George R.R. Martin isn't shy when it comes to killing beloved characters in gruesome ways, or killing non-beloved characters, or just killing characters in general.
He also isn't shy about his love of wolves. They are featured prominently throughout his "Song of Ice and Fire" series, of which the hit HBO show "Game of Thrones" is based on, and he regularly donates his time and money to helping wolf conservation efforts. In his latest fundraiser, Martin decided he would combine his two passions, pledging to kill fictional versions of real people in his next novel if they donated $20,000 to a New Mexico wolf sanctuary as part of his Prizeo campaign.
The two spots were quickly bought up -- one by a Facebook employee -- and that was that. One 13-year-old boy, however, wasn't giving up. He wanted to die. For the wolves, of course. So he wrote Martin a letter (embedded below, courtesy of The AV Club), and lo and behold, Martin actually answered it.
Young Jack B., it turns out, also has a love for wolves and wanted to donate as much as he could to help the wolf sanctuary. Of course, a 13-year-old doesn't have much chance of raising $20,000 to have his dreams of appearing in Martin's novel become reality, but that didn't stop him from trying. The teen donated £153 (approximately $259.90 USD) and pleaded his case to Martin, saying "wolves are my most favorite animal" and that while he isn't "allowed to watch certain bits of 'Game of Thrones,' I do enjoy playing Skyrim and acting out being a warrior with my bokken." He ends the letter by stating he would love to be featured Martin's next book, and "a grizzly death is all I ask for."
If that wouldn't melt Martin's ice-cold heart, what could? While Martin ultimately couldn't bring himself to kill off the kid in "The Wind of Winter," he did acknowledge Jack's small but heartfelt contribution.
"Alas, I cannot promise you a grisly death in THE WIND OF WINTER," Martin writes. "Those spots have already been filled by some very generous donors, and there's a limit to how many people even I can kill. However, inspired by your example, my friends at Prizeo and I would love to follow your lead with a $10,000 [donation] in your name to the UK Wolf Conservation Trust."
Raising funds for wolf conservation may not bring the same kind of celebrity status as being murdered by a white walker for thousands to read, but Jack can still be proud of his accomplishment.
