MARTIN, George R. R.

MARTIN, George R. R. (Bayonne, NJ, Sept. 20, 1948-- ). sometimes referred to as GRRM,[3] is an American author of fantasy, horror, and science fiction, a screenwriter, and a television producer. He is best known for A Song of Ice and Fire, his international bestselling series of epic fantasy novels that HBO adapted for their dramatic series Game of Thrones, in which he also serves as co-executive producer and sometimes screenwriter and director. Martin was selected by Time magazine as one of the "2011 Time 100", a list of the "most influential people in the world".

Martin grew up in a federal housing project near to the Bayonne docks. The young Martin began writing and selling monster stories for pennies to other neighborhood children, dramatic readings included. He also wrote stories about a mythical kingdom populated by his pet turtles; the turtles died frequently in their toy castle, so he finally decided they were killing each other off in "sinister plots".

Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and then later Marist High School. While there he became an avid comic-book fan, developing a strong interest in the innovative superheroes being published by Marvel Comics. Fantastic Four No. 20 (Nov 1963) printed a letter Martin wrote to the editor, the first of many sent, e.g., FF #32, #34, and others from his family's home at 35 E. First Street, Bayonne, NJ. In 1965 Martin won the Alley Award for his prose superhero story "Powerman vs. The Blue Barrier."

In 1970 Martin earned a B. S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, graduating summa cum laude; he went on to complete his M. S. in Journalism in 1971, also from Northwestern. From 1976 to 1978 he was an English and journalism instructor at CLARKE UNIVERSITY (then Clarke College). He served as the Writer In Residence at the college from 1978 to 1979.

Author

1. Title Year Type Note

1 A Song for Lya 1976 Short story collection

2 Dying of the Light 1977 Novel

3 Songs of Stars and Shadows 1977 Short story collection

4 Windhaven 1981 Novel with Lisa Tuttle

5 Sandkings 1981 Short story collection

6 Fevre Dream 1982 Novel

7 Songs the Dead Men Sing 1983 Short story collection

8 The Armageddon Rag 1983 Novel

9 Nightflyers 1985 Short story collection

10 Tuf Voyaging 1986 Fix-up novel

11 Portraits of His Children 1987 Short story collection

12 A Game of Thrones 1996 Novel A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1

13 A Clash of Kings 1998 Novel A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 2

14 The Hedge Knight 1998 Novella Tales of Dunk and Egg, Part 1

15 A Storm of Swords 2000 Novel A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3

16 Quartet 2001 Short story collection

17 GRRM: A RRetrospective (aka Dreamsongs) 2003 Short story collection

18 The Sworn Sword 2003 Novella Tales of Dunk and Egg, Part 2

19 A Feast for Crows 2005 Novel A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 4

20 Hunter's Run 2007 Novel with Gardner Dozois and Daniel Abraham

21 The Mystery Knight 2010 Novella Tales of Dunk and Egg, Part 3

22 A Dance with Dragons 2011 Novel A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 5

23 The Winds of Winter Forthcoming Novel A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 6

24 A Dream of Spring Forthcoming Novel A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 7

Television

   The Twilight Zone

       The Last Defender of Camelot (1986) – writer (teleplay)

       The Once and Future King (1986) – writer (teleplay), story editor

       A Saucer of Loneliness (1986) – story editor

       Lost and Found (1986) – writer (teleplay), from a published short story by Phyllis Eisenstein

       The Girl I Married (1987) - story editor

       The World Next Door (1989) – story editor

       The Toys of Caliban (1986) – writer (teleplay), from an unpublished short story by Terry Matz

       The Road Less Traveled (1986) – writer (story and teleplay), story editor

       Beauty and the Beast

       Terrible Saviour (1987) – writer

       Masques (1987) – writer

       Shades of Grey (1988) – writer 

       Promises of Someday (1988) – writer

       Fever (1988) – writer

       Ozymandias (1988) – writer

       Dead of Winter (1988) – writer

       Brothers (1989) – writer

       When the Blue Bird Sings' (1989) – writer (teleplay)

       A Kingdom by the Sea (1989) – writer

       What Rough Beast (1989) – writer (story)

       Ceremony of Innocence (1989) – writer

       Snow (1989) – writer

       Beggar's Comet (1990) – writer

       Invictus (1990) – writer

       The Outer Limits (1995 TV Series)

       The Sandkings (1995) - writer (story)

   Doorways (1993, unreleased pilot) – writer, producer, creator; (IDW Publishing issued the pilot's
   storyline as a graphic novel miniseries in 2010)[54]
   Game of Thrones
       The Pointy End – writer (teleplay, 1st season)

       Blackwater – writer (teleplay, 2nd season)

       The Bear and the Maiden Fair – writer (teleplay, 3rd season)

Editor

   New Voices in Science Fiction (1977: new stories by the John W. Campbell Award winners)

   New Voices in Science Fiction 2 (1979: more new stories by the John W. Campbell Award winners)

   New Voices in Science Fiction 3 (1980: more new stories by the John W. Campbell Award winners)

   New Voices in Science Fiction 4 (1981: more new stories by the John W. Campbell Award winners)

   The Science Fiction Weight Loss Book (1983) edited with Isaac Asimov and Martin H. Greenberg ("Stories
   by the great science fiction writers on fat, thin, and everything in between")

   The John W. Campbell Awards, Volume 5 (1984, continuation of the New Voices in Science Fiction series)
   Night Visions 3 (1986)

Wild Cards series editor (also contributor to many volumes)

   Wild Cards (1987; contents expanded in 2010 edition with three new stories/authors)

   Wild Cards II: Aces High (1987)

   Wild Cards III: Jokers Wild (1987)

   Wild Cards IV: Aces Abroad (1988)

   Wild Cards V: Down & Dirty (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)

   Wild Cards: Card Sharks (1993; Book I of a New Cycle trilogy)

   Wild Cards: Marked Cards (1994; Book II of a New Cycle trilogy)

   Wild Cards: Black Trump (1995; Book III of a New Cycle trilogy)

   Wild Cards: Deuces Down (2002)

   Wild Cards: Death Draws Five (2006; solo novel by John J. Miller)

   Wild Cards: Inside Straight (2008; Book I of the Committee triad)

   Wild Cards: Busted Flush (2008; Book II of the Committee triad)

   Wild Cards: Suicide Kings (2009; Book III of the Committee triad)

   Wild Cards: Fort Freak (2011)

   Wild Cards: Lowball (delivered; forthcoming summer 2014; sequel to Fort Freak)

   Wild Cards: High Stakes (announced; forthcoming)[citation needed]

Cross-genre anthologies edited (with Gardner Dozois)

   Songs of the Dying Earth (2009; a tribute anthology to Jack Vance´s seminal Dying Earth series, first
   published by Subterranean Press)

   Warriors (2010; a massive, cross-genre anthology featuring stories about war and warriors; winner of
   the 2011 Locus Poll Award for Best Original Anthology)

   Songs of Love and Death (2010; a cross-genre anthology featuring stories of romance in fantasy and 
   science fiction settings, originally entitled Star Crossed Lovers)

   Down These Strange Streets (2011; a cross-genre anthology that blends classic detective stories with
   fantasy and science fiction)

   Old Mars (delivered and awaiting publication in October 2013; an anthology featuring new, retro-themed
   Mars science fiction stories)

   Dangerous Women (delivered and awaiting 2013 publication; a cross-genre anthology focusing on women
   warriors and strong female characters, originally titled Femmes Fatales)

   Rogues (delivered and awaiting publication; a cross-genre anthology featuring new stories about
   assorted rogues)

   Old Venus (forthcoming; an anthology of new, retro-themed Venus science fiction stories)

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
    Martin'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 Game of Thrones 2003 Premio Ignotus for Best Foreign Novel

   A Clash of Kings 2004 Premio Ignotus for Best Foreign Novel

   A Feast for Crows 2006 Quill Award; British Fantasy Award (nomination)

   A Storm of Swords 2003 Locus Poll Award for Best Fantasy Novel; 2006 Premio Ignotus for Best Foreign
   Novel

   Warriors (co-edited with Gardner Dozois) 2011 Locus Poll Award for Best Original Anthology
   Declared by Time Magazine "One of the Most Influential People of 2011"

   A Dance With Dragons 2012 Locus Poll Award for Best Fantasy Novel

   Game of Thrones Season 1 (10 episodes) 2012 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form
   (Co-Executive Producer of the HBO series)

   2012 World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement