"A Song of Ice and Fire" author George R.R. Martin has once again sparked discussion with the latest post on his personal blog.
This time, he announced he will be producing a new animated film adapted from a novel by his late friend and renowned sci-fi author, Howard Waldrop. However, what drew more attention than the new project itself was Martin's direct and forceful response to fan criticism over the long-delayed "The Winds of Winter."
Martin acknowledged that whenever he posts news unrelated to "A Song of Ice and Fire," he is met with a flood of critical and even hostile comments from online users. "I know, I know, for some of you out there, this is not the post you were waiting for," he wrote. "You’re pissed that this is not about Westeros, not about THE WINDS OF WINTER."
He then listed, in his own scathing style, some of the common remarks he receives, including "you have given up on the book," "you don’t want to write anymore," "it won’t be any good even if you finish it," "just let someone else write it," and "you’re so old, you’re going to die anyway."
Facing this relentless criticism, Martin countered, "I do care. I do. About Westeros, and the Starks and the Lannisters, about Tyrion and Dany and Asha and the direwolves and the dragons." He specifically mentioned the Starks, Lannisters, and Targaryens, as well as Tyrion, Asha, Daenerys, the direwolves, and the dragons. "They all mean a lot to me," he said, "more than you can possibly imagine."
However, beyond expressing his personal feelings and pushing back against his critics, Martin offered no new progress updates on "The Winds of Winter." He last spoke publicly about the book in 2023, stating at the time that it was approximately 75% complete, but a release date was still not set.
The new project Martin is involved with, "A Dozen Tough Jobs," is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by his friend Howard Waldrop. Martin had long considered Waldrop a vital creative partner; the two met as teenagers through sci-fi fanzines and corresponded for decades until Waldrop passed away in January 2024.
Martin has referenced their deep friendship in numerous past articles and in his retrospective collection, "Dreamsongs." He views bringing this work to the big screen not only as part of his creative slate but also as a tribute to his dear friend.
While readers of "A Song of Ice and Fire" continue to await the completion of "The Winds of Winter," Martin himself has stated multiple times that he intends to conclude the entire series with that novel and its final installment, "A Dream of Spring." In the meantime, he hopes the public understands that he has the right to pursue other creative projects he is passionate about.
"I have not given up," Martin added at the end of his post. "I will not give up."