Excited George R. R. Martin promises we will get an ending to A Song of Ice and Fire

[Kahoots]

He knows where it's going and always has. He has side character #67 Hodor's fate figured out from the get go and you people act like the ending to his big arcs are something he still has to think up. The issue will be the same issue he had with ADWD, figuring out a chronology of events that works, a difficult task given the scope.

 

[Manmademan]

I suspect writing F&B took a lot of his time, as in, he probably put TWoW on hold while he was working on it. I also suspect he has decided to change course once the show outpaced him, since he thought it wouldn't happen, so the plot has probably changed in ways that required rethinking or rewriting a lot.

Click to shrink...

This is also somewhat likely. The show's reception (good or bad) likely caused him to alter or scrap plotlines he might have been considering, lengthening the delay. TOO close to the show and hardcore fans will be pissed. not close enough to the show and casual fans will be bewildered.

But just for fun- here is a ASOIAF timeline, assuming you picked up the first book in 1996.

1996- "A GAME OF THRONES" IS RELEASED, DELIGHTING FANTASY FANS EVERYWHERE

1996- William Jefferson Clinton is re-elected as president. Al Gore is re-elected Vice President.
1996- The Nintendo 64 is released in the United States.
1996- Atlanta Hosts the Olympic Games

1997- Princess Diana is killed in a car crash
1997- OJ Simpson found "liable" for the death of his wife in a civil trial.
1997- J.K. Rowling Publishes the first Harry Potter book

1998- "A CLASH OF KINGS" IS RELEASED, DELIGHTING FANTASY FANS EVERYWHERE

1998-Bill Clinton is accused of having sex with Monica Lewinsky
1998- Google introduces their search engine to the web
1998- Viagra invented

1999- Two teenagers kill 15 students including themselves at Columbine High School
1999- World Population hits 6 billion
1999- Dow Jones closes above 10,000 for the first time ever.
1999- Author Steven Erickson releases "Gardens of the Moon" the first book in the Malazan book of the Fallen.

2000- "A STORM OF SWORDS" IS RELEASED, DELIGHTING FANTASY FANS EVERYWHERE

2000-Y2K scare turns out to be nothing
2000-George W. Bush defeats Al Gore for presidency of the united states.
2000- The Dot Com Bubble bursts
2000- The Playstation 2 is released in the United States
2000- Athens hosts the olympic games

2001- Terrorists Attack the World Trade Center in New York, destroying it
2001- Enron corporation files for bankruptcy
2001- 50% of Americans now use the internet.
2001- Apple's "ipod" becomes the best selling MP3 player in the world

2002-American Idol Debuts on Fox
2002- The Wire Debuts on HBO
2002- The Euro is invented and enters circulation as currency
2002- Sam Raimi's "Spider Man" becomes a box office hit

2003- George W. Bush Attacks Iraq.
2003- Saddam Hussein Captured in Iraq.
2003- Arnold Schwarzenegger Elected Governor of California
2003- Space Shuttle Columbia explodes.

2004- Enormous Tsunami hits asia, killing 225,000
2004- Facebook Invented
2004- George W. Bush Re-Elected

2005- "A FEAST FOR CROWS IS RELEASED, DELIGHTING FANTASY FANS EVERYWHERE"

2005- Hurricane Katrina devastates the US gulf coast, causing 81 billion in damage
2005- Youtube posts it's first video
2005- Author Brandon Sanderson releases "Elantris" his first novel.
2005- Pope John Paul Dies, Succeeded by Pope Benedict XVI.

2006- Playstation 3 is released
2006- Steve Irwin, Crocodile Hunter dies in a freak accident
2006- Twitter Invented
2006- Saddam Hussein Executed

2007- Subprime mortgage collapse begins, wiping out billions and launching the US into a recession
2007- Nancy Pelosi becomes the first female speaker of the house of representatives
2007- Apple Computer releases the iPhone.
2007- J.K. Rowling releases her seventh and final Harry Potter novel

2008- Barack Obama makes history, as he is elected the first black US president
2008- Beijing hosts the Olympic Games
2008- "Iron Man" released by Marvel Studios, becoming the first film in the MCU and grossing a whopping $585 million dollars worldwide.

2009- Tea Party is invented, protests break out across the United States
2009- Michael Jackson Dies
2009- Global Financial Crisis is official

2010- Obamacare created by US government
2010- 200,000 people killed in Haiti Earthquake
2010- Deepwater Horizon explodes in the Gulf, spilling 4.9 million barrels in the worst spill in industry history.
2010- Wikileaks begins releasing classified documents
2010- "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" officially ends as US policy

2011-" A DANCE WITH DRAGONS" IS RELEASED, DELIGHTING FANTASY FANS EVERYWHERE

2011- Osama Bin Laden killed by US forces
2011- "Game of Thrones" debuts it's first season on HBO.
2011- Steve Jobs Dies
2011- World Population Hits 7 Billion
2011- Occupy Wall Street Movement becomes a thing
2011- Author Steven Erickson releases "The Crippled God" the tenth and final book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen.

2012- Barack Obama re-elected US president, defeating Mitt Romney. Joe Biden just happy to be there.
2012- London hosts the Olympic Games
2012- Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting occurs

2013- the Playstation 4 is released
2013- Boston Marathon Bombing Occurs
2013- Nelson Mandela Passes Away
2013- Pope Benedict Resigns, succeeded by Pope Francis
2013- Edward Snowden leaks classified documents, flees US.

2014- 1 World Trade Center opens in NYC
2014- US restores full diplomatic relations with Cuba since 1961
2014- Ebola Epidemic becomes global health crisis
2014- Comedian Robin Williams dies

2015- Obergefell vs. Hodges Legalizes Same Sex Marriage in all 50 US states
2015- Former Subway spokesman Jared Fogle sentenced to prison
2015- China scraps the "one child" policy.

2016- Britain Votes to leave the European Union
2016- Donald Trump defeats Hillary Clinton to become US President
2016- Rio Hosts the Olympic Games

2017- Stephen Paddock opens fire in Las Vegas, injuring 851 and killing 53.
2017- Author Brandon Sanderson releases "Oathbringer" his 27th novel.
2017- The Philadelphia Eagles defeat the New England Patriots to Win Super Bowl LII
2017- Black Panther, Infinity War, and Ant Man and The Wasp release, becoming the 18th, 19th, and 20th films in the MCU and grossing nearly 4 billion dollars in a single year.

2018- BOOK 6, "THE WINDS OF WINTER" STILL NOT RELEASED, TO THE FRUSTRATION OF FANTASY FANS EVERYWHERE

 

[Ether_Snake]

You have to admit Jaime and Brienne have been drawn out way too much. What did Jaime do? I can't even remember. He got back to King's Landing, then left and talked to someone at a castle so they would surrender. Brienne looked for Sansa, but got attacked by some weirdos, so everyone wasted their time. Then she walked some more and got attacked and woke up in front of Lady Stoneheart. It took the whole of A Feast for Crows for that.

 

[Lunar Wolf]

You have to admit Jaime and Brienne have been drawn out way too much. What did Jaime do? I can't even remember. He got back to King's Landing, then left and talked to someone at a castle so they would surrender. Brienne looked for Sansa, but got attacked by some weirdos, so everyone wasted their time. Then she walked some more and got attacked and woke up in front of Lady Stoneheart. It took the whole of A Feast for Crows for that.

Click to shrink...

Jaime took Riverrun and gave it to the Freys. Then he went through massive amounts of character development. He's finally introspecting about his relationship with Cersei, finally regretting a lot of the things he did and he has chosen to let Cersei die. He doesn't want to be with her anymore. Along the way, we check up on the Freys, the Tullys, the riverlords and Lancel Lannister.

Brienne's chapters are more about setting up who she is as a person and giving her a backstory while she runs around the Riverlands smiting down minor villains from ASOS. We do get to check in on the Hound and we see the peasant's perspective on the war from Brienne's own eyes. It's also about setting up Jaime and Brienne on a collision course.

Most all the, Riverlands have a story that's being told through Jaime and Brienne's own eyes with Lady Stoneheart and the Freys as the area's mega-villains.

Note: Jaime is going to kill Cersei and GRRM has set up the reason why he's going to do it in AFFC once he's done with the Riverlands story.

 

[Azzanadra]

This is also somewhat likely. The show's reception (good or bad) likely caused him to alter or scrap plotlines he might have been considering, lengthening the delay. TOO close to the show and hardcore fans will be pissed. not close enough to the show and casual fans will be bewildered.

But just for fun- here is a ASOIAF timeline, assuming you picked up the first book in 1996.

1996- "A GAME OF THRONES" IS RELEASED, DELIGHTING FANTASY FANS EVERYWHERE

1996- William Jefferson Clinton is re-elected as president. Al Gore is re-elected Vice President.
1996- The Nintendo 64 is released in the United States.
1996- Atlanta Hosts the Olympic Games

1997- Princess Diana is killed in a car crash
1997- OJ Simpson found "liable" for the death of his wife in a civil trial.
1997- J.K. Rowling Publishes the first Harry Potter book

1998- "A CLASH OF KINGS" IS RELEASED, DELIGHTING FANTASY FANS EVERYWHERE

1998-Bill Clinton is accused of having sex with Monica Lewinsky
1998- Google introduces their search engine to the web
1998- Viagra invented

1999- Two teenagers kill 15 students including themselves at Columbine High School
1999- World Population hits 6 billion
1999- Dow Jones closes above 10,000 for the first time ever.
1999- Author Steven Erickson releases "Gardens of the Moon" the first book in the Malazan book of the Fallen.

2000- "A STORM OF SWORDS" IS RELEASED, DELIGHTING FANTASY FANS EVERYWHERE

2000-Y2K scare turns out to be nothing
2000-George W. Bush defeats Al Gore for presidency of the united states.
2000- The Dot Com Bubble bursts
2000- The Playstation 2 is released in the United States
2000- Athens hosts the olympic games

2001- Terrorists Attack the World Trade Center in New York, destroying it
2001- Enron corporation files for bankruptcy
2001- 50% of Americans now use the internet.
2001- Apple's "ipod" becomes the best selling MP3 player in the world

2002-American Idol Debuts on Fox
2002- The Wire Debuts on HBO
2002- The Euro is invented and enters circulation as currency
2002- Sam Raimi's "Spider Man" becomes a box office hit

2003- George W. Bush Attacks Iraq.
2003- Saddam Hussein Captured in Iraq.
2003- Arnold Schwarzenegger Elected Governor of California
2003- Space Shuttle Columbia explodes.

2004- Enormous Tsunami hits asia, killing 225,000
2004- Facebook Invented
2004- George W. Bush Re-Elected

2005- "A FEAST FOR CROWS IS RELEASED, DELIGHTING FANTASY FANS EVERYWHERE"

2005- Hurricane Katrina devastates the US gulf coast, causing 81 billion in damage
2005- Youtube posts it's first video
2005- Author Brandon Sanderson releases "Elantris" his first novel.
2005- Pope John Paul Dies, Succeeded by Pope Benedict XVI.

2006- Playstation 3 is released
2006- Steve Irwin, Crocodile Hunter dies in a freak accident
2006- Twitter Invented
2006- Saddam Hussein Executed

2007- Subprime mortgage collapse begins, wiping out billions and launching the US into a recession
2007- Nancy Pelosi becomes the first female speaker of the house of representatives
2007- Apple Computer releases the iPhone.
2007- J.K. Rowling releases her seventh and final Harry Potter novel

2008- Barack Obama makes history, as he is elected the first black US president
2008- Beijing hosts the Olympic Games
2008- "Iron Man" released by Marvel Studios, becoming the first film in the MCU and grossing a whopping $585 million dollars worldwide.

2009- Tea Party is invented, protests break out across the United States
2009- Michael Jackson Dies
2009- Global Financial Crisis is official

2010- Obamacare created by US government
2010- 200,000 people killed in Haiti Earthquake
2010- Deepwater Horizon explodes in the Gulf, spilling 4.9 million barrels in the worst spill in industry history.
2010- Wikileaks begins releasing classified documents
2010- "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" officially ends as US policy

2011-" A DANCE WITH DRAGONS" IS RELEASED, DELIGHTING FANTASY FANS EVERYWHERE

2011- Osama Bin Laden killed by US forces
2011- "Game of Thrones" debuts it's first season on HBO.
2011- Steve Jobs Dies
2011- World Population Hits 7 Billion
2011- Occupy Wall Street Movement becomes a thing
2011- Author Steven Erickson releases "The Crippled God" the tenth and final book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen.

2012- Barack Obama re-elected US president, defeating Mitt Romney. Joe Biden just happy to be there.
2012- London hosts the Olympic Games
2012- Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting occurs

2013- the Playstation 4 is released
2013- Boston Marathon Bombing Occurs
2013- Nelson Mandela Passes Away
2013- Pope Benedict Resigns, succeeded by Pope Francis
2013- Edward Snowden leaks classified documents, flees US.

2014- 1 World Trade Center opens in NYC
2014- US restores full diplomatic relations with Cuba since 1961
2014- Ebola Epidemic becomes global health crisis
2014- Comedian Robin Williams dies

2015- Obergefell vs. Hodges Legalizes Same Sex Marriage in all 50 US states
2015- Former Subway spokesman Jared Fogle sentenced to prison
2015- China scraps the "one child" policy.

2016- Britain Votes to leave the European Union
2016- Donald Trump defeats Hillary Clinton to become US President
2016- Rio Hosts the Olympic Games

2017- Stephen Paddock opens fire in Las Vegas, injuring 851 and killing 53.
2017- Author Brandon Sanderson releases "Oathbringer" his 27th novel.
2017- The Philadelphia Eagles defeat the New England Patriots to Win Super Bowl LII
2017- Black Panther, Infinity War, and Ant Man and The Wasp release, becoming the 18th, 19th, and 20th films in the MCU and grossing nearly 4 billion dollars in a single year.

2018- BOOK 6, "THE WINDS OF WINTER" STILL NOT RELEASED, TO THE FRUSTRATION OF FANTASY FANS EVERYWHERE

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Yeah these really puts things into perspective lol

If you told me in 2012 I would get the next mainline console Zelda game, DMCV, The Witcher 3 and a third Dark Souls game before TWOW I would have called you crazy.

At this rate we will get Bloodborne 2, RE8 and Cyberpunk 2077 before TWOW.

 

[Manmademan]

Yeah these really puts things into perspective lol

If you told me in 2012 I would get the next mainline console Zelda game, DMCV, The Witcher 3 and a third Dark Souls game before TWOW I would have called you crazy.

At this rate we will get Bloodborne 2, RE8 and Cyberpunk 2077 before TWOW.

Click to shrink...

The most shocking thing for me is that Brandon Sanderson has written 26 novels, and the MCU has produced twenty separate films, in the time it has taken GRR to write one book.

 

[Technosteve]

I was reading goosebumps and playing starcraft when the first book came out. It woukd ve a few years before i get to watch evangalion on VHS

 

[VectorPrime]

The most shocking thing for me is that Brandon Sanderson has written 27 novels, and the MCU has produced twenty separate films, in the time it has taken GRR to write one book.

Click to shrink...

Technically GRRM has published just 90% of a single book in the ASoIAF series since the year 2000.

 

[Rad Bandolar]

Yeah these really puts things into perspective lol

If you told me in 2012 I would get the next mainline console Zelda game, DMCV, The Witcher 3 and a third Dark Souls game before TWOW I would have called you crazy.

At this rate we will get Bloodborne 2, RE8 and Cyberpunk 2077 before TWOW.

Click to shrink...

We'll get Half-Life 3 before TWOW

Edit: And that's okay. I don't want someone doing something because it's a chore or an obligation that they have to get through.

 

[Manmademan]

I was reading goosebumps and playing starcraft when the first book came out. It woukd ve a few years before i get to watch evangalion on VHS

Click to shrink...

I was a teenager just graduating highschool when the first book came out.

I'm now a 40 year old homeowner with a master's degree, a wife, and a six year old.

 

[Futabaisthebest<3]

GRRM is really the Togashi of American.

 

[HStallion]

GRRM is really the Togashi of American.

Click to shrink...

Hey Togashi has been increasing his productivity by a decent amount as of late.

 

[Disclaimer]

Jaime took Riverrun and gave it to the Freys. Then he went through massive amounts of character development. He's finally introspecting about his relationship with Cersei, finally regretting a lot of the things he did and he has chosen to let Cersei die. He doesn't want to be with her anymore. Along the way, we check up on the Freys, the Tullys, the riverlords and Lancel Lannister.

Brienne's chapters are more about setting up who she is as a person and giving her a backstory while she runs around the Riverlands smiting down minor villains from ASOS. We do get to check in on the Hound and we see the peasant's perspective on the war from Brienne's own eyes. It's also about setting up Jaime and Brienne on a collision course.

Most all the, Riverlands have a story that's being told through Jaime and Brienne's own eyes with Lady Stoneheart and the Freys as the area's mega-villains.

Note: Jaime is going to kill Cersei and GRRM has set up the reason why he's going to do it in AFFC once he's done with the Riverlands story.

Click to shrink...

The Riverlands are the encapsulation of Martin's thoughts on war — its terrible human consequences, the effects it has unchecked against a civilian population and the consequences thereof (see: the Sparrow movement), the effects it has on the the combatants and despoilers' psyches (see: Septon Meribald's "Broken Men" speech), the contemplation of true chivalry and who embodies it (see: non-knight Brienne's arc), etc.

Anyone saying Jaime or Brienne's points of view are wastes of time is too caught up in the surface-level window dressing to see the true themes being explored. The Riverlands' arc as set up by the War of the Five Kings and shown initially through Arya's travels demanded to be seen through.

Part of why it's frustrating for the reader is because they know Arya and Sansa's locations, and that Brienne's search is futile, but that knowledge should also equip them to look beyond the immediate goal of her journey for the meaning behind her chapters' inclusion.

ASOIAF is chiefly one big thematic exploration, and while the PoV characters and their stories are crucial, they're not everything — they're lenses through which to glean competing ground-level understandings of the deep and layered socio-political happenings and piece together the broader tapestry. To that end, Jaime/Brienne's chapters are dense with information.

 

[Ether_Snake]

Technically GRRM has published just 90% of a single book in the ASoIAF series since the year 2000.

Click to shrink...

When you put it like that... 😢

 

[Disclaimer]

Technically GRRM has published just 90% of a single book in the ASoIAF series since the year 2000.

Click to shrink...

"Technically" he also wrote only book before that, too, right — since that was his original plan? :P (Naw.)

 

[danm999]

The Riverlands are the encapsulation of Martin's thoughts on war — its terrible human consequences, the effects it has unchecked against a civilian population and the consequences thereof (see: the Sparrow movement), the effects it has on the the combatants and despoilers' psyches (see: Septon Meribald's "Broken Men" speech), the contemplation of true chivalry and who embodies it (see: non-knight Brienne's arc), etc.

Anyone saying Jaime or Brienne's points of view are wastes of time is too caught up in the surface-level window dressing to see the true themes being explored. The Riverlands' arc as set up by the War of the Five Kings and shown initially through Arya's travels demanded to be seen through.

Part of why it's frustrating for the reader is because they know Arya and Sansa's locations, and that Brienne's search is futile, but that knowledge should also equip them to look beyond the immediate goal of her journey for the meaning behind her chapters' inclusion.

ASOIAF is chiefly one big thematic exploration, and while the PoV characters and their stories are crucial, they're not everything — they're lenses through which to glean competing ground-level understandings of the deep and layered socio-political happenings and piece together the broader tapestry. To that end, Jaime/Brienne's chapters are dense with information.

Click to shrink...

Yeah first time I read it I was in a very "when are they going to get to the fireworks factory" mode but re reading it the writing is very strong.

 

[AcademicSaucer]

Maybe Winds of Winter releases sometime in the next decade but I have no hope for A Dream of Spring

 

[Gigglepoo]

Part of why it's frustrating for the reader is because they know Arya and Sansa's locations, and that Brienne's search is futile, but that knowledge should also equip them to look beyond the immediate goal of her journey for the meaning behind her chapters' inclusion.

Click to shrink...

This is a very important point. The POVs are split between Feast and Dance so if Martin wanted readers to think Brienne might encounter Sansa, he would have pushed Sansa's chapters to the next book. But it's not a mystery.

Brienne's arc is one of the most compelling stories to me. "No chance, no choice" is just an incredible moment.

 

[SindbadtheSailor]

The long gaps basically killed my interest in the series. I haven't bothered watching the show at all and stopped re-reading the series a some time ago.

That being said, when Winds is released, I'm getting it day one. I have very little hope for A Dream of Spring but you never know.

 

[stone616]

We will it's called Game of Thrones.

 

[louisacommie]

"Technically" he also wrote only book before that, too, right — since that was his original plan? :P (Naw.)

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We havnt even made it to act 2 and the invasion of westeros by dany

 

[Kahoots]

We havnt even made it to act 2 and the invasion of westeros by dany

Click to shrink...

Yes but we're on the other side of the time skip that wasn't.

 

[demosthenes]

Of course. Season 8 is starting soon.

Click to shrink...

This.

 

[Kanann]

Finish it George, you can do it.

 

[Static]

I love him for all the great shit he's written but I'm not going to get my hopes up. We'll see what happens. If there are books, great. If there aren't books, well, that's okay too I guess.

 

[chuckddd]

 

[Mr. Fantastic]

if u say so m8

 

[RoninChaos]

As an avid reader who jumped into this series long before HBO had even heard of it, I'm looking forward to ending my Song of Ice and Fire journey with season 8. I don't believe this series will ever be finished by him and, even if it does, I frankly don't care about the work of an author who can't respect his readers.

Click to shrink...

End of thread.

 

[RoninChaos]

It might, but it's beginning to feel like the hype is dying down on these final books. That may especially be true after end of the TV series.

Click to shrink...

While I know the faithful will stick with him, and I think winds will sell well whenever it comes out, I think most people will have moved on by then because the show will have given them an ending.

You guys remember years ago when he was mad that the show wouldn't take a break so he could finish winds? Lol

 

[El Bombastico]

While I know the faithful will stick with him, and I think winds will sell well whenever it comes out, I think most people will have moved on by then because the show will have given them an ending.

You guys remember years ago when he was mad that the show wouldn't take a break so he could finish winds? Lol

Click to shrink...

He wanted the show to take 3 or 4 seasons to cover every part of books 4 and 5.

HBO wisely told him no.

 

[Deleted member 412]

Got no opinion of Game of Thrones/ASOIAF, but I'm happy for him to finally (hopefully) be able to reach the end of his imprisonment. I know he's making a fuckton of money, but I always felt bad for him. Writing ain't easy (unless you simply don't care).

 

[Kain]

Na, he just had too much to eat and drink

 

[Disclaimer]

While I know the faithful will stick with him, and I think winds will sell well whenever it comes out, I think most people will have moved on by then because the show will have given them an ending.

Click to shrink...

A Targaryen history book reached #1 bestseller. People are going to be there Day 1, regardless of what they say.

Like I've said, there are almost zero similarities between the various story threads of the book and the show. Any "ending" Game of Thrones has will be entirely its own, with only extremely vague implications for ASOIAF.

 

[RoninChaos]

A Targaryen history book reached #1 bestseller. People are going to be there Day 1, regardless of what they say.

Like I've said, there are almost zero similarities between the various story threads of the book and the show. Any "ending" Game of Thrones has will be entirely its own, with only extremely vague implications for ASOIAF.

Click to shrink...

That's cause its not over yet. If he release spring 7 years after the show ends I think there's a real possibility a good chunk of people will have moved on because they already got an ending.

 

[Lunar Wolf]

We havnt even made it to act 2 and the invasion of westeros by dany

Click to shrink...

That's no longer Act 2. We're at the tail end of Act 2.

Act 3 is Dany's invasion and the Other's invasion happening at the same time.

 

[Disclaimer]

That's cause its not over yet. If he release spring 7 years after the show ends I think there's a real possibility a good chunk of people will have moved on because they already got an ending.

Click to shrink...

I really doubt a significant number of people will drop the series' final book in a hypothetical where it releases 7 years from now, tbh. Especially when TWOW is going to be as climactic as ASOS was, and refresh people on just how profoundly different the two mediums are in content and writing quality.

 

[RoninChaos]

I really doubt a significant number of people will drop the series' final book in a hypothetical where it releases 7 years from now, tbh. Especially when TWOW is going to be as climactic as ASOS was, and refresh people on just how profoundly different the two mediums are in content and writing quality.

Click to shrink...

For you, you're jacked in and you're ready to ride to the end. There will be a new generation born before Martin finishes. There are a lot of people like me who stopped reading the books because he hasn't finished and it seems likely we can count on him not to finish based on his output. I think folks like me won't show up for the last book if we already got an ending. You're going to show up regardless.

 

[Garou]

I can't really blame him if he doesn't finish it. Think about it, on average you get to around age 85. He's 70, so that makes roughly 15 years before he starts beating the statistics.
Even if he ends up delivering Winds next year, then blasts out Spring 4 years later, that's potentially 33% of his remaining life. Sitting in front of an old-ass PC. While his bank account is full.
That's a whole lot to ask of a single human.

 

[Riversands]

I have a theory that he is secretly under contract not to release the book before GoT has finished

 

[Deleted member 13328]

How good is the Targaryen history book? I think I'm going to get it for Christmas, but I'm in the middle of Fall of the Malazan Empire so is it good enough to squeeze in before I finish the Malazan serie?

 

[Empress of ice cream]

He has been excited or close to being done at various times for years now. I don't really give any value to the things he says any longer. The books will come out eventually or they won't. I started reading these books in 2001 and I am just glad this story will get a conclusion next year.

 

[Glasgow Mega-Snake]

I have a theory that he is secretly under contract not to release the book before GoT has finished

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That makes no sense. Now his publishers could still capitalize on the GoT buzz, but once the show ends it will quickly taper off, successor shows or not.
And he had the same troubles with AFFC and ADWD, before there was a show

 

[Pyramid Head]

Who writes two 700 page history books because they are bored of the series? This is a bad take.

Click to shrink...

Well, there was that letter he send to his editors back when the series was going to be a trilogy, complete with a live triangle between Arya, Tyrion and Jon Snow, where he stated he didn't have a synopsis for the third and final book with something like, "you know me, if I know where something is going, I lose all interest."
Well, he knows where this is going, and he's no longer even at the wheel.

 

[hank_tree]

OP contains some of the most unearned optimism I've ever seen. Shine on you crazy diamond.

 

[cj_iwakura]

How good is the Targaryen history book? I think I'm going to get it for Christmas, but I'm in the middle of Fall of the Malazan Empire so is it good enough to squeeze in before I finish the Malazan serie?

Click to shrink...

Highs and lows. The Jaenerys segment is great. A lot before and after draaaaags. Some great characters and oneliners though.

 

[Deleted member 13328]

Highs and lows. The Jaenerys segment is great. A lot before and after draaaaags. Some great characters and oneliners though.

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Thanks. I'll read it over the holidays then.

 

[Egida]

I don't know, even though I stopped watching the HBO show at season 2, I've been spoiled to hell and back with how popular the series has become; I know about every important plot point and even if they say books will be different I think it will be different paths to reach the same or similar conclusion. I mean, is there any doubt Dany will join forces with the not-so-dead John? It was always a top fan theory.

Some years ago I'd have killed for a chance to know what happened in Valyria, now it all seems so far away. Going by OP comment on similarities, is the doom of valyria related to the white walkers?

 

[Cyprinodon Martius]

We'd all be so much better of if he stuck to his five year gap idea. The books would be much further along, and his ability to actually progress and tell a story would've improved alongside his now excellent prose.

I wonder what are the chances Dany actually leaves Essos in TWOW. I hope she meets Tyrion at least.

Can you fucking believe they haven't yet met in the books.

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Dany will be returned to Vaes Dothrak, then return to Mereen (the siege of which will likely of been lifted by then, but she'll still need to return to collect her army and people and right any wrongs made in her absence), march across Essos making various stops along the way. She will certainly be liberating Volantis (and maybe sacking other slaver cities that took up arms against her rule, such as New Ghis or Tolos, although she may instruct some minor characters do to so off-page-screen), and may also stop off at Pentos to see Illyrio (particularly if Tyrion informs her of 'Young Gryff'). Considering the plodding pace of the storylines in AFFC and ADWD, it's likely all of Dany's TWoW plot will take place outside of Westeros.

Yep. Just check r/asoiaf . It's a huge huge subreddit where 80 % of its members hate the show but watch it for clues to GRRM's ending.

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You're saying the subreddit devoted to the books is very excited for more books?

I'll never understand why negative people who think the books won't ever come out and don't even like Feast and Dance come into threads like this just to spout the same tired lines.

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Welcome to being a fan of The Last Jedi.

 

[Seductivpancakes]

Wait, there's a second WOIAF book?

 

[GeoGonzo]

I'm honestly glad to see him happy and motivated, since he seems like a nice person.