Editing Forsaken Saga (section)

=== Literary Influences ===
Regarding content, there are some major differences between the series and much of the [[w:high fantasy|high fantasy]] genre, but its structure has much in common with ''[[w:The Lord of the Rings|The Lord of the Rings]]''. Martin states, "Although I differ from Tolkien in important ways, I’m second to no one in my respect for him. If you look at Lord of the Rings, it begins with a tight focus and all the characters are together. Then by end of the first book the Fellowship splits up and they have different adventures. I did the same thing. Everybody is at Winterfell in the beginning except for Dany, then they split up into groups, and ultimately those split up too. The intent was to fan out, then curve and come back together. Finding the point where that turn begins has been one of the issues I’ve wrestled with."<ref>[http://shelf-life.ew.com/2011/07/12/george-martin-talks-a-dance-with-dragons/ EW interview: George R.R. Martin talks 'A Dance With Dragons']</ref> Martin has acknowledged his debt to the works of [[w:J.R.R. Tolkien|J.R.R. Tolkien]],<ref>[http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1432/ Q&A Summary on Westeros.org] - September 1999</ref> [[w:Jack Vance|Jack Vance]]<ref>[http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Authors_Worthy_of_Legends/ Author statement on Westeros.org] - 11 November 1998</ref> and [[w:Tad Williams|Tad Williams]],<ref>[http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Josua_and_Elyas/ Author statement on Westeros.org] - 4 December 1999</ref> but the series differs from Tolkien's inspiration in its greater use of realistic elements. While Tolkien was inspired by [[w:mythology|mythology]], ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' is more clearly influenced by [[w:medieval|medieval]] and early modern history, most notably [[w:Jacobitism|Jacobitism]] and the [[w:Wars of the Roses|Wars of the Roses]].<ref>[http://www.sfsite.com/03b/hk196.htm Featured Review: The Hedge Knight]</ref> Likewise, while Tolkien tended toward romantic relationships, Martin writes frankly of sex, including incest, adultery, prostitution, and rape. As a result, [[w:Legitimacy (law)|illegitimate]] children play prominent roles throughout the series. This has led to the series being cited as the forerunners of a 'gritty' new wave of epic fantasy authors that followed, including [[w:Scott Lynch (author)|Scott Lynch]]<ref>[http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780553804676&view=auqa Interview with Scott Lynch] - 2006</ref> and [[w:Joe Abercrombie|Joe Abercrombie]].<ref>[http://www.joeabercrombie.com/2008/02/influences-ideas-and-game-of-thrones.html Joe Abercrombie blog entry on ''A Game of Thrones''] - 16 February 2008</ref> On his website, Martin has acknowledged [[w:historical fiction|historical fiction]] authors such as [[w:Bernard Cornwell|Bernard Cornwell]] and [[w:George MacDonald Fraser|George MacDonald Fraser]] to be influences on the series. Martin has cited the cover blurb by [[w:Robert Jordan|Robert Jordan]] for the first book to have been influential in ensuring the series' early success with fantasy readers.<ref>[http://grrm.livejournal.com/21250.html GRRM's Blog] - 16 September 2007</ref>