George R. R. Martin

Infobox Writer
name = George R. R. Martin


imagesize = 250px
caption = George R. R. Martin (2007)
birthdate = birth date and age|1948|9|20
birthplace = Bayonne, New Jersey
deathdate =
deathplace =
occupation = Novelist
genre = Fantasy, Science-Fiction, Horror
movement =
notableworks = "A Song of Ice and Fire
influences = L. Frank Baum, Charles Dickens, Robert A. Heinlein, Robert E. Howard, J.R.R. Tolkien, Jack Vance, Roger Zelazny
influenced =
website = http://www.georgerrmartin.com/

George Raymond Richard Martin (September 20, 1948), sometimes referred to as GRRM, is an American author and screenwriter of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He is best known for his "A Song of Ice and Fire" series.

Biography

George R.R. Martin was born on September 20, 1948 in Bayonne, New Jersey. [cite web |url=http://www.georgerrmartin.com/life/ |title=Life & times of George R.R. Martin|accessdate=2008-10-07] As a youth, Martin became an avid reader and collector of comic books. "Fantastic Four" #20 (Nov 1963) features a letter to the editor he wrote while in high school. He credits the attention he received from this letter, as well as his following interest in fanzines, with his interest in becoming a writer. [Official site: [http://www.georgerrmartin.com/sp-goh84.html Speech at Electracon] , 23 June 1984. URL accessed 21 November 2006.]

Martin wrote short fiction in the early 1970s and while his start into the professional writer career was not easy (one of his stories was rejected by different magazines forty-two times) he was not discouraged and later on won several Hugo Awards and Nebula Awards. His first story to be nominated for Hugo and Nebula Award was "With Morning Comes Mistfall" published by Analog magazine in 1971. The story lost both Awards, but Martin didn't mind too much as joining "Hugo-and-Nebula Losers" Club was a big enough accomplishment for him [ [http://www.fantasy-fan.org/index.php/News/2008/9/12/George-RR-Martin-from-fanboy-to-filthy-pro/ From fanboy to filthy pro] ] .

Although much of his work is fantasy or horror, a number of his earlier works are science fiction occurring in a loosely-defined future history, known informally as 'The Thousand Worlds'. 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." [Turtledove, Harry, ed, with Martin H. Greenberg. "The Best Military Science Fiction of the 20th Century." New York: Ballantine, May 2001, p. 279-306.]

In the 1980s he turned to work in television and as a book editor. On television, he worked on the new "Twilight Zone" and "Beauty and the Beast" series. As an editor, he oversaw the lengthy "Wild Cards" cycle, which took place in a shared universe in which an alien virus bestowed strange powers or disfigurements on a slice of humanity during World War II, affecting the history of the world thereafter (the premise was inspired by comic book superheroes and a Superworld superhero role-playing game of which Martin was gamemaster). Contributors to the "Wild Cards" series included Stephen Leigh, Lewis Shiner, Howard Waldrop, Walter Jon Williams and Roger Zelazny. His own contributions to the series often featured Thomas Tudbury, "The Great and Powerful Turtle", a powerful psychokinetic whose flying "shell" consisted of an armored VW Beetle.

Martin's short story of the same name was adapted into the feature film "Nightflyers" (1987).

In 1996 Martin returned to writing novel-length stories, beginning his lengthy cycle "A Song of Ice and Fire" (ostensibly inspired by the Wars of the Roses and Ivanhoe), which is projected to run to seven volumes. In November of 2005, "A Feast for Crows", the fourth book in this series, became "The New York Times" #1 Bestseller and also achieved #1 ranking on "The Wall Street Journal" bestseller list. In addition, in September 2006 A Feast for Crows was nominated for both a Quill award, and the British Fantasy Award. [ [http://www.georgerrmartin.com/news.html A Feast for Crows award nominations] ] The series has received praise from [http://www.amazon.com/dp/product-description/0553801503#Review authors] , [http://reviews.publishersweekly.com/bd.aspx?isbn=0553103547&pub=pw publishers] , [http://www.sfsite.com/columns/best00b.htm readers] and [http://www.curledup.com/swords.htm critics] alike. Martin is currently engaged in writing "A Dance With Dragons", which is the fifth book in the series.

It was announced January, 2007 that HBO Productions has purchased the broadcast rights for the entire "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, with the author also serving as co-executive producer on the project. The plan calls for each book from the series to be filmed over an entire season's worth of episodes. Production will take place in Europe or New Zealand and Martin is reported to have agreed to script one episode per season. Further details are expected to be announced soon. [Michael Fleming. (2007-01-16), [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117957532.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 HBO turns 'Fire' into fantasy series: Cabler acquires rights to Martin's 'Ice'] . Variety.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-03.]

Martin has also been an instructor in journalism (in which he holds a master's degree) and a chess tournament director. In his spare time he collects medieval-themed miniatures [ [http://www.georgerrmartin.com/knights/index.html George R. R. Martin: Official website] Retrieved on 2007-11-03.] and continues to treasure his comic collection, which includes the first issues of "Spider-Man" and "Fantastic Four". Although he is fairly active on the internet, he notes: "I do my writing on a completely different computer than the one I use for email and the internet, in part to guard against viruses, worms, and nightmares like this. (...) I write with WordStar 4.0 on a pure DOS-based machine." [ [http://grrm.livejournal.com/9841.html LiveJournal post by grrm, putatively George R. R. Martin] . Retrieved on 2007-11-03.]

Themes

Critics have described Martin's work as dark and cynical. [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1129596,00.html "The American Tolkien"] by Lev Grossman, a Times article on Martin. Retrieved on 2007-11-03.] His first novel, "Dying of the Light", set the tone for most of his future work; it is set on a mostly abandoned planet that is slowly becoming uninhabitable as it moves away from its sun. This story, and many of Martin's others, have a strong sense of melancholy. His characters are often unhappy, or at least unsatisfied, and many have elements of tragic heroes. Reviewer T. M. Wagner writes, "Let it never be said Martin doesn't share Shakespeare's fondness for the senselessly tragic." [ T. M. Wagner. (2003), [http://www.sfreviews.net/stormofswords.html Review of "A Storm of Swords"] . Retrieved on 2007-11-03.] However, this gloominess can be an obstacle for some readers. The Inchoatus Group writes, "If this absence of joy is going to trouble you, or you’re looking for something more affirming, then you should probably seek elsewhere." [The Inchoatus Group. (2004-08-21), [http://www.inchoatus.com/Reviews/Review--A%20Storm%20of%20Swords,%20George%20Martin.htm Review of "A Game of Thrones"] . Retrieved on 2007-11-03.]

His characters are also multi-faceted, each with surprisingly intricate pasts, inspirations, and ambitions. Publisher's Weekly writes of his on-going epic fantasy "A Song of Ice and Fire" "The complexity of characters such as Daenarys [sic] , Arya and the Kingslayer will keep readers turning even the vast number of pages contained in this volume, for the author, like Tolkien or Jordan, makes us care about their fates." [ [http://reviews.publishersweekly.com/bd.aspx?isbn=0553106635&pub=pw Review of "A Storm of Swords"] by Publisher's Weekly] No one is given an unrealistic string of luck, however, so misfortune, injury, and death (and even false death) can befall any character, no matter how attached the reader has become. Martin once described his reasons for killing off characters as "...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." [ [http://www.geekson.com/archives/archiveepisodes/2006/episode080406.htm Geekson interview with George RR Martin, 08/04/06] ]

Fan relationship

In addition to writing, Martin is known for his regular attendance at science fiction conventions and his accessibility to fans. In the early 70s, critic and writer Thomas Disch identified Martin as a member of the "Labor Day Group", [ [http://www.georgerrmartin.com/sp-lasfs81.html "Literature, Bowling, and the Labor Day Group"] Essay by GRRM discussing his status as a member of the "Labour Day Group." Retrieved on 2007-11-03.] writers who congregated at the annual Worldcon, usually held around Labor Day.

Martin has a good relationship with his official fan club, the [http://www.bwbfanclub.com Brotherhood without Banners] , and has praised them in the past for their parties [ [http://www.bwbfanclub.com/fr_grrm.php "A Welcome From George"] . Bwfanclub.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-03.] and philanthropic efforts. [ [http://www.childsplaycharity.org/index.php www.childsplaycharity.org ] ] As of December 2006, the organization has over 1,000 official members listed on its website. [BwBfanclub.com. [http://www.bwbfanclub.com/mb_member.php "Members"] . Retrieved on 2007-11-03.]

Martin is opposed to fan fiction, believing it to be copyright infringement and bad exercise for aspiring writers. He does not give permission for any of his intellectual property to be used in fan fiction. [(1999-05-09), [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Fan_Fiction/ The Citadel] . Westeros.org. Retrieved on 2007-11-03. ]

Bibliography

Author

Novels

*"Dying of the Light" (1977)
*"Windhaven" (1981, with Lisa Tuttle)
*"Fevre Dream" (1982)
*"The Armageddon Rag" (1983)

*"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" (forthcoming)
**"The Winds of Winter" (forthcoming)
**"A Dream of Spring" (forthcoming)

*Hunter's Run (2007, expanded version of the novella "Shadow Twin," with Gardner Dozois and Daniel Abraham)

Novellas

*Night of the Vampyres, originally in [http://www.locusmag.com/index/s500.html "Amazing", 1975] , re-published in "The Best Military Science Fiction of the 20th Century"
*"The Skin Trade" (1989) from the three-author collection Dark Visions.

*"Tales of Dunk and Egg" series - set in the world of "A Song of Ice and Fire"
**"The Hedge Knight" (1998)
**"The Sworn Sword" (2003)
**"The Mystery Knight" (forthcoming)

*"Shadow Twin" (2004, with Gardner Dozois and Daniel Abraham)

Children's books

*"The Ice Dragon" (Originally printed in 1980 [ [http://www.greenmanreview.com/book/book_martin_icedragon.html Review of The Ice Dragon with a footnote on the original printing] ] , illustrated and re-printed October, 2006)

Collections

*"A Song for Lya" (1976)
*"Songs of Stars and Shadows" (1977)
*"Sandkings" (1981)
*"Songs the Dead Men Sing" (1983)
*"Nightflyers" (1985)
*"Tuf Voyaging" (1987, collection of linked stories)
*"Portraits of His Children" (1987)
*"Quartet" (2001)
*"" (2003; reissued 2006 and 2007 as "Dreamsongs")

Editor

Wild Cards (also contributor to many volumes)

*"Wild Cards I" (1987)
*"" (1987)
*"" (1987)
*"" (1988)
*"" (1988)
*"Wild Cards VI: Ace in the Hole" (1990)
*"Wild Cards VII: Dead Man's Hand" (1990)
*"Wild Cards VIII: One-Eyed Jacks" (1991)
*"Wild Cards IX: Jokertown Shuffle" (1991)
*"Wild Cards X: Double Solitaire" (1992)
*"Wild Cards XI: Dealer's Choice" (1992)
*"Wild Cards XII: Turn of the Cards" (1993)

*"" (1993)
*"" (1994)
*"" (1995) (these three books are a trilogy)

*"" (2002)
*"Wild Cards: Death Draws Five" (2006)
*"" (2008)
*"Wild Cards: Busted Flush" (forthcoming)
*"Wild Cards: Suicide Kings" (forthcoming)

Others

*"Warriors" a cross-genre anthology (forthcoming)
*"Songs of the Dying Earth" a tribute anthology to Jack Vance´s seminal Dying Earth series (forthcoming)

Awards

*"A Song for Lya" 1975 Hugo Award for Best Novella
*"Sandkings" 1980 Hugo Award for Best Novelette and Nebula Award for Best Novelette (the only one among George's stories to achieve that double)
*"The Way of Cross and Dragon" 1980 Hugo Award for Best Short Story
*"Portraits of His Children" 1986 Nebula Award for Best Novelette
*"The Pear-Shaped Man" 1988 Bram Stoker Award for Long Fiction
*"The Skin Trade" 1989 World Fantasy Award for Best Novella
*"Blood of the Dragon" 1997 Hugo Award for Best Novella
*"A Feast for Crows" 2006 Quill award and British Fantasy Award (nominated)

A more complete list of [http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/NomLit86.html#3371 Martin's awards and nominations] can be found at The "Locus" Index to Science Fiction Awards.

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.georgerrmartin.com/ George R. R. Martin official site]
* [http://grrm.livejournal.com/ Not A Blog: George R. R. Martin's Livejournal]
* [http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheGeorgeRRMartinPodcast George R. R. Martin's Podcast]
*IBList |type=author|id=326|name=George R.R. Martin

Interviews

* [http://nethspace.blogspot.com/2007/09/george-r.html Interview with George R.R. Martin at Neth Space]
* [http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/1209 Interview with George R.R. Martin] conducted by Jay Tomio at Fantasybookspot.com (June 2006)
* [http://www.sffworld.com/interview/186p0.html Interview with George R.R. Martin] at SFFWorld.com
* [http://www.abebooks.com/docs/Fantasy/george-martin.shtml Interview with George R. R. Martin in Abebooks.com]
* [http://radio.nationalreview.com/betweenthecovers/post/?q=YTdlOWVlNGYxMmFkZjE1ZTc2ODY2NDZmNzcwYmQyYTg= Audio interview with National Review Online]