George R. R. Martin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids George R. R. Martin
Martin in 2017
Born	George Raymond Martin (1948-09-20) September 20, 1948 (age 76) Bayonne, New Jersey, U.S.
Occupation	Novelist television writer short story writer
Education	Northwestern University (BS, MS)
Period	1965–present
Genre	Fantasy horror science fiction
Notable works	A Song of Ice and Fire Wild Cards anthology series The Thousand World stories
Spouses	Gale Burnick ​ ​ (m. 1975; div. 1979)​ Parris McBride ​ (m. 2011)​
Signature

George Raymond Richard Martin (born George Raymond Martin; September 20, 1948) is an American author and TV producer. He is often called G.R.R.M. He is most famous for writing the epic fantasy book series A Song of Ice and Fire. These books were made into the popular TV show Game of Thrones (2011–2019). A new show called House of the Dragon (2022–present) is also based on his work. George R. R. Martin also helped create the Wild Cards book series. He even helped create the world for the video game Elden Ring (2022).

In 2005, Time magazine called Martin "the American Tolkien". In 2011, he was on the Time 100 list of the world's most influential people. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The city even has a special day for him on March 29.

George R. R. Martin's Early Life

George Raymond Martin was born on September 20, 1948, in Bayonne, New Jersey. He added the name Richard when he was 13 years old. His father, Raymond Collins Martin, was a longshoreman. His mother was Margaret Brady Martin. His mother's family used to be very rich. They had a successful building business. But they lost everything during the Great Depression. George was reminded of this every day.

His family first lived in a house belonging to his great-grandmother. In 1953, they moved to a housing project near the Bayonne docks. As a child, George's world was small. It was mostly between his school and his home. This made him want to travel and see other places. Since he couldn't travel much, he used his imagination. He became a huge reader.

How George R. R. Martin Started Writing

George started writing and selling monster stories to other kids. He would even read them aloud for a few pennies. He stopped when a customer's mom complained about her child's nightmares. He also wrote stories about his pet turtles. The turtles often died in their toy castle. So, he decided they were killing each other in "sinister plots." Martin often started "endless stories" but didn't finish them. They didn't turn out as well as he imagined.

George went to Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He loved comic-books, especially Marvel Comics superheroes. He said Stan Lee was one of his biggest writing influences. Martin's letters to the editor were printed in Fantastic Four comics. This led him to join the early comics fandom. He wrote stories for fan magazines called fanzines. In 1964, he bought the first ticket to the world's first Comic-Con in New York. In 1965, he won an Alley Award for his superhero story "Powerman vs. The Blue Barrier."

In 1970, Martin earned a degree in journalism from Northwestern University. He also got a master's degree in journalism in 1971. During the Vietnam War, he was eligible for the draft. But he was a conscientious objector, meaning he opposed the war. Instead, he did two years of alternative service work. He worked as a VISTA volunteer from 1972 to 1974.

George R. R. Martin's Career

Early Writing Career

Martin began selling science fiction short stories in 1970, when he was 21. His first story, "The Hero," was published in Galaxy magazine in 1971. His story "With Morning Comes Mistfall" was nominated for the Hugo Award in 1973. His first novel, Dying of the Light, was published in 1977. That same year, Star Wars became a huge hit. This greatly affected the publishing world. Martin sold his novel for the same amount he would earn in three years of teaching.

The money from his early short stories was not enough to pay his bills. He wanted to be a full-time writer. At the same time, chess became very popular in America. This happened after Bobby Fischer won the world chess championship in 1972. Martin was good at chess. He was hired as a tournament director for the Continental Chess Association. This job gave him enough money. Since tournaments were only on weekends, he could write five days a week from 1973 to 1976. By the time chess became less popular, he was already a well-known writer.

Teaching and Full-Time Writing

In the mid-1970s, Martin met English professor George Guthridge. Martin convinced Guthridge to try writing speculative fiction. Guthridge later became a successful science fiction and fantasy writer. Guthridge helped Martin get a job at Clarke University (then Clarke College). Martin said he "wasn't making enough money to stay alive" from writing and chess. From 1976 to 1978, Martin taught English and journalism at Clarke. He was also the Writer In Residence from 1978 to 1979.

In 1977, his friend and fellow author Tom Reamy died suddenly. This made Martin think about his own life. He decided to try to become a full-time writer. In 1979, he quit his job and moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico. He lived alone for almost three years. He said this was a very productive time for his writing.

Martin is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). He was a director and vice-president for the group. In 1976, Martin and his friend Gardner Dozois started the first Hugo Losers' Party. This party was for writers who had been nominated for a Hugo Award but didn't win. Martin lost two Hugo Awards that year. Many of Martin's early works are science fiction stories. They are set in a future called "The Thousand Worlds."

In 2017, Martin said he started writing science fiction-horror stories in the late 1970s. He wanted to prove a critic wrong. The critic said science fiction and horror could not mix. Martin's story Sandkings (1979) is the most famous of these. Another was the novella Nightflyers (1980). This story was made into a film in 1987. Martin helped write the movie script. He was not happy about cutting parts of the story due to the film's small budget. But he believes the film saved his career. He thinks everything he has written since then exists because of that movie.

In 1982, Martin published a vampire novel called Fevre Dream. It is set in the 19th century on the Mississippi River. In this book, vampires are not supernatural. They are a different species related to humans. Critic Don D'Amassa called it "one of the greatest vampire novels of all time." Martin then wrote another horror novel, The Armageddon Rag (1983). This book did not sell well. Martin said it "destroyed my career as a novelist at the time." He even thought about going into real estate instead.

In 1984, an editor asked Martin to write more stories about a character named Haviland Tuf. Martin was busy with another book. But after The Armageddon Rag failed, no editors wanted his new novel. Needing money, he wrote more Tuf stories. These were collected in Tuf Voyaging. It sold well. Then, he got an offer from Hollywood. A producer wanted to make The Armageddon Rag into a film. The movie didn't happen. But Martin stayed in touch with the producer. When the producer worked on The Twilight Zone, Martin was offered a writing job. Writing for TV paid much better. So, he moved to Hollywood. He worked as a staff writer and story consultant.

After The Twilight Zone was canceled, Martin worked on the science fiction show Max Headroom. He wrote scripts for it. But the show was canceled before his scripts were used. Martin was then hired as a writer-producer for Beauty and the Beast. He wrote 14 episodes for this show.

In 1987, Martin published a collection of horror stories called Portraits of His Children. During this time, he also edited the Wild Cards book series. This series has many authors. It is set in a shared universe where people get superpowers after an alien virus is released. Martin's own contributions to Wild Cards include Thomas Tudbury, "The Great and Powerful Turtle". This character is a powerful psychokinetic who flies in an armored VW Beetle. As of 2011, 21 Wild Cards books had been published. Martin signed contracts for more books in the series.

In 2016, Martin announced that Universal Cable Productions would adapt the Wild Cards novels into a TV series. He said he would not write for the show. He wanted to focus on A Song of Ice and Fire.

In 2014, Martin said in a BBC interview that he writes using WordStar software. He uses an MS-DOS computer. He does this because he doesn't like spell-check. It also helps him avoid internet distractions. He uses a separate computer for internet tasks.

A Song of Ice and Fire Series

Teaching at Clarion West, 1998

In 1991, Martin went back to writing novels. He was frustrated that his TV shows and scripts were not being made. TV production had limits like budgets and episode lengths. These limits forced him to cut characters and battle scenes. This made Martin want to write books again. With books, he didn't have to worry about limiting his imagination. He admired J. R. R. Tolkien's work as a child. He wanted to write his own epic fantasy.

His epic fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire, was inspired by the Wars of the Roses. It was also inspired by The Accursed Kings and Ivanhoe. Martin first thought it would be three books. Now, it is planned to have seven. The first book, A Game of Thrones, was published in 1996. Then came A Clash of Kings in 1998 and A Storm of Swords in 2000. In 2005, A Feast for Crows, the fourth book, became a The New York Times No. 1 Bestseller. The fifth book, A Dance with Dragons, was published in 2011. It became an international bestseller. It stayed on the New York Times list for 88 weeks.

In 2012, A Dance with Dragons was nominated for many awards. These included the Hugo Award and World Fantasy Award. It won the Locus Poll Award for Best Fantasy Novel. Two more books are planned in the series: The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring.

In 2018, Martin announced his new book, Fire & Blood. This book tells the history of House Targaryen. It was released in November 2018. Martin has said that if he dies before finishing A Song of Ice and Fire, other writers will not finish the series for him.

Game of Thrones TV Show

HBO bought the TV rights for A Song of Ice and Fire in 2007. George R. R. Martin was very involved in making the TV show. He helped choose the production team. He also helped write the scripts. He is listed as a co-executive producer of the series. The first episode was filmed in 2009. HBO executives did not like it at first. In March 2010, HBO decided to make the series. They asked for the first episode to be re-shot.

The first episode, "Winter Is Coming", aired on HBO on April 17, 2011. It was watched by 2.2 million viewers. The first season was nominated for 13 Emmy Awards. It won two: one for its opening credits and one for Peter Dinklage as Best Supporting Actor.

HBO ordered a second season in April 2011. The second season had a bigger budget. This allowed them to film the important Battle of the Blackwater. George R. R. Martin wrote this episode. Filming took 106 days. Two crews worked at the same time in different places. The second season aired from April to June 2012. Viewership grew to 4.2 million by the finale. The second season won six Emmy Awards.

Game of Thrones became very popular after the second season. HBO ordered a third season in April 2012. Filming began in July 2012. The third season is based on the first half of A Storm of Swords. The showrunners said A Storm of Swords needed two seasons because it was so long. They also said they were adapting the whole series, not just individual books. This allowed them to move scenes around. The third season used Valyrian languages for the first time. A linguist created these languages based on Martin's few words. The third season aired from March to June 2013. It was watched by 14.2 million viewers. It won two Emmy Awards.

HBO ordered a fourth season in April 2013. Filming began in July 2013. This season adapted the second half of A Storm of Swords. It also used parts of A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons. The showrunners wrote most of the episodes. George R. R. Martin wrote one episode. Filming lasted 136 days. The fourth season aired from April to June 2014. It received very good reviews. It won four Emmy Awards. With its fourth season, Game of Thrones became the most-watched HBO series ever. It averaged 18.4 million viewers.

Martin wrote one episode for each season up to the fourth. In 2022, Martin said he was less involved with the show during the last four seasons. In the early seasons, he wrote scripts and helped with casting. But over time, he focused more on his next "Thrones" novel, The Winds of Winter. After the huge success of the fourth season, HBO ordered the fifth and sixth seasons. Filming for the fifth season began in July 2014. This season adapted storylines from A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons. It also had new content not in Martin's books. This season won a Guinness World Record. It won 12 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series.

The sixth season had a budget over $100 million. Filming began in July 2015. It took place in five countries. This season's plot started to move away from the books. Some of the story came from Martin's upcoming book, The Winds of Winter. The season received good reviews. The "Battle of the Bastards" episode was highly praised. Viewership rose to 8.9 million by the finale. The season won 12 Emmy Awards.

HBO ordered the seventh season in 2016. Production was delayed due to weather needed for filming. Filming began in August 2016. Unlike earlier seasons, the seventh and eighth seasons had mostly new content. This season had only seven episodes. The showrunners said they couldn't make 10 episodes in the usual time. The average episode was about 63 minutes long. The series received 22 Emmy nominations and won 9.

The final season took a year to produce. It had only six episodes. But the average episode was 68 minutes long. "The Long Night" was 81 minutes. Critics had mixed reviews for the season. They praised the acting, production, and music. But they criticized the shorter length and some story choices. Many found it a disappointing end to the series. Despite this, the season received 32 Emmy nominations. This was the most for a single TV season ever. It won twelve, including Outstanding Drama Series.

Three years after Game of Thrones ended, a prequel series premiered. House of the Dragon aired on HBO in August 2022. It is based on parts of Fire & Blood. The series is set about 200 years before Game of Thrones. Five days after it premiered, HBO ordered a second season.

In June 2022, it was reported that a Jon Snow sequel series was being planned. Kit Harington would play Jon Snow again. Martin confirmed he was involved. Harington had the idea for the show. Martin also said three other live-action series were being developed. These include 10,000 Ships, 9 Voyages (also called Sea Snake), and the Dunk & Egg prequel series. In January 2021, an animated drama series was announced for HBO Max. Two more animated series were also in development. One is set in Yi Ti, a nation in Essos like ancient China.

Themes in George R. R. Martin's Work

Literary critic Jeff VanderMeer described Martin's work as having "complex story lines, fascinating characters, great dialogue, perfect pacing." Dana Jennings of the New York Times called Martin's work "fantasy for grown ups." Lev Grossman said it was dark and serious. Martin's first novel, Dying of the Light, set the mood for his future work. It takes place on a planet that is slowly becoming unlivable. This story has a strong feeling of sadness.

Martin in November 2016

His characters are often unhappy or unsatisfied. They sometimes hold onto idealisms in a harsh world. They are often troubled by their own selfish or violent actions. Many characters are like tragic heroes or antiheroes. Reviewer T. M. Wagner wrote that Martin "shares Shakespeare's fondness for the senselessly tragic."

The overall dark mood of A Song of Ice and Fire can be hard for some readers. But for many fans, this "realness" is what they love. Characters have flaws, and things are not always clear. There are often sudden plot twists. This makes the stories exciting, even with their brutality and complex plots. As TM Wagner said, "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."

Martin's characters are complex. They have detailed pasts, hopes, and goals. Publishers Weekly wrote about A Song of Ice and Fire: "The complexity of characters such as Daenerys, Arya and the Kingslayer will keep readers turning even the vast number of pages... for the author... makes us care about their fates." Important characters often face bad luck, injury, or death. Martin said he kills off important characters to make the story deeper. He wants readers to be afraid to turn the page. He wants to show that the story is serious.

Martin's work is different from others. He focuses on realism and believable social dynamics. He avoids relying too much on magic. He also avoids a simple "good versus evil" idea. He criticizes how some fantasy writers simplify J. R. R. Tolkien's themes. He calls it "Disneyland Middle Ages." These stories ignore differences between medieval and modern societies. Martin has been called "the American Tolkien." While he is inspired by Tolkien, he wants to explore the complexities of real power. He believes that "just having good intentions doesn't make you a wise king." Martin is known for helping create grimdark fantasy. This is a modern fantasy style that reacts to Tolkien's idealism.

The author bases his work on historical fiction. He uses elements from European medieval times. These include the strict class system of feudal societies. This system was often brutal and affected many generations. Even though A Song of Ice and Fire is a fantasy series with magic, Martin makes sure magic is just one part of the story. It is not the main focus. He learned this from reading Tolkien. Martin's main goal is to explore the internal conflicts that define the human condition. He believes this is the only reason to read any literature.

In 2018, Martin named The Lord of the Rings, The Great Gatsby, Gone with the Wind, Great Expectations, Lonesome Dove, Catch-22, and Charlotte's Web as his favorite books. He called them "towering masterpieces, books that changed my life."

George R. R. Martin as a Producer

In 2017, Martin confirmed he would be an executive producer for the HBO TV show Who Fears Death. This show is based on a novel by Nnedi Okorafor. Martin also helped create the world for the 2022 video game Elden Ring. In 2021, it was reported that Martin and Kalinda Vazquez were making a TV show based on Roadmarks by Roger Zelazny. Martin will be an executive producer for this show. In March 2021, he signed a deal with HBO.

Martin will also be an executive producer for the Peacock TV show based on his Wild Cards book series. He is also an executive producer for the 2022 AMC series Dark Winds. This show is based on Tony Hillerman's books. In 2021, Martin helped produce the short film Night of the Cooters.

George R. R. Martin and His Fans

Martin signing books in a bookstore in Ljubljana, Slovenia (June 2011)

Martin writes actively on his blog, Not a Blog. In April 2018, he moved his blog to his own website.

Martin's official fan club is called the "Brotherhood Without Banners." They have a regular discussion board on the westeros.org website. This site focuses on his A Song of Ice and Fire series. At the yearly World Science Fiction Convention, the Brotherhood Without Banners hosts a large party for all members.

Martin does not like fan fiction. He sees it as copyright infringement. He also thinks it is not good for new writers to develop their own skills.

Conventions and Public Appearances

Martin often attends science fiction conventions and comics conventions. He is known for being friendly with his fans. Since the early 1970s, he has attended many regional science fiction conventions. Since 1986, he has gone to Bubonicon, a smaller convention near his home in New Mexico. He was the special guest at the 61st World Science Fiction Convention in Toronto in 2003.

In December 2016, Martin was a main speaker at the Guadalajara International Book Fair in Mexico. There, he gave hints about his next two books in the A Song of Ice and Fire series.

In 2020, Martin was the "toastmaster" for the Hugo Awards. During the event, he mispronounced some names. One was R. F. Kuang's name. She felt this was disrespectful. Martin later apologized for mispronouncing the names.

George R. R. Martin's Personal Life

Martin at LoneStarCon 3 (the 71st World Science Fiction Convention), 2013

In the early 1970s, Martin was in a relationship with author Lisa Tuttle. They wrote Windhaven together.

He met his first wife, Gale Burnick, at a science fiction convention. They married in 1975. They moved to Dubuque in 1976. They both disliked the cold winters there. In 1979, he quit his job, and they decided to move to New Mexico. They had "fallen in love" with Santa Fe the year before. His wife bought a house there. Martin stayed behind to sell their home and finish the semester. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1979. He settled in Santa Fe alone until September 1981. That's when his longtime partner, Parris McBride, moved in with him. On February 15, 2011, Martin married McBride in a small ceremony at their Santa Fe home. They had a larger wedding reception in August 2011. They do not have children.

He and McBride support the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary in New Mexico. In 2013, he bought Santa Fe's Jean Cocteau Cinema and Coffee House. It had been closed since 2006. He had the theater completely restored. It now shows both old 35mm films and new digital ones. The Cocteau reopened in August 2013. In 2019, he opened a bookstore called Beastly Books next to the cinema. Martin has also supported Meow Wolf, an arts group in Santa Fe. He pledged $2.7 million for a new art space in 2015.

When asked about his religious views, Martin said he is a "lapsed Catholic." He considers himself an atheist or agnostic. He finds religion and spirituality interesting. He would like to believe there is something more after life, but he cannot convince himself it makes sense.

Martin is a fan of the New York Jets, the New York Giants, and the New York Mets. He also likes the band Grateful Dead. He says their music may have influenced his work.

Martin has appeared as himself in TV shows. He was in an episode of Robot Chicken. He also appeared as a zombie version of himself in SyFy's Z Nation. In Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!, he is killed while watching a movie.

Philanthropy and Giving Back

In 2014, Martin started a campaign to raise money for the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary and the Food Depot of Santa Fe. He offered a special prize to one donor. They could go with him to the wolf sanctuary, take a helicopter ride, and have dinner. Martin also offered to name a character after donors who gave $20,000 or more. This character would then be "killed off" in an upcoming Song of Ice and Fire novel. The campaign raised over $500,000.

In 2017, Martin announced he was funding The Miskatonic Scholarship. This scholarship helps a writer of horror stories attend the Odyssey Writing Workshop. This is a six-week writing workshop in New Hampshire.

George R. R. Martin's Political Views

When he was young, Martin avoided being drafted into the Vietnam War. He was a conscientious objector. He believes the Vietnam War was a "terrible mistake for America." He generally opposes war.

In 2012, Martin supported Barack Obama for re-election. He called Obama the most intelligent president since Jimmy Carter. In 2014, Martin supported Democratic Senator Tom Udall of New Mexico.

In 2014, there was pressure to stop showing the film The Interview in theaters. The Jean Cocteau Cinema in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which Martin owns, decided to show the film. The theater manager said Martin strongly believes in the First Amendment. He thinks artists should be able to express their ideas without fear.

After Bernie Sanders lost in the U.S. Democratic primary elections, Martin supported Hillary Clinton for president. He criticized Donald Trump during and after the election. He said Trump would "become the worst president in American history." Some fans compared Trump to characters from A Song of Ice and Fire. Martin responded by saying Trump shared many traits with King Joffrey. King Joffrey is a widely disliked character in the series. Martin concluded that "Trump is a Grown-Up Joffrey."

In May 2019, Martin supported Joe Biden for president in 2020.

Awards and Honors

Awards and Nominations

State and Academic Honors

Filmography

Film

Television

Video Games

See also

In Spanish: George R. R. Martin para niños