The first volume in the hugely popular and highly-acclaimed cult fantasy series. There is passion here, and misery and charm, grandeur and squalor, tragedy, nobility and courage. Summers span decades. Winter can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun. It will stretch from the south, where heat breeds plot, lusts and intrigues; to the vast and savage eastern lands; all the way to the frozen north, where an 800-foot wall of ice protects the kingdom from the dark forces that lie beyond. Kings and queens, knights and renegades, liars, lords and honest men...all will play A Game of Thrones. Winter is coming...
George Raymond Richard "R.R." Martin was born September 20, 1948, in Bayonne, New Jersey. His father was Raymond Collins Martin, a longshoreman, and his mother was Margaret Brady Martin. He has two sisters, Darleen Martin Lapinski and Janet Martin Patten.
Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children for pennies, dramatic readings included. Later he became a comic book fan and collector in high school, and began to write fiction for comic fanzines (amateur fan magazines). Martin's first professional sale was made in 1970 at age 21: The Hero, sold to Galaxy, published in February, 1971 issue. Other sales followed.
In 1970 Martin received a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, graduating summa cum laude. He went on to complete a M.S. in Journalism in 1971, also from Northwestern.
As a conscientious objector, Martin did alternative service 1972-1974 with VISTA, attached to Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation. He also directed chess tournaments for the Continental Chess Association from 1973-1976, and was a Journalism instructor at Clarke College, Dubuque, Iowa, from 1976-1978. He wrote part-time throughout the 1970s while working as a VISTA Volunteer, chess director, and teacher.
In 1975 he married Gale Burnick. They divorced in 1979, with no children. Martin became a full-time writer in 1979. He was writer-in-residence at Clarke College from 1978-79.
Moving on to Hollywood, Martin signed on as a story editor for Twilight Zone at CBS Television in 1986. In 1987 Martin became an Executive Story Consultant for Beauty and the Beast at CBS. In 1988 he became a Producer for Beauty and the Beast, then in 1989 moved up to Co-Supervising Producer. He was Executive Producer for Doorways, a pilot which he wrote for Columbia Pictures Television, which was filmed during 1992-93.
Martin's present home is Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (he was South-Central Regional Director 1977-1979, and Vice President 1996-1998), and of Writers' Guild of America, West.
Really getting addicted to this series. The second part was filled with totally unexpected events. The back to back deaths of the great Kings and Theon taking up the Winterfell was totally a shocker to me. Looking forward to the next part in this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Honestly, I’ve probably given this 5 stars instead of 4, because of the cultural significance. Maybe I’ll move it down if I reflect on it.
(EDIT: I have downgraded it to 4. As I get through the second (audio)book, also split into two parts, I realise I mustn't let society influence me. These are so far 4 stars. They are too long. The next book may well only make it to 3.)
I can’t really say anything new on it, I’m sure. I enjoyed listening to the book far more than watching the series - in fact I think I’ve given up on the TV series (I’m halfway through series 2 now, the farthest I’ve gone).
The beginning of this part of book 1 dragged on, and it probably didn’t help that I already knew what was going to happen thanks to the show. I think listening I may have dipped in and out some, but honestly when watching the show, I once went a whole 40 min before I realised I’d stopped paying attention. It could be down to details the show just couldn’t quite capture that made the text far more interesting. Also interesting to see what the TV wouldn’t show.
Besides it dragging on a bit, my only other complaint is Roy Dotrice’s voice for Drogo. It was quite cartoonish. But no hate on Roy Dotrice - RIP to a man who managed to read a series of books far longer than the Bible and one that feels like it has as many characters to it.