From what I’ve read, “House of the Dragon” is a prequel *series *on HBO, not another book. And I’d guess it’s based on “Fire and Blood” too.
My suspicion is that GRRM is probably finished, or close to finished with “Winds of Winter”, but there’s probably some reason he hasn’t released it yet. I’d guess he didn’t release it during the TV show run, so as not to cause confusion / comparison with the TV show, and I’m also speculating that he’s sitting on it a little longer to let the dust settle/flames to die down after the ending of the TV show.
I agree, and would add that it’s clear that, for whatever reason, he simply can’t stop spinning out new characters and plot threads. If this was actually going to be a 7-book series, then three initial books that gradually expand the cast, the setting, and the story would make sense. Book 4 would be the middle of the series, so it would be necessary to turn the corner and start moving characters in the direction of the climax, and shutting down minor plot lines.
Instead, Feast and Dance have introduced countless new major and minor characters, and dozens of new plot threads. By the end of Dance the characters are scattered in more different places than ever before, there a half dozen battles that are about to happen but haven’t happened yet, and an entire new major plot line is introduced with Aegon’s invasion of Westeros. Oh, and the dragons have escaped and gone rogue, and there’s what happened in the epilogue, and…
There’s simply no way that this could all be wrapped up in only two more books. George started out writing three great books and got an ocean of praise for them. But now he seems determined to show that he can write the biggest, most sprawling series ever and continually show off new twists that nobody saw coming, without any idea of how to wrap it all up.
Ah yes, like he was waiting until the show had caught up with the books, then overtaken the books, then got to its final season, then finished its final season, then six months after its disappointing final season, THEN, THIS TIME, he’d release it.
Nope. They’re not done. The last books isn’t going to get released at the same time as the next one either, another fantasy of people who have been waiting for 9 years for this one.
We only got the A Dance With Dragons because his publisher blackmailed him into producing a book to coincide with the first season, in case it was a complete flop and at least they got something out of it. An unfinished book, with two battles cut at least, as was chapters like Mercy, and a supposed surprising one to do with Sansa. So that one barely counts.
And extrapolating the release dates, WOW should have been released about 14 months ago. With the final book due end of September 2027. He’s blitzed past that date.
I don’t expect to see WOW. At all. I made peace with that about five years ago. I do however, find it tedious that Martin announces that something great will happen, and it will be another goddamn history of the bloody targs. I think he’s simply one of the ultimate trolls of the literate world…
Just out of curiosity, why would it “finish”? Unless the last book describes how the entire “The Known World” (as it apparently is called, having no specific planetary name) is destroyed, won’t the “game” continue indefinitely with characters dying and being replaced, as has been the case for dynasties throughout human history? The story of Tyrion Lannister specifically would end with his death, I assume, but in-universe, life would go on, no?
As I understand it, though, LotR had a specific story arc, i.e. get the ring to the volcano. Is ASoIaF based on a similarly specific plot, i.e. defeat the Night King and his White Walkers? I gather it’s gone somewhat beyond that, so if it didn’t “end” there, why should it end anywhere? At what point, if any, could there be a “…and they lived happily ever after” line, saying the epic is done, no more needs to be said?
Now, if the question is when will Martin stop writing, that’s a little different.
Well it is called A Song of Ice and Fire for a reason ;). There are two Ice and Fires involved… Dragons vs. the Others & Daenerys vs. Jon Snow. So the Song would end when those conflicts are resolved.
Link Please? (Wait, this isn’t that pr0n fanfic is it? That I wouldn’t like.)
Well, we are waiting on humanity to somehow survive the attack of the Others, and for Danaerys to somehow “break the wheel” of political bloodshed. When those two things are sewn up I think we’re done.
Mind you, I could go on for hours about the various subplots that needs closing, some of which were left open by HBO, others never even got onscreen.
No porn, I promise. This is a novel-length Vorkosigan story, and the same author has some shorter ones, including a Vor version of Pride and Prejudice. Also, as I said above, an excellent Honor Harrington novel.
ETA: note that this is set shortly after Winterfair Gifts, and departs from the canon at that point.
I know I would have been really annoyed, had that particular Dresden Files plot point been spoiled for me, before I read it. So I’ve added spoiler tags to the two posts that mentioned it.
Though, yes, that was a truly epic plot point, and I’m really eager to see some follow-up on it. And how was there not a thread here already announcing that the new book was coming?
I’ve said before, my working hypothesis is the series has taken a life of its own and turned on its creator, who now cannot make himself satisfied with what direction the next installment is taking.
And of course that raises the spectre of GRR’s notes being BrianHerberted after he’s gone.
The external reasons were a somewhat nasty divorce, a new relationship, having to relocate and apparently some sort of serious issue with the new location, the details of which I’m not familiar with. In other words, a lot of stuff happened in real life that needed his attention and made writing difficult.
Personally, I’d rather Butcher take a couple of years to sort out his personal life so when he gets back to writing he puts out quality work instead of hacked slush.
I faithfully read the first few books but I gave up on Dance about 1/3rd in because not only did he introduce a bunch of new characters and plots, they were all awfully boring ones too. I realized I gave not one crap about the new people or places, and it didn’t seem like an end was in sight of these pointless new tangents so I sent the book back to the library and haven’t tried again since.
(Wait, this isn’t that pr0n fanfic is it? That I wouldn’t like.)