George R.R. Martin shares the “mistake” he made at the start of Game of Thrones

As a gamer who has spent countless hours immersed in Martin’s intricate world of Westeros and Essos, I can’t help but feel a sense of kinship with the man behind “A Song of Ice and Fire.” Like many fans, I’ve followed his journey from an obscure science fiction writer to the undisputed king of modern fantasy literature.

While many authors are successful in their respective fields, it’s quite rare for them to achieve widespread popularity. However, there are instances that contradict this norm, such as John Grisham, Anne Rice, and George R.R. Martin, the creator of the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series. This work was later transformed into the popular HBO series known as “Game of Thrones.”

Martin is one of the most prominent authors currently living, but this wasn’t always the case. During a discussion at Oxford Writers House about the advantages and disadvantages of fame, Martin reminisced about a time when his level of recognition was much more manageable. “I sold my first short story when I was 21, which brought me some notoriety within the small circle of science fiction,” he mused. “I could attend a science fiction convention, display my name badge, and people would ask for my autograph. I’d participate in discussions and such, but if I took off my badge, I could go to McDonald’s and eat a cheeseburger anonymously.” However, he noted that those days are over now.

[T[here [are] good things and bad things about it. The fortune, yes, the fortune is very good. The fame can be very nice. People say very nice things. But…I can’t turn it off anymore. It’s everywhere. And you know, I have my loyal minion here who is much sterner and more frightening to me and can chase away people. Perfectly nice people. But sometimes there’s so many of them. You know, you sit in a restaurant and someone comes up to you and says, ‘I don’t mean to interrupt your dinner,’ but you are going to interrupt [dinner]. There’s someone else and then there’s someone else and then there’s someone else so it can be a lot.

Overall, Martin seems content with his newfound fame. He believes that it has more advantages than disadvantages, but he acknowledges that it often brings about its own set of difficulties. It wouldn’t be surprising if being famous came with its own set of challenges.

Reflecting upon those days, if given a chance, perhaps I, Martin, would long for the tranquil obscurity once more. Yet, it seems like that ship has sailed, as every moment since the inception of Game of Thrones on television has been a game-changer. “In retrospect,” I mused, “I might have erred when we ignited the TV adaptation of this epic series. The cast was largely made up of relatively unknown actors, with the exception of Sean Bean, who met an untimely end in the storyline. The publicity surrounding me, a well-known writer at the time, amplified by the media hype, turned my face into a common sight, which wasn’t entirely welcome.”

Stephen King, who I know a little bit, told me once, ‘you know, the worst mistake I ever made was doing that credit card commercial, where before that you may [only] have seen his picture on the back of his book. But after he did that American Express commercial back in the 80s…then everybody in the world knew what Stephen King looked like. [That] changed his life fundamentally, as fame has changed mine.

Indeed, the fact remains that horror author Stephen King did indeed star in an American Express advertisement in 1985. Admittedly, due to its poor quality, the YouTube clip doesn’t offer a clear view of his face, but one can only assume it was much more vivid back then.

It’s not entirely obvious to me either why Stephen King, known for his works like “Carrie” and “The Shining”, was chosen as a spokesperson for American Express, but let’s focus on something else instead.

Some people have hypothesized that George R.R. Martin’s escalating popularity might be a factor in the delay of publishing “The Winds of Winter,” the upcoming book in his “A Song of Ice and Fire” series, as he now has more demands on his time. However, only Martin himself can provide the complete explanation. Here’s hoping he shares that story, along with others, in the near future.

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2024-08-22 22:42