A Game of Thrones is the first of seven planned books in "A Song of Ice and Fire", a fantasy series by American author George R. R. Martin. It was released on 6 August 1996. The book was put up for the 1998 Nebula Award and the 1997 World Fantasy Award, and won the 1997 Locus Award. The first season of the HBO TV series Game of Thrones is based on the book.