# A Dance With Dragons - A release date? Could it be true?! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 3, 2011, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-dance-with-dragons-a-release-date-could-it-be-true/573339 "2011-03-03T14:25:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Yodalicious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yodalicious/32/8195_2.png) [@Yodalicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yodalicious)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-dance-with-dragons-a-release-date-could-it-be-true/573339/1 "2011-03-03T14:25:45Z")
July, 12 according to [ew.com](http://shelf-life.ew.com/2011/03/03/dance-with-dragons-date/). Should we start holding our breath? And from Martin’s [blog](http://www.georgerrmartin.com/if-update.html). ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-dance-with-dragons-a-release-date-could-it-be-true/573339/2 "2011-03-03T14:32:36Z")
“Yes, we swear, after waiting six long years since the release of the last novel in the saga, the fabled Book 5 A Dance With Dragons is **close enough to being finished** for Martin’s publisher to set a release date” I’ll believe it when I see the book on a shelf in a bookstore. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-dance-with-dragons-a-release-date-could-it-be-true/573339/3 "2011-03-03T15:18:36Z")
It’s close enough to April 1 to make me dubious. I’m still waiting on “The Last Dangerous Visions” too. ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-dance-with-dragons-a-release-date-could-it-be-true/573339/4 "2011-03-03T15:26:01Z")
Hope it’s true, but I’ll believe it when it’s in my hands. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-dance-with-dragons-a-release-date-could-it-be-true/573339/5 "2011-03-03T15:26:45Z")
I Believe it. Of course I also believed the previous 4 release dates so… ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-dance-with-dragons-a-release-date-could-it-be-true/573339/6 "2011-03-03T15:28:22Z")
Now awaiting the announcement that the book had to be cut in 3 due to length. ---
**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-dance-with-dragons-a-release-date-could-it-be-true/573339/7 "2011-03-03T15:34:12Z")
Searching my Google mail account shows that I pre-ordered “A Dance With Dragons” with Amazon on 14 July 2006. Since then Amazon sent 7 e-mails to the effect that the shipping date had to be postponed (once in 2007 and twice in 2008, 2009, and 2010). Ah, old times - I look back on significant events in my life since I ordered that book. So, don’t hold your breath. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-dance-with-dragons-a-release-date-could-it-be-true/573339/8 "2011-03-03T16:03:16Z")
I had a feeling that HBO put some pressure on him to finish the book if they were going to commit to a TV series. I have nothing to back that up, but I’m not surprised that there’s a release date announced this close to the premiere of the show. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-dance-with-dragons-a-release-date-could-it-be-true/573339/9 "2011-03-03T16:05:47Z")
Wow, is it half past never already? ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-dance-with-dragons-a-release-date-could-it-be-true/573339/10 "2011-03-03T16:07:44Z")
Awesome! Now once he finishes the last two I can finally start this series 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-dance-with-dragons-a-release-date-could-it-be-true/573339/11 "2011-03-03T16:24:27Z")
It truly is the End of the World if all these things come to pass… Back in 2008, Guns ‘n’ Roses (aka “Axl and some guys now”) ended the jokes by actually releasing their long-awaited album _Chinese Democracy_, about 17 years in the making. Another long-running vaporware joke with roots in 1990s may actually hit the shelves: _Duke Nukem Forever_ has an announced release date of [May 3rd, 2011](http://www.dukenukemforever.com/#?press_release). Now, news that “A Dance With Dragons”, which was the “second half” of a book published in 2005, is being published 6 years later… And the final book in The Wheel of Time - “A Memory of Light” - is estimated to be published in March 2012. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-dance-with-dragons-a-release-date-could-it-be-true/573339/12 "2011-03-03T16:59:25Z")
I’m being a bit more optimistic on this one. I have two reasons for being so: 1. GRRM has never confirmed an actual, specific date before this. All his estimates have been vague, approximate ones. The dates put out by Amazon, et al, were never (as far as we know) from Martin himself. 2. I believe it’s possible that the timing of the announcement might have been done specifically to help promote the HBO series. If so, I have to believe that after such a public announcement and a specific date, that (barring the exceptions he mentioned in his post), this date’s for real. But, nonetheless, I don’t blame any of you for your skepticism. It’s certainly understandable. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-dance-with-dragons-a-release-date-could-it-be-true/573339/13 "2011-03-03T17:01:16Z")
> [@robardin](#): > > It truly is the End of the World if all these things come to pass… > > Back in 2008, Guns ‘n’ Roses (aka “Axl and some guys now”) ended the jokes by actually releasing their long-awaited album _Chinese Democracy_, about 17 years in the making. > > Another long-running vaporware joke with roots in 1990s may actually hit the shelves: _Duke Nukem Forever_ has an announced release date of [May 3rd, 2011](http://www.dukenukemforever.com/#?press_release). > > Now, news that “A Dance With Dragons”, which was the “second half” of a book published in 2005, is being published 6 years later… > > And the final book in The Wheel of Time - “A Memory of Light” - is estimated to be published in March 2012. _Last Dangerous Visions_ has been in the works longer than any of those, though. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-dance-with-dragons-a-release-date-could-it-be-true/573339/14 "2011-03-03T17:10:40Z")
I’ll believe it when I’m holding the book. Meanwhile, there are how many books supposedly in this series after this one? 3? ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-dance-with-dragons-a-release-date-could-it-be-true/573339/15 "2011-03-03T17:11:55Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Meanwhile, there are how many books supposedly in this series after this one? 3? Two. It’s supposed to be seven books altogether. This one is number five. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-dance-with-dragons-a-release-date-could-it-be-true/573339/16 "2011-03-03T17:33:48Z")
I’d love to be excited about this, but I’m going to have to reread the whole series before attempting to read the new installment(s), and my reading time is so limited that I’m going to have to wait until the whole series is done before committing to that many pages. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-dance-with-dragons-a-release-date-could-it-be-true/573339/17 "2011-03-03T18:07:04Z")
I stopped caring about 2 years ago and sold my copies of the series to a used book store. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-dance-with-dragons-a-release-date-could-it-be-true/573339/18 "2011-03-03T18:21:10Z")
Ahem. IsADanceWithDragonsOutYet.com. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-dance-with-dragons-a-release-date-could-it-be-true/573339/19 "2011-03-03T18:36:03Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Ahem. IsADanceWithDragonsOutYet.com. Heh. That and [KHAAAAAN](http://www.khaaan.com/) are my favorite single-word web sites. 🙂 Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Aeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/57b2e6/32.png) [@Aeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeon)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-dance-with-dragons-a-release-date-could-it-be-true/573339/20 "2011-03-03T20:06:34Z")
Not trying to rain on anybody’s parade, but this [QUOTE=G.R.R.R.M] \*\*No. Sorry. Not done yet. \*\* I’m close, though. Watch this space. When the book is done, you will read it here. Meanwhile… there is news. Big news. The end is in sight, at long long last, and we’re close enough so that\*\* my editors and publishers\*\* at Bantam Spectra **have set an actual publication date**. [/QUOTE] isn’t really that good of a news. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-dance-with-dragons-a-release-date-could-it-be-true/573339.md?page=2)