''
A Song of Ice and Fire'', the series of fantasy novels by
George R. R. Martin
George Raymond Richard Martin (born George Raymond Martin; September 20, 1948), also known as GRRM, is an American novelist, screenwriter, television producer and short story writer. He is the author of the series of epic fantasy novels ''A Song ...
, has formed the basis of several works in different media.
Novellas
''Dunk and Egg''
Martin wrote three separate novellas set ninety years before the events of the novels. These novellas are known as the ''
Tales of Dunk and Egg
''Tales of Dunk and Egg'' is a series of fantasy novellas by George R. R. Martin, set in the world of his ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels. They follow the adventures of "Dunk" (the future Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Duncan the Tall) ...
'' after the main protagonists, Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire "Egg", the later King Aegon V Targaryen. The stories have no direct connection to the plot of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', although both characters are mentioned in ''A Storm of Swords'' and ''A Feast For Crows'', respectively.
The novellas were published in short story anthologies:
*''
The Hedge Knight'' in ''
Legends
A legend is a historical narrative, a symbolic representation of folk belief.
Legend(s) or The Legend(s) may also refer to:
Narrative
* Urban legend, a widely repeated story of dubious truth
* A fictitious identity used in espionage
Books, co ...
'' (1998)
*''
The Sworn Sword'' in ''
Legends II'' (2003)
*''
The Mystery Knight'' in ''
Warriors'' (2010)
The unfinished series of novellas is to continue to be published in a series of collections entitled ''A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms''. The first of these, comprising the first three novellas, was published – with illustrations by
Gary Gianni
Gary Gianni (born 1954) is an American comics artist best known for his eight years illustrating the syndicated newspaper comic ''Prince Valiant''.
After Gianni graduated from the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts in 1976, he worked for the ''Chicag ...
– in October 2015, and in unillustrated translations earlier.
Film or TV adaptations of the novellas are being discussed, according to Martin in 2014. He wrote that because HBO owns the TV rights to the setting of Westeros (if not to the characters of the novellas), it would be preferable to have HBO adopt the novellas also.
The first and second novellas were, in addition, adapted as
graphic novel
A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...
s:
*
*
Other novellas
Martin has written three additional novellas that are written as historical accounts of events that took place long before the events of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels or the ''Dunk and Egg'' novellas.
''
The Princess and the Queen
''The Princess and the Queen, or, the Blacks and the Greens'' is an epic fantasy novella by American novelist George R. R. Martin, published in the 2013 Tor Books anthology '' Dangerous Women''. The novella is presented in the form of writing ...
'', published in ''
Dangerous Women'' (2013),
details the civil war called the "Dance of the Dragons" between Aegon and Rhaenyra Targaryen about the succession to the
Iron Throne.
A fifth novella, ''
The Rogue Prince, or, a King's Brother'', was published in the 2014 anthology ''
Rogues''. It is a prequel to ''The Princess and the Queen'' and concerns the life of Prince Daemon Targaryen, Rhaenyra's second husband.
Most recently, ''
The Sons of the Dragon'' was published in the 2017 anthology ''The Book of Swords'', and chronicles the lives of Aenys I and Maegor I Targaryen (later known as "Maegor the Cruel"), who were the second and third kings to sit the Iron Throne, respectively.
Television series
''Game of Thrones'' (2011–19)
In March 2010,
HBO greenlit
To green-light is to give permission to proceed with a project. The term is a reference to the green traffic signal, indicating "go ahead".
Film industry
In the context of the film and television industries, to green-light something is to ...
a television series based on ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', written and executive produced by
David Benioff
David Friedman (; born September 25, 1970), known professionally as David Benioff (), is an American writer, director and producer. Along with his collaborator D. B. Weiss, he is best known as co-creator and showrunner of '' Game of Thrones'' (2 ...
and
D. B. Weiss
Daniel Brett Weiss (; born April 23, 1971) is an American television writer, director, and producer. Along with his collaborator David Benioff, he is best-known as co-creator of ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019), the HBO adaptation of George R. ...
. Called ''
Game of Thrones'', it stars an ensemble cast including
Sean Bean
Sean Bean (born Shaun Mark Bean on 17 April 1959) is an English actor. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Bean made his professional debut in a theatre production of ''Romeo and Juliet'' in 1983. Retaining his Yorkshire ac ...
and
Peter Dinklage
Peter Hayden Dinklage (; born June 11, 1969) is an American film, television and stage actor. He received international recognition for portraying Tyrion Lannister on the HBO television series ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019), for which he ...
. The series premiered on 17 April 2011. A critical and commercial success, it ran for eight seasons, concluding in 2019.
The series has itself given rise to
several derived works, including
soundtrack albums and a wide range of merchandise.
''House of the Dragon'' (2022–present)
''House of the Dragon'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by
George R. R. Martin
George Raymond Richard Martin (born George Raymond Martin; September 20, 1948), also known as GRRM, is an American novelist, screenwriter, television producer and short story writer. He is the author of the series of epic fantasy novels ''A Song ...
and
Ryan J. Condal for
HBO. It is a prequel to the television series ''
Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019) and is based on Martin's 2018 novel ''
Fire & Blood''. The series is set two hundred years before the events of ''Game of Thrones''
and chronicles the beginning of the end of
House Targaryen
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 superhuman Others (A So ...
, the events leading up to the Targaryen civil war, known as the "Dance of the Dragons", and the war itself. ''House of the Dragon'' received a straight-to-series order in October 2019 with casting beginning in July 2020 and principal photography beginning in April 2021 in the United Kingdom. The first season of the series premiered in 2022 and consists of ten episodes.
Further spin-offs
In May 2017, after years of speculation about possible
successor series
In media, a spin-off (or spinoff) is a radio program, television program, film, video game or any narrative work, derived from already existing works that focus on more details and different aspects from the original work (e.g. particular topics, ...
, HBO commissioned
Max Borenstein,
Jane Goldman
Jane Loretta Anne Goldman''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at ancestry.com (born 11 June 1970) is an English screenwriter, author and producer. With Matthew Vaughn, she co-wrote the screenplays of '' Kings ...
,
Brian Helgeland
Brian Thomas Helgeland (born January 17, 1961) is an American screenwriter, film producer and director. He is most known for writing the screenplays for the films ''L.A. Confidential'' and ''Mystic River''. He also wrote and directed the films ...
,
Carly Wray and
Bryan Cogman to develop individual ''Game of Thrones'' successor series; all of the writers were to be working individually with George R. R. Martin, who also co-wrote two of the scripts. On June 8, 2018, HBO commissioned a
pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
to a ''Game of Thrones'' prequel series from Goldman as showrunner and Martin as co-creator.
S. J. Clarkson will direct and executive produce the pilot, which is scheduled to begin filming in mid-2019 in Northern Ireland and other locations.
Comic book series
The first issue of the comic book adaptation of the first novel, ''
A Game of Thrones
''A Game of Thrones'' is the first novel in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin. It was first published on August 1, 1996. The novel won the 1997 Locus Award and was nominated for both ...
'', by fantasy author
Daniel Abraham and artist Tommy Patterson, was published by
Dynamite Entertainment
Dynamite Entertainment is an American comic book publisher founded by Nick Barrucci in 2004 at Mount Laurel, New Jersey. It is best known as the owners of '' The Boys'' franchise across several IP medias. Dynamite primarily publishes adaptations ...
in September 2011. The series is set to run for 24 issues and is intended to follow the story of the novel closely.
The first six issues were published as a
trade paperback in March 2012:
*
Parodies
Thomas Dunne Books
Thomas Dunne Books was an imprint of St. Martin's Press, which is a division of Macmillan Publishers. From 1986 until April 2020, it published popular trade fiction and nonfiction.
History
The imprint signed David Irving, a scholar, for a Joseph ...
announced in August 2011 that it had acquired the rights to ''Game of Groans'', a parody of ''Game of Thrones'' in the vein of ''
Bored of the Rings
''Bored of the Rings'' is a 1969 parody of J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings''. This short novel was written by Henry Beard and Douglas Kenney, who later founded '' National Lampoon''. It was published in 1969 by Signet for the ''Har ...
'', by the pseudonymous "
George R.R. Costanza". The book was eventually published on March 27, 2012 by
St. Martin's Griffin and credited to "
George R.R. Washington" and
Alan Goldsher:
*
In 2012,
The Bad Dog Theatre Company The Bad Dog Theatre Company is an improvisational theatre company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and established in 2003. The theatre is eclectic and broad in its production of shows, with a focus on short-form improv, but it has branched out t ...
adapted the novels as a four-hour
improv comedy show in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
, titled ''Throne of Games''.
The fall 2012
ready-to-wear
Ready-to-wear (or ''prêt-à-porter''; abbreviated RTW; "off-the-rack" or "off-the-peg" in casual use) is the term for ready-made garments, sold in finished condition in standardized sizes, as distinct from made-to-measure or bespoke clothing ...
collection by the fashion brand
Helmut Lang was inspired by ''Game of Thrones''. In March 2012,
Wiley-Blackwell
Wiley-Blackwell is an international scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly publishing business of John Wiley & Sons. It was formed by the merger of John Wiley & Sons Global Scientific, Technical, and Medical business with Blackwell Publish ...
published ''Game of Thrones and Philosophy: Logic Cuts Deeper than the Sword'' (). This entry in Blackwell's ''Pop Culture and Philosophy'' series, edited by Henry Jacoby and
William Irwin, aims to highlight and discuss philosophical issues raised by the show and its source material.
In 2013, ''Game of Thrones'' was notably parodied on the cover of ''
Mad'' on April 30, as well as by a
web series
A web series (also known as a web show) is a series of scripted or non-scripted online videos, generally in episodic form, released on the Internet, which first emerged in the late 1990s and became more prominent in the early 2000s. A single in ...
, ''School of Thrones'', which set the story in a high school whose students vie for the title of
prom
A promenade dance, commonly called a prom, is a dance party for high school students. It may be offered in semi-formal black tie or informal suit for boys, and evening gowns for girls. This event is typically held near the end of the school y ...
king and queen. The "One World Symphony" company announced, in 2014, a musical production based on television series including ''Game of Thrones''. In 2015, the
Under the Gun Theater of
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
premiered ''Swarm of Spoilers'', a parody show recapitulating the first four seasons of the TV series.
In 2013, the animated comedy series ''
South Park'' aired a three-part episode ("
Black Friday", "
A Song of Ass and Fire" and "
Titties and Dragons") satirizing the U.S. custom of
Black Friday in the form of a parody of ''Game of Thrones''.
Two
pornographic parodies of the series were also announced in 2013.
One of these, ''This Ain't Game of Thrones XXX'', was released in 2014, produced by
Hustler Video
Hustler Booth at the Sands Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada on January 7, 2010.">Sands_Expo.html" ;"title="AVN Adult Entertainment Expo at the Sands Expo">Sands Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada on January 7, 2010.
Hustler Video is an Ame ...
and directed by
Axel Braun
Axel Braun (born Alessandro Re) is an Italian-American adult film producer and director known for his productions of pornographic parodies.
The son of Lasse Braun, he is an AVN Hall of Fame, XRCO Hall of Fame and NightMoves Hall of Fame inductee ...
. The movie incorporates many of the main characters such as
Jaime Lannister
Ser Jaime Lannister is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones'', where he is portrayed by Danish actor Nikolaj Coste ...
(Richie Calhoun),
Jon Snow (Ryan Driller),
Cersei Lannister
Cersei Lannister is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of epic fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation '' Game of Thrones'', where she is portrayed by Bermudan-English act ...
(
Brandi Love),
Sansa Stark
Sansa Stark, later Alayne Stone, is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of epic fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin. Introduced in '' A Game of Thrones'' (1996), Sansa is the eldest daughter and secon ...
(Marie McCray),
Daenerys Targaryen
Daenerys Targaryen ( ) is a fictional character in the series of epic fantasy novels ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' by American author George R. R. Martin. She is a prominent Narrative mode#Third-person view, point of view character, and is one of ...
(
Spencer Scott),
Tyrion Lannister
Lord Tyrion Lannister, also known by the nicknames the Halfman or the Imp and the alias Hugor Hill, is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of epic fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its televis ...
(
Evan Stone
Evan Stone is an American pornographic film actor and director.
In 2011, Stone became the third actor in history to receive the AVN Award for Male Performer of the Year three times. That same year, he was listed by CNBC as one of the twelve mos ...
), and
Brienne of Tarth
Brienne of Tarth is a fictional character in George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of fantasy novels and its television adaptation, ''Game of Thrones''. She is a prominent point of view character in the novels.
Brienne is int ...
(Amanda Tate).
In 2016 the parody recap series of ''Game of Thrones'', called ''
Gay of Thrones
Funny or Die is a comedy video website and film/television production company owned by Henry R. Muñoz III that was founded by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Mark Kvamme, and Chris Henchy in 2007. The website contained exclusive material from a reg ...
'' was nominated for a
Primetime Emmy Award for
Outstanding Short-Form Variety Series.
In 2015, the inaugural American edition of
Red Nose Day
Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension.
Definition
Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic episo ...
featured the comedy sketch ''Coldplay's Game of Thrones: The Musical'', a
mockumentary
A mockumentary (a blend of ''mock'' and ''documentary''), fake documentary or docu-comedy is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events but presented as a documentary.
These productions are often used to analyze or comment on c ...
regarding a failed
musical theatre adaptation of the television show by the British band
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University ...
, featuring many castmembers of ''Game of Thrones'' such as
Peter Dinklage
Peter Hayden Dinklage (; born June 11, 1969) is an American film, television and stage actor. He received international recognition for portraying Tyrion Lannister on the HBO television series ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019), for which he ...
,
Kit Harington
Christopher Catesby Harington (born 26 December 1986) is an English actor who is widely known for his role as Jon Snow in the HBO epic fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019).
After studying at the Royal Central School o ...
,
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
Nikolaj William Coster-Waldau (; born 27 July 1970) is a Danish actor and producer. He graduated from the Danish National School of Performing Arts in Copenhagen in 1993, and had his breakthrough role in Denmark with the film '' Nightwatch'' (19 ...
,
Emilia Clarke,
Alfie Allen
Alfie Evan Allen (born 12 September 1986) is an English actor. He portrayed Theon Greyjoy on all eight seasons of the HBO fantasy series '' Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019), for which he received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Out ...
and
Iwan Rheon
Iwan Rheon (, ; born 13 May 1985) is a Welsh actor, singer, and musician. He is best known for his roles as Simon Bellamy in the E4 series '' Misfits'', Ramsay Bolton in the HBO series ''Game of Thrones'', and Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Ma ...
.
A parody titled ''Game of Thrones: The Musical'', written by Basil Considine and developed by
Really Spicy Opera
Really Spicy Opera is a non-profit performing arts organization that produces live opera and musicals in Minneapolis, Minnesota. RSO is a professional opera company that operated in Boston from 2006-2013; it has been based in the Twin Cities since ...
, appeared at the Minnesota Fringe Festival in August 2016 and the 2017 Oahu and Maui Fringe Festivals and was rated a must-see by the ''
St. Paul Pioneer Press''.
Companion publications
Reader guides
''The World of Ice & Fire''
''The World of Ice & Fire'', an illustrated companion book for ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' written by Martin, Elio M. García Jr. and Linda Antonsson, was published by
Bantam on October 28, 2014 ().
''The Lands of Ice and Fire''
A set of twelve maps of the world of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', drawn by Martin and Jonathan Roberts, was published in October 2012 as ''The Lands of Ice and Fire'' ().
''A Game of Thrones Guide''
In November 2012,
Random House
Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...
published ''George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire – A Game of Thrones Guide'', an
iOS
iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also include ...
application that provides the biographies of 540 characters, descriptions of 380 places, and interactive maps. The app's "anti-spoiler functionality" hides information not yet revealed at the point up to which the user has read the novels.
Applications for mobile devices
Several other reader's companion apps for mobile electronic devices have been published, generally without the endorsement of Martin or his publisher. They include ''Game of Thrones Companion'', similar in approach to the above-mentioned ''Guide'', and ''Westeros Map for Game of Thrones'', which contains maps of Essos and its cities. Other ''A Song of Ice and Fire''- or ''Game of Thrones''-themed apps include a
trivia
Trivia is information and data that are considered to be of little value. It can be contrasted with general knowledge and common sense.
Latin Etymology
The ancient Romans used the word ''triviae'' to describe where one road split or forke ...
game, a study guide, and a weather app from HBO.
Compilation
The popularity of the
Tyrion Lannister
Lord Tyrion Lannister, also known by the nicknames the Halfman or the Imp and the alias Hugor Hill, is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of epic fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its televis ...
character led Martin and
Bantam Books to publish ''The Wit & Wisdom of Tyrion Lannister'' (), an illustrated collection of Tyrion quotes from the novels, in October 2013.
Commentary
Several publications discuss the themes addressed in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series:
*
Edited by
James Lowder
James Daniel Lowder (born January 2, 1963 in Quincy, Massachusetts) is an American author and editor, working regularly within the fantasy, dark fantasy, and horror genres, and on tabletop role-playing games and critical works exploring popula ...
, this collection of essays by fantasy authors and science fiction experts, including
R.A. Salvatore,
Brent Hartinger
Brent Hartinger (born 1971) is an American author, playwright, and screenwriter, best known for his novels about gay teenagers.
Early life
Hartinger was born in 1971 in Washington state and grew up in Tacoma, Washington. He earned a bachelor's ...
,
Ned Vizzini
Edison Price Vizzini (April 4, 1981 – December 19, 2013) was an American writer. He was the author of four books for young adults including '' It's Kind of a Funny Story'', which NPR named #56 of the "100 Best-Ever Teen Novels" and which is ...
,
Gary Westfahl
Gary Wesley Westfahl (born May 7, 1951) is an American scholar of science fiction. He has written reviews for the ''Los Angeles Times'', ''The Internet Review of Science Fiction'' and Locus Online. He worked at the University of California, River ...
and
Daniel Abraham, addresses themes such as the nature of magic or the role of the prequels in Martin's work.
*
This entry in Blackwell's ''Pop Culture and Philosophy'' series, edited by Henry Jacoby and
William Irwin, aims to highlight and discuss philosophical issues raised by the novels and its TV adaptation.
Artbooks
The two volumes of ''The Art of Ice and Fire'' contain artworks inspired by the series from a variety of different artists and illustrators.
*
*
Recipes
Two blogs, ''Inn at the Crossroads'' and ''Cooking Ice and Fire'', are dedicated to recreating the dishes described in the novels. ''Cooking Ice and Fire'' went defunct in early 2012.
There are also two cookbooks with recipes based on the novels:
* Based on the blog ''Inn at the Crossroads''.
*
Games
Board games
There are multiple board games set in the world of ''A Song of Ice and Fire''.
In 2003,
Fantasy Flight Games
Fantasy Flight Games (FFG) is a game company based in Roseville, Minnesota, United States, that creates and publishes role-playing, board, card, and dice games. As of 2014, it is a subsidiary of Asmodée Éditions.
History
Fantasy Flight Publish ...
released the
strategy board game
A strategy game or strategic game is a game (e.g. a board game) in which the players' uncoerced, and often autonomous, decision-making skills have a high significance in determining the outcome. Almost all strategy games require internal decisio ...
''
A Game of Thrones
''A Game of Thrones'' is the first novel in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin. It was first published on August 1, 1996. The novel won the 1997 Locus Award and was nominated for both ...
'', created by
Christian T. Petersen. The
Origins Award
The Origins Awards are American awards for outstanding work in the game industry. They are presented by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design at the Origins Game Fair on an annual basis for the previous year, so (for example) the 1979 a ...
-winning game allows the players to take on the roles of several of the Great Houses vying for control of the Seven Kingdoms, including House Stark, House Lannister, House Baratheon, House Greyjoy, House Tyrell, and as of the expansion ''A Clash of Kings'', House Martell. Players maneuver armies to secure support in the various regions that comprise the Seven Kingdoms, with the goal of capturing enough support to claim the
Iron Throne. Two expansions for the game, ''A Clash of Kings'' and ''A Storm of Swords'' have been released. In 2011, a second edition has been released appropriately titled "
A Game of Thrones: The Board Game (Second Edition)". This version has since released three expansions, ''A Feast for Crows'', ''A Dance with Dragons'', and ''Mother of Dragons''".
''
Battles of Westeros
''Battles of Westeros'' is a 2010 strategic wargame set in George R.R. Martin’s ''A Song of Ice and Fire
''A Song of Ice and Fire'' is a series of epic fantasy novels by the American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin. He beg ...
'', was released by
Fantasy Flight Games
Fantasy Flight Games (FFG) is a game company based in Roseville, Minnesota, United States, that creates and publishes role-playing, board, card, and dice games. As of 2014, it is a subsidiary of Asmodée Éditions.
History
Fantasy Flight Publish ...
in 2010. It is based on the system created by Richard Borg and used in such games as
Memoir 44 or
Commands & Colors: Ancients. The two player-game's base set includes two factions: House Stark and House Lannister. Later expansions cover additional factions and scenarios.
In 2015, USAopoly released ''Game of Thrones Risk''. It is a variant of the
board game Risk with changes to incorporate the theme such as Maestar cards, Character cards and new maps of Westeros and Essos.
In 2018, CMON Limited, Dark Swords Miniatures, Inc., and Edge Entertainment released "A Song of Ice & Fire: Tabletop Miniatures Game". The starter set for the game featured two factions: House Stark and House Lannister. Later expansions cover additional factions and scenarios.
Card game
A living card game (LCG) has been produced by
Fantasy Flight Games
Fantasy Flight Games (FFG) is a game company based in Roseville, Minnesota, United States, that creates and publishes role-playing, board, card, and dice games. As of 2014, it is a subsidiary of Asmodée Éditions.
History
Fantasy Flight Publish ...
. It was a continuation of an earlier
collectible card game (CCG). A number of base sets have been released for the game, each with a number of expansions. The game's primary designer is Eric Lang and the lead developer is Nate French. The ''A Game of Thrones: Westeros Edition'' won the
Origins Award
The Origins Awards are American awards for outstanding work in the game industry. They are presented by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design at the Origins Game Fair on an annual basis for the previous year, so (for example) the 1979 a ...
for ''Best Trading Card Game of 2002''. The ''Game of Thrones: Ice and Fire Edition'' won the
Origins Award
The Origins Awards are American awards for outstanding work in the game industry. They are presented by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design at the Origins Game Fair on an annual basis for the previous year, so (for example) the 1979 a ...
for ''Best Card Game Expansion or Supplement of 2003''.
Role-playing games
A
role-playing game titled ''
A Game of Thrones
''A Game of Thrones'' is the first novel in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin. It was first published on August 1, 1996. The novel won the 1997 Locus Award and was nominated for both ...
'' was produced by
Guardians of Order
Guardians of Order was a Canadian company founded in 1996 by Mark C. MacKinnon in Guelph, Ontario. The company's business output consisted of role-playing games (RPGs). Their first game is the anime inspired ''Big Eyes, Small Mouth''. In 2006 Gua ...
. The game is designed to be usable with two RPG systems: the
d20 System and the
Tri-Stat dX
Guardians of Order was a Canadian company founded in 1996 by Mark C. MacKinnon in Guelph, Ontario. The company's business output consisted of role-playing games (RPGs). Their first game is the anime inspired '' Big Eyes, Small Mouth''. In 2006 Gu ...
system. Two editions were made: a serial-numbered edition limited to 2500 copies, ; and a standard edition, . The limited edition is faux-leather bound with silver gilt pages and includes rules for both systems, and includes an interview with Martin. The standard edition contains only the
d20 system rules. The book was created by
Guardians of Order
Guardians of Order was a Canadian company founded in 1996 by Mark C. MacKinnon in Guelph, Ontario. The company's business output consisted of role-playing games (RPGs). Their first game is the anime inspired ''Big Eyes, Small Mouth''. In 2006 Gua ...
and released by
Sword & Sorcery, a subsidiary of
White Wolf Games
White Wolf Publishing was an American roleplaying game and book publisher. The company was founded in 1991 as a merger between Lion Rampant .
A later role-playing game titled ''
A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying
''A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying'' is a role-playing game published by Green Ronin Publishing in 2009.
Description
''A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying'' is an adaptation of the '' A Song of Ice and Fire'' novel series. The game uses Green ...
'' was published by
Green Ronin Publishing
Green Ronin Publishing is an American company based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 2000 by Chris Pramas and Nicole Lindroos, they have published several role-playing game–related products. They won several awards for their games including ...
in 2009.
Video games
The success of the HBO TV series motivated the development of several video games. While the 2007
fan-made
Fan labor, also called fan works, are the creative activities engaged in by fans, primarily those of various media properties or musical groups. These activities can include creation of written works (fiction, fan fiction and review literature), ...
MUSH
In multiplayer online games, a MUSH (a backronymed variation on MUD most often expanded as Multi-User Shared Hallucination, though Multi-User Shared Hack, Habitat, and Holodeck are also observed) is a text-based online social medium to which mul ...
and the 2011 strategy game were based on the novels only, the later games also incorporate elements such as designs or music from the TV series, based on a license from HBO.
*''Blood of Dragons'' (2007):
:''Blood of Dragons'' is an online, text-based
roleplaying
Role-playing or roleplaying is the changing of one's behaviour to assume a role, either unconsciously to fill a social role, or consciously to act out an adopted role. While the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' offers a definition of role-playing as ...
MUSH
In multiplayer online games, a MUSH (a backronymed variation on MUD most often expanded as Multi-User Shared Hallucination, though Multi-User Shared Hack, Habitat, and Holodeck are also observed) is a text-based online social medium to which mul ...
. It opened in 2007 and is set about 140 years prior to the events in the novels, during the reign of Daeron I and his conquest of Dorne. The game is maintained by the administrators of the fan site ''Westeros.org'', who are collaborating with Martin on ''The World of Ice and Fire''.
*''A Game of Thrones: Genesis'' (2011):
:In 2011,
Cyanide
Cyanide is a naturally occurring, rapidly acting, toxic chemical that can exist in many different forms.
In chemistry, a cyanide () is a chemical compound that contains a functional group. This group, known as the cyano group, consists of ...
developed a
real-time strategy
Real-time strategy (RTS) is a subgenre of strategy video games that do not progress incrementally in turns, but allow all players to play simultaneously, in "real time". By contrast, in turn-based strategy (TBS) games, players take turns to p ...
video game, ''
A Game of Thrones: Genesis'', which allows players to partake in the conquest of Westeros beginning generations before the time in which the novels are set.
*''Game of Thrones: The Role-Playing Game'' (2012):
:A second video game based on the series, called simply ''
Game of Thrones'', was developed by Cyanide in May 2012. It is a
role-playing game set in the town of Riverspring, during the time of the events of the novel ''A Game of Thrones'', but not principally involving the novels' main characters.
*''Game of Thrones Ascent'' (2013):
:''
Game of Thrones Ascent'', a
freemium social network game
A social network game (sometimes simply referred to as a social media game, social gaming, social video game or online social game) is a type of online game that is played through social networks or social media. They typically feature multipl ...
, was made available by
Disruptor Beam
Beamable Inc. is a technology company based in Boston, Massachusetts. They currently provide implemention services of Games as a Service features within the Unity game engine. Before filing for bankruptcy in 2020, the company worked within game ...
in 2013 on
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Mosk ...
and
Kongregate
Kongregate is an American web gaming portal and video game publisher. Its website features over 110,000 online games and 30+ mobile games available to the public. The company also publishes games for PC, mobile, and home consoles. It was purchase ...
. It was made in collaboration with HBO and George R.R. Martin. The game combines storytelling and strategy elements, allowing players to lead the life of a nobleman during the time of upheaval portrayed in the novels and the TV series.
*''Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series'' (2014):
:Starting in 2014,
Telltale Games
Telltale Incorporated (trade name: Telltale Games) was an American video game developer based in San Rafael, California. The company was founded in July 2004 by former LucasArts developers Kevin Bruner, Dan Connors and Troy Molander, following ...
produced a six-episode adventure game titled
''Game of Thrones''.
*''Game of Thrones: Seven Kingdoms'' (discontinued):
:In February 2012,
Bigpoint announced the development of a browser-based
massively multiplayer online role-playing game
A massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is a video game that combines aspects of a role-playing video game and a massively multiplayer online game.
As in role-playing games (RPGs), the player assumes the role of a Player charac ...
(MMORPG) ''
Game of Thrones: Seven Kingdoms''. The game was being developed by Artplant, who also created ''
Battlestar Galactica Online
''Battlestar Galactica Online'' was a browser-based massively multiplayer online game (MMO) loosely based on the 2004 television series '' Battlestar Galactica''. Released in open beta on February 8, 2011, it was developed by Bigpoint Games and ...
''. After Bigpoint was acquired by Yoozoo Games in 2016, this license was instead used to produce ''Game of Thrones: Winter Is Coming''.
*''Game of Thrones: Conquest'' (2017):
:''Game of Thrones: Conquest'', a
freemium multiplayer strategy mobile game, was made available by
Warner Bros. Games in 2018 on
iOS
iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also include ...
and
Android platforms. The game was developed by
Turbine
A turbine ( or ) (from the Greek , ''tyrbē'', or Latin ''turbo'', meaning vortex) is a rotary mechanical device that extracts energy from a fluid flow and converts it into useful work. The work produced by a turbine can be used for generating ...
.
*''Game of Thrones: Winter Is Coming'' (2019):
:''
Game of Thrones: Winter Is Coming'' is a 2019 real-time strategy browser game set in a side-branch
timeline
A timeline is a display of a list of events in chronological order. It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labelled with dates paralleling it, and usually contemporaneous events.
Timelines can use any suitable scale represen ...
where, after Eddard Stark died, all seven Westeros kingdoms seceded.
*Modifications of commercial games
:There are several fan-made modifications ("
mods") to commercial video games that allow playing in the world of ''A Song of Ice and Fire''. These include a
total conversion
Video game modding (short for "modification") is the process of alteration by players or fans of one or more aspects of a video game, such as how it looks or behaves, and is a sub-discipline of general modding. Mods may range from small changes an ...
for the strategy game ''
Crusader Kings II'' as well as the mods "War of the Usurper" for its predecessor ''
Crusader Kings'', "Westeros: Total War The Age of Petty Kings", placed before Aegon's Conquest, for ''
Medieval II: Total War'' and "A Clash Of Kings" for ''
Mount & Blade: Warband''.
Merchandise
Miniatures
Testor Corporation
Testor Corporation (or Testors) is an American manufacturer of tools and accessories for scale model kits. The business is based in Rockford, Illinois, and is part of RPM International. It was founded in 1929 and its products are made in the US an ...
announced that in late 2006 it would begin releasing model figures based on the series, to be followed by a tactical wargame. Only one product shipped, a Ruby Ford
diorama. In April 2007, Martin announced that the licensing agreement with Testor had expired, and Testor's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' product lines had been canceled. In December 2006, Haute Productions signed a deal to release a range of resin mini-busts featuring characters from ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' under the name Valyrian Resin. The company plans to expand the line to include resin statues and pewter chess sets.
In 2007, Dark Sword Miniatures announced a line of pewter miniatures based on the world of George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' and sculpted by Tom Meier.
In 2018, Dark Sword Miniatures in collaboration with CMON Limited released a line of pewter miniatures for use in the A Song of Ice & Fire: Tabletop Miniatures Game.
Display weapons
On 20 March 2007, George R. R. Martin announced on his blog that he had "signed a deal with Jalic, Inc. of East Lansing, Michigan, granting them a license to manufacture and sell full-sized high-quality replicas of the arms and armor from ''A Song of Ice and Fire''", under the name Valyrian Steel, starting with the
bastard sword ''Longclaw'' wielded by
Jon Snow (two versions). Since then Valyrian has produced replicas of the Stark family
greatsword
The English language terminology used in the classification of swords is imprecise and has varied widely over time. There is no historical dictionary for the universal names, classification or terminology of swords; a sword was simply a double e ...
''Ice'' (in two versions), ''
Arya Stark
Arya Stark is a fictional character in American author George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' epic fantasy novel series, and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones'', where she is portrayed by English actress Maisie Williams. S ...
''s ''Needle'', and ''
Robert Baratheon
Robert Baratheon is a fictional character in the '' A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of epic fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation '' Game of Thrones'', where he is portrayed by English actor Mark ...
''s mighty warhammer. ''Dragonglass''
arrowhead
An arrowhead or point is the usually sharpened and hardened tip of an arrow, which contributes a majority of the projectile mass and is responsible for impacting and penetrating a target, as well as to fulfill some special purposes such as sign ...
s and a single
dagger
A dagger is a fighting knife with a very sharp point and usually two sharp edges, typically designed or capable of being used as a thrusting or stabbing weapon.State v. Martin, 633 S.W.2d 80 (Mo. 1982): This is the dictionary or popular-use de ...
have also been produced in a collectible ''First Men'' wooden box. Valyrian also announced that it will be producing HBO's show versions of ''
Game of Thrones'' weapons, which differ in appearance from those described in the Ice and Fire novel series.
Music
Greek black metal band ''Nocternitys guitarist's pseudonym is Khal Drogo and they recorded a song on 2003's ''Onyx'' CD called "Valyrian Steel (Blood Of The Dragon)" with lyrics directly referencing Daenerys' storyline and events.
Swedish power metal band
HammerFall
HammerFall is a Swedish power metal band from Gothenburg. The band was formed in 1993 by ex- Ceremonial Oath guitarist Oscar Dronjak.
History
Early days (1993–1996)
HammerFall was formed when rhythm guitarist Oscar Dronjak quit Ceremo ...
released an album in 2005 titled ''
Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken'', the family motto of House Martell. Tracks on the album such as "Take the Black", "Fury of the Wild", and "Hammer of Justice" directly reference events and characters. The following album
Threshold also features a song inspired by ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', titled "Dark Wings, Dark Words". Their 2014 album ''
(r)Evolution
''(r)Evolution'' is the ninth studio album by Swedish heavy metal band HammerFall. It was released on 27 August 2014 in Sweden, 29 August in mainland Europe, 1 September in the UK, and 2 September in North America. For the first time since 1998, ...
'' also features two songs inspired by the series, titled "Winter Is Coming", the family motto of House Stark, and "Wildfire", a highly flammable liquid in the ASoIaF world, which burns with a green fire.
The German symphonic metal band
Blind Guardian
Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in 1984 in Krefeld, West Germany. They are often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power metal and speed metal subgenres.[At the Edge of Time
''At the Edge of Time'' is the ninth studio album by the German power metal band Blind Guardian. A two-CD version of the album was released, with the second disc containing eight tracks. The artwork for the album was created by Colombian artist ...]
'' album.
British alternative rock band
Dark Stares
Dark Stares are a British alternative rock band from St Albans, Hertfordshire. Formed in 2009, the band is composed of brothers Miles Kristian Howell (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Taylor Howell (drums, guitars, backing vocals), Brett Harland Howe ...
based their name on Ser Gerold Dayne, known as Darkstar.
Their song "Blackfyre" from EP ''
Octopon'' is a homage to
House Blackfyre and the
Blackfyre Rebellion.
In 2012, the Canadian band
Irish Moutarde adapted the song ''The Bear and the Maiden Fair'', sung at various times in the novels, as a
celtic punk rock song.
The metal band,
The Sword
The Sword was an American heavy metal band from Austin, Texas. Formed in 2003, the band was composed of vocalist and guitarist John D. Cronise, guitarist Kyle Shutt, bassist Bryan Richie and drummer Santiago "Jimmy" Vela III for most of its t ...
, has a song on the album
Gods of the Earth
''Gods of the Earth'' is the second studio album by American doom metal band The Sword, released in Europe on March 31, 2008, and in the United States on April 1. It gave the band their first experience of commercial success when it peaked at #10 ...
called "To Take the Black" referencing the Night's Watch.
American
power metal
Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contra ...
band
Last Alliance recorded an album called the
Westeros
The fictional world in which the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels by George R. R. Martin take place is divided into several continents, known collectively as The Known World.
Most of the story takes place on the continent of Westeros and in ...
Trilogy in 2013.
References
{{ASOIAF