George R.R. Martin confirms Winds of Winter not coming in 2018

[edjr 5,538]

http://ew.com/books/2018/04/25/george-r-r-martin-winds-of-winter-2018/

 

 

 

George R.R. Martin is confirming what Game of Thrones fans have increasingly suspected: The long-awaited sixth book in his A Song of Ice and Fire saga, The Winds of Winter, will not be out in 2018 (here are some of the best fan reactions to this news).

The author revealed the decision in a press release announcing a publication date for Fire and Blood, his upcoming history of the Targaryens which has clocked in at a massive 989 pages long.

“No, winter is not coming… not in 2018, at least,” Martin wrote. “You’re going to have to keep waiting for The Winds of Winter. You will, however, be able to return to Westeros this year. I do want to stress… indeed, I want to shout… that Fire and Blood is not a novel. This is not a traditional narrative and was never intended to be… let’s call this one ‘imaginary history’ instead. The essential point being the ‘history’ part. I love reading popular histories myself, and that’s what I was aiming for here … (Though there are enough stories here for twenty novels. Battles, bloodshed, betrayals, love, lust, horror, religious wars, politics, incest, historical revisionism, all the fun stuff) .… As for me, I’m returning once again to The Winds of Winter.”

Fans have been eagerly waiting for the next book in the series and their mounting frustration with the beloved author is legendary. His last entry, the bestseller A Dance with Dragons, was published back in 2011 — the same year HBO’s hit series based on his saga, Game of Thrones, aired its debut season.

The author has given many reasons for the delay of Winds of Winter over the years, ranging from the distractions which have arisen from the HBO series, his work on other books and projects, and his struggles while writing the novel to continue the narrative complexity of his epic and sprawling story in a manner that meets his own high standards.

Martin has another TV series based on his work: Syfy’s space horror drama Nightflyers, coming later this year. He’s also closely involved with the development of a potential prequel series to Game of Thrones for HBO. The author teases that one of the prequel ideas in the works could be based on Fire and Blood (“no one is sure yet, and anyway, I am not allowed to say”).

Set 300 years before the events in A Song of Ice and Fire, the new Fire and Blood is the first of two planned volumes. It’s described as “the definitive history of the Targaryens in Westeros and chronicles the conquest that united the Seven Kingdoms under Targaryen rule through the Dance of the Dragons: the Targaryen civil war that nearly ended their dynasty forever. Readers may have glimpsed small parts of this narrative before — in The World of Ice and Fire and various anthologies — but the full tapestry of Martin’s history of the Targaryens is revealed here for the first time. Lavishly illustrated with over 75 all-new black-and-white portraits and scenes by artist Doug Wheatley, Fire and Blood will give readers a whole new appreciation for the fascinating history of Westeros and will be a must-have addition to every fan’s bookshelf.”

“Oh, and there are dragons too,” Martin noted on his blog (along with some additional details not reported here if you want more info). “Lots of dragons.”

 

 

 

Fat man in a little coat

[posty 2,295]

No surprise...

[Voltaire 4,550]

We've known for a long time that this book was coming out, it's disappointing the Winds of Winter, the book we want 100x more isn't. Oh well.

[titans&bucs&bearsohmy! 2,745]

We've known for a long time that this book was coming out, it's disappointing the Winds of Winter, the book we want 100x more isn't. Oh well.

Ill read and Im sure enjoy the Targaryen book. But yeah, a seven plus year gap in between books five and six is ridiculous.

 

Even at their slow pace, HBO will have produced seven entire seasons of show since his last focking book.

 

And I am intruiged to hear of a prequel show in development. Thats good.

[Voltaire 4,550]

Ill read and Im sure enjoy the Targaryen book. But yeah, a seven plus year gap in between books five and six is ridiculous.

 

Even at their slow pace, HBO will have produced seven entire seasons of show since his last focking book.

 

And I am intruiged to hear of a prequel show in development. Thats good.

Me too.

 

Sometimes HBO stays close to GRRM's books and sometimes they ignore it completely and do something else.

 

So some big questions like the origin of the WWs via the CotF or Jon Snow's parentage, you don't know whether they got inside information from GRRM or they just made that stuff up.

[titans&bucs&bearsohmy! 2,745]

Me too.

 

Sometimes HBO stays close to GRRM's books and sometimes they ignore it completely and do something else.

 

So some big questions like the origin of the WWs via the CotF or Jon Snow's parentage, you don't know whether they got inside information from GRRM or they just made that stuff up.

As I have said before, I have always dreamed of writing a book.

 

I simply cannot fathom how GRRM is content to let HBO finish the story for him. How he is content to have millions of fans begging for more, and just diddle fart around.

 

Makes no sense to me. Sounds like his creativity or drive or both have dried up. Ill be interested to see if the Targaryen book is any good or not. Hell, that one will likely be in the bookstores here in china. I might even buy a paper copy instead of pirating it off of library genesis to my kindle like I usually do if the illustrations are as nice as claimed.

[Mike Honcho 3,994]

As I have said before, I have always dreamed of writing a book.

I simply cannot fathom how GRRM is content to let HBO finish the story for him. How he is content to have millions of fans begging for more, and just diddle fart around.

Makes no sense to me. Sounds like his creativity or drive or both have dried up. Ill be interested to see if the Targaryen book is any good or not. Hell, that one will likely be in the bookstores here in china. I might even buy a paper copy instead of pirating it off of library genesis to my kindle like I usually do if the illustrations are as nice as claimed.

Fathom getting those big ass checks from HBO for not doing anything.

[titans&bucs&bearsohmy! 2,745]

Fathom getting those big ass checks from HBO for not doing anything.

I would be very proud of my creation, and want to finish it myself.

 

And its not like he wouldnt get some fat ass royalty checks from the book publisher if he ever gets off his dead ass and writes the thing.

 

Clearly its not that hes over the whole Westeros thing, as he keeps churning out side projects of a westerosi nature.

 

I mean Fock. How hard is it to continue and finish a story that is already several thousand pages long? Theres probably dozens of fan fiction versions floating around out there if you need inspiration George.