Just last week we heard a rumor that HBO was telling the Game of Thrones crew to stick around, because they could be shooting two more seasons very soon. Now one of the show's stars confirms he's headed back to work for season three, and he's already preparing for his death scene. SPOILERS AHEAD!

The Game of Thrones creator is among the most acclaimed and successful sci-fi and fantasy authors ever, thanks to works like the epic A Song of Ice and Fire, the superhero series Wild Cards and scripts for the Beauty and the Beast TV series. And like many lovers of all things genre, he can trace it back to one particular book—which just happened to be a Christmas present.

We've still got a while to wait before Game of Thrones kicks off its second season next spring, but HBO has decided to torture us even further with a couple of minutes of tantalizing behind-the-scenes footage. Among the highlights: new characters, new crowns for new kings, and old characters in new trouble.

Back in April, Peter Dinklage told the world that he didn't consider his television series Game of Thrones to be fantasy. After watching the first episode, with its White Walkers and wights, we had to conclude that Dinklage was embarrassed by the F-word. Now we know the reason for his prejudice.