George R.R. Martin reveals 2024 Song of Ice and Fire calendar, shades AI-created art

Every year, A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin drafts an artist (or several) to create images for a new calendar based on his work. The venture has yielded some pretty spectacular images in the past. I don’t know who needs a physical calendar these days (my phone is right there), but the artwork in these calendars is more than worth the price of admission.

The other day, Martin revealed the cover for the 2024 calendar on his Not A Blog. This time the artwork will be by Justin Sweet, an accomplished artist who specializes in fantasy. Take a look at his cover for the new calendar below:

If I’m not mistaken, this is an image of Rhaegar Targaryen observing Lyanna Stark as she frolics in the forest, probably falling hopefully in love with her. It gives me Beren and Lúthien vibes, from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion.

George R.R. Martin doesn’t like AI-generated art

Martin described the upcoming calendar like this:

"Justin’s twelve original pieces will immerse you in the Westeros world with beautifully hand painted designs that will put those AI algorithms to shame."

Lately, there’s been a lot of news about AI-generated art; the publisher Tor even got in some hot water when it tried to use AI to create a cover for a new book. Obviously, Martin isn’t a fan.

The 2024 Song of Ice and Fire calendar isn’t available for preorder yet — 2023 just started, after all — but we’ll keep you updated.

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