George R.R. Martin on a red carpet.
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Kendall Myers
Published 50 minutes ago
Kendall Myers is a Senior Author with Collider. As part of the TV and Movies Features team, she writes about some of the most popular releases before, during, and after they premiere. In three years, she has written over 900 articles with topics ranging from classic sitcoms to fantasy epics.
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George R. R. Martin's fantasy works have surged in popularity since HBO began adapting Game of Thrones, and understandably, no one seems to want the franchise to end. Already, House of the Dragon has retold a story from the Westerosi history Martin established in Fire and Blood, and soon, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will adapt his series of shorts set in the same world. HBO also seems to have no shortage of ideas for other spin-offs, with several in the works. While Martin's worldbuilding and storytelling within Westeros is impeccable, those books aren't the only works that deserve adaptation.
Before he began A Song of Ice and Fire, Martin became known for his sci-fi projects, including work on The Twilight Zone, but his first novel, Dying of the Light, has never been adapted despite its compelling narrative. Like A Song of Ice and Fire and all the stories in that world, Dying of the Light offers everything that Martin excels at: tragic depth, political tension, and moral ambiguity. However, it also benefits from a fresh setting in a distinct genre that sets it apart from Game of Thrones. With unique settings that could be stunningly brought to life and a definitive ending that is already written, Dying of the Light is the perfect story to extend George R. R. Martin's TV fame beyond Game of Thrones.
'Dying of the Light' Delivers Classic GRRM Tragedy Without the Baggage of Westeros
The Starks prepare for unexpected betrayal during The Red Wedding in Game of Thrones.Image via HBO
Game of Thrones created quite a reputation for itself, becoming one of the most recognizable series of the decade, and for good reason. Especially before the series passed the events of the books, Game of Thrones thrived on Martin's complex stories of morally ambiguous characters and involved political machinations, which Dying of the Light also offers. The story centers on Dirk t'Larien, who finds himself on a dying planet and caught in a cultural war. With this backdrop, Dying of the Light contains much of what made people love Game of Thrones, including political maneuvering, cultural clashes, and unavoidable tragedies.
One of the major problems facing spin-off series like House of the Dragon is the constant comparison to what came before, which is an incredibly high standard. Game of Thrones mastered the art of delivering story-altering shocks to the audience that few other series can live up to. Without a battle over the Iron Throne or the threat of dragons, however, there is no need to try to outdo Game of Thrones. The one-upsmanship makes it difficult for recent series adapting Martin's work to stand on their own, but Dying of the Light is different. With the move into the sci-fi genre eliminating fans' temptation to compare, an adaptation of Dying of the Light could focus on its own story's needs rather than the unreasonable expectations placed on it.
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Posts 1 By Chris McPherson Nov 4, 2025'Dying of the Light' Has a Sci-Fi Setting Visually Made for Prestige TV
The Night King raises the dead to fight for him in the Battle of Winterfell.Image via HBO
Aside from the interesting narrative, Dying of the Light contains visuals that are perfect for adaptation. Part of what makes Game of Thrones so impressive is the scale, and Dying of the Light offers a chance for a similar epicness without many of the things that made Game of Thrones so expensive. The book centers on the dying planet Worlorn, which contains 14 cities, each representing a different culture. These cities were meant to be part of a multicultural celebration known as the Festival of the Fringe, but because of the planet's orbit, Worlorn is becoming uninhabitable. Now largely deserted, these cities are a creative goldmine for production designers, who would not only get to help invent alien cultures to explore through the setting, but also show how those cultural designs look while abandoned and decaying.
With the festival world's eerie fall, Dying of the Light is primed for giant, cinematic set pieces that highlight the cultural diversity once a part of the world; at the same time, it wouldn't require overwhelming visual effects that would break the budget. This is a rare combination that even Game of Thrones didn't have. HBO had to balance the budget with the many special effects and dramatic battles that made the series memorable, but by the nature of the story, Dying of the Light doesn't need that. This notable absence wouldn't even feel like the cheap way out because the setting reflects the themes so perfectly as the world fades, even while people cling to the past. This parallel makes Dying of the Light ideal for a visual adaptation, even though it has never gotten one.
'Dying of the Light' is a Complete, Finite Story That Avoids Another Ending Disaster
Martin's stories have caught people's attention for a reason, but Dying of the Light has one thing that even A Song of Ice and Fire is missing: an ending. Game of Thrones began adapting the story before Martin completed it, and years later, The Winds of Winter is still not out, which didn't help the series when it was ending. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms faces a similar challenge, though the creators have come up with their own solution for this issue, but it makes more sense to focus on works of Martin's that are complete. Dying of the Light isn't a series, but a singular book, with one full arc and a clear endpoint.
The length would make it a perfect limited series, preventing the material from being stretched thin to drag out the series to increase profit. More importantly, the end can be planned for from day one. Game of Thrones struggled with this, as after passing the story that Martin had published, it became so rushed that the conclusion became infamous. Unlike Martin's writings about Westeros, Dying of the Light is a complete story that could redeem the author in the eyes of fans, who have yet to see an adaptation of his work achieve a satisfying ending on screens. Martin has written many things over the years, but few are as perfect for adaptation as Dying of the Light, and it's time for this sci-fi masterpiece to steal the spotlight.
Game of Thrones is streaming on HBO Max in the U.S.
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Game Of Thrones
Like Follow Followed TV-MA Drama Action Adventure Fantasy Release Date 2011 - 2019-00-00 Showrunner David Benioff, D.B. Weiss Directors David Nutter, Alan Taylor, D.B. Weiss, David Benioff Writers D.B. Weiss, George R.R. Martin, David Benioff Franchise(s) Game of Thrones
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Samwell Tarly And Jon Snow In Game Of Thrones Season 1
Tyrion Finds Jaime And Cersei in the wreckage of King's Landing in Game of Thrones season 8
Daenerys attacks King's Landing in Game of Thrones
Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) in 'Game of Thrones'Image via HBO
Ned Stark in Game of Thrones season 1
Peter Dinklage Looking Disheveled As Tyrion Lannister In Game Of Thrones Season 8
Daenerys Targaryen In Game Of ThronesClose
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