George R. R. Martin was born in Bayonne, New Jersey on September 20, 1948. He began writing at an early age, selling monster stories for pennies to neighborhood children. Martin received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Journalism from Northwestern University. In 1986, he signed on as a story editor for "The Twilight Zone" at CBS Television in Hollywood. Martin has since returned to writing on a full-time basis and has won many awards for his works, which include novels, short story collections, and the series "A Song of Ice and Fire." Martin resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico and is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America.