Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn influenced A Song Of Ice And Fire

One of Martin's quoted statements is: "I read The Dragonbone Chair and it said, 'My God, they can do something with this form,' and I wanted to do my own epic fantasy."

• Inspired Martin to write his own epic fantasy series.
• Demonstrated that epic fantasy could emphasize realistic, psychologically complex characters.
• Influenced the blend of political intrigue with traditional fantasy.
• Showed that sprawling worldbuilding could remain character-driven.
• Helped move epic fantasy beyond simple good-versus-evil narratives.
• Combined ancient supernatural threats with human political conflicts.
• Featured noble dynasties and succession struggles, elements Martin further developed.
• Used a large cast and long-form storytelling across multiple volumes.

The specific debts are easy to see once you know: a scullion protagonist raised to significance, a war of succession rather than a dark lord, a supernatural threat massing in the far north while the humans fight each other about thrones, and an undead army that arrives when nobody is looking. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memory,_Sorrow,_and_Thorn