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George R.R. Martin on Game of Thrones "Bittersweet Ending" and Tolkien's Influence


Although the ending for the Game of Thrones show is likely set in stone, author George R.R. Martin says the ending of Song of Ice and Fire, the book series upon which the HBO phenomenon is based—is not.

In an interview with the Observer, Martin said that he intends to write a "bittersweet ending", he's not sure what the ending will be yet.

"I haven't written the ending yet," he said. "I've said before that the tone of the ending that I'm going for is bittersweet. I mean, it's no secret that Tolkien has been a huge influence on me, and I love the way he ended Lord of the Rings. It ends with a victory, but it's a bittersweet victory…All I can say is that's the kind of tone I will be aiming for. Whether I achieve if or not, that will be up to people like you and my readers to judge."

This may be surprising to fans who assumed the series will end in a shocking Red Wedding-like finale. His comments may not apply to the ending of HBO's series. Gameof Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have already spoke to Martin about his plans for the franchise and already know how the series will end.

"We've had a lot of conversations with George, and he makes a lot of stuff up as he's writing it," Benioff toldVariety. "Even while we talk to him about the ending, it doesn't mean that that ending that he has currently conceived is going to be the ending when he eventually writes it."

It's hard to speculate how Game of Thrones' ending will unfold, Martin still has two books to write to conclude his Song of Ice and Fire series, so we might see the show's ending first before his book series concludes. How do you think A Song of Ice and Fire or the Game of Thrones show will end?

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