The story of how I “predicted” the Hodor plotline has apparently gained me another 15 minutes of fame, as it’s once more recounted on Cracked’s web page today in an article called “6 Throwaway Jokes That Ended Up Predicting Huge Plot Twists.”
If you don’t know the story, click here for the background.
George was of course a great sport about it all and gladly posed for a joke picture afterwards:
So I was viral for a while yesterday.
A few years ago, I had a conversation in an elevator with George R.R. Martin, made a joke, and blogged about it here. “Hodor is short for ‘Hold the door’.”
Sunday night’s episode made everyone think I had made some grand prediction, and the next thing I knew, I had over 300,000 hits on this blog (and quite a few on my author blog as well — let’s hope I sold some books).
I was just making a joke! Years earlier, I had posted that “Hodor was his sled” but somehow that never got the same amount of attention. Then again, what people were really reacting to was Martin’s reply to my comment that “Hodor is short for ‘Hold the door’.” — “You don’t know how close you are!” Without that response, the story isn’t half as good.
So I was interviewed by Buzzfeed and the Philadelphia Inquirer and soon was mentioned all over the place. Philly.com even ran a big picture of me. The Observer came up with a huge theory about how I am really a time traveler planting ideas in George R.R. Martin’s head. I was mentioned in Newsweek!
The best part? This weekend, I am a writer guest at a science fiction convention in Baltimore with — you guessed it — George R.R. Martin.
Let’s see if we end up on an elevator together again.
Anyway, here are links to some of the internet articles (I left out all the foreign ones I can’t read):
picture credit: Scott Kondrk (a/k/a Batman)
Buzzfeed: This guy unknowingly learned Hodor’s secret from George R.R. Martin years ago
The Onion’s AV Club: One guy predicted last night’s Game of Thrones twist three years ago
Newsweek: This fan predicted the meaning of Hodor years ago
Philadelphia Inquirer: Poconos lawyer predicted heartbreaking Games of Thrones shocker years ago
Daily News: George R.R. Martin told a guy the truth about Hodor years ago
Nerdist: George R.R. Martin was behind that Game of Thrones revelation
Metro (UK): Someone guessed that Game of Thrones Hodor reveal two years ago
Business Insider: We finally know how Hodor got his name
The Verge: How did three different Game of Thrones fans predict that Hodor surprise?
Pocono Record: Tannersville Attorney Predicts GoT episode twist in advance
EDIT/ADDITION: Here’s George reacting upon meeting me the weekend after the episode aired.
And a meme I made about our autographing session:
EDIT/ADDITION #2: Here we are, more than a year later, and Cracked is still talking about it.
Game of Thrones (“GOT”) is the most popular fantasy series today, and deservedly so. I enjoy the books and am thrilled that the TV series is so well done.
I am looking forward to tonight’s episode, but mostly wanted to post this meme I just made and also to share my George R.R. Martin story.
I met George R.R. Martin at a convention last fall where we were both guest authors. Well, him more than me. (If you don’t know about my novels, click here.) I had previously met him probably ten years ago at another convention — before the Game of Thrones TV show — but we never spoke at that time.
As it turned out, Martin’s room was right down the hall from mine and we kept ending up in the elevator together. He knew I wasn’t stalking him because most of those times, I was in the elevator before him.
The first time there were some other fans on the elevator who asked for a picture with him, and he obliged. They got off before our floor, so it was just us. We walked out and headed down the hall and the conversation went like this:
Martin: I do get tired of posing for pictures all the time.
Me: Well, you’re quite famous now.
Martin: I wasn’t unknown before.
Me: True, among us. But you were never a guest on Conan before.
Martin: True.
Around the third time we were on the elevator together, he pushed he button for our floor and then asked the others what floors they needed, and then after everyone left, he turned to me.
Martin: I always wanted to be an elevator operator. If the writing thing hadn’t worked out…
We both laughed and went on to our rooms.
The final time we ended up together, the conversation went like this:
Me: I finally figured out why you have a character named “Hodor.”
Martin: Oh?
Me: I was thinking about your comment about wanting to be an elevator operator. It’s clear to me now that “Hodor” is short for “Hold the door.”
Martin: (laughing) You don’t know how close to the truth you are!
So there you have it. If we ever learn why Hodor says “Hodor” (which, as readers know, is not his given name) and it has something to do with elevators, remember: You read it here first.
EDIT: Follow-up years later (with a special guest appearance by George RR Martin)
ventrellaquest.com 