Few fandoms have experienced joy and sorrow as intensely and concomitantly as Game of Thrones lovers have; 12 years of waiting will do that to you until you’re nothing but a writhing mass of impatience and frustration. But even after over a decade of hollow promises and displeasing updates, George R. R. Martin’s sixth installment in the treasured A Song of Ice and Fire saga is still nowhere to be found. And you better buckle up because his recent update on The Winds of Winter, promising as it might sound, is only going to induce more frowns and scowls.
George R. R. Martin is Nowhere Near Done With the 6th Book
This won’t be news to those who’ve already accepted the inevitably tragic fate of the progress (or lack thereof) of the forthcoming epic fantasy novel. But for those who’re still holding out hope for a 2023 release of The Winds of Winter, you might want to reconsider joining the former because the author has come bearing upsetting news, yet again.
George R. R. Martin, perhaps the only author capable of stirring two of the most contradictory emotions (hello again, joy and sorrow) in a fandom, recently reassured people that he’s working on the sixth book almost daily. Don’t get too thrilled just yet though, because there’s a catch (when is there not?) – sure, the 74-year-old has promised steady advancement as he has for the past 12 years, but Martin has made it crystal clear that said “progress” is nowhere near as swift as fans would like.
“Not as fast as I would like, certainly not as fast as you would like… but progress nonetheless.”
Back in December last year, Martin gave a relatively less drab update on The Winds of Winter, noting how with over a thousand pages penned, he only had “another 400, 500 pages” to go. Even recently, the Fire & Blood author promised fans that the ongoing labor dispute and writers’ strike bore no effects whatsoever on his work, leaving the much-awaited novel completely unaffected. But none of that holds much significance since the book is anyways not expected to see the light of day anytime soon, at least not this year.
The Winds of Winter – Jaded Fans React to the Latest Update
While Martin claimed that he “hopes” to release the novel before the year ends, he also mentioned how there’s no guarantee of that happening, which is just code for ‘don’t get your hopes too high because it most definitely won’t be out before 2024.’ But alas, a handful of fans still seem to have their fingers crossed. Others, however, are aiming for a more realistic approach, but that doesn’t mean they’re not disappointed about the lack of solid progress.
We don’t need your updates, Martin. We needed Books 6 & 7 a decade ago!
— Rommel O (@RommelO4) July 24, 2023
i’ve been waiting to read this book for so long, can’t tell how I feel about it anymore
— Leandro (@soubomsim) July 23, 2023
This book is never coming out. pic.twitter.com/Q1bVOcEQF9
— redhood420 (@redhood240) July 23, 2023
Us waiting for the book pic.twitter.com/vzbgLZaTvg
— Praveer Tiwari (@therealpraveer) July 23, 2023
buddy is writing one line a day
— scotty (@scottyo365) July 23, 2023
it hurts worse when you lie george
— Roga (@BabushkaRoga) July 23, 2023
Very recently, the acclaimed novelist wrote on his blog that though he’s finished roughly 75% of The Winds of Winter, it’s still quite a “challenging” project to conclude, especially since this addition is most likely going to be “larger” than any of the previous volumes in the fantasy series. That being said, a 2024 release of the book currently seems to be on Martin’s radar.
Source: Twitter
