Definition
A Song of Ice and Fire (often abbreviated as ASOIAF) is an epic fantasy novel series by American author George R. R. Martin, begun in 1996 with A Game of Thrones. The planned seven-book series — of which five have been published (A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, A Dance with Dragons) — is set in the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos and follows multiple interwoven storylines of noble houses vying for control of the Iron Throne. The series is distinguished by its gritty realism, political complexity, moral ambiguity, and willingness to kill major characters. Martin, a former television writer, deliberately subverted fantasy tropes: the noble hero dies, the beautiful queen is a monster, the dwarf is the smartest person in the room, and magic is rare, dangerous, and returning. In 2011, HBO adapted the series into the television show Game of Thrones, which became one of the most successful and culturally dominant TV series in history, though its final season (2019) was widely criticized for rushing conclusions that Martin has not yet written in the books.
Why It Matters
ASOIAF is the internet’s favorite unfinished masterpiece. The series has been waiting for its sixth book, The Winds of Winter, since 2011 — and the seventh, A Dream of Spring, may never come. The internet has turned this wait into a culture: subreddits like r/asoiaf and r/freefolk are dedicated to theories, analysis, memes, and increasingly desperate jokes about Martin’s age and writing speed. The phrase “GRRM is not your bitch” — coined by Neil Gaiman in defense of Martin’s slow pace — is itself a meme. The Game of Thrones TV adaptation matters because it demonstrates both the power and the danger of adaptation: seasons 1–4 are widely considered some of the best television ever made, while seasons 7–8 are considered a cautionary tale about what happens when creators outrun their source material. The internet’s relationship with ASOIAF is also defined by its theories: “R+L=J” (Jon Snow’s parentage), the “Gravedigger” theory, the “Euron is a wizard” theory — these were debated for years, some confirmed, some still unresolved. ASOIAF matters because it proved that fantasy could be serious literature. And the internet is still waiting for it to end.
Example
“He read A Game of Thrones in 2000. He was 14. He loved fantasy. He loved that the hero died. He loved that the dwarf was the hero. He read the next book. And the next. And the next. He waited for A Dance with Dragons. It came in 2011. He was 25. He is 40 now. The Winds of Winter has not come. He checks the subreddit every month. He reads the theories. He reads the tinfoil. He reads the jokes. ‘GRRM is writing other books.’ ‘GRRM is playing with his trains.’ ‘GRRM is never finishing.’ He laughs. He cries. He waits. That is ASOIAF. Not a series. A relationship. A relationship that the author has ghosted. And the internet is still texting.”
Related Terms
- Game of Thrones — The HBO adaptation that made ASOIAF a global phenomenon
- George R. R. Martin (GRRM) — The author whose writing pace has become an internet obsession
- The Winds of Winter — The long-awaited sixth book in the series
- R+L=J — The most famous fan theory, concerning Jon Snow’s parentage
- Freefolk — The subreddit known for memes and irreverent discussion of the series