George R.R. Martin, the author behind the world of Game of Thrones, revealed some major notes about his long-overdue sequel book. The Winds of Winter is one of the most infamous titles in literature and pop culture, as readers have been waiting for it since the previous book was published in 2011. Long story short, when Game of Thrones premiered on HBO the same year, the plan was for the book series to be concluded alongside it. Now, seven years after the show ended, readers still await the penultimate installment.
Martin’s recent interview with THR is one of the most revealing in years, with the author providing a definitive update on the long-overdue book, his feelings on the matter, his conflict with House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal, the new prequel series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the possibility of a movie based on Aegon’s Conquest, and more. For those looking forward to the books, specifically, these are the most notable takeaways.
George R.R. Martin Has More Dunk and Egg Novellas in the Pipeline
You wanted The Winds of Winter? We give you Dunk and Egg. No, but seriously, George R.R. Martin has long sought to write more novellas in his lighter, short-form sequel series. His appreciation for the new TV series based on these stories and showrunner Ira Parker’s desire to faithfully adapt his stories seem to have ignited his desire to write something in Westeros, as the author explained he’d begun working on two new novellas in 2025.
Unlike fantasy mega author Brandon Sanderson, who’s known for releasing weekly completion notices on all his ongoing projects, it’s rare to get a concrete update from Martin. In the THR interview, he explained, “I have a lot more stories about Dunk and Egg in my f***ing head. I’ve got to get them down on paper. I began writing two at various points in the past year. One is set in Winterfell and one set in the Riverlands.” Ira Parker also recently revealed Martin had given him outlines for 10-12 Dunk and Egg stories, to keep the show running for years to come.
‘The Winds of Winter’ Will Have Jon Snow Chapters
When discussing his writing process on Winds, Martin explained that he’ll often shift between different chapters based on his progress, saying, as an example, “This Tyrion chapter is not coming along, let me write a Jon Snow chapter.” Whether this was a slip-up for Martin or an acknowledgment of what all fans have known for years is unclear, but this should be clear confirmation that Jon Snow will, in fact, be resurrected in the book series.
Readers last saw Jon and A Song of Ice & Fire when he was stabbed to death in the cliffhanger ending of A Dance with Dragons. In the TV series, Jon Snow was resurrected by Melisandre, but readers have long suspected an alternate path for the books. It’s likely that, just before being stabbed, Jon warged his direwolf, Ghost, and will be in the body of the animal at the start of the book, eventually finding his path back to life. Readers have speculated that this version of Jon will be much darker and more grim than the noble bastard they’d come to love.
GRRM Doesn’t “See a Happy Ending for Tyrion”
George R.R. Martin has compared his books to the Game of Thrones TV series many times, discussing character deaths in the show that won’t be in the books, and vice versa. Readers should expect The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring to deliver a very different ending, and Martin revealed some reasons. He explained that he doesn’t see Tyrion having a happy ending, tying back to the character’s darkness in A Dance with Dragons.
Played by the always charming Peter Dinklage, the TV version of Tyrion Lannister was a massive fan-favorite, and it’s clear HBO and the showrunners weren’t interested in making him a distasteful antihero. While still a bit more ethical than Cersei in the books, the TV version is an outright hero, fighting for good at every turn. Martin envisions his version of Tyrion’s story as a tragedy, so that Hand of the King badge likely won’t be coming his way in Dream.
GRRM Originally Planned for Sansa to Die
Given the reactions to Game of Thrones, which Martin is clearly very aware of, it’d be impossible not to second-guess his original story. Based on the limited amount we know from Martin’s original outline in the early 1990s, which saw A Song of Ice and Fire as a trilogy where Jaime Lannister would become king, Jon and Arya would fall in love (weird in retrospect), and many more ideas that were ultimately changed, it’s clear that much of his original plans were scrapped. Adding a new idea to the mix, Martin explained he originally wanted Sansa to die.
“I was going to have Sansa die, but she’s been so appealing in the show, maybe I’ll let her live,” explaining how the emotional reactions to Sophie Turner’s Sansa Stark have allowed him to view the character in a new light. It’s possible he’s just teasing readers with a terrifying thought, but it’s more likely that his feelings for his characters, as complex as they must be, have been altered by the TV series and the development of the fandom.
GRRM Could ‘The Winds of Winter’ Soon… If He Wants To
It’s clear that drive and passion are a sore spot for George R.R. Martin right now. He compared himself to Frank Herbert, the late great author behind the Dune novels, whose passion for his prolific sci-fi world waned toward the end of his life, but who continued working on them until he passed due to his publisher’s lack of interest in any other ideas. Martin has numerous projects he loves, but it’s clear The Winds of Winter is a source of stress, pain, and anxiety.
He mentioned in the interview that he wants to finish the books, or that he’d end up feeling like it was a total failure. However, he’s also claimed that the upcoming sequel is the “curse of his life.” He revealed that he still loves the world he’s built, but therein lies the problem, in the eyes of many readers. Martin has continuously built up his world, planting seeds everywhere, establishing narrative patterns, laying down the material for theories and prophecies, and more, but not narrowing down his central narrative to build toward an ending.
Maybe I’m delusional and grasping at straws, but my first thoughts reading through his words were excitement, because he “could” finish The Winds of Winter. I understand “Could” is an important word in his quote, but I still want this book, and until it becomes an impossibility, I’m going to keep looking forward to it.
Source link
Add Comment