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A Song of Ice and Fire

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This article is about the series of novels. For the television adaptation, see Game of Thrones.
A Song of Ice and Fire
File:WikiFullASoIaFSizeEdit.JPG
UK covers for the first five books
A Game of Thrones
A Clash of Kings
A Storm of Swords
A Feast for Crows
A Dance with Dragons
The Winds of Winter
A Dream of Spring
AuthorGeorge R. R. Martin
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreHigh fantasy, dark fantasy, medieval fantasy
PublisherBantam Books (USA)
Voyager Books (UK, Australia)
PublishedAugust 6, 1996–present
Media typeprint (hardcover and paperback)
audiobook

A Song of Ice and Fire is a series of epic fantasy novels by American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin. Martin began writing the series in 1991 and the first volume was published in 1996. Originally planned as a trilogy, the series now consists of four published volumes with the fifth expected to be published on July 12, 2011 and a further two planned. In addition there are three prequel novellas available, with several more planned, and a series of novellas consisting of excerpts of the main novels. One of these excerpt novellas has won a Hugo Award. The series has been translated into more than 20 languages[1] and the fourth volume reached the top of The New York Times bestseller lists upon its release.[2] Overall, the series has more than 6 million copies in print in the USA[3] and sold more than 7 million worldwide.[4]

The story of A Song of Ice and Fire takes place in a fictional world, primarily upon a continent called Westeros but also on a large landmass to the east, known as Essos.[5] Most of the characters are human but as the series progresses other races are introduced, such as the cold and menacing Others from the far North and fire-breathing dragons from the East, both races thought to be extinct by the people of the story. There are three principal storylines in the series: the chronicling of a dynastic civil war for control of Westeros among several competing families; the rising threat of the Others, who dwell beyond an immense wall of ice that forms Westeros' northern border; and the ambition of Daenerys Targaryen, the exiled daughter of a king who was murdered in another civil war 15 years previously, to return to Westeros and claim her rightful throne. As the series progresses, all three storylines become increasingly interwoven and dependent on each other.

The series is told in the third-person through the eyes of a number of point of view characters. By the end of the fourth volume, there have been 17 such characters with multiple chapters and eight who only have one chapter apiece.

The growing popularity of the series led to it being optioned by HBO for development of a television adaptation, named Game of Thrones after the first novel.[6] A pilot episode was produced in 2009 and a series commitment for nine further episodes was made in March 2010. The series premiered on April 17, 2011, and two days later, the network picked the show up for a second season.[7]

There are board games[8] and role-playing games[9] based on the books available, as well as a collection of artwork based on and inspired by the series.[10] The French video game company Cyanide has announced that they have partnered with Martin to create a video game adaption of the books, entitled A Game of Thrones: Genesis.[11]

Back story

The background to A Song of Ice and Fire is revealed through the lengthy appendices which follow each volume, with additional information revealed through the novellas, the text of the novels themselves and the role-playing game.

The narrative is set primarily in the fictional Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, a large, South America–sized[12] continent, with a history stretching back some twelve thousand years and where each of the seasons can last for years. The original inhabitants of the land were the Children of The Forest (whose old gods are still worshipped in the North), a diminutive race who lived in harmony with nature and employed powerful magic. The First Men, a civilization of primitive warriors wielding bronze weapons and riding horses, crossed over from Essos, the eastern continent, via a land bridge (destroyed in the resulting conflicts) and fought a series of wars against the Children, which ended with the Pact of the Isle of Faces, with the First Men taking control of the open lands and the Children remaining in the forests.

The Pact was weakened after four thousand years by the emergence of the Others, an enigmatic race from the furthermost north, who swept south into Westeros and caused great death and destruction, bringing about a night that lasted a generation and a winter that lasted decades. In the War for the Dawn, the Others were thrown back by the First Men and the Children of The Forest, and a vast wall of ice was raised from one coast of Northern Westeros to the other to bar their passage south should they come again. In the following centuries the Children gradually disappeared, and it was presumed that they left Westeros or became extinct.

Approximately two thousand years after the War for the Dawn, the Andals crossed the Narrow Sea from the eastern continent. The Andals wielded iron weapons, had tamed horses to use in battle and brought with them the Faith of the Seven. They landed in the Vale of Arryn and over the course of several millennia subjugated the southern kingdoms. However, they could not take the North due to its natural defenses. Over time six great and powerful kingdoms were forged across Westeros: the Kingdom of the North, the Kingdom of the Iron Islands, the Kingdom of Vale and Sky, the Kingdom of the Rock, the Kingdom of the Storm Kings and the Kingdom of the Reach. A seventh kingdom—that of the Riverlands—was repeatedly conquered by its neighbors and eventually destroyed altogether, while the small desert kingdoms in the far south of Westeros were divided by constant war. One thousand years prior to the events of the novels, a great host of refugees from the region of the River Rhoyne on the eastern continent—displaced by the growing power of a distant empire called Valyria—crossed the Narrow Sea under the warrior-queen Nymeria and landed in the southern-most part of Westeros. The Rhoynar allied with the native Lord Mors Martell and conquered the southern peninsula of Dorne, forging another powerful kingdom by that name.

Five centuries later, the expanding Valyrian Freehold had reached the east coast of the Narrow Sea and established links with Westeros, using the island of Dragonstone as a trading port. However, a century later the Valyrian Freehold was destroyed by a titanic disaster known as the Doom. The Valyrian family that controlled Dragonstone, the Targaryens, spent a further century in preparing their forces, and then launched a devastating invasion of Westeros under Aegon the Conqueror. Although their forces were small, they had with them the last three dragons in the western world and they were able to use these to subjugate the continent. Six of the Seven Kingdoms were conquered in this initial war, but Dorne resisted so fiercely that Aegon agreed to let them remain independent. The Targaryens adopted the native Faith of the Seven (although they still married brother to sister in the ancient Valyrian tradition in defiance of the Faith's teachings) and Westerosi customs, and within a few decades had crushed all resistance to their rule. Dorne was eventually absorbed through marriage-alliance. The last dragons died out a century and a half into the Targaryen rule, but by this time they had become the ruling power on the continent and their rule was not challenged.

Fifteen years prior to the beginning of the novels, the Targaryens were displaced from power in a civil war brought about by the insanity and cruelty of King Aerys II (called "the Mad King"). Lyanna Stark, daughter of Lord Rickard Stark of the North and fiancee of Robert Baratheon, heir to the Storm Kingdom, disappeared with Aerys's son Prince Rhaegar. The Starks and Baratheons treated her disappearance as an abduction, and Lord Rickard's eldest son Brandon went to King's Landing with a band of young knights to demand single combat with Rhaegar. Aerys had them arrested and ordered their fathers to come to King's Landing to answer for them. When Lord Rickard arrived, Aerys had him burned alive and had Brandon strangled. An alliance of houses under the leadership of Robert Baratheon, Jon Arryn, and Eddard Stark successfully destroyed the Targaryen armies, then went on to kill King Aerys's heirs and wipe out all of the line, aside from Aerys's pregnant wife and his eight-year-old son Viserys, who fled to Dragonstone. King Aerys himself was killed by Jaime Lannister, his own bodyguard, who since then has been nicknamed the Kingslayer. Aerys's wife died giving birth to Daenerys Targaryen, who was taken to safety in the Free Cities beyond the Narrow Sea along with her brother by loyal retainers. In the meantime, Robert Baratheon took the Iron Throne and married Cersei Lannister, whose father Tywin had delivered to Robert the capital of King's Landing through treachery.

Synopsis

Further information: Major houses in A Song of Ice and Fire

Set in the fictional realms of Westeros and Essos, A Song of Ice and Fire follows three principal storylines, divided by geography and participants, struggling to claim the Iron Throne and rule all the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros after the fall of the ruling House Targaryen and the death of King Robert.

The first storyline, set in the Seven Kingdoms themselves, chronicles a many-sided struggle for the Iron Throne that develops after King Robert's death. The throne is claimed by his son Joffrey, supported by his mother's powerful family, House Lannister. However, Lord Eddard Stark, King Robert's Hand, finds out Robert's children are illegitimate, and that the throne should therefore fall to the second of the three Baratheon brothers, Stannis. The charismatic and popular youngest brother, Renly, also places a claim, openly disregarding the order of precedence, with the support of the powerful House Tyrell. While the claimants battle for the Iron Throne, Robb Stark, Lord Eddard Stark's heir, is proclaimed King in the North as the northmen and their allies in the Riverlands seek to return to self-rule. Likewise, Balon Greyjoy also (re-)claims the ancient throne of his own region, the Iron Islands, with an eye toward independence. This so-called War of the Five Kings is the principal storyline of the first four novels; indeed, the fourth novel primarily concerns Westeros's recovery from it in the face of the coming winter and the political machinations of those seeking to gain in its aftermath. In the wake of the war, four of the five self-proclaimed kings have been killed, leaving Stannis as the sole survivor. However, no house holds the Iron Throne as Queen Cersei Lannister has been deposed and imprisoned in King's Landing, leaving the city under rule of the clergy. Stannis and his army, having gained little support from the Great Houses of Westeros, are presently at the Wall, far to the north where Stannis seeks to protect the realm from the threat of invasion, and simultaneously win the favor of the northern strongholds.

The second storyline is set on the extreme northern border of Westeros. Here, many thousands of years ago, a huge wall of ice and gravel was constructed by both magic and labor to defend Westeros from the threat of The Others, a race of now-mythical creatures living in the uttermost north. This Wall, 300 miles (480 km) long and 700 feet (210 m) tall, is defended and maintained by the Sworn Brotherhood of the Night's Watch, whose duty is to guard the kingdom against the Others. By the time of the novels, the Others have not been seen in over 8,000 years, and the Night's Watch has devolved into essentially a penal colony: it is badly under-strength, manned primarily by criminals and refugees, with only a few knights or men of honor to stiffen them, and spends most of its time dealing with the human "wildlings" or "free folk" who live beyond the Wall. This storyline is told primarily through the eyes of Jon Snow, bastard son of Eddard Stark, as he rises through the ranks of the Watch, learns the true nature of the threat from the north, and prepares to defend the realm, even though the people of Westeros are too busy warring to send support. By the end of the third volume, this storyline is somewhat entangled with the civil war to the south.

The third storyline is set on the huge eastern continent of Essos, across the narrow sea, and follows the adventures of Daenerys Targaryen, the last scion of House Targaryen in exile and another claimant to the Iron Throne. Daenerys's adventures showcase her growing ability as she rises from a pauper sold into a dynastic marriage to a barbarian warlord to a powerful and canny ruler in her own right. Her rise is aided by the birth of three dragons, creatures thought long extinct, from fossilized eggs given to her as wedding gifts. Because her family standard is the dragon, these creatures are of symbolic value before they have grown big enough to be of tactical use. Though her story is separated from the others by many thousands of miles, her stated goal is to reclaim the Iron Throne.

Concept and creation

Background

Martin had a long love of model knights and medieval history, but his early novels and short stories mostly fit into the science fiction genre; however, eventually several fantasy stories did appear, such as The Ice Dragon.[13] In the mid-1980s, Martin worked mainly in Hollywood, principally as a writer or producer on The New Twilight Zone and Beauty and the Beast. After Beauty and the Beast ended in 1989 Martin returned to writing prose and started work on a science fiction novel called Avalon. In 1991, while struggling with this story, Martin conceived of a scene where several youngsters find a dead direwolf with a stag's antler in its throat.[13] The direwolf has several pups, which are taken by the youngsters to raise as their own. Martin's imagination was fired by this idea and he developed it into an epic fantasy story, which he envisaged as a trilogy consisting of the books A Game of Thrones, A Dance with Dragons and The Winds of Winter. Martin had apparently not been previously inspired by the genre, but reading Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series convinced him it could be approached in a more adult and mature way than previous authors.[14]

After a hiatus spent producing a television pilot for a series called Doorways, Martin resumed work on A Game of Thrones in 1994 and completed it the following year, although he was only partway through his initial plan for the first novel. As a result of this, Martin then expanded his plan for the series to four books, and then to six. Publication of A Game of Thrones followed in 1996. In the UK, the book was the subject of a fierce bidding war, eventually won by HarperCollins for £450,000.[15] Pre-release publicity included publication of a "sample novella" called Blood of the Dragon, which went on to win the 1997 Hugo Award for Best Novella. To fit A Game of Thrones into one volume, Martin had pulled out the last quarter or so of the book and made it the opening section of the second book, 1998's A Clash of Kings. In May 2005 Martin noted that his manuscript for A Game of Thrones had been 1088 pages long without the appendices, and A Clash of Kings was even longer at 1184 pages.[16]

Influences

Although Martin has acknowledged his debt to the works of J.R.R. Tolkien,[17] Jack Vance[18] and Tad Williams,[14] the series differs from these earlier works in its greater interest in and use of realistic elements. While Tolkien was inspired by mythology, A Song of Ice and Fire is more clearly influenced by medieval and early modern history, most notably Jacobitism and the Wars of the Roses.[19] Likewise, while Tolkien tended toward romantic relationships, Martin writes frankly of sex, including incest, adultery, prostitution, and rape. As a result, illegitimate children play prominent roles throughout the series. This has led to the series being cited as the forerunners of a 'gritty' new wave of epic fantasy authors that followed, including Scott Lynch,[20] and Joe Abercrombie.[21] On his website, Martin has acknowledged historical fiction authors such as Bernard Cornwell and George MacDonald Fraser to be influences on the series. Martin has cited the cover blurb by Robert Jordan for the first book to have been influential in ensuring the series' early success with fantasy readers.[22]

Publication history

# Title Pages Chapters Audio Earliest Release
1. A Game of Thrones 807 73 33h 53m August 1996
2. A Clash of Kings 969 70 37h 17m November 1998
3. A Storm of Swords 1128 82 47h 37m August 2000
4. A Feast for Crows 978 46 31h 10m October 2005
5. A Dance with Dragons 73 July 12, 2011
6. The Winds of Winter (Forthcoming)
7. A Dream of Spring (Forthcoming)

All page totals given are for the US paperback edition.

After expanding the series to four volumes, Martin remarked, "What can I say? It's a BIG story, and a cast of thousands."[23]

After A Storm of Swords was completed in 2000, Martin began writing A Dance with Dragons, the intended fourth volume which would pick up the story five years after the previous volume. Martin found it difficult to make this work without an over-reliance on flashbacks. At the World Science Fiction Convention in Philadelphia on 1 September 2001, Martin announced that he was scrapping more than a year's work and writing a different fourth book that would fill in the gap, named A Feast for Crows. He found it extremely difficult to go back and start again, especially as this novel was not planned for in his scheme for the series, and work on the book progressed slowly.

By May 2005, A Feast for Crows had become longer than A Storm of Swords (the manuscript for which had been 1521 pages) and Martin's publishers said they could not publish the book in one volume.[16] They suggested splitting the book in two and releasing the volumes as A Feast for Crows, Volume I and A Feast for Crows, Volume II, but Martin was unhappy with this idea. After discussing the matter with his publishers and his friend and fellow writer Daniel Abraham, Martin decided to split the book by character and location instead. The published A Feast for Crows thus contained all of the characters in the South of the Seven Kingdoms, while the forthcoming A Dance with Dragons will contain the characters in the North, the Free Cities and in Slaver's Bay.

In a May 2005 statement, the author also said that this move now meant that the series would require seven volumes. Martin recognized that this decision could cause frustration among some of his fans. He wrote: "I know some of you may be disappointed, especially when you buy A Feast for Crows and discover that your favorite character does not appear, but given the realities I think this was the best solution... and the more I look at it, the more convinced I am that these two parallel novels, when taken together, will actually tell the story better than one big book."[16]

These problems aside, A Feast for Crows was released in October 2005 and immediately won largely positive reviews. Time dubbed Martin "the American Tolkien",[24] and the novel went straight to the top of the New York Times bestseller list.

Despite initial hopes of A Dance with Dragons being published quickly after A Feast for Crows, the writing and revision process for this fifth novel proved more difficult than anticipated. On January 1, 2008, Martin published an update on his website saying he hoped to have the book published in the autumn of 2008, but that it was only a hope.[25] After almost 6 years it was announced [26] that A Dance with Dragons will be released July 12, 2011. The book length will be similar to A Storm of Swords. During the long writing period, Martin insisted that he would not be bullied and works at his own pace, on this and several other projects, to make sure they come out as good as he can possibly make them.[27]

Supplementary works

There are also three novellas based on chapter sets from the books:

  • Blood of the Dragon is a novella taken from the Daenerys chapters in A Game of Thrones. It won the Hugo Award for Best Novella in 1997.
  • Path of the Dragon is a second novella based on the Daenerys chapters, this time taken from A Storm of Swords.
  • Arms of the Kraken is a novella based on the Iron Islands chapters from A Feast for Crows.

There are also three separate novellas set in the same world, known as the "Tales of Dunk and Egg" after the main protagonists. They are set about ninety years before the novels and for now have no direct connection with the plot of A Song of Ice and Fire.

The Hedge Knight and The Sworn Sword are also both available as graphic novels from Dabel Brothers Productions. The author has said that he would like to write a number of these stories (varying from six to twelve from interview to interview) covering the entire lives of these two characters. The third "Dunk and Egg" novella, titled The Mystery Knight, was published in March 2010 in the anthology Warriors, edited by Martin and Gardner Dozois.

A companion volume for the series is in development by George R. R. Martin and co-authors Elio M. García, Jr. and Linda Antonsson, although no publication date has been confirmed as yet. García and Antonsson run the largest A Song of Ice and Fire community on the web and assisted in the writing of the first roleplaying game. The companion volume was given the working title The World of Ice and Fire at the 2006 Worldcon during a discussion among the writers. They confirmed that the book will open with a historical overview of the setting, have a "who's who" of characters and have a large amount of heraldry and at least the Targaryen family tree, and possibly more. The book will contain a large amount of artwork and will be published after A Dance with Dragons is released.[28] The artist Ted Nasmith, best known for his work on illustrated editions of J. R. R. Tolkien books, has been asked to do some landscape and castle portraits for the book. In his correspondence with the publishers, Nasmith was told that the target release date was spring 2008,[29] although the book was subsequently moved back.

Reception

Adaptation

Main article: Game of Thrones

In March 2010, HBO greenlit a television series based on A Song of Ice and Fire, with David Benioff and Dan Weiss attached to write and executive produce.[34] Called Game of Thrones, it stars Sean Bean, Peter Dinklage, and Lena Headey.[7][35] The series will cover one novel's worth of material per season,[6] and premiered on April 17, 2011.[36]

Franchise

Main articles: A Game of Thrones collectible card game, A Game of Thrones (board game), and A Game of Thrones (role-playing game)

A collectible card game (CCG) has been produced by Fantasy Flight Games. A number of base sets have been released for the game, each with a number of expansions. The game's primary designer is Eric Lang and the lead developer is Nate French. The A Game of Thrones: Westeros Edition won the Origins Award for Best Trading Card Game of 2002. The Game of Thrones: Ice and Fire Edition won the Origins Award for Best Card Game Expansion or Supplement of 2003. It is an ongoing project consisting of five editions and eight expansions to date.

In 2003, Fantasy Flight Games released the A Game of Thrones strategy board game created by Christian T. Petersen. The Origins Award-winning game allows the players to take on the roles of several of the Great Houses vying for control of the Seven Kingdoms, including House Stark, House Lannister, House Baratheon, House Greyjoy, House Tyrell, and as of the expansion A Clash of Kings, House Martell. Players maneuver armies to secure support in the various regions that comprise the Seven Kingdoms, with the goal of capturing enough support to claim the Iron Throne. Two expansions for the game, A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords, have been released.

The A Game of Thrones Roleplaying Game (2005), created by the defunct Guardians of Order company and published by White Wolf, is a roleplaying game using the d20 and the Tri-Stat dX rules systems. The game consists of a single large, full-colour rulebook featuring information on role-playing in the Seven Kingdoms and also background information to the series not found in the novels, including a detailed map of the Seven Kingdoms. The game was very well-received and was nominated for several awards (and won 3 silver ENnie awards for Best Production, Best Game, and Best d20/OGL Product), but this was not enough to save its parent company from closure in July 2006.

On July 28, 2006, George R. R. Martin confirmed that he had received word from the head of Guardians of Order that the company was folding and that no further releases for the setting would take place. Martin expressed hope that the game might be salvaged by another company, and on April 24, 2007, Green Ronin Publishing announced they would be producing a new role-playing game titled A Song of Ice and Fire.

Green Ronin has or will publish the following titles:

  • "A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying Quick-Start Rules" (free PDF) (June 21, 2008)
  • "A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying: Adventures in the Seven Kingdoms" (rulebook) (ISBN 978-1-934547-12-0, 10 March 2009)
  • "A Song of Ice and Fire Narrator's Kit" (ISBN 978-1-934547-28-1, 21 May 2009)
  • "Peril at King's Landing" (adventure) (ISBN 978-1-934547-16-8, 13 August 2009)
  • "A Song of Ice and Fire Campaign Guide" (ISBN 978-1-934547-13-7, 18 February 2010)
  • "A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying: Pocket Edition" (ISBN 978-1-934547-34-2, 14 September 2010)

Blood of Dragons is an online, text-based roleplaying MUSH and the only online game specifically authorized by the author as of February 2009.[37] Blood of Dragons fully opened in 2007 and is set approximately 140 years prior to the initial series, during the reign of Daeron I and his conquest of Dorne. The game is maintained by the administrators of Westeros.org, who are collaborating with Martin on The World of Ice and Fire.

On May 13, 2009, Cyanide Studio announced they will be developing a series of video games based on A Song of Ice and Fire for the PC and consoles.[38] Martin has since revealed that both an RTS and an role-playing video game game are currently in development.[39]

The Art of Ice and Fire, published in 2005 by Fantasy Flight Games, contains numerous works of art inspired by the series from a variety of different artists and illustrators. Some of the art previously appeared in the card game or on-line, but most of it was new.

Testor Corporation announced that in late 2006 it would begin releasing model figures based on the series, to be followed by a tactical wargame. Only one product shipped, a Ruby Ford diorama. In April 2007, Martin announced that the licensing agreement with Testor had expired, and Testor's A Song of Ice and Fire product lines had been canceled.[40] In December 2006, Haute Productions signed a deal to release a range of resin mini-busts featuring characters from A Song of Ice and Fire under the name Valyrian Resin. The company plans to expand the line to include resin statues and pewter chess sets.[41] On August 13, 2007, Dark Sword Miniatures announced a line of premium pewter miniatures based on the world of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire and sculpted by renowned miniatures artist Tom Meier.[42]

On March 20, 2007, George R. R. Martin announced on his blog[43] that he had "signed a deal with Jalic, Inc of East Lansing, Michigan, granting them a license to manufacture and sell full-sized high-quality replicas of the arms and armor from A Song of Ice and Fire", under the name Valyrian Steel,[44] starting with the bastard sword Longclaw wielded by Jon Snow. As of early 2009, Jalic has had Arya Stark's Needle from "A Song of Ice and Fire" on pre-sale. Both Needle and Longclaw are currently listed and available in a Limited Edition of 2,500 each.

The German power metal band Blind Guardian have written two songs dedicated to the world of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. The songs are called "War of the Thrones" and "A Voice in the Dark" and are part of their 2010 At the Edge of Time album.[45][46]

Reference

  1. ^ Gallery of different language editions
  2. ^ 'A Fantasy Realm Too Vile For Hobbits', New York Times article - December 2005
  3. ^ Alter, Alexandra. "The Season of the Supernatural". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
  4. ^ Kelly, Cathal. "Do yourself a favour: Don't read this book". Toronto Star. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
  5. ^ Spanish Q&A - July 2008
  6. ^ a b Fleming, Michael (January 16, 2007). "HBO turns Fire into fantasy series". Variety. Retrieved March 2, 2010.
  7. ^ a b Lee, Patrick (March 2, 2010). "HBO says yes to Game of Thrones series (includes full announcement)". SciFiWire.com. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
  8. ^ A Game of Thrones board game homepage at Fantasy Flight
  9. ^ A Song of Ice and Fire RPG homepage at Green Ronin
  10. ^ The Art of George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire
  11. ^ Focus Home Interactive press release
  12. ^ Author comments, retrieved February 13, 2008
  13. ^ a b Biographical author summaries in Dreamsongs
  14. ^ a b Author statement on Westeros.org - 4 December 1999
  15. ^ Ansible #79, February 1994
  16. ^ a b c Martin, George R. R. (May 29, 2005). "Done". GeorgeRRMartin.com (Author's official website). Retrieved March 6, 2010.
  17. ^ Q&A Summary on Westeros.org - September 1999
  18. ^ Author statement on Westeros.org - 11 November 1998
  19. ^ [http://www.sfsite.com/03b/hk196.htm SF Site review of The Hedge Knight - 2005
  20. ^ Interview with Scott Lynch - 2006
  21. ^ Joe Abercrombie blog entry on A Game of Thrones - 16 February 2008
  22. ^ GRRM's Blog - 16 September 2007
  23. ^ Martin in post to Legends, 6 October 1998. So Spake Martin – Posts to Legends (SSL)
  24. ^ Grossman, Lev (2005-11-13). "Books: The American Tolkien". Time. Retrieved 2010-04-23.
  25. ^ Update - A Song of Ice and Fire
  26. ^ [1]
  27. ^ Not a Blog: To My Detractors
  28. ^ Hippoi Athanatoi: Memoirs - Worldcon: Day 3
  29. ^ Long Time No Post-My Apologies, Friends! - Ted Nasmith
  30. ^ "1997 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 2009-07-25.
  31. ^ "1999 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 2009-07-25.
  32. ^ "2001 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 2009-07-25.
  33. ^ "2006 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 2009-07-25.
  34. ^ Hibberd, James (March 2, 2010). "HBO greenlights Game of Thrones to series". THRfeed.com. Retrieved March 2, 2010.
  35. ^ Levine, Stuart (March 2, 2010). "HBO greenlights Game of Thrones". Variety.com. Retrieved March 2, 2010.
  36. ^ http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html
  37. ^ Blood of Dragons MUSH FAQ
  38. ^ Gaming Target. (05-13-09). George R.R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire to become a video game series
  39. ^ Not A Blog. (06-08-09). Videogame Rights Optioned
  40. ^ Martin, George R. R. (2007-04-17). "Testor's miniatures cancelled". George R. R. Martin's Official Website. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
  41. ^ Martin, George R. R. (2006-12-06). ""Valyrian Resin" to produce Ice & Fire mini-busts". George R. R. Martin's Official Website. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
  42. ^ "Dark Sword Miniatures and Tom Meier to produce George Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire premium miniature line". Dark Sword Miniatures Website. 2007-08-13. Retrieved 2007-08-28.
  43. ^ Not A Blog - Nothing Holds an Edge Like Valyrian Steel
  44. ^ Valyrian Steel - Swords from George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire"
  45. ^ Music inspired from the writings of George R.R. Martin
  46. ^ Review of the album
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