George RR Martin has revealed that the penultimate book in his Game of Thrones series of novels will likely miss its planned release date next month.
The book was initially scheduled for publication all the way back in 2015 and his been repeatedly delayed for the last five years, much to the frustration of fans who haven’t had a new Song of Ice and Fire novel since 2011’s A Dance with Dragons.
In the time since, HBO’s Game of Thrones adaptation has completely wrapped up, airing its controversial finale last year, while work on spin-off show House of the Dragon is well underway.
In his latest blog post, Martin talks about how the coronavirus lockdown has helped him to focus on his writing and says he is making “steady progress” on The Winds of Winter.
“I finished a new chapter yesterday, another one three days ago, another one the previous week,” Martin explains. “But no, this does not mean that the book will be finished tomorrow or published next week. It’s going to be a huge book, and I still have a long way to go.”
Previously, the author had implied he would have the book finished in time for New Zealand’s World Science Fiction Convention, which had been set to begin on 29th July but has now been cancelled due to coronavirus.
However, these latest comments suggest that a release date next month is wishful thinking and the book will instead hit store shelves at a later date – possibly not until 2021.
Martin added: “The last thing I need right now is a long interruption that might cost me all the momentum I have built up. I can always visit Wellington next year, when I hope that both Covid-19 and THE WINDS OF WINTER will be done.”
Game of Thrones is available to stream on NOW TV. If you’re looking for something else to watch, check out our TV Guide.
