This Day in History: br George R.R. Martin’s br 'Game of Thrones' Debuts August 6, 1996 A Game of Thrones was br the first novel published br in Martin's epic fantasy series, br "A Song of Ice and Fire." Though not an initial br blockbuster, the book br gained a loyal following. It would go on to be br one of the most successful br and talked about TV series br ever to be produced by HBO. A journalism professor and br chess tournament director, br Martin landed in Hollywood br as a writer and producer in the mid 1980s. Before beginning his epic br fantasy novels, Martin br wrote for TV series such br as The Twilight Zone. HBO's Game of Thrones br ran for 8 seasons from br 2011 to 2019.