I’m not a big television watcher or novel reader. Although it has made me a more boring person overall, I can rarely bring myself to binge on the most normalized forms of media.
However, everyone has their hyperfixations, and one work of fiction has consistently captivated me since my Sophomore year of High School: the world of “Game of Thrones” and its book counterparts, the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series.
I am a sucker for medieval fantasy in general, but the sheer scale of the universe is what separates it from other works in the genre. The extreme historical detail—evidenced by works such as “The World of Ice and Fire”—in every inch of this made-up world, combined with the realistic behavior of those who live in it, provides someone like me with infinite ways to immerse myself and speculate on the unknown..
It’s the best aspect of this world and what separates it from other works of fantasy. But at the same time, it might be the reason the main plot of the books will never be fully completed.
Series creator George R. R. Martin recently gave an update indicating that he’s around 75% done with the newest installment in the book series, “The Winds of Winter.” While it’s a positive sign that he’s still making progress, that progression is just as slow and inconsequential as ever.
It’s justifiable to criticize the author for this, but easy answers such as his old age, laziness and financial security aren’t the primary reasons why the book has taken so long to release.
In 2021, Martin signed an eight-figure contract with HBO. As part of his initial deal, he agreed to help develop several shows surrounding his previous works. “House of the Dragon” and “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” are the only shows that have come to fruition thus far; other ones, such as “The Golden Empire,” “The Sea Snake” and “Aegon’s Conquest” are currently in development. Overseeing a plethora of large-scale projects takes a lot of time.
His vast universe has an endless amount of stories to tell, and due to the ease of adapting a finished work compared to formulating a new one, it’s reasonable to infer that Martin has just taken up a lot of time that would’ve been spent brainstorming to work with HBO.
His old writing has been hindering his new writing, and this phenomenon hasn’t only occurred through TV shows.
Ever since the release of the latest book, “A Dance With Dragons,” coupled with the historic popularity of the “Game of Thrones” TV show, a vibrant community of “A Song of Ice and Fire” theorists has formed and grown significantly. And because of the sheer amount of lore available to pick apart, conversation and–more importantly–attention on the series has remained fairly consistent.
99% of authors can’t even remotely imagine having thousands of people analyze every nook and cranny of their work. It’s reasonable to assume that Martin has considered that if he were to finish the series, all of the engagement could die down significantly.
One of the best ways to ensure your name lives on is by having its utterance spark discussion and debate. Having the discourse revolve around a fake universe rather than your personal dealings makes things even better. There are even scientific concepts, such as the Zeigarnik Effect—which proves unfinished work is remembered more easily than completed work—that further justify this approach.
This isn’t a defense of George R. R. Martin; I personally think he owes the fanbase a finish to the series strictly because of his vowing to do so for the past 13 years. But outside of any personal gripes someone may have towards the author, this situation also points to a greater issue surrounding the media landscape as a whole.
Besides the legacy aspect, most of the reasons why “The Winds of Winter” will likely never be released ultimately boil down to money and profitability.
If an author or any creative is lucky enough to become wealthy off their work, they’re incentivised to devote the majority of their time to adapting their universe and fueling conversation about the content rather than expanding it.
Ever since “Fire and Blood,” the source material for “House of the Dragon” was released in 2018, all “A Song of Ice and Fire” related media has been exactly this. Whether it be the TV shows, illustrated remasters or the plethora of theorists creating content on the internet.
What made the series great is coming back to bite its fans. As DJ Khaled said, we’re suffering from success.
