Birthdate: September 20, 1948
Birthplace: Bayonne, New Jersey
A very accomplished writer with several Hugo Awards, a Nebula here and there, and a trail of other honours and distinctions following behind. Probably best known for his A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy series and The Armageddon Rag. Other novels he has written are Dying of the Light, Windhaven, Fever Dream, and Dead Man's Hand. He has several short story collections and is the editor for the Wild Cards series of books.
George R. R. Martin has also written and produced on TV for The Twilight Zone and Beauty and the Beast.
As a sidenote, A Game of Thrones, the first book of his A Song of Ice and Fire, is truly awesome. The depth and duality of his characters are immensely impressive, as is the book's thoroughness in its fictional history. If you were to judge Mr. Martin strictly from this book, you may conclude that he is a genius.