Do you have a Geiger counter ? Because that snow is probably radioactive . <| sep |> So if you heard about a story set in a medieval 2 nd world , rife with factional intrigue , where the main conflict was a race of powerful supernatural creatures coming from the north , bringing winter with them as they conquer , you ' d automatically think Game of Thrones , right ? Try Tad Williams ' Memory , Sorrow and Thorn series , which came out several years before GOT . The similarities are uncanny and extensive . But having read them both I found GRRM ' s work vastly more enjoyable , despite almost completely lifting Williams ' plot . The key is understanding the difference between plot and story . You can have the same plot , but the story experience could and should be something entirely your own . What Stoppard did with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is a good example of this . Same plot , but the stories are worlds apart .