A Game of Thrones is part of a popular book series.
A Game of Thrones is the first novel in A Song of Ice and Fire , a series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin . It is also the basis for the first season of Game of Thrones , an HBO television series that premiered in April 2011 . A Song of Ice and Fire . As of April 2015 , the books have sold more than 60 million copies worldwide and , as of January 2017 , have been translated into 47 languages . The fourth and fifth volumes reached the top of The New York Times Best Seller lists upon their releases .