George R.R. Martin is no stranger to killing off beloved characters. HBO’s Game of Thrones, and his A Song of Ice and Fire series that inspired it, are littered with the corpses of heroes, villains, and everyone in between. How did Martin become so comfortable with shocking his audience? Because when he was a kid, J.R.R. Tolkien did it to him.

When Daenerys hatched three dragons from what seemed to be petrified eggs during the finale of Game of Thrones' first season, the balance of power between the contenders for the Iron Throne began to shift. Thanks to her ever-growing, ever-more powerful "children," Daenerys has transformed from one of the show's underdogs to arguably its most powerful political player. Which raises a question: How could any army in Westeros take on the returning Targaryen and her forces? How could anyone kill one of Daenerys' dragons?

For years now -- since around the time the channel purposefully misspelled its name from Sci Fi to Syfy -- the former home of science fiction on television has been something of a joke. And now the channel and its owners at NBC think they can save it.

I've heard that the illustrated Game of Thrones novel is something that George R. R. Martin has always wanted. Whether that's true or not, the one thing that matters is that it looks incredible, and it's out next month.

The season six finale of Game of Thrones was one of the strongest hours in television history, a relentless episode that burnt up loose ends and set the stage for the show's future. It capped off an excellent season and spent as little time as possible in Dorne. I'm glad I watched it.

That sure was an episode of Game of Thrones, huh? As it turns out, at least one guy saw the ending coming.

In the first book of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, Eddard Stark faces a near-impossible choice: Should he sacrifice his noble values to save his own life? This week, people across the world will have to make a similarly difficult decision: Should we watch the new season of Game of Thrones?

It's no secret that George R.R. Martin is an old-school comics nerd, a guy who wrote fan letters to Marvel Comics back in the day. Surely, well off as he must be, somebody's running to get his comics for him, right? Nope. He gets them himself. Sometimes, he brings Game of Thrones actresses with him, too.

A popular fan theory on the identity of one of George R.R. Martin's most mysterious A Song of Ice and Fire characters may have just been debunked -- and by a simple trip to the library. Spoilers for the series, including possibly for unpublished material here!

When you write for a living, procrastination is a constant source of temptation. I bet A Game of Thrones writer George R.R. Martin gets distracted now and then.

When George R R Martin first began writing A Game Of Thrones, he envisioned a taut fantasy trilogy that would take around five years to complete. More than two decades on, there's still no end to the saga in sight. This week, Martin's editor essentially confirmed that the story is completely off the rails. It seems that The Winds Of Winter is nowhere near close to being finished, while an eighth book might also be on the cards. Tch.

Video: A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin, wedding planner. Guaranteed to make your special day an event to remember. No Game of Thrones spoilers here, but there are sure to be one or two in the comments, unless everyone pulls together in the spirit of cooperation and only comments on Martin's beard and hat.