Martin, George R. R. (1948-…), is a popular American author of fantasy and science-fiction stories. Martin is best known for his fantasy series “A Song of Ice and Fire.” Martin organizes the series as seven novels. Five have been published—A Game of Thrones (1996), A Clash of Kings (1999), A Storm of Swords (2000), A Feast for Crows (2005), and A Dance with Dragons (2011). The final two novels are to be titled The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring. Martin’s fantasy series was adapted into a popular cable television series called “Game of Thrones,” which ran from 2011 to 2019. Martin also was a co-creator of the television series “House of the Dragon,” which premiered in 2022 and is a prequel set nearly 200 years before “Game of Thrones.”
Much of the action of “A Song of Ice and Fire” takes place on a fictional continent called Westeros and a large area to the east called Essos. Most of the characters are human beings, but there are also fire-breathing dragons and supernatural beings, called Others, who can control the dead. One plot describes a civil war for control of Westeros among several families. Another concerns the threat of the Others. A third tells about Daenerys Targaryen, the daughter of the slain king of Westeros. Targaryen fled to Essos as a child, but she seeks to return to Westeros and reclaim her family’s throne. Martin weaves all three stories and several minor ones together. The action is narrated from the points of view of more than two dozen characters.
Martin was a science-fiction author before he began the fantasy series. His science-fiction novels include Dying of the Light (1977), his first novel, and Windhaven (with Lisa Tuttle, 1981). He has also written horror stories and a fantasy novel for children, The Ice Dragon (2006). Martin’s short stories have been published in such collections as A Song for Lya (1976) and Portraits of His Children (1987). Martin has also edited many volumes of science-fiction and superhero stories called the “Wild Cards” series. In addition, he edited several anthologies called “New Voices in Science Fiction.” Martin published two works that take place before the events of A Game of Thrones. Three short novels collected as A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (2015) take place nearly 100 years earlier. The novel Fire & Blood (2018) occurs 300 years earlier.
George Raymond Richard Martin was born on Sept. 20, 1948, in Bayonne, New Jersey. He attended Northwestern University, earning a B.S. degree in 1970 and an M.S. degree in 1971, both in journalism. In 1986 and 1987, Martin served as story editor for a revival of the “Twilight Zone” science-fiction anthology series. From 1988 to 1990, he was a producer for the “Beauty and the Beast” TV series. He wrote several scripts for both programs.
