George R.R. Martin Addresses ‘The Winds of Winter’ “Controversy” with Another Reason Why the Book Isn’t Finished

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George R.R. Martin’s journey to finish *The Winds of Winter* has become legendary, almost as complex as the stories in his *A Song of Ice and Fire* series. At New York Comic Con this year, Martin again discussed the book’s long delay, offering another reason why fans have been waiting for nearly 15 years.

George R.R. Martin began writing A Song of Ice and Fire in 1996 with the release of A Game of Thrones, which took him six years to complete. He initially intended the series to be three books, and the first five novels came out at a steady pace: A Clash of Kings (1998), A Storm of Swords (2000), A Feast for Crows (2005), and A Dance with Dragons (2011). Although The Winds of Winter—which includes material originally cut from the previous book—was expected to be published quickly like the earlier installments, fans are still waiting, and Martin is currently working to finish the final 200-300 pages.

Martin recently mentioned a familiar reason for the ongoing delay of *The Winds of Winter*: he wants to work on other projects first.

I’m aware people are frustrated about the delay of ‘Winds of Winter,’ but I’ve always struggled to meet deadlines. I really don’t like the idea of breaking agreements or letting people down by missing them.

The author explained that he often gets a lot of attention – sometimes an overwhelming reaction – online whenever he shares updates about projects that are still in development. He then continued by saying:

Whenever I share news about a project other than ‘The Winds of Winter,’ there’s always a big reaction online. People get upset, asking why I’m working on something else instead of finishing the book. It’s frustrating because I actually wrote this other story back in 1993! It was just sitting around, and when someone wanted it, I decided to sell it. I do still care about and am still working on ‘Winds of Winter,’ but I also genuinely enjoy working on these other projects.

‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Is Coming To TV


HBO

Fans are still waiting for *The Winds of Winter*, but the world of *Game of Thrones* continues to grow on television. HBO initially reduced the number of planned spinoffs from about eight to just *House of the Dragon*. However, they are now developing more projects based on George R.R. Martin’s stories. The first of these is *A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms*, which recently revealed its first trailer and is scheduled to premiere on January 18, 2026.

The new series is based on the book *The Hedge Knight* and tells the story of Ser Duncan the Tall (played by Peter Claffey) and Aegon Targaryen (played by Dexter Sol Ansell), known as Dunk and Egg. The first season will cover the entire novella, and if it’s successful, future seasons will adapt the other books in the series.

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2025-10-13 17:17