Some people hate English class in school. And yet, it cannot be overstated what a gargantuan role the course can play in helping not only inspire people to pursue literary careers, but also in helping them to realize the power the written word can hold over an audience.
George R.R. Martin is a perfect example of this, as the highly acclaimed Game of Thrones author recently revealed that one of the early highlights of his writing career came in the form of a school assignment that had to do with a classic Edgar Allan Poe story.
Poe has served as a benchmark of Gothic horror literature for centuries now and is poised to continue to influence audiences for years to come. From classic horror films such as the Vincent Price-starring The Masque of the Red Death to more recent fare such as Netflix’s Wednesday series, Edgar Allan Poe’s writing has been an integral pillar of Gothic storytelling across the decades. And for good reason.
The Pit and the Pendulum had a big impact on George R.R. Martin
Poe’s work remains relevant and charged to this day, with many of his most iconic stories standing the test of time with aplomb. However, one story that remains a hallmark of his work does have a less-than-stellar ending.
Famously, The Pit and the Pendulum has an ending that many of even Poe’s most ardent fans admit is a bit of a disappointment. But sometimes, fallibility is even more inspiring than perfection, and this was very much the case for a young Martin when he was exposed to it.
“I think my life was changed by a high school English course," Martin shared during a Seattle Worldcon 2025 panel, as reported by Geek Wire. "I had an English teacher who decided once to give an assignment; I think it was in my junior year. We were reading The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe, and the teacher said, ‘Well, your assignment this week is to write a better ending for The Pit and the Pendulum.'”
Martin went on to elaborate that both he and his teacher viewed Poe’s ending for the story as, “of course, one of the ultimate deus ex machinas of English literature.”
As such, Martin’s new ending for the iconic horror novel took Poe’s lighter ending and reworked it into something far more dastardly: “I wrote an ending where he wasn’t saved, the pendulum cut him in half and the rats came down and ate his eyeballs.”
This ending won the affection of not only the soon-to-be author’s professor, but also his fellow students. He recalled thinking, “'Everybody likes this. Maybe I could do this writing thing.'"
Whereas the original ending of Poe’s story saw the French army arriving out of nowhere and rescuing the main character from his ghastly predicament, demonstrating the "god in the machine" as Martin describes it, the Game of Thrones author’s ending saw the story through to a much more logical, downbeat ending.
Despite the fact that the ending was far more gruesome, it elicited responses of satisfaction and joy from his classmates, which served to color Martin’s perception of his own unique skills as a writer. Seeing as he has since become famous for killing off characters, it’s safe to say this was a defining moment for Martin as a writer.