George R.R. Martin is no stranger to kill off darling characters . HBO ’s Game of Thrones , and his A Song of Ice and Fire series that inspired it , are littered with the clay of heroes , villains , and everyone in between . How did Martin become so comfortable with appall his audience ? Because when he was a nestling , J.R.R. Tolkien did it to him .
In avideoto celebrate Game of Thrones being added to PBS ’ “ The capital American Read ” collection , Martin chatted about how Tolkien ’s Lord of the Rings series influenced his own fantasy saga through its expansive world and complex characters .
Martin remarks on how he would use fantasy novel as a form of escape when he was a Kyd , because he did n’t grow up with a lot of money . His favorite , by far , was The Lord of the Rings — even though , when he first foot it up , he was a mo put off by it .
“ It open with , like , a thesis on pipeweed , and then there ’s a natal day party , ” Martin said . “ I ’m saying , ‘ Where are the giant snakes ? Where are the barely clad women ? There ’s no blade fights here , what ’s going on ? ’ ”
Eventually , the novel commence to pick up the pace , and Martin said that by the time he ’d reach the Mines of Moria he realized “ this was the bully book I ’d ever read . ” However , that admiration turn into electric shock and horror once a particular moment materialise . You know the one I ’m talking about . If not , I ’ll permit Martin himself explain it .
And then Gandalf dies ! I ca n’t excuse the impact that had on me at 13 . You ca n’t kill Gandalf . I intend , Conan did n’t die in the Conan books , you bang ? Tolkien just broke that rule , and I ’ll love him forever for it .
The moment you kill Gandalf , the suspense of everything that follows is a thousand multiplication greater , because now anybody could die . Of of course , that ’s had a profound on my own willingness to kill characters off at the drop of a hat .
It really nominate a lot of sense that Gandalf ’s “ Fly , you fools ! ” death inspired Martin ’s own murderous leaning . He ’s never been afraid to kill off important characters , most notably patriarch Ned Stark ( play by Sean Bean in the HBO serial ; coincidently , Bean also play Boromir , who met his end in the first LotR picture ) . The show has followed in his footsteps with likewise shocking option , like the death of Hodor in one of Game of Thrones ’ saddest bit .
Martin ’s admiration for Tolkien ’s choice to kill Gandalf also explains why he really is n’t a lover of the fact that Tolkien add him back as Gandalf the White , as he share in a2011 interviewwith John Hodgman :
What mogul that had , how that grabbed me . And then he come in back as Gandalf the White , and if anything he ’s sort of improved . I never liked Gandalf the White as much as Gandalf the Grey , and I never liked him come back . I think it would have been an even solid story if Tolkien had left him beat .
Currently , Martin is doing everything else besides finishingThe Winds of Winter , including working on a Game of Thronesprequel serieswith Jane Goldman , anticipating the release of Syfy’sNightflyersTV show , and developing anIce Dragonanimated movie that , woefully , has nothing to do withViserion or his blue firing powers .
FantasyGame of ThronesGeorge RR MartinLord of the Rings
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