George R.R. Martin addressesTheWinds of Winter’s ongoing 13-year delay, calling it “the curse of [his] life.” The author’s epic fantasy series,A Song of Ice and Fire, was adapted into the smash-hit HBO series,Game of Thrones, which premiered in 2011 and came to a controversial conclusion in 2019. The sixth book in the series,The Winds of Winter, was originally supposed to be finished 13 years ago, though that deadline has long passed, and it remains unclear when, or if, Martin will ever finish the manuscript.
Talking toTime,Martin addressed the status ofThe Winds of Winter, calling it “the curse of [his] life” and acknowledging the ongoing 13-year delay. The author is still working on it sporadically, though he has other commitments, such as HBO shows, that often pull his focus away. Read his full comments or watch the video below:
That’s the curse of my life here. There’s no doubt 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. I have a deadline for one of the HBO shows. I have something else to do. But the two things are not connected.
What George R.R. Martin’s Comments Mean For Winds Of Winter
It’s Delayed By Martin’s Other Commitments
While the first five novels in theSong of Ice and Fireseries were released in a timely manner from 1996 to 2011,Winds of Winterhas seen an ongoing 13-year delay which, as Martin mentions, isbecause of his commitments to the HBO shows. Martin acted as an executive producer onGame of Thronesand wrote several episodes, including season 1’s “The Pointy End,” season 2’s “Blackwater,” season 3’s “The Bear and the Maiden Fair,” and season 4’s “The Lion and the Rose.”
BeforeGame of Thronesended in 2019, Martin expedited the publication of his 2018 book,Fire & Blood, so it could be adapted into the HBO prequel series,House of the Dragon, on which Martin is credited as a co-creator and executive producer. Martin is also credited as the sole creator of another upcoming HBO prequel series,A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, based on hisTales of Dunk and Eggnovellas. Based on his latest comments, it seems thatMartin’s many commitments to the HBO shows are continuing to pull his focus away from finishingWinds of Winter.
Our Take On George R.R. Martin’s Latest Winds of Winter Comments
I Would Rather See More HBO Shows Than Winds Of Winter
While the author has faced vitriolic backlash from so-called fans for failing to finishThe Winds of Winterin a timely manner, I personally can’t get mad at Martin. SinceGame of Throneshas already finished the story thatThe Winds of Winterand the final book,A Dream of Spring,will eventually tell, I would rather see Martin spend his time working on the HBO shows,House of the DragonandA Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which will bring new stories to the screen.
