George R.R. Martin hasn't gotten over Gandalf yet

The next time a George R.R. Martin character that you allowed yourself to like dies, you should direct some of your anger at J.R.R. Tolkien as well.

Martin talked about how the Lord of the Rings series influenced his writing on PBS’s The Great American Read — including nurturing his willingness to send beloved characters into the afterlife. 

The full clip is below, but you can also catch a snippet of his commentary in this Los Angeles Times article.