The author of the hit series is famous for keeping his cards close to his chest; and for taking his time writing books , since the most recent novel in the series, A Dance with Dragons, came out in 2011. But he pulled back the blinds just enough to satisfy our curiosity about a few topics. On Wednesday, the Game of Thrones author answered — or tellingly declined to answer— fan questions in a New York Times interview . Martin talked about being inspired by Lord of the Rings and medieval history. He also got political, talking about climate change and compared U.S. President Donald Trump to the infamous and detested King Joffrey.