George R.R. Martin, the creator of Game Of Thrones, has cited the Grateful Dead as an influence on the series.
In an interview streaming on Billboard, Martin reveals he has been to Dead shows, and he also addresses references to the Dead songs “Dire Wolf,” “Cassidy” and “Dark Star” within his work. He allegedly calls his home Terrapin Station.
“I have Grateful Dead lyrics rattling around in my head all the time,” he said, when questioned about the references. “’Ripple‘ is one of my favourite songs of all time … [quotes song] ‘There is a road, no simple highway.’”
He added that his wife, Paris, “is perhaps more of a fan of the Grateful Dead than I am”, and went on to confirm that the band influenced his rock’n’roll novel The Armageddon Rag.
Billboard also reports that the Weirwood trees in Game Of Thrones are named after guitarist Bob Weir.