Ah, George. Once again, we’re here. I can’t help but notice you’ve posted another rant on your blog about how the pressure from fans is making it difficult for you to fulfill your promises. It’s a familiar refrain-such a shame to have created a beloved saga! But what’s the latest issue this time, my friend?
“Some of you might find this a bit irritating, as you do with everything I say that isn’t about Westeros or THE WINDS OF WINTER,” George R. R. Martin wrote on his old WordPress page this Wednesday. The acclaimed author, whose novels have been transformed into hit HBO series like Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, took to his blog to share that he’s working on a new, exciting adaptation of Howard Waldrop’s novel, A Dozen Tough Jobs. Meanwhile, he seemed to anticipate a flood of comments demanding the next installment of A Song of Ice and Fire, the series he initially promised fans over thirteen years ago. It appears he’s growing weary of the complaints-and he’s been paying close attention to your feedback.
“You’ve given up on me, or on the books,” he continued. “I might never finish WINDS. If I do, it might not be worth the wait. If I ever complete it, it won’t be any good. I should probably find another writer to step in for me… I’m nearing the end of my life anyway, because I’m so old. I lost all passion for A Song of Ice and Fire many years ago. From now on, I don’t care about writing-I just sit around and enjoy my money.”
Honestly, that’s a pretty bleak outlook! But to be fair, the internet can be a pretty harsh place. I understand the frustration-and that’s why I tend to avoid reading comments. Yet, it’s amusing how the author’s recent complaints seem to suggest that fans don’t appreciate him enough. Despite our deep engagement with his work-tracking every detail he’s shared about The Winds of Winter-many fans are simply too upset by his latest projects, even though it’s his work that brought him fame and fortune.
“I also edit the Wild Cards anthologies, but you dislike Wild Cards,” Martin pointed out. “You might despise everything I’ve ever written-whether it’s the Hugo-winning stories or the lesser-known ones like ‘A Song for Lya’ and Dying of the Light, ‘Sandkings,’ Beauty and the Beast, ‘The Tower of Ashes,’ ‘The City of Stone,’ Old Mars, Venus, Rogues, Warriors, Dangerous Women, and all the other anthologies I’ve curated with Gardner Dozois. I know you don’t care about any of these; your focus is solely on WINDS OF WINTER. You’ve told me this countless times.”
George, ‘A Song for Lya’ and Dying of the Light debuted in 1976. ‘Sandkings,’ ‘The Tower of the Ashes,’ and ‘The City of Stone’ all appeared before 1980. You can’t expect me to believe that, despite your mainstream success during my lifetime, you’ve completely abandoned those works now.
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“The truth is, I genuinely care about these projects,” Martin admitted regarding his other works. “And I care deeply about Westeros and WINDS. The Starks, Lannisters, Targaryens, Tyrion, Asha, Dany, Daenerys, the dragons, and the direwolves-these characters matter to me more than you might ever realize.”
I understand your perspective, George. If the fans are upset and you truly want to complete The Winds of Winter, I promise to do my best to support you in that endeavor.
