George R.R. Martin knows a thing or six thousand about Game of Thrones. He's the author on which this popular HBO series is based.

It can be an awkward situation for someone to be in, but Martin tells Entertainment Weekly he thinks David Benioff and Dan Weiss "are doing a wonderful job." What changes to the novel has he enjoyed seeing on the small screen?

“I loved the interplay between Varys and Littlefinger, which never occurred in the books since neither is a viewpoint character," he says. "I loved the scene of Drogo ripping out Mago’s throat... But that’s going to have ramifications if we go the full length down the pike. This is the challenge the shows face as we go forward... the books are plotted so intricately that you do step on a butterfly in season one and in season four you’re going to have to deal with that.”

Martin does say he wishes the "tournament was much bigger."

What about you, Game of Thrones readers/viewers? How does the show compare to the books after one season?

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.