1. The popular TV series Game of Thrones is produced by HBO. It premiered in April 2011, and has completed its fifth season. It is based on a series of books by George RR Martin, called A Song of Ice and Fire. The books are classified as epic fantasy or high fantasy. This genre is characterised by historical settings, simultaneous plotlines and a number of characters, all bound together in a story which involves fantasy and is epic in its proportions.

2. The first book of the series, A Song of Ice and Fire, is called A Game of Thrones. It was published in 1996. It is essentially a story about the struggle for the Iron Throne, and the political intrigue and violent clashes that occur to achieve this end. The plot moves simultaneously along three settings- the seven kingdoms, the Wall and the East. Readers are informed that the seasons do not follow the familiar pattern. Summers may go on for decades, and winters could last a lifetime.

3. The story is told in the third person from the point of view of one character at a time. There are eight main characters, and one minor character, who appears in the prologue. The titles of the chapters indicate who the character is. Six of the characters are from the same family.

4. George RR Martin has said that he has used many historical sources for his epic, but the closest frame of reference is The Wars of the Roses. This was a series of bloody civil wars, fought between York and Lancaster. It lasted three decades, and historians have recorded the brutality shown by both sides.

5. Though A Game of Thrones starts with a supernatural theme, it moves on to the power struggle and the ensuing battles. Fantasy does not play a major part, but is always behind the scenes. The book is full of unexpected twists, and does not avoid mention of cruelty, rape and plunder.

6. The author received the Locus Award for best novel in the fantasy category, in 1997. The novella, Blood of the Dragons, which is about one of the main characters, Daenerys Targaryen, won the Hugo Award for best novella in the same year. The book also received good reviews from most critics, and was a best-seller.

7. When the TV version aired in 2011, it gained worldwide popularity, and critical acclaim. It was created by David Benioff and D.B Weiss, and was filmed in a studio in Belfast, and on location in a variety of places including Iceland and Croatia. It has already run five seasons of ten episodes each, and is preparing for its sixth season. George RR Martin is the co-executive producer.

8. Game of Thrones has been nominated for the Golden Globes and Emmy Awards right from its first season. It won 2 Emmys in the first season. Of these, Peter Dinklage won in the Best Supporting Actor category. He also won a Golden Globe, a Scream Award and a Satellite Award in the same category, that year. In the second season, it won 6 Emmys in the Technical Arts category. The show has received 238 nominations and 115 wins, in all.

9. A number of famous people are fans of Game of Thrones, including British Prime Minister, David Cameron, Barack Obama, the President of USA, and Julia Gillard, who was formerly Prime Minister of Australia. The number of viewers has grown as each season is aired. HBO reports that more than 18 million people watched season 4, breaking their previous record.

10. George RR Martin has already written five books in the series, A Song of Ice and Fire. His fans are eagerly awaiting the sixth and final title, The Winds of Winter.