George R.R. Martin, the writer of epic fantasy series, Game of Thrones, has never been shy about his opinion on fan fiction. The author of the book, A Song of Ice and Fire, which inspired the show, expressed serious reservations about the growing popularity of these unofficial, fan-made stories.
His concerns are not merely about the stories themselves, but rather the potential for legal complications, especially when these works begin to profit from the use of his characters. In addition, Martin also expressed the significant challenges he faced with merchandising from the Game of Thrones series.
George R.R. Martin expressed his problems with fan fiction
George R.R. Martin has repeatedly expressed his disapproval of fan fiction, particularly when it borrows characters and universes from other established franchises. In an interview hosted by the Brown University Library in 2014, Martin made it very clear that he has been against fan fiction for a long time.
I have long been an opponent of fan fiction.
He revealed that when he was a teenager, he wrote what could be considered fan fiction. It was always centered around original characters and worlds of his own creation. “I never borrowed anybody else’s character or world…You know I was a comic book fan. I didn’t write about Spider-Man or Superman or Batman. I’ve created my own heroes and wrote about them.” This early work from the 60s is a far cry from modern fan fiction.
For him, modern fan fiction involves taking beloved characters from franchises like Star Wars or Star Trek and creating new stories around them. While Martin doesn’t mind if fans create fan fiction for their “own amusement,” the issue lies when these works are monetized. “You can’t start selling it on eBay or merchandising it. Then you’ll get sued,” he explained, referencing the potential legal issues surrounding copyrighted materials.
While there is a healthy amount of fan fiction featuring Game of Thrones characters and worlds, this might not pose a problem to Martin. He is particularly concerned with the idea of people profiting from his character, a situation that could potentially lead to legal issues over copyright infringement.
George R.R. Martin faced a huge problem with merchandising
The wariness toward fan fiction ties directly into Martin’s experience with licensing and merchandising, which he navigates carefully. Over the years Game of Thrones has evolved into a global franchise, with a vast array of licensing products, from action figures to video games. Martin was always careful about the quality of the original material, so he spent considerable time to approve and give feedback.
The problem arises with the massive Game of Thrones success after the HBO debut. Martin’s pre-existing contracts clashed with HBO’s desire to control all merchandising rights, leading to a tense negotiation. “It was a ludicrous negotiation, where they’re saying ‘we’ll give you keychains, but we keep bobblehead dolls,’” Martin jokingly said in the interview.
Although the deal was eventually worked out, it brought light to the complications that arose with the fame of his work. In the end, Martin’s cautious approach to both fan fiction and merchandising reflects a desire to protect his originality.
Game of Thrones is available to stream on HBO Max.
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