A Game of Thrones
In the novel, recounting events from various points of view, Martin introduces the plot-lines of the noble houses of Westeros, the Wall, and the Targaryens. The novel has inspired several spin-off works, including several games. It is also the namesake and basis for the first season of "Game of Thrones", an HBO television series that premiered in April 2011. A March 2013 paperback TV tie-in re-edition was also titled "Game of Thrones", excluding the indefinite article "A".
A Song of Ice and Fire
When Martin was between Hollywood projects in the summer of 1991, he started writing a new science fiction novel called "Avalon". After three chapters, he had a vivid idea of a boy seeing a man's beheading and finding direwolves in the snow, which would eventually become the first non-prologue chapter of "A Game of Thrones". Putting "Avalon" aside, Martin finished this chapter in a few days and grew certain that it was part of a longer story. After a few more chapters, Martin perceived his new book as a fantasy story and started making maps and genealogies. However, the writing of this book was interrupted for a few years when Martin returned to Hollywood to produce his TV series "Doorways" that ABC had ordered but ultimately never aired.