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‘Game of Thrones’ Actress Views Series Items in Cushing’s Sci-Fi and Fantasy Collection

An alluring assortment of original artwork and manuscripts from books that spawned the hit TV series “Game of Thrones” was spread among several tables of the ornate Kelsey Reading Room in Cushing Memorial Library & Archives. 

 “We’re in House Lannister today,” said Jeremy Brett, curator of Cushing’s science fiction and fantasy collection, to a select group of visitors. He was referring to the “Game of Thrones” ruling family and the items from Cushing’s collection.

The day’s guests during the visit included the actress who portrayed the most notorious Lannister of all: Lena Headey, who brought the cunning, ambitious, and above all, villainous, “Game of Thrones” Queen Cersei Lannister to life.

Headey and her fellow guests took a close look at the items, some of Cushing’s holdings from the personal collection of George R.R. Martin, author of the book series “A Song of Ice and Fire.” The series was transformed into “Game of Thrones” and another hit TV series, “House of the Dragon.” 

Brett provided background details of some of the items, which include Martin’s handwritten notes.

Headey’s husband, actor Marc Menchaca ’98, and his sister Marci Menchaca ’95, were also among the guests. Marc’s numerous credits include his portrayal of Russ Langmore in the Netflix drama “Ozark.”

The story of how Martin’s items became part of Cushing’s Science Fiction and Fantasy Research Collection, one of the largest of its kind in the world, began decades ago.

Martin discovered Texas A&M Libraries in the 1970s when he attended AggieCon, a sci-fi, horror and fantasy student-run fan convention. During his time on campus, he toured Cushing's sci-fi and fantasy collection. When he was looking for a place to archive his personal collection of memorabilia, he remembered A&M’s facilities and in 1993, chose Cushing to house his official repository. 

It's now part of Cushing’s world-famous collection.

There are thousands of books ranging from 17th-century works of proto-science fiction to recent titles, as well as serials, American pulp magazines, and a growing number of archival collections from celebrated authors and other creators.

Two former students, Drs. Diane ’88 and John Hurtado ’91 established Cushing’s first endowment to specifically support the collection.

As aerospace engineering graduates who have served The Texas A&M University System in multiple leadership positions, they believe that science fiction stimulates an imaginative way of thinking about the future of science and technology.

“We love libraries and believe them to be culturally significant,” Diane said. “And we want to make sure Cushing can further preserve and add to its collection.” 

The Hurtados’ gift was quickly followed with the establishment of two additional endowments to support the sci-fi and fantasy collection, ensuring its prominence for years to come.

This story was originally written and published by Lesley Henton, Texas A&M University Division of Marketing and Communications for Texas A&M Stories in December 2024.