Beatles producer George Martin died. Game of Thrones fans reacted exactly how you’d expect.

When news broke late Tuesday night that legendary Beatles producer George Martin had passed away, the collective hive mind of Twitter quickly rallied around a single thought: George Martin, Beatles producer, has almost exactly the same name as George R.R. Martin, author of the Game of Thrones novel series A Song of Ice and Fire! There are jokes to be made here, folks!

To be fair, some people appeared to be genuinely confused, with at least one news outlet reporting the Beatles producer's death alongside an image of the still-very-alive author.

The possibility that George R.R. Martin might die before he finishes writing the book series (he's currently stuck on book six out of a planned seven) is one that has terrified fans for years, to the point that Martin now makes a point of reassuring them in interviews. "[Game of Thrones showrunners] David Benioff and Dan Weiss know some of [the ending]," he told EW, "which the fans are very worried about in case I get hit by a truck."

As of this writing, George R.R. Martin is fine. He told us so himself.

Update: George R.R. Martin declares rumors of his death to be greatly exaggerated.

Explanatory journalism is a public good

At Vox, we believe that everyone deserves access to information that helps them understand and shape the world they live in. That's why we keep our work free. Support our mission and help keep Vox free for all by making a financial contribution to Vox today.

One-Time Monthly Annual

$95/year

$120/year

$250/year

$350/year

Other

$

Yes, I'll give $120/year

Yes, I'll give $120/year

We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. You can also contribute via