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  == What ''type'' of thing is ''A Song of Ice and Fire''? ==
  ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' is an example of all of the following:
  * Fiction – form of narrative which deals, in part or in whole, with events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary and invented by its author(s). Although fiction often describes a major branch of literary work, it is also applied to theatrical, cinematic, and musical work.
  ** A series of novels – set or series of novels which share common themes, characters, or settings, but where each novel has its own title and free-standing storyline, and can thus be read independently or out of sequence. Novels are a form of fiction.
  ** Fantasy fiction – fiction genre that uses magic or other supernatural elements as a main plot element, theme, or setting.
  *** High fantasy fiction – subgenre of fantasy, defined either by its setting in an imaginary world or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, and plot.
  *** a fantasy world –  fictional setting comprising an entire planet, used in fantasy fiction, for example in novels and games. Typical worlds involve magic or magical abilities and often, but not always, either a medieval or futuristic theme. Some worlds may be an entirely independent world set in another universe. See World of ''A Song of Ice and Fire''.
  ** a fictional setting – place that exists only in fiction and not in reality. Writers may create and describe such places to serve as the backdrop for their fictional works.
  **** a constructed world – Developing an imaginary setting with coherent qualities such as a history, geography, and ecology is a key task for many science fiction and fantasy writers. Worldbuilding often involves the creation of maps, a backstory, and people for the world. Constructed worlds can enrich the backstory and history of fictional works, and can be created for personal amusement or for specific creative endeavors such as novels, video games, or role-playing games.
  * Intellectual property – creations of the mind, protected by copyright.  Intangible assets, such as musical, literary, and artistic works. The first volume of the series, ''A Game of Thrones'', was published (and copyrighted) in 1996.
  ** a media franchise –  collection of media whereby intellectual property (IP) is licensed from an original work of media (usually a work of fiction), such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or a video game, to other parties or partners for commercial exploitation. A property can be exploited across a range of mediums and by a variety of industries for merchandising purposes. ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' has been marketed in the form of books, a television series, a comic book, games, etc. ''See franchises originating in literary works.''