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