Editing George R. R. Martin (section)

== Career ==

=== Early writing career ===
Martin began selling science fiction [[short stories]] professionally in 1970, at age 21. His first sale was "The Hero", sold to ''[[Galaxy Science Fiction|Galaxy]]'' magazine and published in its February 1971 issue; other sales soon followed. His first story to be nominated for the [[Hugo Award]]<ref>{{cite web|title=With Morning Comes Mistfall |url=http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/1974-hugo-awards/ |publisher=Hugo Awards |access-date=May 22, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303090430/http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/1974-hugo-awards/ |archive-date=March 3, 2012 }}</ref> and [[Nebula Award]]s was "[[With Morning Comes Mistfall]]", published in 1973 in ''[[Analog Science Fiction and Fact|Analog]]'' magazine. In 1975 his story "...for a single yesterday" about a post-apocalyptic timetripper was selected for inclusion in ''[[Epoch (anthology)|Epoch]]'', a science fiction anthology edited by Roger Elwood and Robert Silverberg. His first novel, ''[[Dying of the Light (Martin novel)|Dying of the Light]]'', was completed in 1976 right before he moved to Dubuque and published in 1977. That same year the enormous success of ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' had a huge impact on the publishing industry and science fiction, and he sold the novel for the same amount he would make in three years of teaching.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/news/george-r-r-martin-the-complete-rolling-stone-interview-20140613|title=George R.R. Martin: The Complete Rolling Stone Interview|first=Mikal|last=Gilmore|date=June 13, 2014|website=rollingstone.com|access-date=December 21, 2017|archive-date=June 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612143713/https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/news/george-r-r-martin-the-complete-rolling-stone-interview-20140613|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The short stories he was able to sell in his early 20s gave him some profit but not enough to pay his bills, which prevented him from becoming the full-time writer he wanted to be. The need for a day job occurred simultaneously with the American chess craze which followed [[Bobby Fischer]]'s victory in the [[World Chess Championship 1972|1972 world chess championship]]. Martin's own chess skills and experience allowed him to be hired as a tournament director for the Continental Chess Association, which ran chess tournaments on the weekends. This gave him a sufficient income, and because the tournaments only ran on Saturdays and Sundays, it allowed him to work as a writer five days a week from 1973 to 1976. By the time the chess craze subsided and no longer provided an income, he had become much better established as a writer.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/song-of-ice-and-fire-author-george-rr-martin-on-success-chess-and-the-wrath-of-superfans-9652448.html|title=George RR Martin on success, chess and the wrath of superfans|website=independent.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.georgerrmartin.com/life/|title=Life & Times of George R.R. Martin|website=www.georgerrmartin.com}}</ref>

=== Teaching ===
In the mid-1970s, Martin met English professor [[George Guthridge]] from [[Dubuque, Iowa]], at a [[science fiction convention]] in [[Milwaukee]]. Martin persuaded Guthridge (who later said that at that time he despised [[science fiction]] and [[fantasy]]) not only to give [[speculative fiction]] a second look, but also to write in the field himself. Guthridge has since been a finalist for the Hugo Award and twice for the [[Nebula Award]] for science fiction and fantasy. In 1998, Guthridge and Janet Berliner won the [[Bram Stoker Award]] for Superior Achievement in the Novel for their ''Children of the Dusk''.<ref>{{cite web|title=1997 Bram Stoker Award Nominees & Winners [presented in 1998]|url=http://www.thebramstokerawards.com/uncategorized/1997-bram-stoker-award-winners-nominees/|website=Horror Writers Association|access-date=July 22, 2020}}</ref>

In turn, Guthridge helped Martin in finding a job at [[Clarke University]] (then Clarke College). Martin "wasn't making enough money to stay alive" from writing and the chess tournaments, said Guthridge.<ref>{{cite news|url= http://www.press-citizen.com/story/entertainment/go-iowa-city/2014/05/23/westeros-iowa/9517663/ |author=Munson, Kyle|title=Before Westeros, there was Iowa|work=[[Iowa City Press-Citizen]]|date= May 23, 2014}}</ref> From 1976 to 1978, Martin was an English and journalism instructor at Clarke, and he became Writer In Residence at the college from 1978 to 1979.<ref name="Contemporary Authors">{{cite web|title=George R. R. Martin / Contemporary Authors, New Revision Series|url=https://www.biography.com/people/george-r-r-martin-20786615|website=Biography|publisher=A&E Television Networks|access-date=June 24, 2017}}</ref>

=== Concentration on writing ===
While he enjoyed teaching, the sudden death of friend and fellow author [[Tom Reamy]] in late 1977 made Martin reevaluate his own life, and he eventually decided to try to become a full-time writer. In 1979 he resigned from his job and moved from Dubuque to [[Santa Fe, New Mexico]] at the end of the year.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.vanityfair.com/vf-hollywood/george-r-r-martin-interview|title=George R.R. Martin Has a Detailed Plan For Keeping the Game of Thrones TV Show From Catching Up To Him|magazine=Vanity Fair|date=March 14, 2014|access-date=October 30, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://georgerrmartin.com/about-george/life-and-times/dubuque/|title=Dubuque {{pipe}} George R.R. Martin}}</ref> There he would live alone for almost three years, a period he described as tremendously productive in regard to writing.<ref name="New house">{{Cite web|url=https://georgerrmartin.com/notablog/2020/08/15/back-in-westeros/|title=Back in Westeros {{pipe}} Not a Blog}}</ref>

Martin is a member of the [[Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America]] (SFWA); he served as the organization's Southwest Regional Director from 1977 to 1979, and as its vice-president from 1996 to 1998.<ref name="prior-sfwa-board">{{cite web | url=https://www.sfwa.org/about/current-officers/prior-sfwa-board-officers/ | title=Prior SFWA Board & Officers | publisher=SFWA | access-date=December 19, 2022}}</ref> In 1976, for Kansas City's [[MidAmeriCon]], the [[34th World Science Fiction Convention]] ([[Worldcon]]), Martin and his friend and fellow writer-editor [[Gardner Dozois]] conceived of and organized the first Hugo Losers' Party for the benefit of all past and present Hugo-losing writers on the evening following the convention's Hugo Awards ceremony. Martin was nominated for two Hugos that year but lost both awards, for the novelette "...and Seven Times Never Kill Man" and the novella ''The Storms of Windhaven'', co-written with [[Lisa Tuttle]].<ref name="Locusmag">{{cite news|url= http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/LocusNomList.html|work= The Locus|title= Index to SF Awards|access-date= August 14, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090505221416/http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/LocusNomList.html|archive-date= May 5, 2009|df= mdy-all}}</ref> Although Martin often writes fantasy or horror, a number of his earlier works are science fiction tales occurring in a loosely defined [[future history]], known informally as "The Thousand Worlds" or "The Manrealm".

In 2017, Martin recalled that he had started writing science fiction-horror hybrids in the late 1970s to disprove a statement from a critic claiming that science fiction and horror were opposites and therefore incompatible. Martin considered ''[[Sandkings (novelette)|Sandkings]]'' (1979) the best known of these. Another was the novella ''[[Nightflyers]]'' (1980), whose screen and television rights were purchased by Vista in 1984, which produced a 1987 film adaptation, ''[[Nightflyers (film)|Nightflyers]]'', with a screenplay co-written by Martin.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://grrm.livejournal.com/555986.html|title=The NIGHTFLYER Flies Again|last=grrm|date=November 27, 2017|website=livejournal.com}}</ref> Martin was unhappy about having to cut plot elements in order to accommodate the film's small budget.<ref name="NPR2012">{{cite web | url=https://www.npr.org/2012/09/15/161142894/thrones-author-george-r-r-martin-plays-not-my-job?ps=view&ec=mostpopular | title='Thrones' Author George R.R. Martin Plays Not My Job | publisher=NPR | date=September 15, 2012 | access-date=September 16, 2012 | author=Peter Sagal}}</ref> While not a hit at theatres, Martin believes that the film saved his career, and that everything he has written since exists in large part because of it.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://grrm.livejournal.com/553183.html|title=NIGHTFLYERS at the JCC|last=grrm|date=October 23, 2017|website=livejournal.com}}</ref> He has also written at least one piece of political-military fiction, "Night of the Vampyres", collected in [[Harry Turtledove]]'s anthology ''The Best Military Science Fiction of the 20th Century'' (2001).<ref>{{cite news|title=Night of the Vampyres|last=Martin|first=George R.R.|editor1-last=Turtledove|editor1-first=Harry|editor2-last=Greenberg|editor2-first=Martin H. |work=The Best Military Science Fiction of the 20th Century|location= New York|publisher= Ballantine|date= May 2001|pages= 279–306}}</ref>

In 1982, Martin published a vampire novel titled ''[[Fevre Dream]]'' set in the 19th century on the Mississippi River, in the heyday of the great paddle steamers. Unlike traditional vampire novels, in ''Fevre Dream'' vampires are not supernatural creatures, but are rather a different species related to humans created by evolution with superhuman powers. Critic Don D'Amassa has praised ''Fevre Dream'' for its strong 19th-century atmosphere and wrote: "This is without question one of the greatest vampire novels of all time".<ref name="D'Amassa pages 388-390">D'Amassa, Don "Martin, George" pages 388-390 from ''St. James Guide to Horror, Ghost and Gothic Writers'' edited by David Pringle, Detroit: St. James Press, 1997 page 390.</ref> Martin followed up ''Fevre Dream'' with another [[horror novel]], ''[[The Armageddon Rag]]'' (1983). The unexpected commercial failure of ''The Armageddon Rag'' "essentially destroyed my career as a novelist at the time", he recalled, and made him consider going into [[real estate]] instead.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/failure-nearly-made-apos-game-143043933.html|title=This failure nearly made "Game of Thrones" creator George R.R. Martin stop writing and go into real estate|website=finance.yahoo.com|date=April 14, 2019 }}</ref>

In 1984, the new editor of Baen Books, Betsy Mitchell, called Martin to ask him if he had considered doing a collection of Haviland Tuf adventures. Martin, who had several favorite series characters like [[Solomon Kane]], [[Elric]], [[Nicholas van Rijn]] and Magnus Ridolph, had made an attempt to create such a character on his own in the 1970s with his Tuf stories. He was interested, but was too occupied with the writing of his next book, the never-completed novel ''Black and White and Red All Over'', which occupied most of his writing time the same year. But after the failure of ''The Armageddon Rag'', all editors rejected his upcoming novel, and desperate for money, he accepted Mitchell's offer and wrote some more Tuf stories which were collected in ''[[Tuf Voyaging]]'', which sold well enough for Mitchell to suggest a sequel. Martin was willing and agreed to do it, but before he got started he got an offer from Hollywood, where producer Philip DeGuere Jr. wanted to adapt ''The Armageddon Rag'' into a film. The film adaptation did not happen, but they stayed in touch, and when DeGuere became the producer for the revival of ''[[The Twilight Zone (1985 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]'', Martin was offered a job as a writer. Working for television paid a lot better than writing literature, so he decided to move to Hollywood to seek a new career.<ref name="berwick20120601">{{cite news | url=http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/bd1e2638-a8b7-11e1-a747-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1wYzURCl0 | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210201247/https://www.ft.com/content/bd1e2638-a8b7-11e1-a747-00144feabdc0#axzz1wYzURCl0 | archive-date=December 10, 2022 | url-access=subscription | url-status=live | title=Lunch with the FT: George RR Martin | work=Financial Times | date=June 1, 2012 | access-date=June 1, 2012 | author=Berwick, Isabel }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mp2dODRtZOUC&q=fantasy+Moorcock%27s+Elric+Howard%27s+Solomon+Kane%2C+Gray+Mouser+Dominic+Flandry&pg=PT8|title=Dreamsongs: A RRetrospective|first=George R. R.|last=Martin|date=September 18, 2008|publisher=Orion|via=Google Books|isbn=978-0-575-08612-8}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indiewire.com/2014/10/george-r-r-martin-talks-comic-books-taxes-and-hating-game-of-thrones-interviews-68889/|title=George R.R. Martin Talks Comic Books, Taxes and Hating "Game Of Thrones" Interviews|first=Zack|last=Sharf|date=October 21, 2014|website=indiewire.com}}</ref> At first he worked as staff writer for the show, and then as an executive story consultant.

After the [[CBS]] series was cancelled, Martin migrated over to the already-underway satirical science fiction series [[Max Headroom (TV series)|''Max Headroom'']]. He worked on scripts and created the show's "Ped Xing" character. However, before his scripts could go into production, the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] show was cancelled in the middle of its second season. Martin was hired as a writer-producer on the new dramatic fantasy series ''[[Beauty and the Beast (1987 TV series)|Beauty and the Beast]]''; in 1989, he became the show's co-supervising producer and wrote 14 of its episodes.

In 1987, Martin published a collection of short horror stories in ''[[Portraits of His Children]]''. During this same period, Martin continued working in print media as a book-series editor, this time overseeing the development of the multi-author ''[[Wild Cards]]'' book series, which takes place in a [[shared universe]] in which a small slice of post–[[World War II]] humanity gains superpowers after the release of an alien-engineered virus; new titles are published in the ongoing series from [[Tor Books]]. In ''Second Person'', Martin "gives a personal account of the close-knit [[role-playing game]] (RPG) culture that gave rise to his ''Wild Cards'' shared-world anthologies".<ref>{{cite journal|last=Kerr|first=John Finlay |date=2009|title=Second person: Role-playing and story in games and playable media|editor1-last=Harrigan|editor1-first=Pat|editor2-last=Wardrip-Fruin|editor2-first=Noah|journal=Transformative Works and Cultures|number= 2 |doi=10.3983/twc.2009.0095|doi-access=free}}</ref> An important element in the creation of the multiple-author series was a campaign of [[Chaosium]]'s role-playing game ''[[Superworld]]'' (1983) that Martin ran in [[Albuquerque]].<ref name="designers">{{Cite book|author=Shannon Appelcline|title=Designers & Dragons|publisher=Mongoose Publishing|year=2011| isbn= 978-1-907702-58-7|page=87}}</ref> Admitting he became completely obsessed with the game, he stopped writing literature for most of 1983, which he refers to as his "lost year", but his shrinking bank accounts made him realize he had to come up with something, and got the idea that perhaps the stories and characters created in ''Superworld'' could somehow become profitable.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tor.com/2011/06/06/1-the-first-wild-cards-day-or-the-game-that-ate-my-life/|title=The First Wild Cards Day or, the Game That Ate My Life|date=June 6, 2011}}</ref> Martin's own contributions to ''Wild Cards'' have included Thomas Tudbury, "[[The Great and Powerful Turtle]]", a powerful [[psychokinetic]] whose flying "shell" consisted of an armored [[VW Beetle]]. {{as of|2011|June}}, 21 ''Wild Cards'' volumes had been published in the series; earlier that same year, Martin signed the contract for the 22nd volume, ''Low Ball'' (2014), published by [[Tor Books]]. In early 2012, Martin signed another Tor contract for the 23rd ''Wild Cards'' volume, ''High Stakes'', which was released in August 2016.<ref name="HighStakes">{{cite web|title=High Stakes|url=http://us.macmillan.com/books/9780765335623|publisher=[[Macmillan Publishers]]|access-date=July 11, 2016}}</ref>

In August 2016, Martin announced that [[Universal Cable Productions]] had acquired the rights to adapt the ''Wild Cards'' novels into a television series.<ref name="George R. R. Martin">{{cite web|url=http://grrm.livejournal.com/496792.html |title=The Wild Cards Are Coming... to Television |website=Not A Blog |publisher=George R. R. Martin |access-date=August 16, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818020405/http://grrm.livejournal.com/496792.html |archive-date=August 18, 2016 }}</ref> He noted that he himself would not write for the adaptation due to focusing on ''A Song of Ice and Fire''.<ref name="George R. R. Martin" />

In 2014, Martin said in a [[BBC]] interview that he writes using [[WordStar]] [[word processor|editor software]], on an [[MS-DOS]] [[Personal computer|computer]], because he dislikes having his work [[spell checker|spell-checked]] and to avoid [[internet]] distractions. He uses a separate computer for common internet tasks.<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 14, 2014 |title=Game of Thrones author George RR Martin: 'Why I still use DOS' |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27407502 |access-date=August 9, 2024 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>

=== ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' ===
{{Main|A Song of Ice and Fire}}
[[File:GeorgeRRMartinCW98 wb.jpg|thumb|Teaching at [[Clarion West]], 1998]]
In 1991, Martin briefly returned to writing novels. He had grown frustrated that his TV pilots and screenplays were not getting made<ref name="grrm_iv_januarymagazine" /> and that TV-related production limitations like budgets and episode lengths were forcing him to cut characters and trim battle scenes.<ref name=nytimes_twisted>{{cite web|last=Itzkoff |first=Dave |url=http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/01/his-beautiful-dark-twisted-fantasy-george-r-r-martin-talks-game-of-thrones/ |title=His Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: George R. R. Martin Talks ''Game of Thrones'' |work=The New York Times |date=April 1, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110402184647/http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/01/his-beautiful-dark-twisted-fantasy-george-r-r-martin-talks-game-of-thrones/ |archive-date=April 2, 2011 |url-status=live |access-date=February 3, 2012 }}</ref> This pushed Martin back towards writing books, where he did not have to worry about compromising his imagination.<ref name=grrm_iv_januarymagazine>{{cite web |last=Richards |first=Linda |url=http://januarymagazine.com/profiles/grrmartin.html |title=January interview: George R.R. Martin |publisher=[[January Magazine|januarymagazine.com]] |date=January 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320033411/http://januarymagazine.com/profiles/grrmartin.html |archive-date=March 20, 2012 |url-status=dead |access-date=January 21, 2012 }} (Interview [http://georgerrmartin.com/links.html#interviews approved by GRRM] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204044229/http://www.georgerrmartin.com/links.html |date=February 4, 2012}}.)</ref> Admiring the works of [[J. R. R. Tolkien]] in his childhood, he wanted to write an epic fantasy, though he did not have any specific ideas.<ref name=grmm_iv_ew>{{cite magazine|last=Hibberd |first=James |url=http://shelf-life.ew.com/2011/07/12/george-martin-talks-a-dance-with-dragons/ |title=EW interview: George R.R. Martin talks ''A Dance With Dragons'' |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=July 12, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327055824/http://shelf-life.ew.com/2011/07/12/george-martin-talks-a-dance-with-dragons/ |archive-date=March 27, 2012 |url-status=live |access-date=January 21, 2012 }}</ref>

His epic fantasy series, ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', was inspired by the [[Wars of the Roses]], ''[[The Accursed Kings]]''<ref>{{cite news|last1=Milne|first1=Ben|title=Game of Thrones: The cult French novel that inspired George RR Martin|work=BBC News|date=April 4, 2014|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26824993|access-date=August 27, 2017}}</ref> and ''[[Ivanhoe]]''. Though Martin originally conceptualized it as being three volumes,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://grrm.livejournal.com/496185.html |title=The Long Game... of Thrones |website=Not A Blog |publisher=George R. R. Martin |access-date=August 16, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817124223/http://grrm.livejournal.com/496185.html |archive-date=August 17, 2016 }}</ref> it is currently slated to comprise seven. The first, ''[[A Game of Thrones]]'', was published in 1996, followed by ''[[A Clash of Kings]]'' in 1998 and ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' in 2000. In November 2005, ''[[A Feast for Crows]]'', the fourth novel in this series, became ''[[The New York Times]]'' No. 1 Bestseller.<ref name="nyt-2005nov27">{{cite news |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DEEDB113EF934A15752C1A9639C8B63 |title=Best Sellers: November 27, 2005 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=November 27, 2005 |author=<!-- Staff writer(s); no by-line. -->}}</ref> The fifth book, ''[[A Dance with Dragons]]'', was published July 12, 2011, and became an international bestseller, including achieving a No. 1 spot on the [[The New York Times Best Seller list|''New York Times'' Bestseller List]]<ref name="nyt-2011jul31">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2011/07/31/ |title=The New York Times Best Sellers |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 31, 2011 |author=<!-- Staff writer(s); no by-line. -->}}</ref> and many others; it remained on the ''New York Times'' list for 88 weeks.

In 2012, ''A Dance with Dragons'' made the final ballot for science fiction and fantasy's Hugo Award,<ref name="tha-2012">{{cite news |url=http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2012-hugo-awards/ |title=2012 Hugo Awards |website=[[The Hugo Awards]] |date=<!-- undated --> |author=<!-- Staff writer(s); no by-line. -->}}</ref> World Fantasy Award,<ref name="tb-2012nov04">{{cite news |url=http://www.tor.com/2012/11/04/announcing-the-2012-world-fantasy-award-winners/ |title=Announcing the 2012 World Fantasy Award Winners! |website=[[Tor Books]] |date=November 4, 2012 |author=<!-- Staff writer(s); no by-line. -->}}</ref> Locus Poll Award, and the British Fantasy Award;<ref name="bfs-2012may07">{{cite news |url=http://www.britishfantasysociety.co.uk/news/bfs-awards-shortlist-announced/ |title=British Fantasy Awards shortlist announced |website=[[British Fantasy Society]] |date=May 7, 2012 |author=<!-- Staff writer(s); no by-line. --> |access-date=June 4, 2017 |archive-date=July 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190721022140/http://www.britishfantasysociety.co.uk/news/bfs-awards-shortlist-announced/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> the novel went on to win the Locus Poll Award for Best Fantasy Novel.<ref name="lm-2012jun16">{{cite news |url=http://www.locusmag.com/News/2012/06/locus-awards-2012-winners/ |title=2012 Locus Awards Winners |magazine=[[Locus (magazine)|Locus]] |date=June 16, 2012 |author=<!-- Staff writer(s); no by-line. --> |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120622070415/http://www.locusmag.com/News/2012/06/locus-awards-2012-winners/ |archive-date=June 22, 2012 }}</ref> Two more novels are planned in the series: ''[[The Winds of Winter]]'' and the final volume ''[[A Dream of Spring]]''.

On April 25, 2018, Martin announced the release date of his new book, ''[[Fire & Blood (book)|Fire & Blood]]'', dealing with the history of House Targaryen, which was released on November 20, 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/apr/25/george-rr-martin-winds-winter-not-coming-2018-sixth-volume-game-thrones-targaryen|title=George RR Martin: a new Game of Thrones book is coming ...|last=Flood|first=Alison|date=April 26, 2018|website=the Guardian|language=en|access-date=April 27, 2018}}</ref> Should Martin die before finishing the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series, former collaborators have said that they will not conclude the series for him.<ref>{{Cite web|date=December 30, 2020|title=The Expanse authors won't finish A Song of Ice and Fire for George R.R. Martin|url=https://winteriscoming.net/2020/12/30/expanse-author-rules-completing-song-ice-fire-george-r-r-martin/|access-date=January 17, 2021|website=Winter is Coming|language=en-US}}</ref>

==== HBO adaptation of  ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' ====
{{Main|Game of Thrones}}
[[HBO]] Productions purchased the television rights for the ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' series in 2007. Although busy completing ''[[A Dance with Dragons]]'' and other projects, George R. R. Martin was heavily involved in the production of the television series adaptation of his books. Martin's involvement included the selection of a production team and participation in scriptwriting; the opening credits list him as a co-executive producer of the series. The original pilot was shot between October 24 and November 19, 2009, on location in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Morocco.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lacob |first=Jace |date=April 4, 2011 |title=Game of Thrones: 10 Secrets About HBO's Adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin |language=en |work=The Daily Beast |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/04/04/game-of-thrones-10-secrets-about-hbos-adaptation-of-a-song-of-ice-and-fire-by-george-rr-martin |access-date=September 4, 2022}}</ref> It was received so poorly by HBO executives that they did not make a decision for four months after the pilot was delivered.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Birnbaum |first=Debra |date=April 15, 2015 |title='Game of Thrones' Creators: We Know How It's Going to End |url=https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/game-of-thrones-ending-season-5-producers-interview-1201469516/ |access-date=September 4, 2022 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> In March 2010, HBO's decision to greenlight the series was announced,<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Hibberd |first1=James |date=March 2, 2010 |title=HBO greenlights 'Game of Thrones' |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/hbo-greenlights-game-thrones-21228/ |access-date=September 4, 2022 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref> with the production of the series scheduled to start June 2010.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Poniewozik |first=James |date=March 3, 2010 |title=HBO Picks Up Thrones, Places Bet on Dustin Hoffman |language=en-US |magazine=Time |url=https://entertainment.time.com/2010/03/03/hbo-picks-up-thrones-places-bet-on-dustin-hoffman/ |access-date=September 4, 2022 |issn=0040-781X}}</ref> HBO however demanded the first episode be reshot, and wanted all the scenes from Morocco scrapped.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Itzkoff |first=Dave |date=April 8, 2011 |title=A Heroic Fantasy for Skeptics |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/10/arts/television/game-of-thrones-on-hbo-from-george-r-r-martin-novels.html |access-date=September 4, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The first episode ("[[Winter Is Coming]]") premiered on HBO in the United States and Canada on April 17, 2011. It was seen initially by 2.2 million viewers. The first season was nominated for 13 [[Emmy Awards]], ultimately winning two: one for its [[Game of Thrones title sequence|opening title credits]], and one for [[Peter Dinklage]] as Best Supporting Actor.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Game Of Thrones |url=https://www.emmys.com/shows/game-thrones |access-date=September 4, 2022 |website=Television Academy |language=en}}</ref>

HBO ordered a second season of ''Game of Thrones'' on April 19, 2011, two days after the series premiere.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=April 19 |first1=James Hibberd Updated |last2=EDT |first2=2011 at 03:12 PM |title=HBO renews 'Game of Thrones' for second season! |url=https://ew.com/article/2011/04/19/game-of-thrones-renewed/ |access-date=September 4, 2022 |website=EW.com |language=en}}</ref> The second season obtained a 15% increase in budget in order to be able to stage the war's most important battle,<ref>{{Cite web |last1=December 20 |first1=EW Staff Updated |last2=EST |first2=2019 at 12:02 AM |title=This Week's Cover: 'Game of Thrones,' the battle to make season 2 epic |url=https://ew.com/article/2012/03/14/game-of-thrones-ew-cover-2/ |access-date=September 4, 2022 |website=EW.com |language=en}}</ref> the Battle of the Blackwater, in episode nine which was written by George R. R. Martin. Filming took place during 106 shooting days. During three-quarters of those, two crews ("Dragon" and "Wolf") were working simultaneously in different locations.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Jurgensen |first=John |date=March 29, 2012 |title=A Bigger, Pricier 'Game of Thrones' |language=en-US |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303404704577309432008018946.html |access-date=September 4, 2022 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref> [[Alan Taylor (director)|Alan Taylor]] was promoted to co-executive producer and directed four episodes, including the season premiere and finale. [[David Petrarca]] and [[David Nutter]] each directed two episodes, while series cinematographer [[Alik Sakharov]] and filmmaker [[Neil Marshall]] directed the remaining two. The second season premiered in the United States on [[HBO]] on April 1, 2012, and concluded on June 3, 2012. U.S. viewership rose by approximately 8% over the course of the season, from 3.9 million to 4.2 million by the season finale. The second season won six of the twelve [[Emmy Awards]] for which it was nominated.<ref name=":3" />

''[[Game of Thrones]]'' rapidly became a critical and commercial success after the second season. HBO renewed the series for a [[Game of Thrones season 3|third season]] on April 10, 2012, nine days after the [[Game of Thrones season 2|second season]]'s premiere. Production began in July 2012<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reply |first=kristina |date=July 9, 2012 |title=Game of Thrones Begins Filming For Season 3 |url=https://hbowatch.com/game-of-thrones-begins-filming-for-season-3/ |access-date=September 4, 2022 |language=en-US}}</ref> and concluded with the [[Wrap (filmmaking)|wrap]] of the unit filming in Iceland on November 24, 2012. The third season is based on the first half of the novel ''[[A Storm of Swords]]''. Benioff had previously said that ''A Storm of Swords'' would need to be adapted in two seasons on account of its length. Benioff and Weiss also noted that they thought of ''Game of Thrones'' as an adaptation of the series as a whole, rather than of individual novels, which gave them the liberty to move scenes back and forth across novels according to the requirements of the screen adaptation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=TV |url=https://ew.com/tv/ |access-date=September 4, 2022 |website=EW.com |language=en}}</ref> Season 3 saw the first significant use of the [[Valyrian languages]], spoken in doomed [[Valyria]] and its former colonies in [[Essos]]. The [[constructed language]]s were developed by conlanger [[David J. Peterson]] based on the few words Martin invented for the novels. Peterson had previously developed the [[Dothraki language]], used principally in season 1.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Martin |first=Denise |title=Learn to Speak Dothraki and Valyrian From the Man Who Invented Them for Game of Thrones |url=https://www.vulture.com/2013/04/game-of-thrones-dothraki-language-inventor.html |access-date=September 4, 2022 |website=Vulture |date=April 23, 2013 |language=en-us}}</ref> The third season premiered on [[HBO]] on March 31, 2013, and concluded on June 9, 2013. The third season was seen by 14.2 million viewers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Adalian |first=Josef |title=For HBO, Game of Thrones Ratings Second Only to The Sopranos |url=https://www.vulture.com/2013/06/game-of-thrones-huge-ratings-chart.html |access-date=September 4, 2022 |website=Vulture |date=June 6, 2013 |language=en-us}}</ref>  It won 2 of the 16 [[Emmy Awards]] for which it was nominated.<ref name=":3" />

Two days after third-season premiere, HBO ordered the fourth season on April 2, 2013, which began filming in July 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=April 2 |first1=James Hibberd Updated |last2=EDT |first2=2013 at 05:16 PM |title='Game of Thrones' renewed for season 4 |url=https://ew.com/article/2013/04/02/game-of-thrones-renewed-4-season/ |access-date=September 4, 2022 |website=EW.com |language=en}}</ref> The season is adapted primarily from the second half of ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'', along with elements of ''[[A Feast for Crows]]'' and ''[[A Dance with Dragons]].'' [[Showrunner]]s [[David Benioff]] and [[D. B. Weiss]] co-wrote seven out of ten episodes. The remaining three episodes were written by [[Bryan Cogman]] (two episodes), and George R. R. Martin (one episode). For this season, the filming lasted 136 days and was completed on November 21, 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |last=winteriscoming |date=November 21, 2013 |title=That's a wrap! Season 4 filming is complete |url=https://winteriscoming.net/2013/11/21/thats-a-wrap-season-4-filming-is-complete/ |access-date=September 4, 2022 |website=Winter is Coming |language=en-US |archive-date=July 20, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170720232817/https://winteriscoming.net/2013/11/21/thats-a-wrap-season-4-filming-is-complete/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[Game of Thrones season 4|fourth season]] premiered in the United States on [[HBO]] on April 6, 2014, and concluded on June 15, 2014. The season was met with largely positive reviews. It won 4 of the 19 [[Emmy Awards]] for which it was nominated.<ref name=":3" /> With its fourth season, ''Game of Thrones'' has become the most-watched HBO series in history (surpassing the fourth season of ''[[The Sopranos]]'' which had a gross audience of 18.2 million viewers), averaging 18.4 million viewers across multiple platforms, including live viewing, encores, DVR views, HBO GO and On Demand views.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Entertainment |url=https://uproxx.com/category/entertainment/ |access-date=September 4, 2022 |website=UPROXX |language=en-US}}</ref>

Up until the fourth season, Martin wrote one episode for each season. In 2022, Martin said that he had been estranged from the show during the production process of the last 4 seasons (starting with season 5).<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Koblin |first=John |date=August 10, 2022 |title=Can "House of the Dragon" Be HBO's Next 'Game of Thrones'? |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/10/arts/television/house-of-the-dragon-hbo-got.html}}</ref> In the early seasons, Martin wrote and read scripts, consulted on casting decisions and visited sets. Over time, however, he stepped back to focus on his long-delayed next "Thrones" novel, ''[[The Winds of Winter]]''.<ref name=":2" /> Following the gargantuan success of the fourth season, HBO ordered the fifth season on April 8, 2014, together with the [[Game of Thrones season 6|sixth season]], which began filming in July 2014. The season primarily adapts the storylines from ''[[A Feast for Crows]]'' and ''[[A Dance with Dragons]],'' also with original content not found in Martin's novels. This season set a [[Guinness World Records|Guinness World Record]] for winning the highest number of [[Emmy Awards]] for a series in a single season and year, winning 12 out of 24 nominations, including [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series|Outstanding Drama Series]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Prudom |first=Laura |date=September 21, 2015 |title='Game of Thrones' Sets Record for Most Emmy Wins in a Year |url=https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/game-of-thrones-emmy-wins-record-1201598356/ |access-date=September 4, 2022 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>

With a budget over $100 million for the whole season, filming for the sixth season began in July 2015 and ended on December. The season filmed in five different countries: [[Northern Ireland]], [[Spain]], [[Croatia]], [[Iceland]], and [[Canada]]. This season saw the overall plot of the show diverging from the source material. Some of the season's storyline is derived from content not yet published in Martin's ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' series, although a significant amount of material from ''[[A Feast for Crows]]'', ''[[A Dance with Dragons]]'' and the upcoming sixth novel ''[[The Winds of Winter]]'', which Martin previously outlined to [[showrunner]]s [[David Benioff]] and [[D.B. Weiss]], was used.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fleming |first=Mike Jr. |date=June 27, 2016 |title='Game Of Thrones' David Benioff & D.B. Weiss On Shocking Season 6 Finale |url=https://deadline.com/2016/06/game-of-thrones-season-6-finale-david-benioff-d-b-weiss-hbo-1201780242/ |access-date=September 4, 2022 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref> The season was largely met with positive reviews.<ref>{{Citation |title=Game of Thrones |url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/game-of-thrones/season-6 |access-date=September 4, 2022}}</ref> The "[[Battle of the Bastards]]" episode received immense critical acclaim, with many calling it one of the best television episodes of all time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fowler |first=Matt |date=June 20, 2016 |title=Game of Thrones: "Battle of the Bastards" Review |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2016/06/20/game-of-thrones-battle-of-the-bastards-review |access-date=September 4, 2022 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref> U.S. viewership rose compared to the previous season, and by approximately 13 percent over its course, from 7.9 million to 8.9 million by the finale. The season won 12 of the 23 [[Emmy Awards]] for which it was nominated.<ref name=":3" />

Three days before the premiere of the episode "[[The Red Woman]]", HBO ordered the seventh season. Due to necessary weather conditions required for filming, the production of the penultimate season of the show was delayed that year.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Swift |first=Andy |date=July 6, 2016 |title=Game of Thrones Season 7 Production Delayed |url=https://tvline.com/2016/07/06/game-of-thrones-season-7-premiere-date-delayed-new-interview/ |access-date=September 4, 2022 |website=TVLine |language=en-US}}</ref> Filming began only on August 31, 2016, at Titanic Studios in Belfast,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Oliver |date=September 23, 2016 |title=The incredible filming locations from Game of Thrones season seven |language=en-GB |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/arts-and-culture/filming-locations-game-of-thrones-season-seven/ |access-date=September 4, 2022 |issn=0307-1235}}</ref> and ended in February 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Riefe |first=Jordan |date=February 27, 2017 |title='Game of Thrones' Parodies Proliferate as Filming Wraps on Season 7 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/game-thrones-parodies-proliferate-as-filming-wraps-season-7-981144/ |access-date=September 4, 2022 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref> Unlike previous seasons, the seventh and eighth seasons largely consisted of original content not found in the source material. This season comprised only seven episodes. The showrunners stated that they were unable to produce 10 episodes in the show's usual 12 to 14 month time frame, as Weiss said "It's crossing out of a television schedule into more of a mid-range movie schedule".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Birnbaum |first=Debra |date=April 14, 2016 |title='Game of Thrones' Creators Mull Shorter Final Seasons (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/game-of-thrones-end-date-season-8-1201752746/ |access-date=September 4, 2022 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> The average runtime of an episode in this season was approximately 63 minutes. The series received 22 nominations for the [[70th Primetime Emmy Awards]] and won 9 of them, including "Outstanding Drama Series".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gonzalez |first=Sandra |date=September 18, 2018 |title='Game of Thrones' reclaims best drama award at Emmy Awards |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/17/entertainment/game-of-thrones-emmy-win/index.html |access-date=September 4, 2022 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref>

Unlike its prior seasons, the final one took a year gap for its production and filming. The eighth season consisted of only six episodes, though the average runtime of an episode was 68 minutes, the longest of all seasons, with [[The Long Night (Game of Thrones)|"The Long Night"]] consisting of 81 minutes. The season was met with mixed reviews from critics. While the performances, production values and music score were praised, criticism was mainly directed at the shorter runtime of the season as well as numerous creative decisions made by the showrunners. Many commentators deemed it to be a disappointing conclusion to the series. Despite this, the season received 32 nominations at the [[71st Primetime Emmy Awards]], the most for a single season of television in history, and won twelve, including [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series|Outstanding Drama Series]] and [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series|Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series]] for [[Peter Dinklage]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schneider |first=Michael |date=July 16, 2019 |title=Emmys 2019 Nominations: HBO Back at the Top, as 'Game of Thrones' Makes History |url=https://variety.com/2019/tv/awards/emmy-nominations-2019-game-of-thrones-analysis-netflix-hbo-1203268722/ |access-date=September 4, 2022 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>

Three years after the show ended, a [[prequel]] series, ''[[House of the Dragon]]'', premiered on HBO on August 21, 2022.  Based on parts of the novel ''[[Fire & Blood (novel)|Fire & Blood]]'', the series is set about 200 years before the events of ''[[Game of Thrones]].'' [[Ryan Condal]] and [[Miguel Sapochnik]] served as the [[showrunner]]s for the first season. Five days after its premiere, the [[House of the Dragon|series]] was renewed for a second season by [[HBO]]. On September 1, Sapochnik departed as showrunner,<ref>{{Cite web |first1=James |last1=Hibberd |first2=Borys |last2=Kit |date=August 31, 2022 |title='House of the Dragon' Shake-Up: Co-Showrunner Miguel Sapochnik Leaving Hit Series (Exclusive) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/house-of-the-dragon-miguel-sapochnik-leaving-1235208276/ |access-date=September 4, 2022 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref> with another veteran [[Game of Thrones]] director [[Alan Taylor (director)|Alan Taylor]] replacing him as the co-showrunner for the upcoming second season.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mullen |first=Amanda |date=September 1, 2022 |title='House of the Dragon' Brings on Director Alan Taylor — What Else He's Worked On |url=https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/house-of-the-dragon-brings-director-alan-taylor.html/ |access-date=September 4, 2022 |website=Showbiz Cheat Sheet |language=en-US}}</ref>

In June 2022, it was reported that a Jon Snow [[sequel]] series with [[Kit Harington]] to reprise his role was in early development at HBO.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hibberd |first=James |date=June 17, 2022 |title='Game of Thrones' Jon Snow Sequel Series in Development at HBO (Exclusive) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/game-of-thrones-jon-snow-spinoff-1235167415/ |access-date=September 4, 2022 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref> The [[working title]] is ''Snow'' and Martin confirmed his involvement with the project and that Harington initiated the idea.<ref name="Patten">{{Cite web |last=Patten |first=Dominic |date=June 23, 2022 |title='Game Of Thrones' Creator George R.R. Martin Reveals Jon Snow Sequel's "Working Title", Showrunners On Board |url=https://deadline.com/2022/06/kit-harington-game-of-thrones-sequel-series-snow-george-r-r-martin-1235051162/ |access-date=September 4, 2022 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref> Also in June, Martin said there were still three other [[Live action|live-action]] series in development: ''10,000 Ships'' (written by Amanda Segal), ''9 Voyages'' aka ''Sea Snake'' (written by [[Bruno Heller]]), and the [[Tales of Dunk and Egg|Dunk & Egg]] [[prequel]] series (written by [[Steven Conrad]]), tentatively titled either ''The Hedge Knight'' or ''Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.''<ref name="Patten" />

In January 2021, an animated drama series was announced as in development at [[HBO Max]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goldberg |first=Lesley |date=January 27, 2021 |title='Game of Thrones' Animated Drama Eyed at HBO Max (Exclusive) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/game-of-thrones-animated-drama-eyed-at-hbo-max-exclusive-4123015/ |access-date=September 4, 2022 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref> In July 2021, two more animated series were in development at HBO Max, with one being set in Yi Ti, a nation in [[Essos]] loosely based on [[Imperial China]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hibberd |first=James |date=July 16, 2021 |title=HBO Max Developing 2 More 'Game of Thrones' Animated Shows (Exclusive) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/game-of-thrones-animated-yiti-1234982593/ |access-date=September 4, 2022 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Themes ===
{{see also|Themes in A Song of Ice and Fire}}
Martin's work has been described as having "complex story lines, fascinating characters, great dialogue, perfect pacing" by literary critic [[Jeff VanderMeer]].<ref>{{cite news|last=VanderMeer|first=Jeff|title=Book review: "A Dance With Dragons" by George R.R. Martin|url=https://www.latimes.com/books/la-xpm-2011-jul-12-la-et-book-20110712-story.html|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=July 12, 2011}}</ref> [[Dana Jennings]] of the ''New York Times'' described Martin's work as "fantasy for grown ups"<ref>{{cite news|last=Jennings|first=Dana|title=In a Fantasyland of Liars, Trust No One, and Keep Your Dragon Close|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/15/books/a-dance-with-dragons-by-george-r-r-martin-review.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220102/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/15/books/a-dance-with-dragons-by-george-r-r-martin-review.html |archive-date=January 2, 2022 |url-access=limited |url-status=live|newspaper=New York Times|date=July 14, 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and [[Lev Grossman]] wrote that it was dark and cynical.<ref>Lev Grossman, [https://web.archive.org/web/20051124053608/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1129596,00.html The American Tolkien], ''Time'' (November 13, 2005).</ref> Martin's first novel, ''[[Dying of the Light (Martin novel)|Dying of the Light]]'', set the tone for some of his future work; it unfolds on a mostly abandoned planet that is slowly becoming uninhabitable as it moves away from its sun. This story has a strong sense of [[Depression (mood)|melancholy]]. His characters are often unhappy or, at least, unsatisfied, in many cases holding on to [[idealism]]s in spite of an otherwise chaotic and ruthless world, and often troubled by their own self-seeking or violent actions, even as they undertake them. Many have elements of [[tragic hero]]es or [[antihero]]es in them; reviewer T. M. Wagner writes: "Let it never be said Martin doesn't share Shakespeare's fondness for the senselessly tragic."<ref name="TMWagner">{{cite web |url= http://www.sfreviews.net/stormofswords.html |title=A Storm of Swords / George R. R. Martin ★★★★{{citefrac|1|2}} |first=T. M. |last=Wagner |work=sfreviews.net |year=2003 |access-date=July 8, 2014}}</ref>
[[File:George R. R. Martin by Gage Skidmore 2.jpg|left|thumb|Martin in November 2016]]
The overall gloominess of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' can be an obstacle for some readers; the Inchoatus Group writes that, "If this absence of joy is going to trouble you, or you're looking for something more affirming, then you should probably seek elsewhere."<ref>{{cite web
 |title=Review of ''A Game of Thrones''
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080325003052/http://www.inchoatus.com/Reviews/Review--A%20Storm%20of%20Swords%2C%20George%20Martin.htm
 |archive-date=March 25, 2008
|url=http://www.inchoatus.com/Reviews/Review--A%20Storm%20of%20Swords,%20George%20Martin.htm
 |access-date=November 3, 2007
|url-status=usurped
}}</ref> However, for many fans, it is precisely this level of "realness" and "completeness" – including many characters' imperfections, moral and ethical ambiguity, and (often sudden) [[Peripeteia|consequential plot twists]] that is endearing about Martin's work. Many find that this is what makes the series' story arcs compelling enough to keep following despite its sheer brutality and intricately messy and interwoven plotlines; as TM Wagner points out:<blockquote>There's great tragedy here, but there's also excitement, humor, heroism even in weaklings, nobility even in villains, and, now and then, a taste of justice after all. It's a rare gift when a writer can invest his story with that much humanity.<ref name="TMWagner" /></blockquote>Martin's characters are multifaceted, each with intricate pasts, aspirations, and ambitions. ''Publishers Weekly'' writes of his ongoing epic fantasy ''A Song of Ice and Fire'': "The complexity of characters such as [[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys]], [[Arya Stark|Arya]] and [[Jaime Lannister|the Kingslayer]] will keep readers turning even the vast number of pages contained in this volume, for the author, like [[J. R. R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] or [[Robert Jordan|Jordan]], makes us care about their fates."<ref>[https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-553-10663-3 Review of ''A Storm of Swords''] by Publishers Weekly</ref> Misfortune, injury, and death (including false death and reanimation) often befall major or minor characters, no matter how attached the reader has become. Martin has described his penchant for killing off important characters as being necessary for the story's depth: "when my characters are in danger, I want you to be afraid to turn the page, (so) you need to show right from the beginning that you're playing for keeps".<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.qbd.com.au/author/george-r-r-martin/ |title=George R R Martin |work=QBD The Bookshop |year=2014 |access-date=July 8, 2014}}</ref>

In distinguishing his work from others, Martin makes a point of emphasizing realism and plausible social dynamics above an over-reliance on magic and a simplistic "[[good and evil|good versus evil]]" dichotomy, for which contemporary fantasy writing is often criticized. Notably, Martin's work makes a sharp departure from the prevalent "heroic knights and chivalry" schema that has become a mainstay in fantasy as derived from [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]'s ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''. He specifically critiques the oversimplification of Tolkien's themes and devices by imitators in ways that he has humorously described as "Disneyland Middle Ages",<ref>{{cite news| url=https://entertainment.time.com/2011/04/18/grrm-interview-part-2-fantasy-and-history/ | magazine=Time | date=April 18, 2011 | title=GRRM Interview Part 2: Fantasy and History}}</ref> which gloss over or ignore major differences between medieval and modern societies, particularly social structures, ways of living, and political arrangements. Martin has been described as "the American Tolkien" by literary critics.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://spectator.org/blog/53929/george-rr-martin-%E2%80%9Camerican-tolkien |title=Is George R.R. Martin the "American Tolkien'? |first=Anne |last=Hobson |work=The American Spectator |date=May 31, 2013 |access-date=July 8, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714182859/http://spectator.org/blog/53929/george-rr-martin-%E2%80%9Camerican-tolkien |archive-date=July 14, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> While Martin finds inspiration in Tolkien's legacy,<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/556384-i-admire-tolkien-greatly-his-books-had-enormous-influence-on |title=Quote by George R.R. Martin: "I admire Tolkien greatly..." |work=goodreads.com |year=2014 |access-date=July 8, 2014}}</ref> he aims to go beyond what he sees as Tolkien's "medieval philosophy" of "if the king was a good man, the land would prosper" to delve into the complexities, ambiguities, and vagaries of real-life power: "We look at real history and it's not that simple... Just having good intentions doesn't make you a wise king."<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/george-r-r-martin-the-rolling-stone-interview-20140423 |title='Game of Thrones' Author George R.R. Martin |first=Mikal |last=Gilmore |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=April 23, 2014 |access-date=July 8, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140708061804/http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/george-r-r-martin-the-rolling-stone-interview-20140423 |archive-date=July 8, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Per this fact Martin has been credited with the rise of [[grimdark fantasy]], a modern form of an "anti-Tolkien" approach to fantasy writing which,<ref>{{cite web |title=We Asked Writers How A Game of Thrones Changed Fantasy Forever |url=https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/sci-fi-fantasy/20th-anniversary-celebration-of-a-song-of-ice-and-fire/ |publisher=Barnes & Noble |last=DuBois |first=Shana |date=October 20, 2016 |access-date=August 25, 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407110107/https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/sci-fi-fantasy/20th-anniversary-celebration-of-a-song-of-ice-and-fire/ |archive-date=April 7, 2022}}</ref> according to British science fiction and fantasy novelist [[Adam Roberts (British writer)|Adam Roberts]], is characterized by its reaction to Tolkien's idealism even though it owes a lot to Tolkien's work.<ref name="Roberts 2014">{{cite book|last1=Roberts|first1=Adam|title=Get Started in: Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy|date=2014|publisher=Hachette UK|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T2rEAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT42|isbn=978-1-4447-9566-0|page=42}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Game of Thrones': Five Inspirations for George R.R. Martin's Novels, From Tolkein {{sic|nolink=y}} to Scottish Massacres |url=http://www.newsweek.com/game-thrones-inspirations-george-rr-martin-hbo-tolkein-scottish-massacres-634498 |work=Newsweek |last=Shaffer |first=Claire |date=October 7, 2017 |access-date=August 25, 2021 }}</ref> The Canadian fantasy writer [[R. Scott Bakker]] "says he wouldn't have been able to publish his fantasy novels without the success George R. R. Martin achieved first".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/game-of-thrones-creates-ripple-effect-and-rise-of-grimdark-fiction-1.3019422 |title=Game of Thrones creates ripple effect and rise of "grimdark" fiction |work=CBC News |last=Hopton |first=Alice |date=April 6, 2015 |access-date=August 25, 2021 }}</ref> Similarly, [[Mark Lawrence (author)|Mark Lawrence]], author of ''[[The Broken Empire Trilogy|Prince of Thorns]]'', was inspired by Martin and impressed by his Red Wedding scene.<ref>{{cite web |title=25+ Grimdark Books to Add Some Grit to Your Reading List |quote=Lawrence himself is a professed admirer of George R.R. Martin, in particular, citing the Red Wedding as a crucial inspiration in his work. ""I was impressed by how ruthless he was with characters we were invested in and how exciting that made reading the series." |url=https://reedsy.com/discovery/blog/grimdark-books/ |website=reedsy.com |access-date=August 25, 2021 }}</ref>

The author makes a point of grounding his work on a foundation of [[historical fiction]], which he channels to evoke important social and political elements of primarily the [[Medieval Europe|European medieval era]] that differ markedly from elements of modern times, including the multigenerational, rigid, and often brutally consequential nature of the hierarchical [[class system]] of [[feudalism|feudal societies]]<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.pri.org/stories/2011-09-21/john-hodgman-interviews-george-rr-martin |title=John Hodgman interviews George R.R. Martin |work=Public Radio International |date=September 21, 2011 |access-date=July 8, 2014}}</ref> that is in many cases overlooked in fantasy writing. Even as ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' is a fantasy series that employs magic and the surreal as central to the genre, Martin is keen to ensure that magic is merely one element of many that moves his work forward,<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.vulture.com/2011/10/george_rr_martin_on_his_favori.html |title=George R.R. Martin on His Favorite Game of Thrones Actors, and the Butterfly Effect of TV Adaptations |first=Adam |last=Pasick |work=vulture.com |year=2014 |access-date=July 8, 2014}}</ref> not a generic [[deus ex machina]] that is itself the focus of his stories, which is something he has been very conscious about since reading Tolkien; "If you look at ''The Lord of the Rings'', what strikes you, it certainly struck me, is that although the world is infused with this great sense of magic, there is very little onstage magic. So you have a sense of magic, but it's kept under very tight control, and I really took that to heart when I was starting my own series."<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0OR85uwUh8 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140711150540/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0OR85uwUh8| archive-date=July 11, 2014 | url-status=dead|title=Unnatural Forces: George RR Martin discusses the necessity of magic in a fantasy |work=YouTube |date=June 13, 2011 |access-date=July 8, 2014}}</ref> Martin's ultimate aim is an exploration of the [[internal conflict]]s that define the [[human condition]], which, in deriving inspiration from [[William Faulkner]],<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1949/faulkner-speech.html |title=William Faulkner – Banquet Speech |work=nobelprize.org |date=December 10, 1950 |access-date=July 8, 2014}}</ref> he ultimately describes as the only reason to read any literature, regardless of genre.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/07/08/game-of-thrones-author-george-r-r-martin-spills-the-secrets-of-a-dance-with-dragons/ | work=The Wall Street Journal | title='Game of Thrones' Author George R.R. Martin Spills the Secrets of "A Dance with Dragons" | date=July 8, 2011}}</ref>

In 2018, Martin called ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', ''[[The Great Gatsby]]'', ''[[Gone with the Wind (novel)|Gone with the Wind]]'', ''[[Great Expectations]]'', ''[[Lonesome Dove]]'', ''[[Catch-22]]'', and ''[[Charlotte's Web]]'' "favorites all, towering masterpieces, books that changed my life".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://georgerrmartin.com/notablog/2018/04/22/time-to-read/|title=Time to Read!!! — Not a Blog|website=georgerrmartin.com}}</ref>