George Raymond Richard Martin, commonly known as George R.R. Martin, and also popularly referred to by his initials G.R.R.M., was born on September 20, 1948, in Bayonne, New Jersey. Martin is an acclaimed American author, television writer, and television producer, best known for his epic fantasy novel series A Song of Ice and Fire. This renowned series was adapted into the Emmy Award–winning television series Game of Thrones (2011–2019) and its prequel series House of the Dragon (2022–present).

Beyond the realms of Westeros, Martin has contributed significantly to the Wild Cards anthology series and provided worldbuilding for the popular video game Elden Ring (2022).

In recognition of his influence, Lev Grossman of Time hailed Martin as "the American Tolkien" in 2005, and he was named one of the Time 100 most influential people worldwide in 2011.

Currently, Martin is a resident of Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he is actively involved in local projects, including funding Meow Wolf and owning the Jean Cocteau Cinema. The city honors him by celebrating March 29 as George R.R. Martin Day.