20 Mind-Blowing Facts You Never Knew About George RR Martin
6. He Was Born George R. Martin
Obviously, like most fantasy authors that don't subscribe to Michael Moorcock's radical Epic Pooh essay, George R.R. Martin is a huge Lord Of The Rings fan. There are plenty of homages to Middle-Earth throughout A Song Of Ice And Fire, from the Samwise Gamgee-inspired Samwell Tarly, to Ser Theodan The True named for King Theoden Of Rohan, to... those initials? Along with their huge sweeping narratives and rich, epic worlds, the other main thing that George R.R. Martin and J.R.R. Tolkien have in common are the double-Rs in their names. That's despite the former author having been born with but a single initial in the midddle of his title: he was born George Raymond Martin. The Raymond came from his father, longshoreman Raymond Collins Martin. He added the second R. - for Richard - after his confirmation in the Roman Catholic Church, aged 13, which is apparently something people do. In case you were wondering if his books are maybe at odds with his faith, Martin has long since confessed he now has more atheistic leanings.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
