No ‘The Winds of Winter’ 2017 Release Date as George RR Martin Takes More ‘Game of Thrones’ Workload?

By Erik Pineda
George R.R. Martin
George R.R. Martin at a book signing for ''A Dance of Dragons'' July 14, 2011. AP Photo/Charles Sykes

In his latest blog, George RR Martin shared some good news - that he is busy with many things and among them is to finish "The Winds of Winter" and have it publish the soonest. But as always, there is an accompanying bad news - no definite release date for TWoW as of writing, certainly not this 2017.

The blog by GRRM indicated that the author's hands are full at the moment. HBO has contracted him to develop five possible spinoffs to the "Game of Thrones," or prequels. The plan was to produce pilots that will lead to actual GoT prequels, obviously to take advantage of the success reaped by the Game of Thrones, which will end its run in 2018.

But Martin assured at the same time that while working on the Game of Thrones prequels, a part of his mind remain committed to The Winds of Winter, in actually completing the sixth installment to "A Song of Ice and Fire" that is already six years in the making, and counting. "I AM STILL WORKING ON WINDS OF WINTER and will continue working on it until it's done," the GoT creator was reported by Newsweek as saying.

In providing the update, Martin hinted too that fans need not to hold their breath as it's highly unlikely that TWoW will see actual publication anytime this 2017. GRRM wrote, "I do wish I could clone myself, or find a way to squeeze more hours into the day, or a way to go without sleep. But this is what it is, so I keep on juggling." In other words, there's just not enough time for TWoW to be completed and a 2017 availability seems a remote possibility.

And Martin delaying his work is not out of character. Previously, readers waited for more than half-a-decade for "A Dance with Dragons," which was the follow-up to the 2005 release "A Feast for Crows." If the vague estimates offered by Martin are to be believed, TWoW will end up as the longest wait in the ASOIAF series.

By Newsweek's reckoning, there's no way The Winds of Winter will come out in July and after that, it will more than six years of wait time for the tome. And there's no telling when it will end, given GRRM is super busy.

It might have been frustrating for many fans but according to The Guardian, it's but a matter of perspective. If one will understand how writers operate and realize that they are not machines, the numerous push backs and broken promises issued by Martin will be easier to absorb.

Sure as early as May 2015, GRRM dropped clues that finishing TWoW was doable and the same hints were issued in 2016 and again at the start of 2017. Now Martin changed his tune, refusing this time to be held on a 2017 deadline.

While the UK publication said Martin owes it to his reader to release The Winds of Winter at least prior to the Game of Thrones Season 8 run in 2018, fans need to accept the fact that Martin "is not your bitch," meaning he can't be forced to wrap up TWoW now.

If the wait for The Winds of Winter release date is proving unbearable, it is time perhaps to discover other fantasy writers with the same caliber as that of George RR Martin, The Guardian said. Or "re-read the previous five novels and then check out a sample chapter from TWoW," recommended by Newsweek.

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