View source for George R. R. Martin

{{short description|American writer and television producer (born 1948)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2025}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox writer
| name             = George R. R. Martin
| image            = Portrait photoshoot at Worldcon 75, Helsinki, before the Hugo Awards – George R. R. Martin (cropped).jpg
| caption          = Martin in 2017
| birth_name       = George Raymond <!-- Confirmation name "Richard" added as a teenager, to distinguish himself from many others also named George Martin; see "Biography" -->Martin
| birth_date       = {{birth date and age|1948|09|20}}
| birth_place      = [[Bayonne, New Jersey]], U.S.
| occupation       = {{hlist|Novelist|screenwriter|[[short story]] writer|television producer}}
| education        = [[Northwestern University]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]], [[Master of Science|MS]])
| genre            = {{hlist|[[Fantasy]]|[[Horror fiction|horror]]|[[science fiction]]}}
| spouses          = {{ubl|{{marriage|Gale Burnick|1975|1979|end=divorced}}|{{marriage|Parris McBride|February 15, 2011}}}}
| signature        = George R. R. Martin signature.svg
| website          = {{URL|https://georgerrmartin.com/}}
| notable_works    = {{ubl|''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]''|''[[Wild Cards]]'' anthology series|''The Thousand World'' stories}}
| period           = 1965–present
}}
'''George Raymond Richard Martin'''<ref name="middlename" /> (born '''George Raymond Martin'''; September 20, 1948)<ref name="confirmation" /> also known by the initials '''G.R.R.M.'''<ref name="grrm" /> is an American author, screenwriter, and television producer. He is best known as the author of the series of [[High fantasy|epic fantasy]] novels ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'', which were adapted into the [[Primetime Emmy Award]]–winning television series ''[[Game of Thrones]]'' (2011–2019) and its prequel series ''[[House of the Dragon]]'' (2022–present). He also helped create the ''[[Wild Cards]]'' anthology series and contributed [[worldbuilding]] for the video game ''[[Elden Ring]]'' (2022).

In 2005, [[Lev Grossman]] of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' called Martin "the American [[J. R. R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]",<ref name=time_american_tolkien>{{cite news|last=Grossman |first=Lev |author-link=Lev Grossman |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1129596,00.html |title=Books: The American Tolkien | magazine=Time | issn=2169-1665 |date=November 13, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081229125934/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C1129596%2C00.html |archive-date=December 29, 2008 |url-status=dead |access-date=August 2, 2014 }}</ref><ref name=WION2022>{{cite web | last=Mohan Rawat | first=Kshitij | title=How 'American Tolkien' George RR Martin created the world of 'Game of Thrones' – Entertainment News | website=WION | date=September 20, 2022 | url=https://www.wionews.com/photos/how-american-tolkien-george-rr-martin-created-the-world-of-game-of-thrones-518111 | access-date=November 3, 2022}}</ref><ref name=Lemmonds2013>{{cite web | last=Lemmonds | first=Lance | title=Is George R.R. Martin the "American Tolkien"? | website=The American Spectator | date=May 31, 2013 | url=https://spectator.org/53929_george-rr-martin-american-tolkien/ | access-date=November 3, 2022}}</ref> and in 2011, he was included on the annual [[Time 100|''Time'' 100]] list of the most influential people in the world.<ref name="time100pat">{{cite magazine|url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2066367_2066369_2066129,00.html|title=The 2011 TIME 100: George R.R. Martin|first=John|last=Hodgman|date=April 21, 2011|magazine=TIME | issn=2169-1665}}</ref><ref name="time100list">{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,2066367,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110422055300/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,2066367,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 22, 2011|title=The 2011 TIME 100: Full|magazine=TIME| issn=2169-1665}}</ref> He is a longtime resident of [[Santa Fe, New Mexico]], where he helped fund [[Meow Wolf]] and owns the [[Jean Cocteau Cinema]].<ref name=nyt_santafe>{{cite news |last=O'Neill |first=Zora |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/30/travel/things-to-do-in-36-hours-in-santa-fe.html |title=36 Hours in Santa Fe |newspaper=New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |date=November 26, 2014 |url-status=dead |access-date=November 3, 2022 |archive-date=November 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221104113730/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/30/travel/things-to-do-in-36-hours-in-santa-fe.html }}</ref><ref name=durchdienacht>{{Cite episode |title=Sibel Kekilli & George R. R. Martin |series=Durch die Nacht mit ... |series-link=Durch die Nacht mit ... |network=[[Arte]] |date=March 22, 2015 }}</ref><ref name=SinghKurtz2019>{{cite news | last=Singh-Kurtz | first=Sangeeta | title="Game of Thrones" author George R.R. Martin helped fund Meow Wolf, an experience-economy darling | magazine=Quartz | date=May 5, 2019 | url=https://qz.com/quartzy/1612250/game-of-thrones-author-george-r-r-martin-helped-fund-meow-wolf/ | access-date=November 3, 2022}}</ref> The city commemorates March 29 as George R.&nbsp;R. Martin Day.<ref name=Garcia2022>{{cite web | last=Garcia | first=Uriel J. | title='Thrones' fans get chance to see season premiere – in Spanish | newspaper=Santa Fe New Mexican | issn=2474-4360 | date=August 1, 2022 | url=https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/thrones-fans-get-chance-to-see-season-premiere-in-spanish/article_ef4a8526-bcaf-5405-8bfb-9cef5112411d.html | access-date=November 3, 2022}}</ref><ref name="The Santa Fe Travel Insider 2014">{{cite web | author=The Santa Fe Travel Insider | title=Santa Fe: Between the Lines | website=TOURISM Santa Fe | date=November 7, 2014 | url=https://www.santafe.org/blog/post/santa-fe-lines/ | access-date=November 24, 2022}}</ref>

== Early life ==
George Raymond Martin (he adopted the [[confirmation name]] ''Richard'' at 13 years old)<ref name="confirmation" /> was born on September 20, 1948,<ref>{{cite news|title=Monitor|newspaper=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=September 20–27, 2013|issue=1277/1278|page=36}}</ref> in [[Bayonne, New Jersey]],<ref>{{cite web| url= http://georgerrmartin.com/life/ |title=Life & Times of George R.R. Martin|website= George R.R. Martin (official website)|access-date=February 27, 2012}}</ref> the son of Raymond Collins, a [[Dockworker|longshoreman]], and Margaret Brady Martin. His mother's family had once been wealthy, owning a successful construction business, but lost it all in the [[Great Depression]], something Martin was reminded about every day when he passed what had used to be his family's dock and house.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nj.com/hudson/2018/11/george_rr_martin_mind_behind_game_of_thrones_makes.html |title=How George R.R. Martin's family history in Bayonne inspired this "Game of Thrones" character |first=Corey W. |last=McDonald |newspaper=[[The Jersey Journal]] |date=November 21, 2018}}</ref> He has two younger sisters, Darleen and Jane. He is predominantly of [[Irish people|Irish]] descent;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://grrm.livejournal.com/498526.html|title=A Salute to Immigrants|last=Martin|first=George R. R.|date=September 10, 2016|website=Not A Blog|access-date=September 11, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911122422/http://grrm.livejournal.com/498526.html|archive-date=September 11, 2016}}</ref> a DNA test on the series ''[[Finding Your Roots]]'' showed him to be 53.6% "British and Irish", 22.4% [[Ashkenazi Jews|Ashkenazi Jewish]], and 15.6% "Broadly Northwestern European".<ref>{{Cite web |title=George R.R. Martin {{!}} Italian Roots |url=https://www.pbs.org/weta/finding-your-roots/watch/extras/george-r-r-martin-italian-roots |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803233725/https://www.pbs.org/weta/finding-your-roots/watch/extras/george-r-r-martin-italian-roots |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 3, 2020 |access-date=October 26, 2022 |website=[[PBS]]: [[Finding Your Roots]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/game-of-thrones-creator-george-r-r-martin-discovers-hes-a-quarter-jewish/|title=Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin discovers he's a quarter Jewish|last=Schleier|first=Curt|website=[[The Times of Israel]]|language=en-US|access-date=January 7, 2019 |issn=0040-7909}}</ref>

The family first lived in a house on Broadway belonging to Martin's great-grandmother. In 1953, they moved to a federal [[housing project]] near the [[Collins Park (Bayonne, New Jersey)|Bayonne docks]].<ref name="theheartofasmall">{{cite magazine |last1=Martin |first1=George R. R. |date=October 2004 |title=The Heart of a Small Boy |magazine=[[Asimov's Science Fiction]] |url=http://www.asimovs.com/_issue_0410/theheartofasmall.shtml |access-date=March 28, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041019140503/http://www.asimovs.com/_issue_0410/theheartofasmall.shtml |archive-date=October 19, 2004}}</ref> During Martin's childhood, his world consisted predominantly of "First Street to Fifth Street", between his grade school and his home. This limited world made him want to travel and experience other places, but the only way of doing so was through his imagination, and he became a voracious reader.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://njmonthly.com/articles/jersey-living/george-rr-martin/|title=NJM Q&A: George R.R. Martin|date=March 15, 2013|newspaper=New Jersey Monthly|access-date=February 18, 2017|language=en-US}}</ref>

Martin began writing and selling monster stories for pennies to other neighborhood children, dramatic readings included. He had to stop once a customer's mother complained about her child's nightmares.<ref>{{Citation |title=George R. R. Martin: The World of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) | date=October 27, 2014 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vcy-EhkHXnE |language=en |access-date=December 19, 2022}}</ref> He also wrote stories about a mythical kingdom populated by his pet turtles — the turtles died frequently in their toy castle, so he decided they were killing each other off in "sinister plots".{{r|berwick20120601}} Martin had a habit of starting "endless stories" that he never completed, as they did not turn out as well on paper as he had imagined them.<ref>{{Cite web|date=August 18, 2019|title=George RR Martin: 'Game of Thrones finishing is freeing, I'm at my own pace'|url=http://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/aug/18/george-rr-martin-interview-game-of-thrones-at-own-pace-now|access-date=February 17, 2021|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref>

Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and later [[Marist High School (New Jersey)|Marist High School]]. While there, he became an avid comic-book fan, developing a strong interest in the superheroes being published by [[Marvel Comics]],<ref>{{cite news|author=Rutkoff, Aaron|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2011/07/08/garden-state-tolkien-qa-with-george-r-r-martin/ |title=Garden State Tolkien: Q&A With George R.R. Martin|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|date= July 8, 2011}} "Mr. Martin, 62 years old, says that he grew up in a federal housing project in Bayonne, which is situated on a peninsula... "My four years at Marist High School were not the happiest of my life," the author admits, although his growing enthusiasm for writing comics and superhero stories first emerged during this period."</ref> and later credited [[Stan Lee]] for being one of his greatest literary influences; "Maybe Stan Lee is the greatest literary influence on me, even more than Shakespeare or Tolkien."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20140826-who-inspired-george-rr-martin|title=Who inspired the Game of Thrones creator?|first=Fiona|last=Macdonald|website=www.bbc.com|date=October 21, 2014 }}</ref> A letter Martin wrote to the editor of ''[[Fantastic Four]]'' was printed in issue #20 (November 1963); it was the first of many sent, e.g., ''Fantastic Four'' #32, #34, and others. Fans who read his letters wrote him letters in turn, and through such contacts, Martin joined the fledgling comics [[fandom]] of the era, writing fiction for various [[fanzines]];<ref name="dent20120612">{{Cite AV media | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdSPFJcxCNM | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/MdSPFJcxCNM| archive-date=December 11, 2021 | url-status=live| title=Game Of Thrones – Interview with George R.R. Martin | publisher=YouTube | date=June 12, 2012 | people=Dent, Grace (interviewer); Martin, George R. R.}}{{cbignore}}</ref> he bought the first ticket to the world's first [[comic book convention|Comic-Con]], held in New York in 1964.<ref name="gustines20141003">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/03/nyregion/how-comic-conventions-were-born-in-new-york.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220102/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/03/nyregion/how-comic-conventions-were-born-in-new-york.html |archive-date=January 2, 2022 |url-access=limited |url-status=live | title=In the Beginning, It Was All About Comics | work=The New York Times | date=October 3, 2014 | access-date=July 29, 2015 | author=Gustines, George Gene | pages=C28}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Jackson|first=Matthew|date=October 14, 2013|title=Who bought the first ticket to the first comics con in '64? George R.R. Martin!|url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/who-bought-first-ticket-first-comics-con-64-george-rr-martin|access-date=February 17, 2021|website=SYFY WIRE|language=en|archive-date=November 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124183447/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/who-bought-first-ticket-first-comics-con-64-george-rr-martin|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1965, Martin won comic fandom's [[Alley Award]] for Best Fan Fiction for his prose superhero story "Powerman vs. The Blue Barrier".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/alley65.php|title=1965 Alley Awards|website=www.hahnlibrary.net}}</ref>

In 1970, Martin earned a [[Bachelor of Science|B.S.]] in [[journalism]] with a minor in history from [[Northwestern University]]'s [[Medill School of Journalism]] in [[Evanston, Illinois]], graduating ''[[summa cum laude]]''; he went on to complete his [[Master of Science|M.S.]] in Journalism in 1971, also from Medill.<ref name="D'Mmassa pages 388-390">D'Mmassa, Don "Martin, George" pages 388-390 from ''St. James Guide to Horror, Ghost and Gothic Writers'' edited by David Pringle, Detroit: St. James Press, 19978 page 388.</ref> Eligible for the [[Conscription in the United States|draft]] during the [[Vietnam War]], to which he [[Opposition to United States involvement in the Vietnam War|objected]], Martin applied for and obtained [[conscientious objector]] status;<ref>{{cite news|title=George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight, interview with Martin|url= http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Shows/George_Stroumboulopoulos_Tonight/1595682788/ID=2209994735 |access-date=March 15, 2012|newspaper=[[George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight]]|publisher=[[CBC.ca]]|date=March 14, 2012}}</ref> he instead did alternative service work for two years (1972–1974) as a [[AmeriCorps VISTA|VISTA]] volunteer, attached to the [[Cook County, Illinois|Cook County]] Legal Assistance Foundation.<ref name="D'Mmassa pages 388-390" />

== 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 | work=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 (novel)|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 magazine |date=April 19, 2011 |first1=James |last1=Hibberd |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 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150723224250/https://ew.com/article/2011/04/19/game-of-thrones-renewed/ |archive-date=July 23, 2015}}</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 magazine |date=December 20, 2019 |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 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |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 magazine |date=April 2, 2013 |first1=James |last1=Hibberd |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 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |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 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 |archive-date=December 5, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205164229/http://www.sfreviews.net/stormofswords.html |url-status=dead }}</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>

== Producing ==
In 2017, Martin confirmed he would serve as an [[executive producer]] of the [[HBO]] television series adaptation of the 2010 science fantasy novel ''[[Who Fears Death]]'' by [[Nnedi Okorafor]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://grrm.livejournal.com/542263.html|title=Who Fears Death?|last=grrm|date=July 11, 2017|website=livejournal.com}}</ref> Martin also contributed to the 2022 video game titled ''[[Elden Ring]]'', writing the [[worldbuilding]] aspects for it.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Wilde |first1=Tyler |title=George R.R. Martin wrote Elden Ring's "overarching mythos" |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/george-rr-martin-wrote-elden-rings-overarching-mythos/ |magazine=PC Gamer |access-date=June 23, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Krabbe |first1=Esra |title=Elden Ring Is an Evolution of Dark Souls Says Creator – E3 2019 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/06/21/elden-ring-is-an-evolution-of-dark-souls-says-creator-a-e3-2019 |website=IGN |date=June 21, 2019 |access-date=June 23, 2019}}</ref> In February 2021, it was reported that Martin and [[Kalinda Vazquez]] were developing a TV adaptation of ''[[Roadmarks]]'' by [[Roger Zelazny]], which Martin pitched to HBO in 2020. Martin will be an executive producer, Vazquez the showrunner, writer and executive producer.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://georgerrmartin.com/notablog/2021/02/24/on-the-road-with-roger-z/ |title=On the Road with Roger Z |website=georgerrmartin.com |date=February 24, 2021 |access-date=August 25, 2021 }}</ref> In March 2021, he signed an overall deal with HBO.<ref>{{Cite web|date=March 26, 2021|title=George R.R. Martin Signs Massive Five-Year Overall Deal with HBO (Exclusive)|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/george-r-r-martin-signs-massive-five-year-overall-deal-with-hbo-exclusive|access-date=March 27, 2021|website=The Hollywood Reporter|language=en}}</ref> Martin will serve as an executive producer of the [[Peacock (streaming service)|Peacock]] TV adaptation in development of his ''Wild Cards'' book series, together with [[Melinda M. Snodgrass]] and Vince Gerardis, Martin's manager.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/george-rr-martins-wild-cards-tv-series-peacock-1234927339/ |title=George R.R. Martin's "Wild Cards" Series Moves to Peacock From Hulu |work=Variety |last=Otterson |first=Joe |date=March 10, 2021 |access-date=August 25, 2021 }}</ref> He serves as an executive producer of the [[AMC (TV channel)|AMC]] series ''[[Dark Winds]]'' based on [[Tony Hillerman]]'s Leaphorn & Chee books.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/robert-redford-george-r-r-martin-team-for-dark-winds-zahn-mcclarnon-1234979828/ |title=Graham Roland, Robert Redford, George R.R. Martin Making "Dark Winds" Series Starring Zahn McClarnon |work=The Hollywood Reporter |last=Hibberd |first=James |date=July 9, 2021 |access-date=August 25, 2021 }}</ref> In 2021, Martin served as one of the producers of the short film ''Night of the Cooters'' based on the eponymous short story by [[Howard Waldrop]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://georgerrmartin.com/notablog/2021/08/24/the-cooters-are-coming/|title = The Cooters Are Coming! {{pipe}} Not a Blog}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/08/night-of-the-cooters-george-r-r-martin-produce-short-film-starring-directed-by-vincent-donofrio-from-trioscope-studios-1234823451/|title='Night of the Cooters': George R.R. Martin to Produce Short Film Starring, Directed by Vincent d'Onofrio from Trioscope Studios|date=August 27, 2021}}</ref>

== Relationship with fans ==
[[File:GRRM Ljubljana (cropped).jpg|thumb|Martin signing books in a bookstore in [[Ljubljana]], Slovenia (June 2011)]]
Martin actively contributes to his blog, ''Not a Blog''; in April 2018, he moved his blog from [[Livejournal]] to his own website.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://grrm.livejournal.com/566320.html|title=NOT A BLOG IS MOVING AWAY...|last=grrm|date=April 13, 2018|website=livejournal.com}}</ref>

Martin's official fan club is the "Brotherhood Without Banners", which has a regular posting board at the Forum of the website westeros.org, which is focused on his ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' fantasy series. At the annual [[World Science Fiction Convention]] every year, the Brotherhood Without Banners hosts a large, on-going hospitality suite that is open to all members of the Worldcon.<ref>{{cite web|year=2014|title=George R.R. Martin's Blog|url=http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/346732.George_R_R_Martin/blog|access-date=July 8, 2014|work=goodreads.com}}</ref>

Martin is opposed to [[fan fiction]], which he views as [[copyright infringement]] and a bad exercise for aspiring writers in terms of developing skills in [[worldbuilding]] and [[character arc|character development]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Martin|first=George R R|title=Frequently Asked Questions – George R. R. Martin's Official Website|url=http://www.georgerrmartin.com/for-fans/faq/|access-date=May 31, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Martin|first=George R R|date=May 7, 2010|title=Not A Blog – Someone Is Angry On the Internet|url=http://grrm.livejournal.com/151914.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130613053918/http://grrm.livejournal.com/151914.html|archive-date=June 13, 2013|access-date=January 16, 2013|publisher=[[LiveJournal]]}}</ref>

=== Conventions ===
Martin is known for his regular attendance at [[science fiction convention]]s and comics conventions, and his accessibility to fans. In the early 1980s, critic and writer [[Thomas Disch]] identified Martin as a member of the "Labor Day Group", writers who regularly congregated at the annual [[Worldcon]], usually held on or around the [[Labor Day]] weekend. Since the early 1970s, he has also attended regional science fiction conventions; further, since 1986, Martin has participated annually in [[Albuquerque]]'s smaller regional convention [[Bubonicon]], near his [[New Mexico]] home.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.press.umich.edu/pdf/9780472068968-17.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100623213210/http://www.press.umich.edu/pdf/9780472068968-17.pdf |archive-date=June 23, 2010 |url-status=live |title=The Labor Day Group |first=Thomas M. |last=Disch |work=The University of Michigan Press |year=2005 |access-date=July 8, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.georgerrmartin.com/appearances/ |title=Tour Dates/Appearances |work=georgerrmartin.com |year=2014 |access-date=July 8, 2014}}</ref> He was the Guest of Honor at the [[61st World Science Fiction Convention]] in Toronto, held in 2003.<ref name="theheartofasmall" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ansible.co.uk/writing/torcon3.html/ |title=Ansible Report |work=ansible.co.uk |year=2003 |access-date=September 9, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110922143254/http://www.ansible.co.uk/writing/torcon3.html |archive-date=September 22, 2011 }}</ref>

In December 2016, Martin was a key speaker at the [[Guadalajara International Book Fair]] 2016 in Mexico where the author provided hints about the next two books in the series ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://ew.com/article/2016/12/06/george-rr-martin-teases-winds-of-winter/ |title=George RR Martin on Winds of Winter: Things are getting worse |last=Gettell |first=Oliver |date=December 6, 2016 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |publisher=Time Inc. |access-date=December 21, 2016 |quote=Watch Martin's full Q&A above. |archive-date=December 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201211202921/https://ew.com/article/2016/12/06/george-rr-martin-teases-winds-of-winter/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2020, Martin fulfilled his duties as "[[toastmaster]]" of the [[Hugo Awards]]. During the event, he mispronounced several names, including that of [[R. F. Kuang]], which she considered a [[microaggression]]. Martin later apologized for mispronouncing the names.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Power|first=Ed|date=August 5, 2020|title=Never mind winter – the cancel mob is coming for George RR Martin|language=en-GB|work=The Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/never-mind-winter-cancel-mob-coming-george-rr-martin/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/never-mind-winter-cancel-mob-coming-george-rr-martin/ |archive-date=January 11, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=September 1, 2020|issn=0307-1235}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=George R.R. Martin Responds to Accusations of Hugo Awards Racism, Apologizes for Mispronouncing Names|url=https://io9.gizmodo.com/george-r-r-martin-responds-to-accusations-of-hugo-awar-1844610676|access-date=September 1, 2020|website=io9|date=August 4, 2020 |language=en-us}}</ref>

=== Writing pace ===
Martin has been criticized by his fanbase for the long periods between books in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series, notably the six-year gap between the fourth volume, ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005), and the fifth volume, ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011), and the fact that the next volume in the series, ''[[The Winds of Winter]]'', is still unpublished over 14 years later.<ref>{{cite magazine | last = Miller | first = Laura | title = Onward and Upward with the Arts: Just Write It!: A fantasy author and his impatient fans. |magazine=The New Yorker | date = April 11, 2011 | url = http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/04/11/110411fa_fact_miller | access-date = February 12, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | last = Kay | first = Guy Gavriel | title = Restless readers go bonkers | work = Globe and Mail | location = Canada | date = April 10, 2009 | url = https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/article8003.ece | access-date = May 13, 2010 | url-status=dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100509021936/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/article8003.ece | archive-date = May 9, 2010 | df = mdy-all}}</ref><ref name=Forbes12.6.24>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2024/12/06/13-years-late-george-rr-martin-admits-he-may-never-finish-winds-of-winter/ |title=13 Years Late, George RR Martin Admits He May Never Finish ''Winds Of Winter''|author=Tassi, Paul|language=en-US|url-status=live|magazine=[[Forbes]]|date=December 6, 2024|access-date=December 6, 2024|archive-date=December 6, 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20241206163441/https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2024/12/06/13-years-late-george-rr-martin-admits-he-may-never-finish-winds-of-winter/}}</ref> In 2010, Martin had responded to fan criticisms by saying he was unwilling to write only his ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series, noting that working on other prose and compiling and editing different book projects have always been part of his working process.<ref>{{Cite news | last = Flood | first = Alison | title = Excitement as George RR Martin announces he's 1,200 pages into new book |work = The Guardian | date = February 16, 2010 | url = https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/feb/16/george-rr-martin-new-book | access-date = May 13, 2010 | location=London}}</ref> In 2014, musical duo Paul and Storm released the humorous song "Write like the Wind" that alludes to the perceived long time spans between book releases.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7lp3RhzfgI |title=Write Like the Wind (George R. R. Martin) |date=2012-06-22 |last=Geek & Sundry |access-date=2025-08-22 |via=YouTube}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
[[File:George R. R. Martin signing at LoneStarCon3.jpg|thumb|Martin at [[LoneStarCon 3]] (the [[71st World Science Fiction Convention]]), 2013]]

In the early 1970s, Martin was in a relationship with fellow science fiction/fantasy author [[Lisa Tuttle]], with whom he co-wrote ''[[Windhaven]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=In Love With Lisa|url=http://georgerrmartin.com/life/chicago.html|work=Life & Times|publisher=George R.R. Martin Official Website|access-date=July 8, 2012}}</ref>
                                         
While attending an East Coast science fiction convention he met his first wife, Gale Burnick; they were married in 1975 and moved from their Chicago apartment and into a house in Dubuque in 1976. Both of them grew tired of the hard winters there, and when she graduated from [[Clarke University]] in June 1979, he resigned from his job and they decided to move to New Mexico. The year before they had "fallen in love" with Santa Fe on their way to the [[36th World Science Fiction Convention]] which was being held in Phoenix. His wife went down and bought a house while Martin stayed behind to sell their home and finish the semester. The marriage ended in divorce in 1979,<ref>{{Cite web |title=About George R. R. Martin {{!}} Book Analysis |url=https://bookanalysis.com/george-r-r-martin/ |access-date=July 3, 2023 |website=bookanalysis.com |language=en-US}}</ref> before they could be reunited in Santa Fe. Instead he settled there alone from December that same year until September 1981, when what would be his longtime partner Parris McBride moved in with him.<ref>[https://georgerrmartin.com/about-george/life-and-times/dubuque/ Dubuque - George R.R. Martin]</ref><ref>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 388.</ref><ref name="New house" /> On February 15, 2011, Martin married McBride during a small ceremony at their [[Santa Fe, New Mexico|Santa Fe]] home. On August 19, 2011, they held a larger wedding ceremony and reception at Renovation, the [[69th World Science Fiction Convention]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.paulcornell.com/2011/09/worldcon-a-love-story/ |title=Worldcon: A Love Story |first=Paul |last=Cornell |work=paulcornell.com |date=September 12, 2011 |access-date=July 8, 2014}}</ref> They have no children.

He and McBride are supporters of the [[Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary]] in New Mexico.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://grrm.livejournal.com/tag/wolves |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121130020834/http://grrm.livejournal.com/tag/wolves |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 30, 2012 |title=Not A Blog: Wolves |first=George R.R. |last=Martin |work=grrm.livejournal.com |date=June 16, 2014 |access-date=July 8, 2014}}</ref> In early 2013, he purchased Santa Fe's [[Jean Cocteau Cinema]] and Coffee House, which had been closed since 2006. He had the property completely restored, including its original 35mm capability. The restoration also added digital projection and sound; the Cocteau officially reopened for business on August 9, 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/article_11f41778-724e-5d42-9fbe-40e5b56ae400.html |title=George R.R. Martin reportedly plans to revive Jean Cocteau |first1=Anne |last1=Constable |first2=Julie Ann |last2=Grimm |work=The Santa Fe New Mexican |date=April 18, 2013 |access-date=July 8, 2014}}</ref> In 2019, he opened a bookstore named Beastly Books, after ''Beauty and the Beast'', next to Jean Cocteau.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/dec/16/george-rr-martin-opens-bookshop-santa-fe-beastly-books-game-of-thrones|title=George RR Martin opens bookshop next to his cinema in Santa Fe|date=December 16, 2019|website=the Guardian}}</ref> Martin has also supported [[Meow Wolf]], an arts collective in Santa Fe, having pledged $2.7&nbsp;million toward a new art space in January 2015.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Monroe|first1=Rachel |author-link=Rachel Monroe |title=How George RR Martin is helping stem Santa Fe's youth exodus|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/feb/11/george-rr-martin-santa-fe-youth-exodus-meow-wolf|access-date=February 12, 2015|work=The Guardian|date=February 11, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Jardrnak|first1=Jackie|title=Silva Lanes to be transformed to an explorable art space for kids and adults|url=http://www.abqjournal.com/533497/news/silva-lanes-to-be-transformed-to-an-explorable-art-space-for-kids-and-adults.html|access-date=February 12, 2015|work=Albuquerque Journal|date=January 29, 2015}}</ref>

In response to a question on his religious views, Martin replied: "I suppose I'm a [[lapsed Catholic]]. You would consider me an [[Atheism|atheist]] or [[Agnosticism|agnostic]]. I find religion and spirituality fascinating. I would like to believe this isn't the end and there's something more, but I can't convince the rational part of me that makes any sense whatsoever."<ref name="grmm_iv_ew" />

Martin is a fan of the [[New York Jets]], the [[New York Giants]] and the [[New York Mets]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2014/10/even_game_of_thrones_creator_george_rr_martin_is_ready_to_quit_on_jets.html|title=Even "Game of Thrones" creator George R.R. Martin is ready to quit on Jets|work=NJ.com|date=October 28, 2014|access-date=October 30, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/got-author-having-big-blue-nightmare-over-obj-trade-0ap3000001022609|title=GoT author having "Big Blue nightmare" over OBJ trade|website=NFL.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/cut4/video-george-r-r-martin-throws-first-pitch-at-isotopes-game/c-79896578 |title=Ser Strike Zone: Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin throws out the first pitch at a Minor League game|work=mlb.com|date=June 15, 2014 |access-date=March 10, 2015}} [https://www.thewrap.com/george-r-r-martin-throws-out-first-pitch-at-minor-league-game/ video here (requires Flash player)]</ref> He is also a fan of the [[Grateful Dead]], and says that the band's music may have influenced his work.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Weiner|first1=Natalie|title=George R.R. Martin Confirms Grateful Dead Influence on 'Game of Thrones'|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/game-of-thrones-grateful-dead-george-r-r-martin-6553854/|magazine=Billboard|date=May 4, 2015}}</ref>

Martin made a guest appearance as himself in an episode, "El Skeletorito", of the [[Adult Swim]] show ''[[Robot Chicken]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=George R.R. Martin vs. The Nerds |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awr6OQ0mRGY | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/awr6OQ0mRGY| archive-date=December 11, 2021 | url-status=live|website=YouTube | date=May 16, 2014 |publisher=Adult Swim |access-date=November 21, 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref> He appeared in [[SyFy]]'s ''[[Z Nation]]'' as a zombie version of himself in season two's "The Collector", where he is still signing copies of his new novel.<ref>{{cite web |title=Z Nation" The Collector (TV Episode 2015) — IMDb |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4851412/? |website=IMDB}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Kreps|first1=Daniel|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/news/watch-george-r-r-martins-zombie-cameo-in-z-nation-20151028|title=Watch George R.R. Martin's Zombie Cameo in 'Z Nation'|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=October 28, 2015|access-date=August 28, 2017|archive-date=January 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180124071732/https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/news/watch-george-r-r-martins-zombie-cameo-in-z-nation-20151028|url-status=dead}}</ref> In ''[[Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!]]'', he is killed when watching a movie at the theatre.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mashable.com/archive/sharknado-george-r-r-martin|title=Oh, hell no: George R.R. Martin was just beheaded by a shark in 'Sharknado 3'|first=Sandra|last=Gonzalez|date=July 23, 2015|website=Mashable}}</ref> In [[AMC (TV channel)|AMC]]'s TV show, ''Dark Winds'' [[Dark Winds#Season 3 (2025)|Season 3]], Episode 1, he appears as "George", opposite co-executive producer [[Robert Redford]], playing chess in a Navajo jail cell.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Dj3n07rbRk |title=High Stakes Chess feat. George R. R. Martin and Robert Redford! {{!}} Dark Winds |website=[[YouTube]] |date=March 10, 2025 }}</ref>

== Philanthropy ==
In 2014, Martin launched a campaign on [[Prizeo]] to raise funds for [[Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary]] and the Food Depot of Santa Fe. As part of the campaign, Martin offered one donor the chance to accompany him on a trip to the wolf sanctuary, including a helicopter ride and dinner. Martin also offered those donating $20,000 or more the opportunity to have a character named after them and "killed off" in an upcoming ''Song of Ice and Fire'' novel. The campaign garnered media attention and raised a total of $502,549.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2014/07/29/george-r-r-martins-game-of-thrones-charity-fundraiser-draws-winner/|title=George R.R. Martin's "Game of Thrones" Charity Fundraiser Draws Winner|first=Robin|last=Kawakami|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|date=July 29, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://mashable.com/2014/06/05/george-r-r-martin-crowd-funding/|title=George R.R. Martin Wants to Kill You for $20,000|first=Max|last=Knoblauch|website=[[Mashable]]|date=June 5, 2014}}</ref>

In 2017, Martin announced that he was funding The Miskatonic Scholarship. The Miskatonic Scholarship allows a writer of Lovecraftian cosmic horror to attend the [[Odyssey Writing Workshop]], a six-week writing workshop held at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://grrm.livejournal.com/534795.html|title=A Horrifying Announcement|date=April 26, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| last=Cavelos | first=Jeanne | url=https://odysseyworkshop.wordpress.com/2018/01/17/special-announcement-george-r-r-martin-establishes-scholarship-for-horror-writers/|title=Special Announcement: George R.R. Martin Establishes Scholarship for Horror Writers|date=November 3, 2022}}</ref>

Martin is a cultural advisor for [[Colossal Biosciences]], a biotech and genetic engineering company. He was invited to meet three [[Colossal Biosciences Dire Wolf Project|dire wolves the company had created]] in February 2025 stating, "Maybe I was remembering a past life, when I ran with a pack in the Ice Age. … Whatever the reason, I have to say the rebirth of the direwolf has stirred me as no scientific news has since Neil Armstrong walked on the moon."<ref>{{cite news |first=Mike |last=Snider |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2025/04/08/george-r-r-martin-dire-wolf-peter-jackson/82995360007/ |title=George R.R. Martin got to hold a dire wolf. Extinct animal's 'rebirth...has stirred me' |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |date=April 8, 2025}}</ref>

== Politics ==
Growing up, Martin avoided the [[United States draft|draft]] to the [[Vietnam War]] by being a [[conscientious objector]] and did two years of [[Alternative civilian service|alternative service]]. He generally opposes war and thought the Vietnam War was a "terrible mistake for America".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBuct2RZpqc| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/tBuct2RZpqc| archive-date=December 11, 2021 | url-status=live|title=George R.R. Martin On Vietnam And The Realities Of War| date=March 13, 2012|publisher=George Stroumboulopoulos|access-date=October 24, 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

While he did not endorse [[Barack Obama]] in 2008, Martin endorsed him for re-election in 2012 calling Obama the most intelligent president since [[Jimmy Carter]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/13/game-of-thrones-author-republicans_n_1773283.html|title=George R.R. Martin, "Game Of Thrones" Author, Slams Republicans For 'Voter Suppression'|date=August 13, 2012|access-date=September 11, 2012|work=Huffington Post|first=Andrew|last=Losowsky}}</ref> In [[2014 United States Senate election in New Mexico|2014]], Martin endorsed Democratic Senator [[Tom Udall]] of New Mexico.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ksfr.org/post/oct-6-first-news-gubernatorial-candidates-face-tonight-spanish-language-debate-listen|title=Oct. 6 First News: Gubernatorial Candidates To Face-Off Tonight in Spanish-Language Debate (Listen)|author=Tom Trowbridge|date=October 6, 2014 |access-date=October 30, 2014}}</ref>

In the midst of pressure to pull the 2014 feature film ''[[The Interview]]'' from theaters, the [[Jean Cocteau Cinema]] in [[Santa Fe, New Mexico]], which has been owned by Martin since 2013, decided to show the film. Theater manager Jon Bowman told the ''Santa Fe New Mexican'', "Martin feels strongly about the First Amendment and the idea of artists having the ability to speak their minds and not having to worry about being targets."<ref>{{cite news| url= http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/jean-cocteau-gets-green-light-to-screen-the-interview/article_9fffd0d7-3a0b-5336-a3b6-77dd09f6e592.html |work=Santa Fe New Mexican| title=Jean Cocteau Get Green Light to Screen the Interview|date=2014}}</ref>

Immediately following [[Bernie Sanders]]' defeat in the [[2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries|U.S. Democratic primary elections]], he supported Democratic nominee [[Hillary Clinton]] in the general [[2016 United States presidential election]], and criticized [[Donald Trump]] during the election and following her defeat, commenting that Trump would "become the worst president in American history".<ref name="clinton cnn">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/06/politics/george-rr-martin-election/index.html|title='Game of Thrones' author isn't writing. He's campaigning for Clinton|first=Eli |last=Watkins}}</ref><ref name="trump independent">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/game-of-thrones-george-rr-martin-donald-trump-victory-winter-is-coming-a7409071.html|title=The man who wrote Game of Thrones has given his take on Donald Trump's victory|date=November 10, 2016|newspaper=[[The Independent]]}}</ref><ref name="trump hr">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/game-thrones-author-george-rr-martin-trump-winter-is-coming-946123|title=George R.R. Martin on Trump Win: "Winter Is Coming. I Told You So"|magazine=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref> In response to fans of Martin who compared Trump favorably to characters from ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', Martin doubled-down on his criticism of Trump by making the case to his fans that Trump shares many personality traits in common with [[Joffrey Baratheon|King Joffrey]], a near-universally hated character from the series, concluding that "Trump is a Grown-Up Joffrey."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/game-of-thrones-george-rr-martin-trump-joffrey-2017-5 |title='Game of Thrones' author George R.R. Martin: Trump is a grownup King Joffrey |work=Business Insider |last=Nededog |first=Jethro |date=May 24, 2017 |access-date=August 27, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2017/05/156089/donald-trump-grown-up-joffrey-george-rr-martin |title=George RR Martin Says Trump Is A Grown-Up King Joffrey |work=Refinery29.com |last=Luu |first=Christopher |date=May 24, 2017 |access-date=October 27, 2022}}</ref>

In May 2019, Martin endorsed [[Joe Biden]] for president in [[2020 United States presidential election|2020]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Samuels|first1=Brett|title=Author George RR Martin backs Biden's candidacy|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/442280-george-rr-martin-backs-bidens-candidacy|newspaper=The Hill|date=May 6, 2019|access-date=May 6, 2019}}</ref>

==Awards==
{{BLP sources section|date=December 2020}}

=== Awards and nominations ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Work !! Year & Award!! Category!! Result !! {{Refh}}
|-
| rowspan="1" |''Powerman vs. the Blue Barrier''
|1965 [[Alley Award]]
|Fan Fiction
|{{Won}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''The Hero''
|1973 [[Astounding Award for Best New Writer]]
|            -
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''The Second Kind of Loneliness''
|1973 [[Locus Award]]
|Short Fiction
|{{Nominated}}
|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sfadb.com/Locus_Awards | title=Sfadb : Locus Awards }}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="3" |''With Morning Comes Mistfall''
|1974 [[Nebula Award]]
|Short Story
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|1974 Locus Award
|Short Fiction
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|1974 [[Hugo Award]]
|Short Story
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |''[[A Song for Lya (novella)|A Song For Lya]]''
|1975 Locus Award
|Novella
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|1975 Hugo Award
|Novella
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|1975 Nebula Award
|Novella
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |''[[Windhaven|The Storms of Windhaven]]''
''(with [[Lisa Tuttle]])''
|1976 Locus Award
|Novella
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|1976 Hugo Award
|Novella
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|1976 Nebula Award
|Novella
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |''And Seven Times Never Kill Man''
|1976 Locus Award
|Novelette
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|1976 Hugo Award
|Novelette
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''...for a single yesterday''
|1976 Locus Award
|Novelette
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''The Tower of Ashes''
|1977 Locus Award
|Short Story
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''Meathouse Man''
|1977 Locus Award
|Novelette
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''[[A Song for Lya|A Song for Lya and Other Stories]]''
|1977 Locus Award
|Author Collection
|{{Won}}
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |''The Stone City''
|1978 Locus Award
|Short Fiction
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|1978 Nebula Award
|Novelette
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |''[[Dying of the Light (Martin novel)|Dying of the Light]]''
|1978 Locus Award
|SF Novel
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|1978 Hugo Award
|Novel
|{{CFinalist}}
|
|-
|1979 [[British Fantasy Award]]
|August Derleth Award
|{{Nominated}}
|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.worldswithoutend.com/books_bfs-derleth_index.asp?emulate=&navi=&Page=1&PageLength=100 | title=August Derleth Award }}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="1" |''Bitterblooms''
|1978 Locus Award
|Short Fiction
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="4" |''[[Sandkings (novelette)|Sandkings]]''
|1980 Nebula Award
|Novelette
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|1980 [[Balrog Awards]]
|Short Fiction
|{{Nominated}}
|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ay.cgi?8+1980 | title=1980 Balrog Award }}</ref>
|-
|1980 Locus Award
|Novelette
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|1980 Hugo Award
|Novelette
|{{Won}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''[[Sandkings (short story collection)|Sandkings]]'' (Collection)
|1982 Locus Award
|Single Author Collection
|{{Won}}
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |''[[Windhaven|One-Wing]]''
''(with Lisa Tuttle)''
|1980 Analog Award
|Serial Novel/Novella
|{{Won}}
|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ay.cgi?1+1980 | title=1980 Analog Award }}</ref>
|-
|1981 Hugo Award
|Novella
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|1981 Locus Award
|Novella
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="4" |''[[Nightflyers]]''
|1980 Analog Award
|Novella/Novelette
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|1981 Locus Award
|Novella
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|1981 Hugo Award
|Novella
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|1983 [[Seiun Award]]
|Translated Short Story
|{{Won}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''Nightflyers'' (Collection)
|1986 Locus Award
|Collection
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |''[[The Way of Cross and Dragon]]''
|1980 Locus Award
|Short Fiction
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|1980 Hugo Award
|Short Story
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|1980 Nebula Award
|Short Story
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''New Voices II''
|1980 Locus Award
|Anthology
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''New Voices III''
|1981 Locus Award
|Anthology
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |''Guardians''
|1981 Analog Award
|Novella/Novelette
|{{CFinalist|4th Place}}
|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ay.cgi?1+1981 | title=1981 Analog Award }}</ref>
|-
|1982 Locus Award
|Novelette
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|1982 Hugo Award
|Novelette
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''[[Windhaven]]''
''(with Lisa Tuttle)''
|1982 Locus Award
|SF Novel
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''The Needle Men''
|1982 Locus Award
|Short Story
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''Remembering Melody''
|1982 Locus Award
|Short Story
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''New Voices 4''
|1982 Locus Award
|Anthology
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |''Unsound Variations''
|1983 Locus Award
|Novella
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|1983 Hugo Award
|Novella
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|1983 Nebula Award
|Novella
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |''[[Fevre Dream]]''
|1983 Locus Award
|Fantasy Novel
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|1983 [[World Fantasy Award]]
|Novel
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |''[[The Armageddon Rag]]''
|1984 World Fantasy Award
|Novel
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|1984 Balrog Awards
|Novel
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|1984 Locus Award
|Fantasy Novel
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |''The Monkey Treatment''
|1984 Locus Award
|Novelette
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|1984 Hugo Award
|Novelette
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|1984 Nebula Award
|Novelette
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''The John W. Campbell Awards, Volume 5''
|1985 Locus Award
|Anthology
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |''The Plague Star''
|1986 Locus Award
|Novella
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|1986 Analog Award
|Serial Novel/Novella
|{{CFinalist|3rd Place}}
|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sfadb.com/Analog_Readers_Poll_1986 | title=Sfadb: Analog Readers Poll 1986 }}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2" |''Loaves and Fishes''
|1986 Locus Award
|Novella
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|1986 Analog Award
|Novella/Novelette
|{{Won}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''Manna From Heaven''
|1986 Analog Award
|Novella/Novelette
|{{CFinalist|2nd Place}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''Under Siege''
|1986 Locus Award
|Novelette
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="4" |''Portraits of His Children''
|1986 Locus Award
|Novelette
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|1986 Hugo Award
|Novelette
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|1986 SF Chronicle Award
|Novelette
|{{Won}}
|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sfadb.com/Science_Fiction_Chronicle_Readers_Poll_1986 | title=Sfadb: Science Fiction Chronicle Readers Poll 1986 }}</ref>
|-
|1986 Nebula Award
|Novelette
|{{Won}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''[[Portraits of His Children]]'' (Collection)
|1988 Locus Award
|Collection
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |''The Glass Flower''
|1987 Locus Award
|Novelette
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|1987 Asimov's Readers' Poll
|Novelette
|{{CFinalist|4th Place}}
|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sfadb.com/Asimovs_Reader_Poll_1987 | title=Sfadb: Asimov's Reader Poll 1987 }}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="1" |''[[List of Wild Cards books and short stories|Wild Cards]]''
|1987 Locus Award
|Anthology
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |''[[Tuf Voyaging]]''
|1987 Locus Award
|Collection
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|2006 Seiun Award
|Translated Long Work
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="4" |''The Pear-Shaped Man''
|1988 [[Bram Stoker Award]]
|Long Fiction
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|1988 Locus Award
|Novelette
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|1988 World Fantasy Award
|Novella
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|2005 [[Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire]]
|Foreign Short story/Collection of Foreign Short Stories
|{{Nominated}}
|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ay.cgi?25+2005 | title=2005 Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire }}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="1" |''Night Visions 3''
|1987 World Fantasy Award
|Collection
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" | [[Primetime Emmy Awards|Primetime Emmy Awards 1988]]
|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series|Outstanding Drama Series]]
| ''[[Beauty and the Beast (1987 TV series)|Beauty and the Beast (Season 1)]]''
| {{nom}}
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |''The Skin Trade''
|1989 Bram Stoker Award
|Long Fiction
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|1989 Locus Award
|Novella
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|1989 World Fantasy Award
|Novella
|{{Won}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''[[41st Primetime Emmy Awards|41st Primetime Emmy Awards 1989]]''
|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series|Outstanding Drama Series]]
|''[[Beauty and the Beast (1987 TV series)|Beauty and the Beast (Season 2)]]''
| {{nom}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''[[List of Wild Cards books and short stories|Wild Cards IV: Aces Abroad]]''
|1989 Locus Award
|Anthology
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="6" |''Blood of the Dragon''
|1996 Asimov's Readers' Poll
|Novella
|{{CFinalist|3rd Place}}
|
|-
|1997 Locus Award
|Novella
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|1997 HOMer Award
|Novella
|{{Nominated}}
|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sfadb.com/HOMer_Awards_1997 | title=Sfadb: HOMer Awards 1997 }}</ref>
|-
|1997 World Fantasy Award
|Novella
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|1997 Hugo Award
|Novella
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|1997 Nebula Award
|Novella
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="4" |''[[A Game of Thrones]]''
|1997 Locus Award
|Fantasy Novel
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|1997 World Fantasy Award
|Novel
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|1998 Nebula Award
|Novel
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|2003 [[Premio Ignotus]]
|Foreign Novel
|{{Won}}
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |''[[Game of Thrones season 1]]''
|2012 Hugo Award
|Dramatic Presentation: Long Form
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|[[63rd Primetime Emmy Awards|63rd Primetime Emmy Awards: 2011]]
|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series|Outstanding Drama Series]]
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''[[Blackwater (Game of Thrones)|Game of Thrones - Episode: Blackwater]]'' ''(as screenwriter)''
|2013 Hugo Award
|Dramatic Presentation: Short Form
|{{Won}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''[[Game of Thrones season 2|Game of Thrones: Season 2]]''
|[[64th Primetime Emmy Awards|64th Primetime Emmy Awards: 2012]]
|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series|Outstanding Drama Series]]
|{{nom}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''[[Game of Thrones season 3|Game of Thrones: Season 3]]''
|[[65th Primetime Emmy Awards|65th Primetime Emmy Awards: 2013]]
|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series|Outstanding Drama Series]]
|{{nom}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''[[Game of Thrones season 4|Game of Thrones: Season 4]]''
|[[66th Primetime Emmy Awards|66th Primetime Emmy Awards: 2014]]
|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series|Outstanding Drama Series]]
|{{nom}}
|
|-
|rowspan="1" |''[[Game of Thrones season 5|Game of Thrones: Season 5]]''
|[[67th Primetime Emmy Awards|67th Primetime Emmy Awards: 2015]]
|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series|Outstanding Drama Series]]
| {{won}}
|
|-
|rowspan="1" |''[[Game of Thrones season 6|Game of Thrones: Season 6]]''
|[[68th Primetime Emmy Awards|68th Primetime Emmy Awards: 2016]]
|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series|Outstanding Drama Series]]
| {{won}}
|
|-
|rowspan="1" |''[[Game of Thrones season 7|Game of Thrones: Season 7]]''
|[[70th Primetime Emmy Awards|70th Primetime Emmy Awards: 2018]]
|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series|Outstanding Drama Series]]
|{{won}}
|
|-
|rowspan="1" |''[[Game of Thrones season 8|Game of Thrones: Season 8]]''
|[[71st Primetime Emmy Awards|71st Primetime Emmy Awards: 2019]]
|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series|Outstanding Drama Series]]
|{{won}}
|
|-
|rowspan="1" |''[[House of the Dragon|House of the Dragon: Season 1]]''
|[[75th Primetime Emmy Awards|75th Primetime Emmy Awards: 2024]]
|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series|Outstanding Drama Series]]
|{{nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |''[[Tales of Dunk and Egg|The Hedge Knight]]''
|1999 Locus Award
|Novella
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|1999 World Fantasy Award
|Novella
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="4" |''[[A Clash of Kings]]''
|1999 Locus Award
|Fantasy Novel
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|2000 Nebula Award
|Novel
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|2000 SF Site Readers Poll
|SF/Fantasy Book
|{{Won}}
|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sfadb.com/SF_Site_Readers_Poll_2000 | title=Sfadb: SF Site Readers Poll 2000 }}</ref>
|-
|2004 Premio Ignotus
|Foreign Novel
|{{Won}}
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |''Path of the Dragon''
|2001 Locus Award
|Novella
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|2001 Asimov's Readers' Poll
|Novella
|{{CFinalist|4th Place}}
|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sfadb.com/Asimovs_Reader_Poll_2001 | title=Sfadb: Asimov's Reader Poll 2001 }}</ref>
|-
|2005 Premio Ignotus
|Foreign Short Story
|{{Won}}
|
|-
| rowspan="7" |''[[A Storm of Swords]]''
|2001 Locus Award
|Fantasy Novel
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|2001 SF Site Readers Poll
|SF/Fantasy Book
|{{Won}}
|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sfadb.com/SF_Site_Readers_Poll_2001 | title=Sfadb: SF Site Readers Poll 2001 }}</ref>
|-
|2001 Hugo Award
|Novel
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|2002 Nebula Award
|Novel
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|2002 [[Geffen Award]]
|Fantasy
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|2006 Premio Ignotus
|Foreign Novel
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|2007 [[Tähtifantasia Award]]
|          -
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''[[Quartet (short story collection)|Quartet]]''
|2002 Locus Award
|Collection
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="4" |''[[Dreamsongs: A RRetrospective|GRRM: A RRetrospective]]''
|2003 [[International Horror Guild Award]]
|Collection
|{{Nominated}}
|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://horroraward.org/prevrec.html | title=International Horror Guild }}</ref>
|-
|2004 Locus Award
|Collection
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|2004 World Fantasy Award
|Collection
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|2008 [[Audie Awards]]
|Science Fiction
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''[[Tales of Dunk and Egg|The Sworn Sword]]''
|2004 Locus Award
|Novella
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''[[The Ice Dragon]]''
|2004 Premio Ignotus
|Foreign Short Story
|{{Won}}
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |''Shadow Twin''
|2005 Locus Award
|Novella
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|2006 Asimov's Readers' Poll
|Novella
|{{CFinalist|4th Place}}
|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sfadb.com/Asimovs_Reader_Poll_2006 | title=Sfadb: Asimov's Reader Poll 2006 }}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="6" |''[[A Feast for Crows]]''
|2006 Locus Award
|Fantasy Novel
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|2006 SF Site Readers Poll
|SF/Fantasy Book
|{{CFinalist|2nd Place}}
|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sfadb.com/SF_Site_Readers_Poll_2006 | title=Sfadb: SF Site Readers Poll 2006 }}</ref>
|-
|2006 Hugo Award
|Novel
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|2006 British Fantasy Award
|August Derleth Award
|{{Nominated}}
|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sfadb.com/British_Fantasy_Awards_2006 | title=Sfadb: British Fantasy Awards 2006 }}</ref>
|-
|2006 [[Quill Award]]
|SF/Fantasy/Horror Novel
|{{Nominated}}
|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sfadb.com/Quill_Award_2006 | title=Sfadb: Quill Award 2006 }}</ref>
|-
|2007 [[FantLab's Book of the Year Award]]
|Book by Foreign Writer
|{{Won}}
|
|-
| rowspan="4" |''[[Songs of the Dying Earth|Songs of the Dying Earth: Stories in Honor of Jack Vance]]''
''(with [[Gardner Dozois]])''
|2010 Locus Award
|Anthology
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|2010 World Fantasy Award
|Anthology
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|2010 [[British Fantasy Award]]
|Anthology
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|2014 FantLab's Book of the Year Award
|Anthology
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |''[[Warriors (anthology)|Warriors]]''
''(with Gardner Dozois)''
|2011 Locus Award
|Anthology
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|2012 FantLab's Book of the Year Award
|Anthology
|{{Won}}
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |''[[Tales of Dunk and Egg|The Mystery Knight]]''
|2011 Locus Award
|Novella
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|2011 World Fantasy Award
|Novella
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|2012 FantLab's Book of the Year Award
|Translated Novella or Short Story
|{{Won}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''[[Hunter's Run]]''
''(with Daniel Abraham & Gardner Dozois)''
|2011 Seiun Award
|Translated Long Work
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="11" |''[[A Dance with Dragons]]''
|2011 [[Goodreads Choice Awards]]
|Favorite Book of 2011
|{{Nominated}}
|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/favorite-book-of-2011 | title=Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Favorite Book of 2011! }}</ref>
|-
|2011 Goodreads Choice Awards
|Fantasy
|{{Won}}
|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-fantasy-books-2011 | title=Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Best Fantasy! }}</ref>
|-
|2012 FantLab's Book of the Year Award
|Translated Novel/Collection
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|2012 SF Site Readers Poll
|SF/Fantasy Book
|{{CFinalist|6th Place}}
|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sfadb.com/SF_Site_Readers_Poll_2012 | title=Sfadb: SF Site Readers Poll 2012 }}</ref>
|-
|2012 [[British Fantasy Award]]
|Robert Holdstock Award
|{{Nominated}}
|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/award_category_year.cgi?585+2012 | title=Award Category: 2012 Robert Holdstock Award for Best Fantasy Novel (British Fantasy Award) }}</ref>
|-
|2012 British Fantasy Award
|August Derleth Award
|{{Nominated}}
|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ay.cgi?7+2012 | title=2012 British Fantasy Award }}</ref>
|-
|2012 Locus Award
|Fantasy Novel
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|2012 World Fantasy Award
|Novel
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|2012 Hugo Award
|Novel
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|2013 Geffen Award
|Fantasy
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|2018 Goodreads Choice Awards
|Best of the Best
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''[[The Princess and the Queen]]''
|2014 Locus Award
|Novella
|{{Nominated}}
|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-of-the-best-2018 | title=Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Best of the Best! }}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2" |''[[Old Mars]]''
''(with Gardner Dozois)''
|2014 Locus Award
|Anthology
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|2014 FantLab's Book of the Year Award
|Anthology
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |''[[Dangerous Women (anthology)|Dangerous Women]]''
''(with Gardner Dozois)''
|2014 World Fantasy Award
|Anthology
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|2015 [[Audie Awards]]
|Short Stories or Collections
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''A Night at the Tarn House''
|2014 FantLab's Book of the Year Award
|Translated Novella/Short Story
|{{Won}}
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |''[[Rogues (anthology)|Rogues]]''
''(with Gardner Dozois)''
|2015 World Fantasy Award
|Anthology
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|2015 Locus Award
|Anthology
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|2015 FantLab's Book of the Year Award
|Anthology
|{{Won}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''[[The Rogue Prince|The Rogue Prince, or, the King's Brother]]''
|2015 FantLab's Book of the Year Award
|Translated Novella/Short Story
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms''
|2016 Locus Award
|Collection
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''[[The World of Ice & Fire|The World of Ice & Fire: The Untold History of Westeros and The Game of Thrones]]''
''(with [[Elio M. García Jr. and Linda Antonsson]])''
|2016 Premio Ignotus
|Non-Fiction
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="1" |''[[Old Venus]]''
''(with Gardner Dozois)''
|2016 Locus Award
|Anthology
|{{Won}}
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |''[[Fire & Blood (novel)|Fire and Blood]]''
|2019 Locus Award
|Collection
|{{Nominated}}
|
|-
|2019 Goodreads Choice Awards
|Fantasy
|{{Nominated}}
|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-fantasy-books-2019 | title=Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Best Fantasy! }}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="1" |''The Storm of Swords: The Illustrated Edition''
''(with Gary Gianni)''
|2021 Locus Award
|Illustrated and Art Book
|{{Nominated}}
|<ref>{{cite web | title=2021 Locus Awards Winners | website=Locus Online | date=2021-06-26 | url=https://locusmag.com/2021/06/2021-locus-awards-winners/ | access-date=2025-09-02}}</ref>

|-
| rowspan="1" |''[[Elden Ring]]''
''(with [[Hidetaka Miyazaki]])''
|2023 Nebula Award
|Game Writing
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|}

Other awards won:
* 1988: [[Inkpot Award]]
* 2004: [[Edward E. Smith Memorial Award]]
* 2009 & 2010: [[Galaxy Award (China)|Galaxy Award]] (Most Popular Foreign Writer)
* 2012: World Fantasy Award (Life Achievement Award)
* 2018: [[International Thriller Writers Awards]] "Thrillermaster" Award
* 2019: [[Irish Book Awards]] (International Recognition Award)

=== State and academic honors ===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style=font-size:95%
|+ State and academic honors for Martin
|-
! scope="col" | Country or organization
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Award
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{Abbr|Ref(s)|References}}
|-
! scope="row" | [[New Jersey Hall of Fame]]
| 2019
| Arts & Entertainment
| style="text-align:center;" |
|-
! scope="row"  rowspan="2" | [[Northwestern University]]
| 2015
| Medill Hall of Achievement Award
| align="center" |<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.medill.northwestern.edu/experience/news/2015/fall/george-r.-r.-martin-returns-to-medill.html|title=George R. R. Martin returns to Medill — Medill — Northwestern University|access-date=November 6, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170625202959/http://www.medill.northwestern.edu/experience/news/2015/fall/george-r.-r.-martin-returns-to-medill.html|archive-date=June 25, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| 2021
| Doctor of Humane Letters
| align="center" |<ref>{{cite web |last1=Blumberg |first1=Nick |title=George RR Martin Talks Northwestern, Writing and "Game of Thrones" |url=https://news.wttw.com/2021/06/16/george-rr-martin-talks-northwestern-writing-and-game-thrones |website=WTTW News |access-date=July 8, 2021 |language=en}}</ref>
|}

== Bibliography ==
{{Incomplete list|date=July 2022}}

=== Works ===

==== Novels ====

''A Song of Ice and Fire'' universe:
* ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' series:
*# ''[[A Game of Thrones]]'' (1996)
*# ''[[A Clash of Kings]]'' (1998)
*# ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' (2000)
*# ''[[A Feast for Crows]]'' (2005)
*# ''[[A Dance with Dragons]]'' (2011)
*# ''[[The Winds of Winter]]'' (planned)
*# ''[[A Dream of Spring]]'' (planned)
* Prequels:
** ''[[Tales of Dunk and Egg]]'' series:
**# ''A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms'' (2015), collection of 3 novellas:
**## ''The Hedge Knight'' (1998)
**## ''The Sworn Sword'' (2003)
**## ''The Mystery Knight'' (2010)
** ''The Rogue Prince & The Princess'' series:
**# ''[[The Princess and the Queen]], or, the Blacks and the Greens'' (2013) '''(Novella)'''
**# ''[[The Rogue Prince]], or, a King's Brother'' (2014) (prequel) '''(Novelette)'''
**# ''[[The Sons of the Dragon]]'' (2017) '''(Novella)'''
** ''[[Fire & Blood (novel)|Fire & Blood]]'' (2018)
* Companion Books:
** ''The Lands of Ice and Fire'' (2012)
** ''The Wit & Wisdom of Tyrion Lannister'' (2013)
** ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'' (2014), with [[Elio M. García Jr.]] and [[Linda Antonsson]]
** ''[[The Rise of the Dragon]]'' (2022), with Elio M. García Jr. and Linda Antonsson
* Chapter Sets:
** ''[[Blood of the Dragon (novella)|Blood of the Dragon]]'' (1996)
** ''Path of the Dragon'' (2000)
** ''Arms of the Kraken'' (2002)

Stand-alones:
* ''[[Dying of the Light (Martin novel)|Dying of the Light]]'' (1977)
* ''[[Windhaven]]'' (1981), with [[Lisa Tuttle]], [[fix-up]] novel of 3 novellas:
*: "Storms", "One-Wing", "The Fall"
* ''[[Fevre Dream]]'' (1982)
* ''[[The Armageddon Rag]]'' (1983)
* ''[[Tuf Voyaging]]'' (1986), fix-up novel of 7 novellas/novelettes:
*: "The Plague Star" (novella), "Loaves and Fishes" (novella), "Guardians" (novelette), "Second Helpings" (novelette), "A Beast for Norn" (novelette), "Call Him Moses" (novelette), "Manna from Heaven" (novella)
* ''[[Hunter's Run]]'' (2007), with [[Daniel Abraham (author)|Daniel Abraham]] and [[Gardner Dozois]], a heavily rewritten and expanded version of an earlier novella called ''Shadow Twin''

==== Children's novels ====
* ''[[The Ice Dragon]]'' '''(Novelette)'''

==== Short stories ====

Collections:
* ''[[A Song for Lya]]'', or ''A Song for Lya and Other Stories'' (1976), collection of 8 short stories and 2 novellas/novelettes:
*: "[[With Morning Comes Mistfall]]", "The Second Kind of Loneliness", "Override" (novelette), "Dark, Dark Were the Tunnels", "The Hero", "FTA", "Run to Starlight", "The Exit to San Breta", "Slide Show", "[[A Song for Lya (novella)|A Song for Lya]]" (novella)
* ''[[Songs of Stars and Shadows]]'' (1977), collection of 8 short stories and 1 novelette:
*: "This Tower of Ashes", "Patrick Henry, Jupiter, and the Little Red Brick Spaceship", "Men of Greywater Station", "The Lonely Songs of Laren Dorr", "Night of the Vampyres", "The Runners", "Night Shift", "...For a Single Yesterday", "And Seven Times Never Kill Man" (novelette)
* ''[[Sandkings (short story collection)|Sandkings]]'' (1981), collection of 3 short stories and 4 novelettes:
*: "[[The Way of Cross and Dragon]]" (novelette), "Bitterblooms" (novelette), "In the House of the Worm", "Fast-Friend", "The Stone City" (novelette), "Starlady", "[[Sandkings (novelette)|Sandkings]]" (novelette)
* ''[[Songs the Dead Men Sing]]'' (1983), collection of 5 short stories and 4 novelettes/novellas:
*: "The Monkey Treatment" (novelette), "...For a Single Yesterday", "In the House of the Worm", "The Needle Men", "Meathouse Man" (novelette), "[[Sandkings (novelette)|Sandkings]]" (novelette), "This Tower of Ashes", "[[Nightflyers]]" (novella), "Remembering Melody"
* ''Nightflyers'', or ''Nightflyers and Other Stories'' (1985), collection of 6 novelettes/novellas:
*: "[[Nightflyers]]" (novella), "Override" (novelette), "Weekend in a War Zone" (novelette), "And Seven Times Never Kill Man" (novelette), "Nor the Many-Colored Fires of a Star Ring" (novelette), "[[A Song for Lya (novella)|A Song for Lya]]" (novella)
* ''[[Portraits of His Children]]'' (1987), collection of 5 short stories and 6 novelettes/novellas:
*: "[[With Morning Comes Mistfall]]", "The Second Kind of Loneliness", "The Last Super Bowl" (novelette), "The Lonely Songs of Laren Dorr", "[[The Ice Dragon]]" (novelette), "In the Lost Lands", "Unsound Variations" (novella), "Closing Time", "Under Siege" (novelette), "The Glass Flower" (novelette), "Portraits of His Children" (novelette)
* ''[[Quartet (short story collection)|Quartet]]'' (2001), collection of 1 short story and 3 novellas:
*: "Blood of the Dragon" (novella part of ''A Game of Thrones''), "Black and White and Red All Over", "Starport" (novella), "Skin Trade" (novella)
* ''[[Dreamsongs: A RRetrospective]]'', or ''GRRM: A RRetrospective'' (2003), collection of 11 short stories, 21 novelettes/novellas and 2 screenplays:
*: A Four-Color Fanboy: "Only Kids Are Afraid of the Dark", "The Fortress", "And Death His Legacy"
*: The Filthy Pro: "The Hero", "The Exit to San Breta", "The Second Kind of Loneliness", "[[With Morning Comes Mistfall]]"
*: The Light of Distant Stars: "[[A Song for Lya (novella)|A Song for Lya]]" (novella), "This Tower of Ashes", "And Seven Times Never Kill Man" (novelette), "The Stone City" (novelette), "Bitterblooms" (novelette), "[[The Way of Cross and Dragon]]" (novelette)
*: The Heirs of Turtle Castle: "The Lonely Songs of Laren Dorr", "[[The Ice Dragon]]" (novelette), "In the Lost Lands"
*: Hybrids and Horrors: "Meathouse Man" (novelette), "Remembering Melody", "[[Sandkings (novelette)|Sandkings]]" (novelette), "[[Nightflyers]]" (novella), "The Monkey Treatment" (novelette), "The Pear-Shaped Man" (novelette)
*: A Taste of Tuf: "A Beast for Norn" (novelette part of ''Tuf Voyaging''), "Guardians" (novelette part of ''Tuf Voyaging'')
*: The Siren Song of Hollywood: "The Road Less Traveled" (screenplay), "Doorways" (screenplay)
*: Doing the Wild Card Shuffle: "Shell Games" (novelette), "From the Journal of Xavier Desmond" (novella)
*: The Heart in Conflict: "Under Siege" (novelette), "The Skin Trade" (novella), "Unsound Variations" (novella), "The Glass Flower" (novelette), "The Hedge Knight" (novella; series ''A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms'' #1), "Portraits of His Children" (novelette)

Uncollected short stories:
* ''Captain Weird: The Sword and the Spider'' (1970) (with Howard Keltner & Jim Starlin)
* ''A Peripheral Affair'' (1973)
* ''Nobody Leaves New Pittsburg'' (1976)
* ''The Computer Cried Charge!'' (1976)
* ''Warship'' (1979) (with [[George Guthridge]])
* ''From the New York Times'' (1988)
* ''The Toys of Caliban'' (2005) (Teleplay)
* ''A Night at the Tarn House'' (2009)

=== Editor ===
* ''New Voices in Science Fiction'' (1977: new stories by the [[John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer|John W. Campbell Award]] winners)
* ''New Voices in Science Fiction 2'' (1979: more new stories by the [[John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer|John W. Campbell Award]] winners)
* ''New Voices in Science Fiction 3'' (1980: more new stories by the [[John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer|John W. Campbell Award]] winners)
* ''New Voices in Science Fiction 4'' (1981: more new stories by the [[John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer|John W. Campbell Award]] winners)
* ''The Science Fiction Weight Loss Book'' (1983) edited with [[Isaac Asimov]] and [[Martin H. Greenberg]] ("Stories by the Great Science Fiction Writers on Fat, Thin, and Everything in Between")
* ''The John W. Campbell Awards, Volume 5'' (1984, continuation of the ''New Voices in Science Fiction'' series)
* ''Night Visions 3'' (1986)

==== ''Wild Cards'' series editor (also contributor to many volumes) ====
* ''[[Wild Cards (anthology)|Wild Cards]]'' (1987; contents expanded in 2010 edition with three new stories/authors)
* ''[[Aces High (book)|Wild Cards II: Aces High]]'' (1987)
* ''[[Jokers Wild (novel)|Wild Cards III: Jokers Wild]]'' (1987)
* ''[[Aces Abroad|Wild Cards IV: Aces Abroad]]'' (1988; Book I of the Puppetman Quartet; contents expanded in 2015 edition with two new stories/authors)
* ''[[Down and Dirty (book)|Wild Cards V: Down & Dirty]]'' (1988; Book II of the Puppetman Quartet)
* ''Wild Cards VI: Ace in the Hole'' (1990; Book III of the Puppetman Quartet)
* ''Wild Cards VII: Dead Man's Hand'' (1990; Book IV of the Puppetman Quartet)
* ''Wild Cards VIII: One-Eyed Jacks'' (1991; Book I of the Rox Triad)
* ''Wild Cards IX: Jokertown Shuffle'' (1991; Book II of the Rox Triad)
* ''Wild Cards X: Double Solitaire'' (1992)
* ''Wild Cards XI: Dealer's Choice'' (1992; Book III of the Rox Triad)
* ''Wild Cards XII: Turn of the Cards'' (1993)
* ''[[Card Sharks (anthology)|Wild Cards XIII: Card Sharks]]'' (1993; Book I of the Card Shark Triad)
* ''[[Marked Cards|Wild Cards XIV: Marked Cards]]'' (1994; Book II of the Card Shark Triad)
* ''[[Black Trump|Wild Cards XV: Black Trump]]'' (1995; Book III of the Card Shark Triad)
* ''[[Deuces Down|Wild Cards XVI: Deuces Down]]'' (2002)
* ''Wild Cards XVII: Death Draws Five'' (2006; solo novel by [[John J. Miller (author)|John J. Miller]])
* ''Wild Cards XVIII: Inside Straight'' (2008; Book I of ''The Committee'' triad)
* ''Wild Cards XIX: Busted Flush'' (2008; Book II of ''The Committee'' triad)
* ''Wild Cards XX: Suicide Kings'' (2009; Book III of ''The Committee'' triad)
* ''Wild Cards XXI: Fort Freak'' (2011; Book I of the Mean Streets Triad)
* ''Wild Cards XXII: Lowball'' (2014; Book II of the Mean Streets Triad)
* ''Wild Cards XXIII: High Stakes'' (2016; Book III of the Mean Streets Triad)<ref name="HighStakes" />
* ''Wild Cards XXIV: Mississippi Roll'' (2017; Book I of the American Triad)
* ''Wild Cards XXV: Low Chicago'' (2018; Book II of the American Triad)
* ''Wild Cards XXVI: Texas Hold 'Em'' (2018; Book III of the American Triad)
* ''Wild Cards XXVII: Knaves Over Queens'' (2019; Book I of the British Arc)
* ''Wild Cards XXVIII: Three Kings'' (2020; Book II of the British Arc)
* ''Wild Cards XXIX: Joker Moon'' (2021)
* ''Wild Cards XXX: Full House'' (2022)
* ''Wild Cards XXXI: Pairing Up'' (2023)
* ''Wild Cards XXXII: Sleeper Straddle'' (2024)
* ''Wild Cards XXXIII: House Rules'' (2025)

==== Cross-genre anthologies edited (with Gardner Dozois) ====
* ''[[Songs of the Dying Earth]]'' (2009; a tribute anthology to [[Jack Vance]]'s ''[[Dying Earth]]'' series, first published by [[Subterranean Press]])
* ''[[Warriors (anthology)|Warriors]]'' (2010; a cross-genre anthology featuring stories about war and warriors; winner of the 2011 Locus Poll Award for Best Original Anthology)
* ''[[Songs of Love and Death (anthology)|Songs of Love and Death]]'' (2010; a cross-genre anthology featuring stories of romance in fantasy and science fiction settings, originally entitled ''Star Crossed Lovers'')
* ''[[Down These Strange Streets]]'' (2011; a cross-genre anthology that blends classic detective stories with fantasy and science fiction)
* ''[[Old Mars]]'' (2013; a science fiction anthology featuring all new, retro-themed stories about the [[Mars|Red Planet]])<ref name="grrm.livejournal.com" />
* ''[[Dangerous Women (anthology)|Dangerous Women]]'' (2013;<ref name="Tor July 2013">{{cite web |url=http://www.tor.com/blogs/2013/07/dangerous-women-tor-excerpts |title=''Dangerous Women'' Arrives on Tor.com |date=July 24, 2013 |access-date=November 19, 2013 |website=Tor.com}}</ref> a cross-genre anthology focusing on women warriors and strong female characters, originally titled ''Femmes Fatale'')<ref>{{cite web|url=http://grrm.livejournal.com/225206.html |title=Stuff and Nonsense |first=George R.R. |last=Martin |work=Not A Blog |date=July 2, 2011 |access-date=July 8, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150215232922/http://grrm.livejournal.com/225206.html |archive-date=February 15, 2015 }}</ref>
* ''[[Rogues (anthology)|Rogues]]'' (2014; a cross-genre anthology featuring new stories about assorted rogues)<ref name="grrm.livejournal.com">{{cite web|url=http://grrm.livejournal.com/279376.html |title=Odds and Ends |first=George R.R. |last=Martin |work=Not A Blog |date=May 12, 2012 |access-date=July 8, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714220224/http://grrm.livejournal.com/279376.html |archive-date=July 14, 2014 }}</ref>
* ''[[Old Venus]]'' (2015 publication; an anthology of all new, retro-themed [[Venus]] science fiction stories)<ref name="grrm.livejournal.com" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://grrm.livejournal.com/374059.html |title=Venus In March |first=George R.R. |last=Martin |work=Not A Blog |date=June 16, 2014 |access-date=July 8, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140620195301/http://grrm.livejournal.com/374059.html |archive-date=June 20, 2014 }}</ref>

== Filmography ==
=== Film ===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title
! scope="col" | Actor
! scope="col" | Writer
! scope="col" | Executive<br>producer
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
!scope=row|1987
| ''[[Nightflyers (film)|Nightflyers]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| Based on the novella of the same name
|-
!scope=row|2015
| ''[[Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| Himself<ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Katie Lloyd |date=July 23, 2015 |title=Why Game of Thrones Creator George R. R. Martin Was in Sharknado 3 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2015/07/23/why-game-of-thrones-creator-george-r-r-martin-was-in-sharknado-3 |access-date=July 7, 2025 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref>
|-
!scope=row|2018
| ''Meow Wolf: Origin Story''
| {{Yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| Documentary, Himself
|-
!scope=row|2025
| ''[[In the Lost Lands]]''
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| Based on the short story of the same name<ref>{{cite web |last=Grobar |first=Matt |title=Vertical Acquires Paul W. S. Anderson's Fantasy Actioner 'In The Lost Lands' Starring Milla Jovovich & Dave Bautista |url=https://deadline.com/2024/09/dave-bautista-movie-in-the-lost-lands-acquired-vertical-1236093077/ |website=Deadline |date=September 19, 2024 |access-date=September 21, 2024}}</ref>
|}

=== Television ===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title
! scope="col" | Actor
! scope="col" | Writer
! scope="col" | Executive<br>producer
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
!scope=row|1984
| ''[[The Hitchhiker (TV series)|The Hitchhiker]]''
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| Episode: "Remembering Melody"<br>based on the short story ''Remembering Melody''
|-
!scope=row|1986
| ''[[The Twilight Zone (1985 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| 5 episodes
|-
!scope=row|1987–1990
| ''[[Beauty and the Beast (1987 TV series)|Beauty and the Beast]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{Partial|Co-supervising}}
| Wrote 13 episodes, role: Subway rider, Restaurant Patron
|-
!scope=row|1993
| ''[[Doorways]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| Unaired pilot
|-
!scope=row|1995
| ''[[The Outer Limits (1995 TV series)|The Outer Limits]]''
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| Episodes: "[[The Sandkings]]"<br>based on [[Sandkings (novelette)|Sandkings]]
|-
!scope=row|2011–2019
| ''[[Game of Thrones]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{Partial|Co-executive}}
| Wrote episodes: "[[The Pointy End]]", "[[Blackwater (Game of Thrones)|Blackwater]]", "[[The Bear and the Maiden Fair]]" and "[[The Lion and the Rose]]"<br>cameo in original unaired pilot
|-
!scope=row|2014
| ''[[Robot Chicken]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| Roles: Himself/Father (voices)
|-
!scope=row|2015
| ''[[Z Nation]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| Himself
|-
!scope=row|2018
| ''[[Nightflyers (TV series)|Nightflyers]]''
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| Based on the novella and series of short stories of the same name
|-
!scope=row|2022–present
| ''[[House of the Dragon]]''
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| Creator
|-
!scope=row|2022–present
| ''[[Dark Winds]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| Cameo in season 3, episode 1
|-
!scope=row|2026
| ''[[A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (TV series)|A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms]]''
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| Post-production, creator
|}

=== Video games ===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title
! scope="col" | Writer
! scope="col" | Executive<br />producer
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
!scope=row|2012
| ''[[Game of Thrones (2012 video game)|Game of Thrones]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
|
|-
!scope=row|2022
| ''[[Elden Ring]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| [[Worldbuilding]]
|}

== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="middlename">{{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=live |access-date=January 21, 2012 }}</ref>
<ref name="confirmation">{{cite news |url=http://tamutimes.tamu.edu/2013/03/22/author-george-r-r-martin-is-visiting-texas-am-talks-game-of-thrones-and-texas-am-libraries/ |title=Author George R.R. Martin Is Visiting Texas A&M, Talks "Game of Thrones" and Texas A&M Libraries |publisher=Texas A&M University |work=TAMUTimes |date=March 22, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130326010252/http://tamutimes.tamu.edu/2013/03/22/author-george-r-r-martin-is-visiting-texas-am-talks-game-of-thrones-and-texas-am-libraries |archive-date=March 26, 2013}}</ref>
<ref name="grrm">{{cite news|url=http://www.timesrecordnews.com/news/2011/sep/22/quest-into-world-of-fantasy-books-can-be-hobbit//|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130409090228/http://www.timesrecordnews.com/news/2011/sep/22/quest-into-world-of-fantasy-books-can-be-hobbit//|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 9, 2013|title=Choate: Quest into world of fantasy books can be hobbit-forming|last=Choate|first=Trish|date=September 22, 2011|work=[[Times Record News]]|access-date=February 28, 2012}}</ref>
}}

== External links ==
{{Sister project links|d=Q181677|c=category:George R. R. Martin|n=no|b=no|v=no|voy=no|m=no|mw=no|s=no|wikt=no|species=no}}
{{Library resources box}}
* {{official website}}
* {{LiveJournal|grrm|George R. R. Martin}}
* {{IMDb name|0552333}}
* {{IBList |type=author|id=326|name=George R. R. Martin}}
* {{ISFDB name|name=George R. R. Martin}}
* [http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=martin_george_r_r George R. R. Martin] at the [[The Encyclopedia of Fantasy|Encyclopedia of Fantasy]]
* [http://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/martin_george_r_r George R. R. Martin] at the [[The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction|Encyclopedia of Science Fiction]]

{{George R. R. Martin|state=expanded}}
{{A Song of Ice and Fire}}
{{Martin-Dozois anthologies}}
{{Hugo Award Best Novella}}
{{Hugo Award Best Short Story 1961–1980}}
{{Inkpot Award 1980s}}
{{Locus Award Best Novella}}
{{Locus Award Best Short Story}}
{{Nebula Award Best Novelette}}
{{World Fantasy Award Best Anthology}}
{{World Fantasy Award Best Novella}}
{{World Fantasy Award Life Achievement}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, George R. R.}}
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