George R. R. Martin's Earliest Inspiration Of All

'Fire and Blood' author George R. R. Martin shares his writing inspirations, which range from Tolkien to his childhood pet turtles.

Watch The Late Show with Stephen Colbert weeknights at 11:35 PM ET/10:35 PM CT. Only on CBS.

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The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is the premier late night talk show on CBS, airing at 11:35pm EST, streaming online via CBS All Access, and delivered to the International Space Station on a USB drive taped to a weather balloon. Every night, viewers can expect: Comedy, humor, funny moments, witty interviews, celebrities, famous people, movie stars, bits, humorous celebrities doing bits, funny celebs, big group photos of every star from Hollywood, even the reclusive ones, plus also jokes.

[cuuy]

The whole interview Stephen didn't mention once the tv show Game of Thrones, they only talked about books. That must have made Martin happy.

[romailkhan]

We live in a world now where millions sit back excitedly to hear two nerds talk about books. I am proud of us.

[UltimateKyuubiFox]

Just seeing how much happier he is after publishing this book makes me fully convinced this was the right thing for him to do. When he said “I should probably go somewhere right now and write” it’s like the spark lit back up in his eyes.

Sometimes you need a palate cleanser to unblock yourself. He seems more excited than I’ve seen him in like three years.

[chix]

"Where are the female orcs?" Is the first time Ive heard Stephen answer a Tolkien question with "I don't know". George you accomplished the unthinkable.

[redmilo]

Every time I'm upset with not having Winds I just have to go and listen to George laughing like a giddy child and I forget it all. Keep writing, good sir, but more importantly keep living. You have given much to the world beyond just this series of novels. You and your work are loved.

[cynicalcenobia]

2:49 The minute he says 'fantasy, ' you can just see Colbert desperately wanting to turn the conversation towards Tolkien.

[WulWon]

I love that Stephen Colbert really knows his stuff when talking about Tolkien or ASOIF since he's such a fan himself.

[gregorseidel]

I am all for George R.R. Martin escaping the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series for a side project for a while! Creative writing cannot be a chore, it needs to be driven by the inner desire to tell a story, and with all the long hours of work that inevitably go into it, writing also needs to be fun. While I am certain his epic book series is close to his heart, the joy of working creatively can easily be extinguished when everyone is constantly pushing you to meet a deadline, and you are not allowed to roam free and explore new ideas unrelated to one single project. My guess is that writing "Fire and Blood" allowed G.R.R. Martin to escape that pressure for a bit, and if it worked to rekindle his desire to write about the more recent developments surrounding the Iron Throne, that's fantastic, because I am just as eager to read "The Winds of Winter" as the next guy.

[EG-gzmp]

House Martin. Sigil, a purple turtle. Words: don’t get attached. Lord

[anja]

No wonder ASOIAF is still not finished because GRRM’s writing was inspired by turtles.

[runalongnowm]

This is easily the nerdiest interview ever done on a late night talk show.

[BucketOfMarbles]

The Ice and Fire books are so intricate and magnificent that it's hard to imagine how someone could assemble them in a lifetime. I don't blame George for taking his time, I will happily wait for that level of quality.

[muhammadbadhon]

it's good to have an interviewer/a host who actually read books or knows the stuffs he's talking about.

[thebigshep]

Y'all should bring more authors in the show! Not just one's whose work have been adapted to screen or already famous actors who take up writing (not that there's anything wrong with that).

[reneelucero]

"So which authors inspired you"
"Well..."
Stephen's mind: JUST GET TO TOLKIEN ALREADY DAMN IT

[MiddleEarthGirl]

The amount of information within GRRM's series and still within his mind to share is astounding, truly.

[utubrGaming]

Turtle Castle will be published after "The Winds of Winter" and "A Dream of Spring"

[SayaItani]

'Fire and Blood' is so good! Just finished it last week, can't wait for part 2.

[daneone]

I love when you bring serial killers on the show

[wynstansmom]

"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, said Jojen. The man who never reads lives only one"...
Yes! and when George R.R. Martin said this, who knew he meant Turtles?