Click for Source Image By Graeme Stirling
George R. R. Martin is an endearing character. Maybe it’s the beard, suspenders, 1980's glasses and cadet cap combo that make him resemble a wise old lighthouse keeper. Maybe it’s his way of throwing an oily great bucket of dirty realism over fantasy fiction and dragging it out of its stale corner. On top of these, as well as his cordial relationship with his fans and his reluctance to disappoint them, it’s really about two things: his seemingly unbridled imagination – childlike in contrast to his appearance – and his seriously staunch work ethic.
George R. R. Martin is an endearing character. Maybe it’s the beard, suspenders, 1980's glasses and cadet cap combo that make him resemble a wise old lighthouse keeper. Maybe it’s his way of throwing an oily great bucket of dirty realism over fantasy fiction and dragging it out of its stale corner. On top of these, as well as his cordial relationship with his fans and his reluctance to disappoint them, it’s really about two things: his seemingly unbridled imagination – childlike in contrast to his appearance – and his seriously staunch work ethic.
Click for Source Image For Martin, writing is serious business. Whilst some authors aim to trim their work to its minimum, he seems dedicated to ensuring that each idea to pop into his head is recorded neatly on the page. With a saga the size of the epic A Song of Ice and Fire series and a world as large as Westeros – which seems to have been inadvertently named after a real Swedish town – it’s not that surprising that the material can take on a mind of its own and end up leading the author rather than the other way around.
This is not news to Martin’s fans who, as devoted as they are, are said to keep him under immense pressure to maintain his impressive output. As though that weren’t enough, further strain has come in the form of the immensely popular HBO adaptation Game of Thrones – whilst the money and acclaim are surely lovely, the airing of the screen version is now at serious risk of catching up with the novels before Martin can churn them out. This has become such a concern that Martin, now 65, has allegedly revealed the full remainder of the saga’s plot line to HBO staff, so that the series can go ahead to its conclusion in the event of his untimely death without, potentially, finishing the last book.
The question now is not only when they’ll finish but just how many books there will actually be. The story goes, as Martin has confirmed it, that he originally planned to write a trilogy. As the scale of the story and its various subplots grew, so did is overall plan. Martin’s editor, Ann Groell, has offered some insight into the tale. Around the time that Martin had pushed his limit up to four books, Groell apparently had the idea of seven, one for each of the seven kingdoms. A reluctant Martin then aimed for five, ran out of space again and opted for six. Two of the books, A Dance With Dragons and A Storm of Swords, have already each been divided into two optional parts. In the end he relented to the idea and is, as Groell tells it, currently under contract for seven books.
Now, a rumour has come to light that it might be eight. It does, however, remain a rumour. In response to the news – which has already seen several websites such as Goodreads add a blank placeholder cover marked A Song of Ice and Fire #8 and will doubtless lead to some title speculation (numbers six and seven have already been given their names) – Martin has stated that, whilst he is still aiming for seven in total, an eighth is a remote possibility. It’s been so long since there was any certainty over the full length of the series that he will not commit absolutely to any number.
What he has in mind that’s keeping him awake at night with six-digit projected page counts we’ll never know, but we probably have plenty of time to guess. Maybe he’s just as emotionally involved in his characters as his fans are and just can’t help coming up with their elaborate backstories and subplot adventures. Maybe it’s as hard for him to kill them off as it is for a fan to see them die, and that’s why he’s stretching it out as far as he can. You’ve got him all wrong, Game of Thrones fans.
This is not news to Martin’s fans who, as devoted as they are, are said to keep him under immense pressure to maintain his impressive output. As though that weren’t enough, further strain has come in the form of the immensely popular HBO adaptation Game of Thrones – whilst the money and acclaim are surely lovely, the airing of the screen version is now at serious risk of catching up with the novels before Martin can churn them out. This has become such a concern that Martin, now 65, has allegedly revealed the full remainder of the saga’s plot line to HBO staff, so that the series can go ahead to its conclusion in the event of his untimely death without, potentially, finishing the last book.
The question now is not only when they’ll finish but just how many books there will actually be. The story goes, as Martin has confirmed it, that he originally planned to write a trilogy. As the scale of the story and its various subplots grew, so did is overall plan. Martin’s editor, Ann Groell, has offered some insight into the tale. Around the time that Martin had pushed his limit up to four books, Groell apparently had the idea of seven, one for each of the seven kingdoms. A reluctant Martin then aimed for five, ran out of space again and opted for six. Two of the books, A Dance With Dragons and A Storm of Swords, have already each been divided into two optional parts. In the end he relented to the idea and is, as Groell tells it, currently under contract for seven books.
Now, a rumour has come to light that it might be eight. It does, however, remain a rumour. In response to the news – which has already seen several websites such as Goodreads add a blank placeholder cover marked A Song of Ice and Fire #8 and will doubtless lead to some title speculation (numbers six and seven have already been given their names) – Martin has stated that, whilst he is still aiming for seven in total, an eighth is a remote possibility. It’s been so long since there was any certainty over the full length of the series that he will not commit absolutely to any number.
What he has in mind that’s keeping him awake at night with six-digit projected page counts we’ll never know, but we probably have plenty of time to guess. Maybe he’s just as emotionally involved in his characters as his fans are and just can’t help coming up with their elaborate backstories and subplot adventures. Maybe it’s as hard for him to kill them off as it is for a fan to see them die, and that’s why he’s stretching it out as far as he can. You’ve got him all wrong, Game of Thrones fans.
Are you afraid that Martin won't get around to finishing the books, or will the TV show overtake him? Do you mind that there might be another huge instalment before it's finished?
Let us know in the comments or come let us know on our Facebook page or on Twitter!
Let us know in the comments or come let us know on our Facebook page or on Twitter!
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