When David Benioff and D.B. Weiss approached George R. R. Martin about adapting his epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire for television, they were one in a long line of suitors seeking to attain the rights. Martin had rejected all previous requests to adapt the novels, but accepted Benioff and Weiss' proposal largely because of their commitment to, and understanding of, the source material.
From 2011 to 2019, Game of Thrones was one of the most popular shows on television, boasting millions of faithful viewers as well as dozens of accolades. It eventually ran out of material from the published novels, and set out into uncharted territory, under Martin's careful guidance. But with the show over, many fans are still itching for more, so here are all of the A Song of Ice and Fire books, in order.
A Game Of Thrones
This first novel in the series, after which the television adaptation is named, was published in 1996, but didn't become a New York Times Bestseller until 2011. It serves as the basis for the first season of Game of Thrones, introducing the storylines of Daenerys Targaryen, the Wall, and the Great Houses of Westeros. The section about Daenerys, entitled Blood of the Dragon, won the Hugo Award for Best Novella.
Some believe the success of Martin's work comes from his use of multiple points of view, and his refusal to play into the traditional fantasy delineation of absolute good and absolute evil. The author explained that by using multiple viewpoints, he allows the reader to see any given conflict from all sides, and understand the emotional and rational reasoning behind each character's decision.
A Clash Of Kings
A Clash of Kings, the 761-page sequel to A Game of Thrones, released only two years later, in 1998. Martin's productivity has, apparently, suffered significantly since his early days. In 1999, it won the Locus Award for Best Novel, and eventually became the basis for the second season of the television series. It was praised by critics, especially for its ability to measure up to the first, with none of the usual drop-off in quality suffered by middle books in a series.
The novel depicts Westeros plunging into civil war after the death of Robert Baratheon. It introduces Jon Snow to the wildlings north of the Wall, sees Theon Greyjoy betray his childhood companion Robb Stark, and follows Daenerys Targaryen's arrival in the merchant city Qarth.
A Storm Of Swords
The third novel in the series, A Storm of Swords, arrived in the year 2000, a whopping 973 pages which fans gobbled up with great aplomb. It was nominated for the Hugo Award, but lost to J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. For adaptation, the novel was split into two, with the first half becoming the basis for season three and the second half the basis for season four.
As Mance Rayder and his wildlings approach the Wall, Joffrey Baratheon and Stannis Baratheon compete for the Iron Throne, both having to reckon also with the independence claims of Robb Stark in the North and Balon Greyjoy in the Iron Islands. This book contains some of the most famous scenes from the HBO series, including the Red Wedding and Oberyn Martell's death at the hands of the Mountain.
A Feast For Crows
Martin's writing pace started to slow considerably by the time he reached A Feast for Crows, the fourth novel in the series. It wasn't released until five years after the third, in 2005. Reportedly, the manuscript was so long that Martin's publishers decided to split the novel in two, and Martin, eccentric as always, decreed that instead of splitting the novel chronologically, he would split it by character and location, a painstaking separation process which delayed the novel's release.
The novel debuted at number one on the New York Times Bestseller list, the first in the series to do so, and was later adapted into the fifth season of Game of Thrones, with some elements also present in the fourth and sixth seasons. It depicts Sansa's exile in the Vale, Euron Greyjoy's return to the Iron Islands, and Arya Stark's apprenticeship at the House of Black and White in Braavos.
A Dance With Dragons
This fifth book emerged as a result of the splitting of A Feast for Crows' manuscript. It occurs at the same time as the fourth book, but depicts different characters and different locations, a rare form for a sequel and its predecessor to take. It clocks in at a daunting 1016 pages in its hardcover edition, and was released in 2011, the same year as the television series premiered.
It was adapted mostly as season five, along with its sister novel A Feast for Crows, which makes sense as both novels overlap chronologically. It follows Jon Snow's rise to Lord Commander of the Night's Watch and subsequent betrayal, Bran Stark's development of clairvoyant "greensight," Tyrion Lannister's flight from Westeros, and Daenerys' struggle to maintain control in the slave city of Meereen.
The Winds Of Winter (Forthcoming)
Though the sixth book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series has not yet been released, its arrival has been anticipated for some time - the last nine years, at least. With Game of Thrones no longer on the air and no spinoffs forthcoming, fans' only hope for their fix of Westerosi drama may be that George R. R. Martin stops goofing around and finally finishes writing The Winds of Winter.
That may not happen any time soon, as Martin estimates the last two volumes in his seven-book series will total 3,000 pages. A Dance with Dragons, though it was more than a thousand pages, allegedly was not long enough to cover all the story that Martin had intended; among things left out were an epic battle sequence, including the Battle of Slaver's Bay, which has already appeared in the television show. Though it covers familiar territory, it will also deal with storylines that do not appear on the show.
A Dream Of Spring (Forthcoming)
Even minor speculation as to the contents of A Dream of Spring seem useless this far out from the book's release. All fans really know is the book's title, and the fact that some events which appear in the show are likely to show up in the novel as well. As of January 2020, Martin was still "hard at work" on the novel, though he's also turned to other pursuits, including film production.
A Dream of Spring may not even be the last novel in the series, with Martin hinting that he may be open to writing more beyond the planned seventh installment. Whenever the author finally gets around to wrapping up A Song of Ice and Fire, one thing seems clear: his dedicated fans will be ready and wanting.