A Song of Ice and Fire

A Song of Ice and Fire is an epic fantasy series of novels by the American author George R. R. Martin, begun with A Game of Thrones in 1996. Set chiefly on the continent of Westeros and the lands across the Narrow Sea, the series interweaves the political struggle for the Iron Throne among the realm's great houses with the slow return of magic to the world, including the rebirth of dragons in the east and the rise of an ancient menace, the Others, beyond the Wall in the north.

The series is known for its large cast, its rotating point-of-view structure in which each chapter is told from the perspective of a single character, its morally complex characters, and its willingness to defy the conventions and expectations of heroic fantasy. It is the basis for the television adaptation.

Overview

The series begins with a realm at uneasy peace that fractures into the multi-sided civil war known as the War of the Five Kings after the death of King Robert. As the great houses, Stark, Lannister, Baratheon, Targaryen, Greyjoy, Tyrell, Martell, and others, contend for power, two larger threats loom: the exiled Daenerys Targaryen raising dragons and an army in the east, and the supernatural Others gathering beyond the Wall as the long winter approaches.

The title refers to the central tension between ice, associated with the Others and the cold threat from the north, and fire, associated with the dragons and the prophecies of R'hllor and Azor Ahai, a duality that runs throughout the work.

Volumes

Five volumes have been published to date: A Game of Thrones (1996), A Clash of Kings (1998), A Storm of Swords (2000), A Feast for Crows (2005), and A Dance with Dragons (2011). Two further volumes, planned to complete the series, remain forthcoming as of this writing. George R. R. Martin has also published companion works set in the same world, including histories of Westeros and the Targaryen dynasty.

Significance

A Song of Ice and Fire is among the most influential works of modern epic fantasy, widely credited with bringing a grittier, more politically intricate, and morally ambiguous sensibility to the genre. Its enormous popularity, amplified by the television adaptation, made it a cultural phenomenon and one of the best-selling fantasy series of its time.