Eddard " Ned " Stark , known as The Quiet Wolf , is a fictional character in the 1996 fantasy novel A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin and Game of Thrones , HBO 's adaptation of Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. In the storyline, Ned is the lord of Winterfell , an ancient fortress in the North of the fictional continent of Westeros . Though the character is established as the main character in the novel and the first season of the TV adaptation, a plot twist involving Ned near the end of the novel and the end of the first season shocked both readers of the book and viewers of the TV series.
185-407: George R. R. Martin 's A Song of Ice and Fire saga features a large cast of characters. The series follows three interwoven plotlines: a dynastic war for control of Westeros by several families; the rising threat of the undead White Walkers beyond the northern border of Westeros; and the ambition of Daenerys Targaryen , the exiled heir of the previous ruling dynasty. In Martin's fictional world,
370-527: A bastard son Jon Snow , as well as guardian to a ward boy Theon Greyjoy . He is a lifelong friend of King Robert Baratheon , the ruling monarch of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros , who personally visits Winterfell to invite and persuade Ned to become the new Hand of the King at the beginning of the novel. As the moral compass of the story, Ned is content to remain far from courtly intrigues and
555-468: A retiarius ); she is able to defeat Bran's direwolf , Summer, in mock combat by entangling the direwolf in her net. The legacy of Bran's late aunt Lyanna Stark is also largely narrated through her storytelling. The younger brother, Jojen, is thirteen when he first appears, but his sullen seriousness and maturity make him seem older. He is short and slim with unusually deep green eyes, and he wears green-colored clothing. He claims to have "greensight" and
740-496: A "golden crown all men will fear", and is killed as the Khal pours molten gold over his head. Daenerys names one of her dragons Viserion in his memory, though only out of respect for keeping her alive for years by protecting her and finding shelter in the free cities. Daenerys Targaryen , referred to sometimes as 'Daenerys Stormborn', 'Khaleesi', the 'Mother of Dragons', is the daughter and youngest child of King Aerys II Targaryen and
925-419: A 1987 film adaptation, Nightflyers , with a screenplay co-written by Martin. Martin was unhappy about having to cut plot elements in order to accommodate the film's small budget. 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. He has also written at least one piece of political-military fiction, "Night of
1110-443: A bad exercise for aspiring writers in terms of developing skills in worldbuilding and character development . Martin is known for his regular attendance at science fiction conventions 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
1295-431: 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
1480-469: A decision for four months after the pilot was delivered. In March 2010, HBO's decision to greenlight the series was announced, with the production of the series scheduled to start June 2010. HBO however demanded the first episode be reshot, and wanted all the scenes from Morocco scrapped. The first episode (" Winter Is Coming ") premiered on HBO in the United States and Canada on April 17, 2011. It
1665-412: 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 , 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. At first he worked as staff writer for the show, and then as an executive story consultant. After
1850-593: A giant following, but Thrones is not just about the promise you're going to see one of your favorite actors week in and week out. The star is the story". Bean noted that Ned's death "was as much a surprise to me as anyone" and called it "a very courageous move for a television company". The image of Bean as Ned Stark sitting in the Iron Throne is featured on the covers of the 2011 Season 1 DVD and Blu-ray Disc sets, released in March 2012. The character makes
2035-620: A grey direwolf running on a white field, and its words are Winter is Coming . Bastards born in the North are given the surname "Snow". House Stark had ruled as the Kings in the North for thousands of years until House Targaryen conquered Westeros, whereafter the Starks were known as the Lords of Winterfell and Wardens of the North. For prizing honor and devotion to duty, House Stark is the closest of
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#17327801911842220-434: 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. Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and later Marist High School . While there, he became an avid comic-book fan, developing a strong interest in the superheroes being published by Marvel Comics , and later credited Stan Lee for being one of his greatest literary influences; "Maybe Stan Lee
2405-517: 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 (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
2590-787: 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", 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. While Martin finds inspiration in Tolkien's legacy, he aims to go beyond what he sees as Tolkien's "medieval philosophy" of "if
2775-401: A missing ranging party, but he and his men also disappear. The bodies of two of his men are later found and brought back to Castle Black; they reanimate as undead wights and kill several men before they are destroyed, but no trace of Benjen has yet been found. Lyanna Stark is Eddard Stark's younger and only sister, and has been deceased for 14 years at the beginning of A Game of Thrones , but
2960-421: A place where people are playing games and backstabbing... he's a principled man who tries to hold things together. This is a journey that he makes where ultimately his loyalty causes his downfall." Publishers Weekly noted in 1996 that, despite the honest Ned Stark's intervention in court politics, "no amount of heroism or good intentions can keep the realm under control." From his very first introduction, Ned
3145-508: 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 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 feudal societies that is in many cases overlooked in fantasy writing. Even as A Song of Ice and Fire
3330-503: A political prisoner. During the 2014 San Diego Comic Con , George R. R. Martin stated that Jeyne Westerling will appear in the prologue of the sixth book, The Winds of Winter , but did not reveal whether she would be the prologue POV character. Lord Roose Bolton is a significant vassal of Lord Eddard Stark. His seat is the Dreadfort and his sigil is a flayed human, a homage to the ancient Bolton tradition of flaying enemies. He
3515-553: A powerful psychokinetic whose flying "shell" consisted of an armored VW Beetle . As of June 2011 , 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. In August 2016, Martin announced that Universal Cable Productions had acquired
3700-461: A public confession to save his daughters from Cersei's wrath, but Joffrey has Ned beheaded anyway. In the season 6 episode " Home ", Bran sees a vision of Ned ( Sebastian Croft ) as a child with his sister and brother, Lyanna and Benjen. In the following episode, " Oathbreaker ", Bran witnesses the battle between a young Ned ( Robert Aramayo ) and the knight Ser Arthur Dayne at the Tower of Joy. In
3885-470: A rare gift when a writer can invest his story with that much humanity. 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 , Arya and the Kingslayer will keep readers turning even the vast number of pages contained in this volume, for
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#17327801911844070-550: A rebellion against Aerys, with Robert personally killing Rhaegar in single combat at the Battle of the Trident, and ultimately overthrowing House Targaryen . Though Robert continues to vilify Rhaegar throughout A Game of Thrones , many other characters express admiration for him. Daenerys's stillborn son Rhaego and her dragon Rhaegal are named after Rhaegar. Viserys Targaryen is the seventh-born child of Aerys II Targaryen , and
4255-526: A return in the sixth season, under a recurring capacity, via flashback visions of his youth and childhood seen by Bran and the Three-Eyed Raven using Greensight. In season 1 , King Robert Baratheon travels to Winterfell and asks his old friend and closest ally Eddard "Ned" Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, to assume the position of Hand of the King after the sudden death of their mentor, Jon Arryn . Not interested in politics or
4440-768: 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 . 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
4625-460: A series in a single season and year, winning 12 out of 24 nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series . 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
4810-507: A sinister reputation for their flaying tradition. Their expanding dominion would also repel incursions of pirates and raiders, and secure control of the Neck through their vassals of House Reed. They would also gain a new vassal from the Reach after House Manderly was exiled, granting them White Harbor in exchange for protection against piracy. House Stark would ultimately unite the North and drive
4995-520: A sling on his back. When Winterfell is sacked and burnt, Hodor escapes north with Bran, Jojen, Meera, Rickon and Osha. Osha ( / ˈ oʊ ʃ ə / ) is a wildling woman who sneaks south of the Wall to escape the Others . When she and her fellow refugees try to kidnap Bran Stark in A Game of Thrones , she is captured by Robb Stark and taken back to Winterfell , eventually employed as a scullery maid , and
5180-507: A tough thing to build up a character and make somebody as memorable and impressive as Ned and then get rid of him. But at the same time it leads to a story that is so much more suspenseful because you truly have no idea what is going to happen and who is going to survive. In a review of the Game of Thrones TV episode " Baelor ", James Poniewozik wrote in Time that "the execution of Eddard Stark
5365-508: 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. 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
5550-407: 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" 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
5735-403: Is Walder, he is commonly called "Hodor" because that is the only word he is capable of saying. He is over seven feet tall, and hinted to possibly have giant ancestry. He has a friendly, childlike disposition and possesses great physical strength, though he is too timid and gentle to use it against others. After Bran Stark is crippled in A Game of Thrones , Hodor is tasked to carry him around in
List of A Song of Ice and Fire characters - Misplaced Pages Continue
5920-406: 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, 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,
6105-460: 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 . Showrunners 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. The fourth season premiered in
6290-612: Is assassinated by a member of his own Kingsguard, Jaime Lannister . Rhaegar Targaryen, the 'Last Dragon', was the eldest son of King Aerys II and the heir apparent to the Iron Throne , and the older brother to Viserys and Daenerys Targaryen . He died 14 years before the events of A Game of Thrones , and his life's tales are mainly narrated through the words of Jaime Lannister , Cersei Lannister , Barristan Selmy and Daenerys (via visions of sorcery), as well as commentaries by Eddard Stark , Aemon Targaryen , Jorah Mormont , Meera Reed , Jon Connington and Gilly . Rhaegar married
6475-743: Is best known as the author of the series of 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 called Martin "the American Tolkien ", and in 2011, he
6660-460: Is betrothed to Daryn Hornwood, heir to the Hornwood, but Jaime Lannister kills him alongside two of her brothers. Her father offers her to whoever captures Jaime Lannister, so the sadistic sellsword Vargo Hoat captures Jaime in the hope of becoming Lord of Karhold. However, after Rickard's death his uncle Arnolf Karstark plots to take control of Karhold. He declares for Stannis when he comes North in
6845-411: Is characterized by its reaction to Tolkien's idealism even though it owes a lot to Tolkien's work. 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". Similarly, Mark Lawrence , author of Prince of Thorns , was inspired by Martin and impressed by his Red Wedding scene. The author makes
7030-454: Is crucial to the story and its themes and everything that follows, but it's also a meta-message to the reader: don't take anything for granted here". James Hibberd of Entertainment Weekly stated that tricking the audience into thinking Ned is the hero and then killing him makes the series' story better. Writing that "the big twist here isn't that Ned Stark dies, but who the true protagonists of Game of Thrones are", Hibberd pointed out that
7215-432: Is designed to gain audience sympathy, from his strong sense of honor and moral compass to his compassion towards his wife and children. Readers are led to believe that Ned will be the main character of the series, but ultimately he is, from a literary perspective, a classic decoy protagonist . After struggling to keep himself and the kingdom on a moral path for the entire novel, the only option that remains to save his family
7400-400: 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: 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
7585-545: Is given limited freedom for her good behavior. She becomes close to Bran Stark and often gives him advice about the oncoming winter. When Theon Greyjoy captures Winterfell, Osha chooses to protect Bran and Rickon over her freedom. She joins Bran and Rickon hiding in Winterfell's crypt after faking escape. She later parts ways with Bran and is entrusted to take care of Rickon through the North in their escape, and by A Dance with Dragons , they are reported to have landed on
List of A Song of Ice and Fire characters - Misplaced Pages Continue
7770-470: Is his own bastard by a woman named Ashara Dayne. In actuality, he is the son of Lyanna and Rhaegar. Although Jon Arryn persuaded Robert to marry Cersei Lannister, Robert greatly mourns Lyanna for over a decade, causing great strain in his marriage with Cersei. Jeyne Westerling is the older daughter of Lord Gawen Westerling of the Crag, a Westerlands bannerman of House Lannister . She meets Robb Stark when he
7955-663: Is injured and his men are murdered. Robert reappoints Ned as Hand and commands him to have Catelyn release Tyrion and make peace with the Lannisters. While Robert departs for a boar hunt, Ned discovers that Tywin Lannister and his forces are laying siege to the Riverlands, the homeland of his wife's house, the Tullys. He demands Tywin present himself in King's Landing and sends a force to bring his bannermen to justice. Robert
8140-422: Is intensely loyal and protective of her "prince" as well as of her own brother, with Bran commenting that the only one who ever angers or upsets her is her brother, Jojen. Though she is never described as being particularly beautiful, both Theon Greyjoy and Bran Stark seem to consider her attractive. She is a skilled huntress and fights with a small fishing net and a three-pronged frog spear (similar in style to
8325-416: Is killed just as Ned discovers that his three children by Cersei were actually fathered by the queen's twin, Jaime. Before Ned is able to neutralize Cersei and place Robert's brother Stannis on the throne, he is betrayed by Littlefinger , and the queen has him imprisoned for treason. Ned's eldest son Robb calls in his father's banners and marches an army south in an attempt to rescue his father. Ned makes
8510-416: Is later killed by the Lannisters. When Catelyn helps Jaime escape in an attempt to recover her daughters, Rickard murders two of Jaime's cousins and has his army desert Robb to search the Riverlands for Jaime, offering his daughter Alys Karstark to whoever brings him the Kingslayer. Due to this Robb executes Rickard personally. Alys Karstark is the only daughter and youngest child of Lord Rickard Karstark. She
8695-627: Is mentioned in a flashback along with his friend Robert Baratheon and also repeatedly by other characters in the subsequent novels A Storm of Swords and A Dance with Dragons , including the surviving Stark children (who all remember him fondly), Stannis Baratheon , Jorah Mormont (who both affirm respect to his honor), House Manderly and numerous members of the Northern mountain clans (who all continue to hold great love to his name). The mountain clansmen, in particular, only join Stannis' march on
8880-439: Is mentioned in every published book in the series. She died at the age of 16 and was said to have been very beautiful by all who knew her as "a child-woman of surpassing loveliness" and "a wild beauty". She was also remembered as being headstrong and "had a touch of" the fabled Starks' "wolf blood", and was one of the best horse-riders in the North. She was betrothed to Robert Baratheon , who was deeply in love with her, although she
9065-541: Is nicknamed "the Leech Lord" for regular leechings meant to improve his health. Ramsay Snow is the bastard son of Lord Roose Bolton, later legitimized as Ramsay Bolton. He is known as the Bastard of Bolton or the Bastard of the Dreadfort. Ramsay is vicious, ruthless, psychopathic, sadistic, opportunistic, unpredictable, and fearless. He takes great pleasure and pride in torturing others and enthusiastically practices
9250-443: Is now a hostage ) and Arya (who has escaped alone and is missing), Ned makes a public confession of his "treason", but the sadistic Joffrey has Ned executed anyway for his own amusement and forced Sansa to view Ned's severed head mounted on a spike . In the follow-up novel A Clash of Kings , Ned's execution sparks an all-out conflict between House Stark and House Lannister, with other houses and pretenders also joining in against
9435-404: Is one of the last surviving members of House Targaryen. She serves as the point of view character in thirty-one chapters throughout A Game of Thrones , A Clash of Kings , A Storm of Swords , and A Dance with Dragons . Prince Aegon Targaryen, also known as Young Griff, is the only known son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell . Fifteen years before the events of the series, the infant Aegon
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#17327801911849620-482: Is portrayed as a noble hero and set up to be the heart of the story. With fifteen chapters devoted to his point of view , more than any single character in the novel, he is presented as a primary character in the series, and the main storyline of A Game of Thrones , the drama in King's Landing, is told entirely from his perspective. In the London Review of Books , John Lanchester writes that everything about Ned
9805-405: Is probably the first time a U.S. drama series has ever killed off its main character in the first season as part of its master creative plan … it's just … not done. You don't cast a star, put him on bus stops and magazine ads marketing the show, get viewers all invested in his story, and then dump him nine episodes later just because it arguably makes the story a bit more interesting. Hibberd echoed
9990-512: Is said to be on an island of cannibals, presumably Skagos. Jon Snow was raised as Ned Stark's illegitimate son and serves as the POV character in 42 chapters throughout A Game of Thrones , A Clash of Kings , A Storm of Swords , and A Dance with Dragons . He shares the Stark family values of honour, and tries to stay morally correct and honest, even when forced to act otherwise. He is theorized to be
10175-506: Is still infatuated with her betrothal to Prince Joffrey), and the duplicitous Littlefinger has also betrayed Ned and ordered the City Watch to arrest him instead of Cersei. With all of his entourage and guards slaughtered, Ned is charged with treason. A secret deal is struck through the spymaster Varys that Ned will be spared and sent to the penal Night's Watch if he declares Joffrey the rightful king. Fearing for his daughters Sansa (who
10360-430: Is taken back to Winterfell as Stark's ward and a de facto political hostage, although the Starks have treated Theon kindly like a family member. Ned rules the North with justice and praise for nine more years before the events of the novel. At the beginning of A Game of Thrones , Ned's convoy encounter an orphaned litter of direwolf pups and he decides to allow his children to adopt them, although his men suspect
10545-431: 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." Martin's ultimate aim is an exploration of the internal conflicts that define the human condition , which, in deriving inspiration from William Faulkner , he ultimately describes as
10730-633: 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. Martin is opposed to fan fiction , which he views as copyright infringement and
10915-570: Is the Lady of Winterfell , wife of Lord Eddard Stark , and mother to his children Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon. She is the daughter of Lord Hoster Tully of Riverrun; niece to Ser Brynden Tully (also known as the legendary "Blackfish") and sister to Lysa Arryn of the Vale and to Edmure Tully . She is murdered during the Red Wedding, and later resurrected as an undead, vengeful killer under
11100-445: Is the greatest literary influence on me, even more than Shakespeare or Tolkien." 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 ; he bought
11285-443: Is the only character to appear in all 5 books as a POV character. Brandon "Bran" Stark is the second son and fourth child of Eddard and Catelyn Stark. He serves as the third-person narrator of twenty-one chapters throughout A Game of Thrones , A Clash of Kings , A Storm of Swords , and A Dance with Dragons . In A Game of Thrones , he sees Queen Cersei and her brother Jaime Lannister committing incest , and Jaime pushes Bran from
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#173278019118411470-524: Is the second child and elder daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark. She serves as a POV character for 24 chapters throughout A Game of Thrones , A Clash of Kings , A Storm of Swords , and A Feast for Crows . Sansa is introduced as beautiful and demure. Arya Stark is the third child and younger daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark . She serves as a POV character for 33 chapters throughout A Game of Thrones , A Clash of Kings , A Storm of Swords , A Feast for Crows , and A Dance with Dragons . So far, she
11655-412: Is to put aside his honor; he does so, but is betrayed anyway. Calling Ned's execution "shocking", The New York Times noted in 2011 that the novel was "famous for dispatching a thoroughly admirable major character with whom readers have been identifying for most of the book". In an interview for Entertainment Weekly , author George R. R. Martin commented on this misdirection: I knew it almost from
11840-473: Is unwavering in his view of loyalty and honor. His family name, Stark, is a word play that both emphasizes the resilience of his noble family and serves as an indication of his personal resistance to moral compromise. Still, his boundaries are increasingly tested over the course of the novel. Finding himself a key player in the escalating political intrigue of King's Landing , Ned struggles as his own sense of honor draws him into corrupt goings-on at court. As
12025-460: Is without question one of the greatest vampire novels of all time". 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. In 1984, the new editor of Baen Books, Betsy Mitchell, called Martin to ask him if he had considered doing
12210-530: Is wounded, and falls in love with him during his convalescence. He marries her the next day to preserve her honour, in doing so breaking a marriage contract with House Frey . After Robb's departure for the Twins, Jeyne remains in Riverrun and does not witness the massacre. After the Red Wedding, she is granted a royal pardon. In A Feast for Crows , she is openly mourning and last appears riding to Casterly Rock as
12395-578: The CBS series was cancelled, Martin migrated over to the already-underway satirical science fiction series Max Headroom . He worked on scripts and created the show's "Ped Xing" character. However, before his scripts could go into production, the 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 ; in 1989, he became
12580-729: The Dunk & Egg prequel series (written by Steven Conrad ), tentatively titled either The Hedge Knight or Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. In January 2021, an animated drama series was announced as in development at HBO Max . 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 . Martin's work has been described as having "complex story lines, fascinating characters, great dialogue, perfect pacing" by literary critic Jeff VanderMeer . Dana Jennings of
12765-607: 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 . 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
12950-659: The Hugo Award and Nebula Awards was " With Morning Comes Mistfall ", published in 1973 in Analog magazine. In 1975 his story "...for a single yesterday" about a post-apocalyptic timetripper was selected for inclusion in Epoch , a science fiction anthology edited by Roger Elwood and Robert Silverberg. His first novel, Dying of the Light , was completed in 1976 right before he moved to Dubuque and published in 1977. That same year
13135-621: 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. He was the Guest of Honor at the 61st World Science Fiction Convention in Toronto, held in 2003. In December 2016, Martin was a key speaker at
13320-845: The New York Times described Martin's work as "fantasy for grown ups" and Lev Grossman wrote that it was dark and cynical. Martin's first 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 melancholy . His characters are often unhappy or, at least, unsatisfied, in many cases holding on to idealisms 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 heroes or antiheroes in them; reviewer T. M. Wagner writes: "Let it never be said Martin doesn't share Shakespeare's fondness for
13505-574: 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, World Fantasy Award, Locus Poll Award, and the British Fantasy Award; the novel went on to win the Locus Poll Award for Best Fantasy Novel. 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
13690-554: The Stormlands and another ward of Arryn's. Robert is eventually betrothed to Ned's sister Lyanna , but before he can marry her, Crown Prince Rhaegar Targaryen absconds with Lyanna. Ned's father and older brother Brandon go to King Aerys II Targaryen and demand that Lyanna be freed, only to be both sadistically executed by the so-called "Mad King". When King Aerys demands the killing of both Ned and Robert, Lord Arryn rises in revolt along with House Baratheon and Stark, and secures
13875-686: The draft during the Vietnam War , to which he objected , Martin applied for and obtained conscientious objector status; he instead did alternative service work for two years (1972–1974) as a VISTA volunteer, attached to the Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation. Martin began selling science fiction short stories professionally in 1970, at age 21. His first sale was "The Hero", sold to Galaxy magazine and published in its February 1971 issue; other sales soon followed. His first story to be nominated for
14060-573: The line of succession and his older brother Aemon chose to abdicate by joining the Night's Watch . He was called "Aegon the Unlikely" because as the fourth son of a fourth son, he was placed very low down the line of succession and therefore considered unlikely to inherit the Iron Throne. Aegon V's reign lasted more than twenty-five years, during which he tried to push policies more favorable to
14245-591: The three-eyed crow after Ramsay Snow sacks and burns Winterfell. At the end of A Storm of Swords , they travel beyond the Wall and Jojen becomes very weak. In A Dance with Dragons , Meera struggles to keep the group's spirits up but implies that Jojen's future is bleak. In Martin's fictional universe, House Targaryen ruled the Seven Kingdoms as Kings of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, and as Lords of
14430-408: The 2010 science fantasy novel Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor . Martin also contributed to the 2022 video game titled Elden Ring , writing the worldbuilding aspects for it. 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
14615-543: The American chess craze which followed Bobby Fischer 's victory in the 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
14800-484: The Bastards " episode received immense critical acclaim, with many calling it one of the best television episodes of all time. 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. Three days before the premiere of the episode " The Red Woman ", HBO ordered
14985-630: The Bolton custom of flaying their enemies. Roose suspects that Ramsay murdered Roose's legitimate heir and expects that Ramsay will kill all of Roose's future children. He is described as ugly, with blotchy skin and dry, dark hair. Rickard Karstark is the Lord of Karhold and one of the main Stark vassals. During the Battle of the Whispering Wood, Jaime Lannister kills two of his sons, who were guarding Robb Stark. Rickard's surviving son Harrion Karstark
15170-599: The Bolton-controlled Winterfell in honor of Ned's legacy. In A Feast for Crows , when Queen Dowager Cersei is sentenced to the walk of atonement by the Faith of the Seven , she is frequently haunted by the imaginary vision of Ned silently mocking her in the crowd. In January 2007 HBO secured the rights to adapt Martin's series for television. When the pilot went into production in 2009, one of
15355-952: The Dornish princess Elia Martell of Sunspear, and fathered with her a daughter named Rhaenys and son named Aegon . After winning the Tourney at Harrenhal, the greatest tourney in Westerosi history, he surprised everyone by passing over his wife Elia and crowning Lyanna Stark as the tourney's "Queen of Love and Beauty". One year later, he and Lyanna both disappeared, prompting rumors that he abducted and raped Lyanna. Enraged, Lyanna's oldest brother, Brandon, goes to King's Landing to confront Rhaegar, which results in both him and his father Lord Rickard being brutally executed by King Aerys. Lyanna's other older brother Eddard Stark , her betrothed Robert Baratheon , their foster father Jon Arryn and Brandon's father-in-law -to-be Hoster Tully then started
15540-531: The First Men, sacking Andalos and driving them back from the fortress of Moat Cailin. They would lose their strength at sea after a failed voyage across the Sunset Sea ended in all their ships being torched. House Stark would also aid the Night's Watch several times against wildling raids, defeating many Kings-beyond-the-Wall, and forming a second branch, called House Karstark. During Aegon's conquest of Westeros,
15725-719: The Free Cities of Essos. The Targaryens originally came from Valyria on the continent of Essos , one of forty Dragonlord families in the Valyrian Freehold, but not the most powerful. Before Valyria was destroyed, the Targaryens left for Dragonstone, the westernmost outpost of their empire. A century after the Valyrian "Doom", Aegon I Targaryen was approached by an alliance of some of the Free Cities against Volantis, Valyria's oldest colony, who sought to rebuild
15910-486: The Freehold under their rule, which Aegon consented to before defeating Volantis with his dragon, Balerion. With the Valyrian Freehold broken, Aegon turned west towards Westeros, intent on uniting the Seven Kingdoms under one ruler, with Dragonstone being the perfect staging point for his conquest, due to having deep waters for his fleet and within range of the continent. With the aid of his sister-wives, Rhaenys and Visenya,
16095-551: The Freys and Boltons when he attends Ramsay's wedding, even eating some himself. The Freys suspect him of murdering their kin, and when Little Walder is murdered (possibly by his cousin Big Walder Frey) their uncle Hosteen Frey attacks Wyman and cuts him in the neck. It is unclear if he survives. Hodor / ˈ h oʊ d ɔː r / is Old Nan's great-grandson and a slow-witted stable-boy at Winterfell . Although his real name
16280-488: The Freys present for their treachery. Wyman apparently has him executed but secretly executes a criminal in his place, leading to Cersei returning his heir. Wyman reveals to Davos he knows where Rickon Stark is hiding and will support Stannis if Davos returns him. Wyman is implied to have murdered the White Harbor Freys when their stay was over (thus keeping to guest right), then put them in pies which he serves to
16465-486: The Freys. Due to his heir being held captive Wyman cannot openly defy the Lannisters. Three Freys come to his city with Wendel's bones and a peace is apparently made, in which Wyman's granddaughters Wynafryd and Wylla will marry one of these Freys, Rhaegar Frey, and another of Walder Frey's grandsons, "Little" Walder Frey. When Davos Seaworth arrives in White Harbor to treat with Wyman to support Stannis, Davos denounces
16650-669: The Golden Company to support his invasion, landing his army in the Stormlands and capturing several castles, while also planning to lay siege to the Baratheon seat of Storm's End . George R. R. Martin George Raymond Richard Martin (born George Raymond Martin ; September 20, 1948) also known by the initials G.R.R.M. is an American author, television writer, and television producer. He
16835-596: The Great Houses of Westeros represent the Seven Kingdoms which exist on the continent: the North, the Iron Islands, the Vale of Arryn, the Westerlands, the Stormlands, the Reach, and Dorne. A massive wall of ice and old magic separates the Seven Kingdoms from the largely unmapped area in the most northern portion of the continent. Each chapter is narrated in the third-person limited point of view through
17020-457: The HBO adaptation, told Entertainment Weekly that when he read the novel: I was in shock. From your training in seeing so many movies and reading books, you know your hero is going to be saved ... Someone has something planned, because they're not really going to chop off his head—right up until the moment when they chopped off his head. I was shocked, and then admiring of George's ruthlessness. It's
17205-451: The Lannisters. Ned subsequently agrees to the appointment to protect Robert, and travels south to King's Landing with his daughters Sansa and Arya . Catelyn later comes to the capital in secret, under the protection of her childhood friend Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish , to tell Ned of an assassination attempt on their crippled young son Bran . Ned's longstanding mistrust of the Lannisters is further fueled by Littlefinger's confirmation that
17390-666: The Second, also called The Mad King, is the last Targaryen king to rule the Seven Kingdoms. While his rule started out well, he slowly descended into madness. His sister-wife Rhaella bore him eight children, but only three survived into adulthood: sons Rhaegar and Viserys and daughter Daenerys , who was not yet born when the Targaryen dynasty fell. After Rhaegar absconded with Lyanna Stark , Aerys had Ned Stark's father and brother executed, beginning Robert's Rebellion. When Aerys plans to burn King's Landing rather than let Robert rule, he
17575-459: The Starks intended to oppose the Targaryens, unwilling to bow to an outsider, but King Torrhen Stark knelt after hearing of the scorching of Harrenhal and the devastating outcome of the Field of Fire caused by the Targaryen dragons, becoming the first Warden of the North, and had a marriage alliance with House Arryn to keep the realm together. Over the course of the novels, the Starks are scattered by
17760-470: The Targaryens, using their three dragons, successfully conquered six of the Seven Kingdoms by destroying defiant houses and making subjects of submissive ones, with the seventh one peacefully joining the realm through marriage. Aegon built the Iron Throne with his enemies' swords and his dragon's flame, building the Red Keep as his throne room and King's Landing as his new capital. The Targaryen dragons were
17945-525: 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. 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. Up until
18130-826: The Vampyres", collected in Harry Turtledove 's anthology The Best Military Science Fiction of the 20th Century (2001). 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
18315-481: The Wall . In A Dance with Dragons , Bran meets the Three-Eyed-Crow: an alias of the last trained clairvoyant. Rickon Stark is Ned Stark's youngest child and is three years old in A Game of Thrones . When Theon Greyjoy captures Winterfell in A Clash of Kings , Rickon hides in the crypts. After Winterfell is sacked, he and the wildling woman Osha travel through the North . In A Dance with Dragons , he
18500-574: The War of the Five Kings the Manderlys and Boltons begin a private war over the Hornwood lands after Ramsay kidnaps the widowed Lady Donella Hornwood, Wyman's cousin, forces her to marry him and then starves her to death. Wyman's heir Wylis is captured when Roose Bolton treacherously sends a large Northern force to be wiped out by Randyll Tarly. Wyman's younger son Wendel is murdered at the Red Wedding by
18685-557: The War of the Five Kings, and the fate of the House remains uncertain, as most characters believe that all the legitimate Stark sons are dead. Eddard "Ned" Stark is the Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, and briefly serves as Hand of the King to Robert Baratheon. He is executed, by Joffrey's order, on the steps of the Great Sept of Baelor. He serves as a POV character for 15 chapters in A Game of Thrones . Catelyn Stark
18870-470: The Wildling leader Sigorn, Magnar of Thenn, in a ceremony performed by Melisandre, which will aid Wildling integration into the North. If Harrion dies childless, Karhold will pass to the newly formed House Thenn. Wyman Manderly is the Lord of White Harbor, the only city in the North, and the wealthiest of the Stark vassals. He is an enormously fat man, with two sons, Ser Wylis and Ser Wendel Manderly. During
19055-504: The appearance of direwolves to be a bad omen of a long, harsh winter. Later, Catelyn informs Ned that his mentor Jon Arryn, who had been serving as the Hand of the King , had died suddenly of illness, and that King Robert intends to offer Ned the position as Hand of the King. Content to be far from court intrigue, Ned is reluctant to accept the offer until he receives a letter from Arryn's widow, who believes that her husband had been poisoned by
19240-410: The author, like Tolkien or Jordan , makes us care about their fates." 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
19425-416: The beginning. Not the first day, but very soon. I've said in many interviews that I like my fiction to be unpredictable. I like there to be considerable suspense. I killed Ned in the first book and it shocked a lot of people. I killed Ned because everybody thinks he's the hero and that, sure, he's going to get into trouble, but then he'll somehow get out of it. David Benioff , executive producer and writer of
19610-578: The boy's maternal parentage. Meanwhile, Catelyn has delivered Ned's son and heir, Robb , conceived on their wedding night, and Ned continues raising Jon along with his subsequent children. Six years after the end of Robert's Rebellion, Balon Greyjoy , the Lord of the Iron Islands , declares independence from the Iron Throne . Ned aids King Robert in putting down the Greyjoy Rebellion. Balon surrenders, and his sole surviving heir, Theon ,
19795-454: The cast were nominated for Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2011. In A Game of Thrones (1996), Ned Stark is introduced as the virtuous and honorable patriarch of House Stark of Winterfell , the lord paramount and warden family of the North . He is happily married to Lady Catelyn Tully and is father to five trueborn children Robb , Sansa , Arya , Bran , Rickon and
19980-572: The chance to safely exile with her children. Before Ned can tell the king, Robert is fatally wounded while boar hunting and names Ned Protector of the Realm, to function as regent until his "son" Joffrey comes of age. Ned alters Robert's will, replacing Joffrey's name with "my rightful heir" to make the succession ambiguous. With the palace in chaos, Ned rebuffs multiple offers to increase his own power, instead opting to support Stannis as king. Cersei, however, outmaneuvers Ned due to informing by Sansa (who
20165-470: The chess tournaments, said Guthridge. 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. 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
20350-412: The children of the late Eddard Stark . They become fast friends with Bran Stark and his baby brother, Rickon , and are shown solely from Bran's point of view . The older sister, Meera, is sixteen years old when introduced in A Clash of Kings . As is typical of crannogmen, Meera is short, slim, and flat-chested with long brown hair and green eyes, and is described as having a cheerful disposition. She
20535-546: The city and murdered King Aerys and the entire Targaryen royal family. Disgusted by the dishonorable massacre and Robert's tolerance of the Lannister treachery, Ned departs in anger to lift the siege of the Baratheon stronghold Storm's End , and later attempts to rescue Lyanna, only to find her dying in "a bed of blood"; her last words are "Promise me, Ned". Ned returns to Winterfell with an infant boy Jon Snow , whom he claims to be his own bastard son but refuses to elaborate on
20720-559: The co-showrunner for the upcoming second season. 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. The working title is Snow and Martin confirmed his involvement with the project and that Harington initiated the idea. Also in June, Martin said there were still three other live-action series in development: 10,000 Ships (written by Amanda Segal), 9 Voyages aka Sea Snake (written by Bruno Heller ), and
20905-577: The creator Graham Roland , the showrunner Vince Calandra, the lead Zahn McClarnon , Kiowa Gordon , Chris Eyre , Robert Redford , Tina Elmo and Vince Gerardis. 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 . Martin actively contributes to his blog, Not a Blog ; in April 2018, he moved his blog from Livejournal to his own website. Martin's official fan club
21090-700: The crown, leading to a major civil war later called the War of the Five Kings. After Tyrion Lannister is sent to King's Landing to salvage the political mess, he returns Ned's remains to his widow Catelyn, who sends them north to be finally laid in House Stark's ancestral crypt, but it is not confirmed whether it has ever arrived at Winterfell as the road back to the North has been cut off by Ironborn invaders. Lady Barbrey Dustin of Barrowton, who holds past grudges against Ned, later claims that she personally will never let Ned's bones to be returned and laid to rest in Winterfell's crypt if they are found on her fief. Ned
21275-584: The crownlands for nearly 300 years. Seventeen Targaryen kings held royal court in King's Landing . Its coat of arms shows a red, three-headed dragon breathing fire on a black field, and its words are Fire and Blood . The Targaryen dynasty ended with the death of Aerys II, known as the Mad King, during Robert’s Rebellion, which overthrew the Targaryens and placed House Baratheon on the throne. Aerys II’s two surviving children, Viserys and Daenerys, fled into exile in
21460-481: The dagger used by the would-be assassin once belonged to Tyrion Lannister . Increasingly disgusted by the political intrigues at court, Ned finally resigns his position when Robert insists on having Aerys' only surviving child, the young Daenerys Targaryen , assassinated in exile. Meanwhile, Catelyn has impulsively taken Tyrion prisoner at the Eyrie, and in retaliation Jaime Lannister attacks and seriously injures Ned in
21645-609: The end of the year. There he would live alone for almost three years, a period he described as tremendously productive in regard to writing. 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. 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
21830-423: The enormous success of 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. 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
22015-457: The episode " The Door ", Bran watches Ned bid Benjen and his father, Rickard, farewell as he departs for his fosterage at the Vale. In the following episode, " Blood of My Blood ", Bran briefly glimpses Ned's hand amongst someone's blood, revealed in the season finale, " The Winds of Winter ", as belonging to Lyanna ( Aisling Franciosi ), dying of childbirth in the tower. She makes him swear to protect her son - Jon Snow . Bran revisits this moment in
22200-432: The eyes of a single character. Beginning with nine POV characters in A Game of Thrones (1996), a total of thirty-one such characters have narrated over the course of the first five volumes of the series. House Stark is described as one of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms and the principal house of the North . Its seat is at Winterfell , one of the oldest castles in the Seven Kingdoms. Its coat of arms displays
22385-424: The fact that "main character" Ned was slated to die "was a selling point for them". Noting that the network has killed off characters in other successful series, he said that this sense of jeopardy "completely ups the ante for any moment when a character is in a dire situation if you know another character didn't survive a similar situation". HBO programming president Sue Naegle concurred, saying that Ned's death made
22570-525: The few words Martin invented for the novels. Peterson had previously developed the Dothraki language , used principally in season 1. 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. It won 2 of the 16 Emmy Awards for which it was nominated. Two days after third-season premiere, HBO ordered the fourth season on April 2, 2013, which began filming in July 2013. The season
22755-465: 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 . Although Martin often writes fantasy or horror, a number of his earlier works are science fiction tales occurring in
22940-503: The first casting announcements was Sean Bean as the "lead" Eddard Stark. As the show premiered in 2011, the Los Angeles Times called Bean's Ned "the strong and brooding headliner of the series". As in the source novel, Ned is beheaded in the ninth episode of season 1 , " Baelor ". Though praising the character's demise for its role in propelling the story, James Hibberd of Entertainment Weekly later noted that: This
23125-665: The first ticket to the world's first Comic-Con , held in New York in 1964. In 1965, Martin won comic fandom's Alley Award for Best Fan Fiction for his prose superhero story "Powerman vs. The Blue Barrier". In 1970, Martin earned a 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 M.S. in Journalism in 1971, also from Medill. Eligible for
23310-426: 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). 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 . Following
23495-460: 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. Martin's own contributions to Wild Cards have included Thomas Tudbury, " The Great and Powerful Turtle ",
23680-463: The gargantuan success of the fourth season, HBO ordered the fifth season on April 8, 2014, together with the 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 Record for winning the highest number of Emmy Awards for
23865-476: The hope this will mean the Lannisters execute his great-nephew Harrion Karstark, so Karhold will pass to Alys, whom Arnolf intends to force into marriage with his son Cregan Karstark. Arnolf also intends to betray Stannis when the Boltons attack. However, Alys (pursued by Cregan) flees to the Wall seeking Jon Snow's help and reveals her uncles' plans. To protect her Jon imprisons Cregan and arranges for Alys to marry
24050-559: The horde until he gets his "golden crown", Viserys grows restless and impatient with Drogo's refusal to march towards the Seven Kingdoms. He also loses influence over Daenerys, who gradually stands up to his abusive behavior. After his scheme to steal her dragon eggs is thwarted by Jorah Mormont, Viserys drunkenly threatens his sister and her unborn child in the Dothraki's sacred city of Vaes Dothrak, demanding that Drogo make good on their deal. Viserys then unwittingly agrees to Drogo's offer of
24235-459: The interests of common people, and frequently clashed with noble lords as a result. He later perished in the 'Tragedy of Summerhall', a huge fire at the Targaryen summer palace, along with his son Prince Duncan and close friend Ser Duncan the Tall. After he died, his son Jaehaerys inherited the throne. When Jaehaerys died three years later, the Iron Throne was passed to his son Aerys . Aerys Targaryen
24420-661: The intrigues of the court, Ned accepts out of duty, as well as to discover how Arryn died. Ned travels to King's Landing with his daughters Arya and Sansa , the latter of which is betrothed to Robert's eldest son, Prince Joffrey . Meanwhile, Ned's wife Catelyn has Tyrion Lannister captured, believing he was responsible for sending an assassin to kill Bran and that the Lannisters also killed Jon Arryn. Ned and Robert soon find themselves at odds regarding Daenerys Targaryen , and Ned steps down as Hand in defiance against Robert's wishes to have her killed. Soon after, Ned and his guards are attacked by Tyrion's brother Jaime Lannister ; Ned
24605-570: The ironborn away, making enemies with House Hoare, and a new vassal in House Mormont of Bear Island, just as the Andals arrived in Westeros and began conquering every kingdom the First Men had built and converting them to the Faith of the Seven. The Starks made peace with the Boltons and finally unified the North and began opposing the Andals as one force instead of individually like the rest of
24790-412: The island of Skagos, supposedly inhabited by cannibals. Jeyne Poole is the daughter of Vayon Poole, the steward of Winterfell , and Sansa Stark 's best friend. She has brown eyes and dark hair and is described as being very pretty. Following the arrest of Eddard Stark in A Game of Thrones , the members and servants of his household are killed. Jeyne reappears in A Dance with Dragons , having survived
24975-446: The kids to be the true protagonists of this story—only by sacrificing the fatherly mentor figure can our heroes come into their own. As established in A Game of Thrones , Eddard "Ned" Stark is the second son of Rickard Stark, the Lord of Winterfell . Years before the events of the novel, the quiet and shy young Ned is fostered in the Vale by Lord Jon Arryn . During this time Ned becomes close friends with Robert Baratheon , heir to
25160-460: 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." 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, according to British science fiction and fantasy novelist Adam Roberts ,
25345-452: The last known to exist and died out long before the events of A Game of Thrones . People of Targaryen ancestry, referred to as "blood of the dragon", tend to have silver-blonde hair and amethyst eyes. Fifteen years before the events of the series, the Targaryens were deposed in Robert's Rebellion, with the last two fleeing to Essos . Aegon Targaryen, nicknamed "Egg" in his youth, is one of
25530-426: The massacre but being sent to Petyr Baelish 's brothels. The Lannisters use her as a stand-in for Sansa's younger sister Arya and send her north to marry Ramsay Bolton at Winterfell. Theon Greyjoy recognizes that she is a fake, and that the Boltons are aware of the ruse. It is implied that Ramsay Bolton tortures her and forces her to perform sexual acts on dogs. Jon Snow, Arya's half-brother, believes Jeyne to be
25715-441: The name of Lady Stoneheart. She serves as a POV character for 25 chapters throughout A Game of Thrones , A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords . Robb Stark is the oldest child of Eddard and Catelyn Stark, and the heir to Winterfell. He is not a POV character, but features in the POV chapters of his family members in the first three novels in the series. Robb is also slain at The Red Wedding along with his mother. Sansa Stark
25900-410: The names. Eddard Stark Ned is portrayed by veteran English actor Sean Bean in the first season of Game of Thrones , as a child by Sebastian Croft in the sixth season, and as a young adult by Robert Aramayo in the sixth and seventh seasons. Bean was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Actor on Television and a Scream Award for Best Fantasy Actor for the role. He and the rest of
26085-596: The noble houses to heroism. Descended from Bran the Builder, the architect of the Wall, House Stark is the chief First Men dynasty in Westeros due to their successful repulsion of the Andal invasion and became the ruling house in the North after defeating the Barrow Kings and slowly uniting the North into one kingdom, contesting for dominance with House Bolton of the Dreadfort, the second-most powerful Northern house with
26270-523: The only reason to read any literature, regardless of genre. In 2018, Martin called The Lord of the Rings , The Great Gatsby , Gone with the Wind , Great Expectations , Lonesome Dove , Catch-22 , and Charlotte's Web "favorites all, towering masterpieces, books that changed my life". In 2017, Martin confirmed he would serve as an executive producer of the HBO television series adaptation of
26455-500: The only way of doing so was through his imagination, and he became a voracious reader. 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. 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". Martin had
26640-618: The overthrow of House Targaryen . At the end of the war, Eddard and six of his companions ventured to the Tower of Joy within Dorne , where Lyanna was located and guarded by three of the most prominent Kingsguard knights — the "Sword of the Morning" Ser Arthur Dayne, Ser Oswell Whent, and the "White Bull" Ser Gerold Hightower (Lord Commander of the Kingsguard). After a fierce skirmish that killed everyone except Eddard and Howland, Eddard entered
26825-465: The page, (so) you need to show right from the beginning that you're playing for keeps". 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 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
27010-531: The power of prophetic "green dreams", from which he knows various arcane facts, including the day of his death. In Winterfell, Jojen recognizes Bran Stark as a skinchanger who is able to enter the mind of an animal and control it, and he mentors Bran to help him gain control of his abilities. When Theon Greyjoy captures Winterfell, Jojen and Meera hide with Bran and Rickon in Winterfell's crypt after feigning escape, and they join Bran in his journey north in search of
27195-428: The real Arya and sends Mance Rayder to rescue her. The group enlists Theon's help, but their cover is blown and Theon and Jeyne barely escape. Jojen and Meera are the children of Howland Reed, the Lord of Greywater Watch and a loyal Stark bannerman. They first appear in A Clash of Kings , when their father sends them in his place, to attend the harvest festival and renew House Reed's pledge to House Stark and support
27380-487: The release date of his new book, Fire & Blood , dealing with the history of House Targaryen, which was released on November 20, 2018. 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. 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
27565-492: 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". 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 . Admitting he became completely obsessed with
27750-411: 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. Game of Thrones rapidly became a critical and commercial success after
27935-898: The rights to adapt the Wild Cards novels into a television series. He noted that he himself would not write for the adaptation due to focusing on A Song of Ice and Fire . In 2014, Martin said in a BBC interview that he writes using WordStar editor software , on an MS-DOS computer , because he dislikes having his work spell-checked and to avoid internet distractions. He uses a separate computer for common internet tasks. In 1991, Martin briefly returned to writing novels. He had grown frustrated that his TV pilots and screenplays were not getting made and that TV-related production limitations like budgets and episode lengths were forcing him to cut characters and trim battle scenes. This pushed Martin back towards writing books, where he did not have to worry about compromising his imagination. Admiring
28120-520: 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
28305-440: 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 Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Peter Dinklage . Three years after
28490-585: The second season. HBO renewed the series for a third season on April 10, 2012, nine days after the second season 's premiere. Production began in July 2012 and concluded with the 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
28675-491: The secondborn son to survive infancy. Thirteen years before the events of the series, he and his sister Daenerys fled Westeros to escape death at the hands of rebel Robert Baratheon . Viserys is an arrogant, cruel and ambitious man given to violent mood swings. He is widely nicknamed the "Beggar King" across both Essos and Westeros. Hoping to win the Dothraki's favor to conquer Westeros, Viserys arranges for Daenerys to wed Khal Drogo to form an alliance with them. Travelling with
28860-563: The senselessly tragic." 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." However, for many fans, it is precisely this level of "realness" and "completeness" – including many characters' imperfections, moral and ethical ambiguity, and (often sudden) consequential plot twists that
29045-580: The series Finding Your Roots showed him to be 53.6% "British and Irish", 22.4% Ashkenazi Jewish , and 15.6% "Broadly Northwestern European". 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 Bayonne docks . 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
29230-455: 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. Season 3 saw the first significant use of the Valyrian languages , spoken in doomed Valyria and its former colonies in Essos . The constructed languages were developed by linguist David J. Peterson based on
29415-450: The series' focus proves to be the "new generation" of leaders, in particular the Stark children but also Daenerys and even Tyrion. He noted: Ned Stark doesn't die in vain ... It takes the Stark kids—who are all too young to face these responsibilities—and thrusts them into a struggle where they're forced to quickly grow as characters. Martin busts many cliches in his writing, but this move is traditional Heroes Journey stuff if you consider
29600-496: The seventh season. Due to necessary weather conditions required for filming, the production of the penultimate season of the show was delayed that year. Filming began only on August 31, 2016, at Titanic Studios in Belfast, and ended in February 2017. 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
29785-420: The show creatively more attractive, adding that "The book series was filled with unexpected twists and turns. I loved this idea we'd bring together the group of characters, then once you started to believe all the tropes of heroes, you pull the rug out from under them. It's the opposite of feeling manipulated". Noting that the story and world of the series is bigger than any one character, Naegle said, "Sean brings
29970-526: 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 , the series is set about 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones . Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik served as the showrunners for the first season. Five days after its premiere, the series was renewed for a second season by HBO . On September 1, Sapochnik departed as showrunner, with another veteran Game of Thrones director Alan Taylor replacing him as
30155-458: 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
30340-409: The show's producers' statement that "the move lays down a dramatic precedent for the show: Nobody is safe". He called it a "risky" move that would probably lose the show viewers who had tuned in for Bean, but would hopefully attract others impressed by the boldness of it. Executive producer and writer D. B. Weiss told Entertainment Weekly in 2011 that when he and Benioff pitched the series to HBO,
30525-400: 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". 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". Unlike its prior seasons, the final one took
30710-443: The showrunner, writer and executive producer. In March 2021, he signed an overall deal with HBO. Martin will serve as an executive producer of the Peacock TV adaptation in development of his Wild Cards book series, together with Melinda M. Snodgrass and Vince Gerardis, Martin's manager. He will serve as an executive producer of the 2022 AMC series Dark Winds based on Tony Hillerman 's Leaphorn & Chee books, together with
30895-412: The son of longshoreman Raymond Collins Martin 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 used to be his family's dock and house. He has two younger sisters, Darleen and Jane. He is predominantly of Irish descent; a DNA test on
31080-402: The son of Lyanna Stark, Ned Stark's sister, and Rhaegar Targaryen. Benjen Stark is Ned Stark's younger brother and a First Ranger in the Night's Watch. He appears briefly at the start of A Game of Thrones , first in Winterfell and then later on the Wall at Castle Black, where he travels with his bastard nephew Jon Snow . Benjen is sent on a mission into the lands beyond the Wall to search for
31265-451: 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 showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss , was used. The season was largely met with positive reviews. The " Battle of
31450-444: The story progresses, he begins to see the importance of moral and practical compromises to achieve a just end. He is ultimately forced to choose between his family's safety and doing what is right. Sean Bean said of the character, "He's a good man trying to do his best in the middle of this corruption, he's a fish out of water, he's used to being up north in Winterfell where people are pretty straight and pragmatic, and he comes down to
31635-529: The street before he and his daughters can depart King's Landing. Visiting a wounded Ned, Robert reappoints him as Hand. Ned eventually concludes that all of Robert's heirs with his wife Cersei Lannister are illegitimate products of incest with her twin brother Jaime. Further, Ned suspects that Arryn had been poisoned to conceal the truth, as both Arryn and Robert's brother Stannis have been searching for Robert's other bastard children. In private, Ned confronts Cersei, who confesses to infidelity , and offers her
31820-505: The support of House Tully with Ned marrying Brandon's betrothed Catelyn Tully . Ned leaves for war the very next morning after his consummation with Catelyn. At the decisive Battle of the Trident, the rebels scatter the Targaryen army, with Robert killing Prince Rhaegar in single combat but being injured in the duel, so Ned takes over command and marches on the capital King's Landing . Upon arrival, Ned finds that House Lannister — who has previously posed neutrality — has already sacked
32005-439: The surviving Aegon and is under the guardianship of Rhaegar's close friend Jon Connington (under alias of Griff). He is to be used by Varys and Illyrio as a puppet king. Young Griff intends to travel to Slaver's Bay to visit Daenerys Targaryen and propose marriage, but Tyrion provokes him during a cyvasse game and convinces him to abandon the proposal and independently attack Westeros. Revealing himself as Aegon, Griff persuades
32190-443: The tower and found Lyanna dying in a "bed of blood". Before she died, she asked her brother Eddard to make a promise, something that Eddard regarded as a price he paid that haunted him days and nights for 14 years. Eddard later takes her body home to be entombed in Winterfell's crypt, and installs a stone statue in her likeness in front of her sarcophagus. When he returns, he also brings back a newborn boy named Jon Snow, whom he claims
32375-436: The two main characters in the Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas. As a child, his father Prince Maekar reluctantly permitted him to serve as squire to the knight errant Ser Duncan the Tall, in the hopes that the lessons learned through humble service and hard experience would help him avoid the excesses and shortcomings of his royal brothers. He was later crowned as King Aegon V when a Great Council bypassed those before him in
32560-553: The war's most important battle, 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. 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
32745-486: The window to keep the relationship secret. Bran survives, but loses the use of his legs. While comatose, Bran dreams of a three-eyed crow. Slowly, he develops the ability to assume his wolf Summer's consciousness, making him a warg or skinchanger . After his older brother Robb is crowned King in the North , Bran becomes Robb's heir and the acting Lord of Winterfell. In A Clash of Kings , Jojen Reed teaches Bran how to correctly use his telepathy , and directs him beyond
32930-408: 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. His epic fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire , was inspired by the Wars of the Roses , The Accursed Kings and Ivanhoe . Though Martin originally conceptualized it as being three volumes, it is currently slated to comprise seven. The first, A Game of Thrones ,
33115-453: 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. It was received so poorly by HBO executives that they did not make
33300-429: Was included on the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world. He is a longtime resident of Santa Fe, New Mexico , where he helped fund Meow Wolf and owns the Jean Cocteau Cinema . The city commemorates March 29 as George R. R. Martin Day. George Raymond Martin (he adopted the confirmation name Richard at 13 years old) was born on September 20, 1948, in Bayonne, New Jersey ,
33485-418: Was later chosen by the eventual jousting champion, Crown Prince Rhaegar Targaryen , as the tourney's "Queen of Love and Beauty". Because Rhaegar was already married, and Lyanna was a maiden betrothed to Robert Baratheon, Rhaegar's wooing of Lyanna was considered an outrageous scandal at the time. One year later, she was said to have been abducted and raped by Rhaegar, triggering a civil war that resulted in
33670-440: 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. 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 New York Times Bestseller List and many others; it remained on
33855-473: Was reported to have been killed along with his mother and sister by Gregor Clegane . In A Dance with Dragons , Varys claims to have switched Aegon with another, lowborn infant (known as the "Pisswater prince") and smuggled Aegon out of King's Landing prior to the capital's fall. During his exile in Essos, Tyrion Lannister (under the alias Hugor Hill) meets Young Griff, a well-trained teenage boy endorsed by Varys's associate Illyrio Mopatis, who claims to be
34040-400: Was seen initially by 2.2 million viewers. The first season was nominated for 13 Emmy Awards , ultimately winning two: one for its opening title credits , and one for Peter Dinklage as Best Supporting Actor. HBO ordered a second season of Game of Thrones on April 19, 2011, two days after the series premiere. The second season obtained a 15% increase in budget in order to be able to stage
34225-482: Was unimpressed by Robert's reputation for infidelity. Her life's tales are mainly told through the words of Eddard Stark and Meera Reed (via Bran Stark 's viewpoint chapter), with some passing commentaries from other people such as Barristan Selmy , Cersei Lannister , Roose Bolton and Kevan Lannister . During the Tourney at Harrenhal, the greatest tourney in Westerosi history, Lyanna rescued Stark bannerman Howland Reed by beating away three bullying squires. She
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