The days of George R.R. Martin roaming a book store undisturbed, or going anywhere without being noticed really, are long gone. HBO’s Game of Thrones has turned him into the most unlikely of celebrities: a middle-aged fantasy author who looks like a Muppet. He’s not unhappy being a beloved millionaire, but he does miss the old days, too. Martin recently spoke to the Guardian about this exact subject, and his absolute loathing of selfies.
The negative aspect, he says, is “loss of privacy and the fact that it’s out of your control”. He and Parris, his third wife, came to Edinburgh three or four years ago and were “able to listen to the street musicians and go to plays and comedy performances and the military Tattoo. And, in the whole week we were here, maybe three people recognised me, and I was happy to sign an autograph for them. Now, three or four people recognise me every block. I can’t go out any more; I can’t walk the streets. And it’s great to have all these readers and fans who, for the most part, are very nice people, saying they love the books and the TV show. But there are so many of them and it just doesn’t end. Oh, and ‘selfies’! If I could clap my hands and burn out every camera phone in the world, I swear I’d do it!” (Via)
I kind of feel bad for his loss of privacy, and then I look at this photo:
Somehow, the pity washes away.
