George R.R. Martin discusses the ending of his epic A Song of Ice and Fire series, and credits another fantasy great as his model.
A Song of Ice and Fire, which has been translated to the small screen as HBO’s Game of Thrones, has become renowned for its grimness and tragedy. But in spite of his reputation, Martin says he doesn’t envision the series ending in a “horrible apocalypse” – with a few disclaimers.
“I haven’t written the ending yet, so I don’t know,” Martin admits. “But no. That’s certainly not my intent.”
Martin credits his predecessor J.R.R. Tolkien with inspiring the type of conclusion he aspires to, which the author describes as “bittersweet” in tone.
“It’s no secret that Tolkien has been a huge influence on me, and I love the way he ended The Lord of the Rings,” Martin says. “It ends with victory, but it’s a bittersweet victory. Frodo is never whole again, and he goes away to the Undying Lands, and the other people live their lives.”
Martin was also moved by one of the penultimate chapters in The Return of the King, in which the drama of Sauron’s defeat is underscored by an intimate challenge for the hobbits.
“‘The Scouring of the Shire’ [is a] brilliant piece of work, which I didn’t understand when I was 13 years old,” the author mused. “[I thought,] ‘Why is this here? The story’s over?’ But every time I read it, I understand the brilliance of that segment more and more.”
“All I can say is that’s the kind of tone I will be aiming for,” Martin says. “Whether I achieve it or not, that will be up to… my readers to judge.”
Related: George R.R. Martin praises Ant-Man, calls out Marvel formula
Given the tonal differences between The Lord of the Rings and A Song of Ice and Fire, it’s interesting to consider how ‘The Scouring of the Shire’ might influence Martin’s ending. Hobbits aside, Martin certainly does work with many of the same themes that Tolkien does. His characters yearn for the safety and acceptance of home, and – as his fans know very well – no victory is earned without loss.
And perhaps like The Lord of The Rings, the end of A Song of Ice and Fire (presumably to come in book seven, A Dream of Spring) may reduce its previously epic scale. After all, Martin may be the master of battles and impervious plots, but the smallest moments in his tale are frequently the most powerful. Be it an intimate exchange of words, a keen observation, or a searing moment of imagery, there is no question that George R.R. Martin is capable of delivering his own brilliant, Tolkienesque coda to A Song of Ice and Fire.
…we just hope he does it soon!