Fiction is lies; we're writing about people who never existed and events that never happened when we write fiction, whether its science fiction or fantasy or western mystery stories or so-called literary stories. All those things are essentially untrue. But it has to have a truth at the core of it.

Bear Island knows no king but the King in the North, whose name is STARK.

I like grey characters; fantasy for too long has been focused on very stereotypical heroes and villains.

A hedge knight must hold tight to his pride. Without it, he was no more than a sellsword

Some men want whores on the eve of battle, and some want gods. Jon wondered who felt better afterward.

Fantasy is silver and scarlet, indigo and azure, obsidian veined with gold and lapis lazuli. Reality is plywood and plastic, done up in mud brown and olive drab. Fantasy tastes of habaneros and honey, cinnamon and cloves, rare red meat and wines as sweet as summer. Reality is beans and tofu, and ashes at the end.

It is one thing to be clever and another to be wise.