6th "A Song of Ice and Fire" Book Isn't Done; "Game of Thrones" Season 6 to Spoil Books

[CBR News]

It's official: "The Winds of Winter" won't come out before the sixth season of "Game of Thrones."


Full article here.

[hulahulk]

So, after having diligently read the first 5 books while watching the show, I no longer feel a desire to get the 6th book. Unless, of course, Book 6 will take us well into what Seasons 7 & 8 will be. I may still read it if it is released soon enough. I gotta admit, though, GRRM isn't doing himself any favors by delaying this indefinitely.

[Star_Jammer]

So, after having diligently read the first 5 books while watching the show, I no longer feel a desire to get the 6th book. Unless, of course, Book 6 will take us well into what Seasons 7 & 8 will be. I may still read it if it is released soon enough. I gotta admit, though, GRRM isn't doing himself any favors by delaying this indefinitely.

What favors does he "need" (quoted due to implication) to do himself?

He's very likely made enough money to live out his days rather comfortably.

And then there's this.

[Hiromi]

Wish i could be surprised by this but I think we all knew it would happen, that said at this point while it may spoil major plot points there's enough difference in the details that it's still worth following both mediums

[Joker]

Or stop watching the show and wait for the book. Should be different enough anyway that it won't be totally ruined.

[saul_on_the_road_to_damascus]

The producers could have stretched it out so they don't have spoil it. They rused through dani and john's story and completely changed jamie and sansa's story.

[lancerman]

Or stop watching the show and wait for the book. Should be different enough anyway that it won't be totally ruined.

It's the most popular show on television and every episode blows up social media. If you don't get spoiled by the show you'll probably just end up getting spoiled by meme. The only person this ultimately hurts is GRRM in the sense that when he finally (assuming he does) gets around to releasing the grand finale to the defining work of his career, it will probably be several years after the rest of the world saw the ending in a show and most of the anticipation and hype will have gone down.

[hulahulk]

It's the most popular show on television and every episode blows up social media. If you don't get spoiled by the show you'll probably just end up getting spoiled by meme. The only person this ultimately hurts is GRRM in the sense that when he finally (assuming he does) gets around to releasing the grand finale to the defining work of his career, it will probably be several years after the rest of the world saw the ending in a show and most of the anticipation and hype will have gone down.

Yep. That's what I'm thinking.

[hulahulk]

What favors does he "need" (quoted due to implication) to do himself?

He's very likely made enough money to live out his days rather comfortably.

And then there's this.

I stopped reading that blog after perhaps the third point.

Who cares about money?

As a fan, I'm not entitled. He can do what he wants. Like I said, I don't need to read another book. He just shouldn't be surprised if people are content with how the show is and also do not need to read another book.

[lancerman]

The producers could have stretched it out so they don't have spoil it. They rused through dani and john's story and completely changed jamie and sansa's story.

GRRM sold the rights in 2006, they didn't air the show until 2011. It's currently 2016. He had 10 years from the time he sold the rights to get three books out to finish his series before the show. He only got one done.

I'm not going to give him a hard time because it's his baby. But nobody should give the producers a hard time. Especially when at the time he sold the rights he was promising all his fans that the fifth book would be out within a year. JK Rowling had 3 books to write when they first filmed the Harry Potter movies (let alone the time before signing the rights away to the actual released). She finished the whole series the same year that the first book that WOULD have been spoiled came out.

People can make all the Robert Jordan jokes they like, but it didn't take Jordan 10 years to get 2 books done. This isn't the producers fault.

[Star_Jammer]

I stopped reading that blog after perhaps the third point.

Who cares about money?

As a fan, I'm not entitled. He can do what he wants. Like I said, I don't need to read another book. He just shouldn't be surprised if people are content with how the show is and also do not need to read another book.

It's probably already obvious to you, but GRRM will finish his book series when GRRM feels like finishing them.

Why, then, is your assumption that he would be surprised people don't want the books after having waited so long, instead of assuming that GRRM is already at peace with his choices?

Or, hell, even better: ask his opinion, instead of assuming anything.

[ZeroBG82]

The only thing surprising here is that Martin continues to cling to the delusion that he was ever going to stay ahead of the show. Even if he got Winds out in time, it'll be another 4-6 years minimum for the next entry in the series, by which time the show will be over.

I don't much care either way. Even if the producers have detailed plot outlines for where Martin means to go, those outlines won't have every plot point mapped out, which means the show will fill in it's own journey from A to B. Not to mention the likelihood that any such outlines they are drawing from are probably MUCH more vague and broad, gives plenty of room for each medium to tell it's own version of the tale. And the fact that the show has already begun shifting plots from the book in new and different directions ensures that some things will be wholly new or so radically different as to be the same thing.

Let the show tell it's tale. And let us hope that the great weakness of the series so far, inventing new and different material when they make changes, doesn't doom it. And let Martin write the book he wants to write. It will make it's debut when it's ready, and it will still be an event when it does.

[Sighphi]

i dont read the books but wasn this season going to deal with other storylines that were not used last season?

And if anything, since the tv show has been different from the books GRR could continue to do that same and have the events in the book play out different.

You may get some basic story similarities but it's highly unlikely that this book is just going to be the script from the tv show.

[LordMikel]

The producers could have stretched it out so they don't have spoil it. They rused through dani and john's story and completely changed jamie and sansa's story.

Actually for me I'm baffled by some of the stories they cut from the book. Instead of doing one season a book, they could have done more. Which would've meant more seasons than books, and while we would still have the issue of GRRM not finishing in time, it would be next year at this time. And yes, some of the stories they cut were a bit stupid anyway. That Dornish prince who tried to steal a dragon. But hire a big name actor and tell his full story and then watch as he gets chomped, that would've been cool.

[Brian B]

I agree with all those basically saying GRR Martin is only hurting himself at this point. Maybe he'd be surprised by this, but I believe he must know it.

Neil Gaiman's defense of Martin well over half a decade ago (2009!) ignored this point. He may not owe his readers anything more, but as an artist, even a popular one, he will be judged by his work or lack of it.

I wish the man no ill, but it's not at all inconceivable that he will never finish the series. It won't be judged that he couldn't manage to finish it on time or at all, either. It will be judged that he chose distractions over serious work.

If I were him, I might be enjoying the fame too much instead of working, as well. He practically cops to the distractions of fame and amusements it brings in his blog.

He's letting himself down by self sabotaging his place as a serious author in the fantasy genre. It's his life, but as a fan you have to say, isn't it a shame. It really could've been a defining work in the genre and maybe even American lit. Instead, it's a waste of a chance to tell his story to a huge audience.