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George R.R. Martin tells voters how to 'get rid of a bad king'

The Game of Thrones author says the ballot box is more powerful than Westeros' dragons.

Gael Cooper
CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of "Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the '70s and '80s," as well as "The Totally Sweet '90s." She's been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She's Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she'll be first in line.
Expertise Breaking news, entertainment, lifestyle, travel, food, shopping and deals, product reviews, money and finance, video games, pets, history, books, technology history, generational studies. Credentials
  • Co-author of two Gen X pop-culture encyclopedia for Penguin Books. Won "Headline Writer of the Year"​ award for 2017, 2014 and 2013 from the American Copy Editors Society. Won first place in headline writing from the 2013 Society for Features Journalism.
Gael Cooper
2 min read

Election day is upon us, and Americans should be thankful they don't live in the Game of Thrones world, series creator George R.R. Martin said in a video encouraging citizens to head to the ballot box.

"You know, I created the world of Westeros, but I'm glad I live in the United States of America," Martin says in the video, which was posted on Sunday. "Because in Westeros, to get rid of a bad king, you need dragons, but here, in the United States, we have something more powerful: the ballot. Get out and vote."

Martin also replaced the header on his Twitter page with a Thrones-style illustration reading, "Fear cuts deeper than swords. Vote Tuesday the 6th."

On Election Day itself, HBO released a video showing Martin and stars from the channel, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Henry Winkler, Ed Harris and Thomas Middleditch, encouraging viewers to vote.

Martin's HBO hit show and the political world have crossed swords several times recently. Cast members and HBO have spoken out against President Donald Trump using Thrones imagery in a tweet about international sanctions. Last month, Martin told The New York Times that the president reminds him of one of his characters, cruel King Joffrey Baratheon, who was murdered at his own wedding.

Inside the workshop where Game of Thrones swords are made

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First published Nov. 5, 11 a.m. PT.
Update, Nov. 6 at 10:35 a.m. PT: Adds description of  new HBO video.

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