It has been six years since Game of Thrones ended on HBO, and yet, series author George R.R. Martin (GRRM) has so far not concluded the books. The next in line in the A Song of Ice and Fire saga, Winds of Winter, is now 13 years overdue and has to be followed by one more book for the conclusion. Thankfully, George R.R. Martin has finally talked about why Winds of Winter is taking so long.
The explanation came in an answer to a Time Magazine interview, which was posted as a YouTube short. In the interview, GRRM stated that he kept getting sidetracked by other projects, though not the ones his fans expected. GRRM did admit that he is fully aware that Winds of Winter is 13 years late. However, the Game of Thrones author also would like to remind his fans that whatever he’s been doing recently did not impede the progress of the books– and yes, he’s still writing.
“There’s no doubt that Winds of Winter is 13 years late. I’m still working on it. I have periods where I make progress, and then other things divert my attention, and suddenly I have a deadline for one of the HBO shows, I have something else to do. But the two things are not connected.
I open a bookstore, and people say, “Why is George R.R. Martin opening a bookstore? He could be writing Winds of Winter.” I don’t actually work in the bookstore. I own it. I hired people to do it. If you go into the bookstore, yes, a lot of my books are there, which I’ve signed, and a lot of books by other people. I’m not going to ring up your register. I have a theatre. I’m not the projectionist. They seem to overestimate how much time I’m putting into these things.
You’ve heard exactly what role I played in the Dire Wolf thing. I’m sitting at home, I might’ve been working on Winds of Winter, and suddenly, Peter Jackson is on the line. […] It did not seriously impinge on the writing of Winds of Winter. But people make it seem, my more fanatic fans, as if it’s one or the other, and it’s not,” explains GRRM, thanks to Time Magazine.
With that said, those of you expecting a concrete release date for Winds of Winter and for the Game of Thrones books to finally inch closer to a conclusion (which ought to be more favorable than what HBO did), well, get ready for disappointment. GRRM is still taking his sweet time.
Some of the more recent projects that GRRM dipped his hands into would be the dire wolf revival. The author couldn’t miss a chance to take a photo with the pups, seeing as he has a fondness for them in his dark fantasy books. Apparently, the trip to meet the pups took a whole four days.
What About that HBO Deadline?
Several years ago, GRRM also had a hand in crafting the mysterious and apocalyptic world of Elden Ring. His involvement with the RPG has somehow contributed to its mass popularity. Based on GRRM’s explanation, however, even writing projects such as these didn’t add to the Winds of Winter delay.
One thing that stood out in GRRM’s explanation was his mention of HBO’s deadlines. GRRM is only supposed to be an executive producer for House of the Dragon, and there appears to be no other ongoing HBO show at the moment.
That means the author could also be referring to the Game of Thrones prequel, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. For that upcoming show, GRRM appears to be more involved compared to House of the Dragon, whose source material is also his creation.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is about Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire Egg as they travel across Westeros. The show will hopefully premiere sometime in late 2025, and GRRM agreed to a five-year deal with HBO regarding the project back in 2021. So if you want to be cautiously optimistic here, just add a few more years to the 13-year delay of Winds of Winter because something else might occupy GRRM’s attention.
