Tyrion Lannister is a book.
Tyrion Lannister ( also referred to as `` the Imp '' or `` the Halfman '' ) is a fictional character in A Song of Ice and Fire , a series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin , and its television adaptation Game of Thrones . Introduced in 1996 's A Game of Thrones , Tyrion is a dwarf and member of House Lannister , one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in the fictional kingdom of Westeros . Knowing that no one will ever take him seriously , he soothes his inadequacies with wine , wit , and self-indulgence . He first saves his own neck from the vengeful Catelyn Stark and her sister Lysa Arryn , then is tasked by his father Tywin to impose order on the capital of King 's Landing -- as well as his nephew Joffrey , the new king -- as civil war is sparked .