Imagine Daenerys Targaryen, not with dragons soaring overhead, but with a flicker in her eyes, a silent command igniting her enemies from within. That was almost our reality. George R.R. Martin, the architect of Westeros, toyed with a radically different power for the dragonlords before settling on the fire-breathing behemoths we adore.
In House of the Dragon, the Targaryens command respect through their bond with dragons, creatures of immense power. Game of Thrones showed us how the return of dragons reshaped the political chessboard. Believe it or not, Martin considered a Westeros without them. Here’s what almost happened.
From Science Fiction to Seven Kingdoms: The Road Not Taken
Think of a chef, meticulously planning a feast. They consider every ingredient, every spice, weighing the potential of each flavor. Martin, speaking at the Oxford Union, revealed his initial vision for the Targaryens, born from his sci-fi roots, wasn’t draconic at all.
He explained that the core elements – Lannisters, Starks, and Daenerys – were in place early on. However, he grappled with the dragons themselves. “I was mostly writing science fiction,” he said, “And one of the early ideas I had was, ‘Well, what if the dragons are not literally real?’”
His mind drifted toward psionic abilities. “What if this Targaryen family are… you know, pyro people? They could set powers with their minds, and they have that power and they’re dealing with these other people who don’t have that power.” Imagine Targaryens as psychic firestarters, X-Men in the Red Keep.
Glimmers of this idea still surfaced. Helaena and Daemon Targaryen both exhibit prophetic dreams in House of the Dragon. Plus, there’s a taste of it in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Yet, these are subtle hints, far from the full-blown “pyro people” concept Martin once envisioned.
What Inspired George R.R. Martin to Write Game of Thrones?
Martin’s love for history, particularly the Wars of the Roses, played a big part. But, his imagination needed something more, something beyond straightforward historical fiction. He needed a twist, a unique element to set his story apart. That’s where the question of dragons came in: should they be literal?
The Friend Who Saved the Dragons
Every artist needs a sounding board, someone to offer perspective and challenge their choices. In his Rolling Stone interview (2014), Martin credited the late Phyllis Eisenstein, a sci-fi and fantasy author, with setting him on the right path. In early drafts of *A Song of Ice and Fire*, Martin workshopped his “pyro people” idea with Eisenstein, she insisted the dragons be real.
In the Rolling Stone interview, Martin recalled discussing including dragons with Eisenstein: “‘George, it’s a fantasy—you’ve got to put in the dragons.’ She convinced me, and it was the right decision. Now that I’m deep into it, I can’t imagine the book without the dragons.”
How Did George R.R. Martin Create Dragons?
Martin didn’t pull the dragons out of thin air. He blended mythology, history, and his own boundless creativity. He mentions in interviews drawing inspiration from various dragon myths around the world, including European and Asian legends. He thought about their biology, their behavior, and their place in the world he was building.
A World With and Without Dragons
The inclusion of dragons changed everything. Instead of a more grounded, politically driven narrative, Martin created a world where magic was real and powerful. Consider it this way: The dragons are not just weapons; they are a lens through which we view the Targaryens’ power, their arrogance, and their ultimate downfall. The dragons are the wildfire that sets the story ablaze.
Did George R.R. Martin Consider Leaving Out Fantasy Elements?
Yes, in that same Rolling Stone interview, Martin said he also contemplated a purely historical fiction approach, focusing on the political intrigue and battles inspired by the War of the Roses. However, he felt it needed something extra, a sense of wonder and unpredictability, which the fantasy elements provided.
New episodes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms air Sunday nights on HBO and HBO Max. Season three of House of the Dragon is also slated for release later this year.
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Was Westeros better off with actual dragons, or would psychic firestarters have been a more intriguing twist?