Tolkien basically created the fantasy genre. It took him decades to write a consistent world and he created at least one language (elvish).
While the world Martin created is quiet inconsistent. For example, nobody in A song of ice and fire (game of thrones) seem to realize they live in a feudal world. There is one common currency, but it is never mentioned once where it is minted. The populations and political systems didnt evolved in thousands of years.
He didnt created languages, just some random words.
So the politics in his novels are quite simplistic, protagonists just want to sit the iron throne (except 2 or 3 seeking to be independant) while there is no clear benefits from it, beside a shitload of troubles and a gruesome death.
That said, the book is 10 times better than the show. The show plots are so fucking dull.
Martin also said resurrection of main protagonists, like Gandalf comming back to life, was a lame trick, while he did the same in his novel.
Gandalf is a mayar, some lesser god in human guise, so limited to an extant, but by no way a mortal, so his return makes sense.
