Read by Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Reid Hoffman and 8 others
What books does George R. R. Martin recommend?
Long before A Song of Ice and Fire, the book recommendations from George R. R. Martin trace the fantasy and literary traditions he would later reshape. His 44 titles are gathered from his long-running Not A Blog, interviews with outlets like The Guardian and PBS's Great American Read, and publisher blurbs, and they are anchored in fiction and literature and history, with philosophy and psychology and human behavior nearby. J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings sits at the summit; Martin admires Tolkien greatly and says his books 'had enormous influence on me,' while Roger Zelazny's Nine Princes in Amber is the one he has named as his single favorite. Maurice Druon's The Iron King — 'the original game of thrones' — and F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby round out his top picks. Martin is of course the author of A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, Fire & Blood, and the rest of his Westeros saga.
Last updated March 2026 · Every recommendation cited to its original source.
The Lord of the Rings
The Fellowship of the Ring / The Two Towers / The Return of the King
byJ.R.R. Tolkien
19541178 Pages(721,705)
“I admire Tolkien greatly. His books had enormous influence on me... The battle of good and evil is a great subject for any book and certainly for a fantasy book.”
— George R. R. Martin
Source: PBS Interview / The Great American Read
byMaurice Druon
2013368 Pages“This was the original game of thrones. If you like A Song of Ice and Fire, you will love The Accursed Kings.”
— George R. R. Martin
Source: The Guardian
Read by Wong Kar Wai, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Ralph Lauren and 5 others
byF. Scott Fitzgerald
2004180 Pages(4,896,000)
“I can't read those words without having a shiver. I read this book and it spoke to me so powerfully.”
— George R. R. Martin
Source: PBS Great American Read Interview
byRoger Zelazny
2004304 Pages“When I read those words for the first time, a chill went through me, and I sensed that SF would never be the same. Nor was it.”
— George R. R. Martin
Source: George R.R. Martin's Website (In Memoriam)
byRoger Zelazny
1970175 Pages(61,061)
“If I had to pick one favorite book, it would probably be Nine Princes in Amber.”
— George R. R. Martin
Source: Reginald's Book Club Interview
byBernard Cornwell
2004333 Pages(112,784)
“Bernard Cornwell is one of the writers who never fails to grab me by the throat... but my favorite is his long-running Saxon series, the tales of Uhtred son of Uhtred.”
— George R. R. Martin
Source: Not A Blog
byEmily St. John Mandel
2014336 Pages“It's a deeply melancholy novel, but beautifully written, and wonderfully elegiac... a book that I will long remember, and return to.”
— George R. R. Martin
Source: Not A Blog (LiveJournal)
byJack Vance
1950176 Pages(10,950)
“Vance's Dying Earth ranks with Howard's Hyborian Age and Tolkien's Middle Earth as one of the all-time great fantasy settings.”
— George R. R. Martin
Source: Not A Blog (LiveJournal)
Read by Brian Armstrong, Glenn Beck, Brandon Sanderson and 2 others
Project Hail Mary
A Novel
byAndy Weir
2021496 Pages(1,162,646)
“If you like a lot of science in your science fiction, Andy Weir is the writer for you. This one has everything fans of old school SF (like me) love.”
— George R. R. Martin
Source: Penguin Books Blurb
byCharles Dickens
1859544 Pages(1,011,215)
“I'd also go with A Tale of Two Cities over Great Expectations for the Dickens.”
— George R. R. Martin
Source: Not A Blog
Gone Girl
A Novel
byGillian Flynn
2012432 Pages(3,460,000)
“Which I came to late, but liked so much I went out and read all of her other books at once.”
— George R. R. Martin
Source: Not A Blog (LiveJournal)
The Girl on the Train
A Novel
byPaula Hawkins
2015320 Pages(2,900,000)
“It's a strong story, with a great sense of time and place, and one that had me from start to finish.”
— George R. R. Martin
Source: Not A Blog (LiveJournal)
Dead Wake
The Last Crossing of the Lusitania
byErik Larson
2015448 Pages“Larson is a journalist who writes non-fiction books that read like novels, real page-turners... This one is pretty damned good too. Thoroughly engrossing.”
— George R. R. Martin
Source: Not A Blog (LiveJournal)
byRobert Galbraith, J.K. Rowling
2013449 Pages“I also enjoyed the hell out of The Cuckoo's Calling, by 'Robert Galbraith'.”
— George R. R. Martin
Source: Not A Blog
byStephen King
2013288 Pages“I actually liked Joyland even more [than Doctor Sleep]... the real heart of the novel is a coming of age story, one that took me vividly back to my own youth.”
— George R. R. Martin
Source: Not A Blog
Ivanhoe
A Romance
byWalter Scott
2000528 Pages“Sir Walter Scott is hard going for many modern readers, I realize, but there's still great stuff to be found in Ivanhoe and his other novels.”
— George R. R. Martin
Source: Not A Blog
byArthur Conan Doyle
1891496 Pages(11,500)
“There's still great stuff to be found... in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The White Company (he wrote more than just Sherlock Holmes).”
— George R. R. Martin
Source: Not A Blog
Ironfire
A Novel of the Knights of Malta and the Last Battle of the Crusades
byDavid Ball
2004688 Pages“I love good historical fiction, for many of the same reasons that I love good fantasy... IRONFIRE... I recommended it highly.”
— George R. R. Martin
Source: Not A Blog
byEmily St. John Mandel
2020320 Pages“I would be hard pressed to say what it is except a damn fine novel... I do know that once I started reading, I could not stop.”
— George R. R. Martin
Source: Not A Blog
byMarko Kloos
2015350 Pages“Military Science Fiction... These are very entertaining books... Kloos is a writer to watch.”
— George R. R. Martin
Source: Not A Blog (LiveJournal)
byCecelia Holland
1974519 Pages“Cecelia Holland is another of my favorites... Great Maria, set in Norman Sicily, is a masterpiece.”
— George R. R. Martin
Source: George R.R. Martin's Website (Some Other Masters)
byThomas B. Costain
1945403 Pages(1,416)
“Another writer worth checking out... Thomas B. Costain's novels are little read today, but he was the bestselling historical novelist of his day, and told a damn good story.”
— George R. R. Martin
Source: Not A Blog
Read by Mark Zuckerberg, Brian Chesky, Chip Wilson and 2 others
byErnest Cline
2011374 Pages(1,302,519)
“Tremendous amount of fun for anyone who remembers that time and played those games.”
— George R. R. Martin
Source: Not A Blog (LiveJournal)
Armada
A Novel
byErnest Cline
2015368 Pages(128,563)
“Hugely entertaining... though it does make me wonder if we'll ever see Ernie write something that isn't about videogames.”
— George R. R. Martin
Source: Not A Blog (LiveJournal)
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Frequently asked questions
What books does George R. R. Martin recommend?
His 44 recommendations include The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Iron King by Maurice Druon, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny, spanning epic fantasy, historical fiction, and literary classics.
What is George R. R. Martin's favorite book?
Roger Zelazny's Nine Princes in Amber — 'If I had to pick one favorite book, it would probably be Nine Princes in Amber.' J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings is his other touchstone; he repeatedly cites Tolkien as a foundational influence on his own epic fantasy.
Where do George R. R. Martin book recommendations come from?
They come from his Not A Blog, interviews with The Guardian and the PBS Great American Read, publisher blurbs he has written for other authors, and tributes on his official website.
Has George R. R. Martin written books?
Yes. He is the author of the A Song of Ice and Fire series, including A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Feast for Crows, A Dance with Dragons, and the prequel history Fire & Blood.
What genres does George R. R. Martin read most?
His recommendations are anchored in fiction and literature and history, with additional interest in philosophy and psychology and human behavior. Epic fantasy and historical fiction dominate, alongside the classic literary and science-fiction authors who first shaped his craft.
All 44 Books George R. R. Martin Has Recommended
- The Lord of the Rings · J.R.R. Tolkien
- The Iron King · Maurice Druon
- The Great Gatsby · F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Lord of Light · Roger Zelazny
- Nine Princes in Amber · Roger Zelazny
- The Last Kingdom · Bernard Cornwell
- Station Eleven · Emily St. John Mandel
- The Dying Earth · Jack Vance
- Project Hail Mary · Andy Weir
- A Tale of Two Cities · Charles Dickens
- Gone Girl · Gillian Flynn
- The Girl on the Train · Paula Hawkins
- Dead Wake · Erik Larson
- The Cuckoo's Calling · Robert Galbraith
- Joyland · Stephen King
- Ivanhoe · Walter Scott
- The White Company · Arthur Conan Doyle
- Ironfire · David Ball
- The Glass Hotel · Emily St. John Mandel
- Angles of Attack · Marko Kloos
- Great Maria · Cecelia Holland
- The Black Rose · Thomas B. Costain
- Ready Player One · Ernest Cline
- Armada · Ernest Cline
- Watership Down · Richard Adams
- The Once and Future King · T.H. White
- Catch-22 · Joseph Heller
- The Lies of Locke Lamora · Scott Lynch
- The Name of the Wind · Patrick Rothfuss
- Best Served Cold · Joe Abercrombie
- The Long Price Quartet · Daniel Abraham
- The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian · Robert E. Howard
- Gormenghast · Mervyn Peake
- A Wizard of Earthsea · Ursula K. Le Guin
- The Wise Man's Fear · Patrick Rothfuss
- The Heroes · Joe Abercrombie
- War Lord · Bernard Cornwell
- The Prince of Tides · Pat Conroy
- The Fireman · Joe Hill
- The Silver Bough · Lisa Tuttle
- Acacia: The War with the Mein · David Anthony Durham
- The City of Brass · S.A. Chakraborty
- Who Fears Death · Nnedi Okorafor
- Leviathan Wakes · James S.A. Corey