,2012.
  171. ^"Game of Thrones".emmys.Archivedfrom the original on March 26, 2012.RetrievedApril 1,2012.
  172. ^O'Connell, Michael (April 10, 2012)."Game of ThronesRenewed for Season 3 ".The Hollywood Reporter.Archivedfrom the original on April 11, 2012.RetrievedApril 12,2012.
  173. ^Hibberd, James (April 10, 2012)."'Game of Thrones' renewed for third season ".Entertainment Weekly.Archivedfrom the original on July 5, 2012.RetrievedJune 8,2012.
  174. ^Hibberd, James (June 9, 2013)."'Game of Thrones' team on series future: 'There is a ticking clock' – EXCLUSIVE ".Entertainment Weekly.Archivedfrom the original on April 21, 2014.RetrievedApril 25,2014.
  175. ^Sepinwall, Alan (March 27, 2013)."Game of Thronesproducers say season 3 'as big as we're going to get'".HitFix.Archived fromthe originalon August 3, 2013.RetrievedMarch 28,2013.
  176. ^Hibberd, James (April 2, 2013)."Game of Thronesrenewed for season 4'".Entertainment Weekly.Archivedfrom the original on April 4, 2013.RetrievedApril 6,2013.
  177. ^"Game of Thrones | Television Academy".Emmys.Archivedfrom the original on April 13, 2017.RetrievedApril 17,2014.
  178. ^Goldman, Eric (April 8, 2014)."Game of Thrones Renewed for Season 5 and Season 6".IGN.Archivedfrom the original on January 25, 2017.RetrievedApril 8,2014.
  179. ^Prudom, Laura (September 20, 2015)."'Game of Thrones' Sets Record for Most Emmy Wins in a Year ".Variety.Archivedfrom the original on September 1, 2016.RetrievedSeptember 21,2015.
  180. ^Stephenson, Kristen (June 26, 2016)."Arm yourself for Game of Thrones season finale with these Westeros-themed records".Guinness World Records.Archivedfrom the original on September 19, 2016.RetrievedSeptember 3,2016.
  181. ^Bibel, Sara (April 14, 2015)."Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Game of Thrones' Wins Night, 'Silicon Valley', 'MTV Movie Awards', 'Mad Men', 'Veep', 'The Royals' & More".TV by the Numbers.Archived fromthe originalon September 1, 2016.RetrievedApril 14,2015.
  182. ^"'Game of Thrones' season 6 will be out before George R.R. Martin's next book ".HitFix.January 2, 2016.Archivedfrom the original on January 4, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 2,2016.
  183. ^Roots, Kimberly (January 7, 2016)."Game of ThronesSeason 6 Premiere Date Revealed ".TVLine.Archivedfrom the original on December 19, 2017.RetrievedJanuary 7,2016.
  184. ^Stolworthy, Jacob (September 18, 2016)."Emmys 2016: Game of Thrones breaks record, wins best drama series - The HBO series won Outstanding Drama Series at this year's ceremony".Independent.London.Archivedfrom the original on December 27, 2016.RetrievedDecember 26,2016.
  185. ^Andreeva, Nellie (March 9, 2017)."Game of ThronesSeason 7 Gets Premiere Date On HBO ".Deadline Hollywood.Archivedfrom the original on October 29, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 21,2020.
  186. ^"House of the Dragon".RetrievedAugust 16,2022.House of the Dragon, the prequel to Game of Thrones, is coming to HBO and HBO Max on August 21.
  187. ^Martin, George R. R.(October 30, 2008)."From The Art of George R.R. Martin'sA Song of Ice and Fire".fantasyflightgames.Archivedfrom the original on December 14, 2011.RetrievedApril 1,2012.
  188. ^"The Art of George R.R. Martin'sA Song of Ice & Fire,Volume II ".fantasyflightgames.Archivedfrom the original on April 8, 2012.RetrievedApril 1,2012.
  189. ^Martin, George R. R.(March 7, 2007)."ICE & FIRE role playing game".grrm.livejournal. Archived fromthe originalon February 7, 2012.RetrievedApril 1,2012.
  190. ^"A Song of Ice and FireRPG homepage: Ours is the Fury! ".greenronin. June 21, 2008.Archivedfrom the original on July 19, 2011.RetrievedOctober 18,2011.
  191. ^Schedeen, Jesse (September 21, 2011)."A Game of Thrones No. 1 Review: The popular fantasy epic jumps from books to TV to comics".ign.Archivedfrom the original on February 6, 2012.RetrievedDecember 19,2011.
  192. ^"Focus Home Interactive press release".focus-home. July 7, 2010. Archived fromthe originalon July 18, 2011.RetrievedAugust 18,2011.
  193. ^Peckham, Matt (February 3, 2012)."From Bleak to Bleaker inA Game of Thronesthe Roleplaying Game's New Trailer ".Time.Archivedfrom the original on April 26, 2012.RetrievedApril 12,2012.
  194. ^Martin, George R. R.(March 20, 2007)."Nothing Holds an Edge Like Valyrian Steel".grrm.livejournal. Archived fromthe originalon March 18, 2012.RetrievedApril 1,2012.
  195. ^Martin, George R. R.(December 7, 2006)."Valyrian Resin to produceIce & Firemini-busts ".georgerrmartin. Archived fromthe originalon February 6, 2012.RetrievedApril 1,2012.
  196. ^"Dark Sword Miniatures and Tom Meier to produce George Martin'sA Song of Ice and Firepremium miniature line ".darkswordminiatures. August 13, 2007. Archived fromthe originalon March 30, 2012.RetrievedSeptember 18,2015.
  197. ^"Coins inspired by the fictional works of George R.R. Martin".shirepost.Archivedfrom the original on May 3, 2012.RetrievedApril 1,2012.
  198. ^"HBO Shop" Shows "Game of Thrones".hbo.Archivedfrom the original on April 24, 2012.RetrievedApril 12,2012.
  199. ^Acuna, Kirsten (October 28, 2014)."George R.R. Martin: No One Ever Gets The Most Iconic Part OfGame Of ThronesRight ".Business Insider.Archivedfrom the original on April 3, 2019.RetrievedNovember 8,2014.
  200. ^Martin, George R. R. (July 8, 2013)."Not A Blog: The Real Iron Throne".GRRM.livejournal.Archived fromthe originalon December 25, 2014.RetrievedNovember 8,2014.
  201. ^Jackson, Matthew (July 9, 2013)."George R.R. Martin shows us what the Iron Throne REALLY looks like".Blastr.Archivedfrom the original on June 14, 2017.RetrievedNovember 10,2014.
  202. ^Hudson, Laura (July 10, 2013)."Behold the Iron Throne the Way George R. R. Martin Intended It".Wired.Archivedfrom the original on October 22, 2014.RetrievedNovember 10,2014.
edit
Wikiquote has quotations related toA Song of Ice and Fire.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_Song_of_Ice_and_Fire&oldid=1272017630"