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  ==Reception==
  ''A Game of Thrones'' has received critical acclaim. Lauren K. Nathan of the Associated Press wrote that the book "grips the reader from Page One" and is set in a "magnificent" fantasy world that is "mystical, but still believable." Steve Perry told readers of ''The Oregonian'' that the plot is "complex and fascinating" and the book is "rich and colorful" with "all the elements of a great fantasy novel". Writing in ''The Washington Post'', John H. Riskind commented that "many fans of sword-and-sorcery will enjoy the epic scope of this book" but felt that the book "suffers from one-dimensional characters and less than memorable imagery." Phyllis Eisenstein of the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' wrote that, although the book uses many generic fantasy tropes, Martin's approach is "so refreshingly human and intimate that it transcends them." She described it as "an absorbing combination of the mythic, the sweepingly historical, and the intensely personal." John Prior, writing in the ''San Diego Union-Tribune'', called Martin's writing "strong and imaginative, with plenty of Byzantine intrigue and dynastic struggle", and compared it to Robert Jordan's ''Wheel of Time'' books, "though much darker, with no comedy or romance to relieve the nastiness."
  On November 5, 2019, the ''BBC News'' listed ''A Game of Thrones'' on its list of the 100 most influential novels.