'Winds of Winter' author bemused by Melbourne Metro Station names being considered

Melbourne's railway authority Melbourne Metro has requested people to suggest names for the new stations in the city, and some of the names suggested are locations in "Game of Thrones." Commenting on this development, “Winds of Winter” author George RR Martin said he is both bemused and flattered by the suggestions.

There are five new Metro Tunnel stations that need to be named. According to Mashable, many of the submissions are names from “Game of Thrones.” On top of the list is Winterfell, a name suggested for all stations except the southern-most one. The other names are The Eyrie, Highgarden and King’s Landing.

For the underground station of Domain, the names Dorne and King’s Landing have been suggested. Apart from the names from the fantasy world created by Martin, the other names are McStationface and Blinky Bill.

Commenting on the report on his blog, Martin said he was "bemused and rather flattered." He added, “The idea of a Melbourne Metro Station named Winterfell tickles my fancy."

Martin has a large fan following in Australia, and he has been here many times. “I will assert that winter never really does come down there,” the author said. Therefore, Winterfell may not be a suitable name since the location in the fantasy world is known for its harsh winters.

Highgarden, the Eyrie, Dorne and Westeros are some of the names that Martin said will be more appropriate in a country like Australia. However, he feels that the name McStationface may be ultimately selected by Melbourne Metro.

Readers are allowed to comment on the subject on Martin’s blog post, but the author has reminded fans to stay on topic. The comments invariably steer towards “A Song of Ice and Fire,” and requests for updates on “Winds of Winter.” Martin has said that such off-topic comments will be deleted.