George R.R. Martin Has a Message For Anyone Who Thinks He Won’t Finish A Song of Ice

[DiapDealer]

Along with the stand-alone novel set in the First Law world, he's (Joe) also got a brand-new book just recently released . Half a King (book one of the Shattered Sea series). The word YA is often bandied about when talking about it, but I'm pretty sure that's mostly because of it being a young protag in a coming of age story. I'm sure it's just as full of dark and grim and tropes being turned on their ear as his other stuff is--with perhaps less f-bombs. But let's face it: slapping the YA label on fantasy means more sales in this day and age.

Reminds me I should be reading it right now!

[ProfCrash]

I'll have to check that out

[ProfCrash]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Is there any particular reason that the TV show has to finish the same way that the book does?

Because the TV series is going to be better known and will be deemed canon since it finishes first and is going to be based on Martin's outline. If he writes something that does not mesh with HBO there will be an outcry from the 10 people who watch the series and read the books.

More likely then not it won't matter because most of the people watching the series are not going to read the books.

[doubleshuffle]

Perhaps GRRM will feel compelled to add hundreds of extra characters in the books as an argument for potential readers: There's so much more in the books. That would also give geeks a nice reason to frown on the mere series watchers for missing so much background...

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by doubleshuffle

as an argument for potential readers: There's so much more in the books. That would also give geeks a nice reason to frown on the mere series watchers for missing so much background...

Oh, they already do that anyway.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Is there any particular reason that the TV show has to finish the same way that the book does?

I can't imagine George just volunteering the spoilery info that thousand of book fans have been speculating about (and slavering over) since the early '90s on a whim. I assume that HBO knowing the broad-strokes of the ending was part of the contract George agreed to in order to get paid. And also because ... let's face it, they're (HBO) already starting to sail into uncharted waters. So they needed the ending so they could plan and start filming the upcoming seasons that will leave the books behind. Why would they be planning for an ending that they're not going to use? They would have started deviating madly long ago if George's ending was not the goal.

I suppose they're not contractually obligated to finish the same way as he outlined, but I can't imagine them intentionally passing on the biggest money-making "scoop" to come down the fantasy-genre path in decades either. They've deviated slightly here and there (often for the better--shorter) from the books, but they've seemed more than willing so far to stick largely to George's plans for the characters. I don't see that changing.

No, I believe that if the ending to the TV show is wildly different to that of the book series (when and if the books get completed), it will be because George deviated from the ending he originally revealed to them, not vice-versa. And I honestly don't think he has that kind of gear-shift ability in him at this point in the game.

I honestly believe that a big part of why George agreed to let them do the show (apart from the scads of money, of course) and gave them his broad plans for the ending up front, was that he was hoping that the show breathing down his neck would help keep him on point. Motivation. But I don't think it panned out that way.

Either that, or he just flat-out punted. "Here, you end it. I'll be along later--and under no pressure."

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Yes. His "First Law" trilogy is a "must read", if you enjoy fantasy, although it's very grim and dark. You won't find many happy endings.

Good.

*Moving up in TBR pile*

[ProfCrash]

He has been motivated to write more. He wrote two novellas and helped write an encyclopedia for the series. Why write the actual books when you can write a novella or two and make money off of those because most of your fans will buy a napkin that you write on because you are such a genius?

Seriously, the man wrote the first three books as if he had an outline and a plan. They sold well and it became clear that there were people who will buy anything with his name on it now. All the sudden it is taking forever to write books, the length increases and he is working other projects in between. You read his reviews at Amazon and the super fans will justify anything that he does and blast anyone who dislikes what he wrote or the later books.

It is clear that the sales of the books went to his and the Publishers head and the arc of the book changed. Toss in HBO who sees a well developed fantasy world with cool stuff that they can draw on and you have a man who knows he can get away with murder when it comes to the series now. He has made his millions and the fans can pretty much go to hell.

I could be wrong but the very real change in how the series was moving and being published screams of an author who knows he can get away with what he wants because the fans will forgive anything in order to get more of his world.

[Katsunami]

You sound very bitter towards this author; but maybe, if I had read the first three books and enjoyed them, and then would need to wait 15 or 20 years for the conclusion with two huge mediocre books in between, I would probably resent that as well.

[Barty]

If I were Martin, I'd hand it over to HBO and go do something else with my life.

In the immortal words of Murtough "I'm too old fa dis sh--"

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

You sound very bitter towards this author; but maybe, if I had read the first three books and enjoyed them, and then would need to wait 15 or 20 years for the conclusion with two huge mediocre books in between, I would probably resent that as well.

What could be perceived as "bitterness" toward George is often the result of years of being treated like you're drowning kittens whenever you dare to speak anything less than the highest praise about the man and his work near a group of "fans."

"Detractor! Detractor!"

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

What could be perceived as "bitterness" toward George is often the result of years of being treated like you're drowning kittens whenever you dare to speak anything less than the highest praise about the man and his work near a group of "fans."

"Detractor! Detractor!"

Oh, OK. As I said, one of my (irrational) reasons to NOT wanting to read his books is that I see A Dance With Dragons basically EVERYWHERE. I see it on screenshots of Calibre, in reviews of e-readers, on websites as 'best selling books', on websites about reading.... for months on end now.

It seems as if it's a book used to show off.

[danskmacabre]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

Because the TV series is going to be better known and will be deemed canon since it finishes first and is going to be based on Martin's outline. If he writes something that does not mesh with HBO there will be an outcry from the 10 people who watch the series and read the books.

More likely then not it won't matter because most of the people watching the series are not going to read the books.

Actually for me, who read up to the first 3rd of DwD and then gave up.
If I were to watch the entire completed TV series, I might be tempted to pick the books up again, mainly as I'd be able to then read the books skim-reading all the boring parts, focusing on the good parts of the story.

[danskmacabre]

It's funny the the "First Law" books are mentioned, as recently (a couple of weeks ago) someone recommended these books to me. I have them on my ereader waiting to be read atm.

Currently reading another recommended book series (by the same person actually), "Malazan Book of the Fallen" by Steven Erikson. Good reading so far.

Anyway back to GRRM. I enjoyed the first 3 books and I don't regret reading them.
It's a shame he got so bogged down after that.

[Geralt]

Originally Posted by Barty

If I were Martin, I'd hand it over to HBO and go do something else with my life.

In the immortal words of Murtough "I'm too old fa dis sh--"

He did give over the ending to the two writers of GOT show, just in case...you know..

Anyway, I don't care if he finishes or not. I am a huge fan of the ASOIAF series, but I respect the man enough not to be hung up and obsessing about his books only. I love them, but if he doesn't finish, that's ok, he gave the world something amazing in my mind already. And I've got enough imagination to figure out how everything would end in my version anyway. That's enough for me.

I don't feel entitled to must have THE ending, and that doesn't drive me to guess his time of death. I find that distasteful tbh.
He didn't write these books for fans, but for himself, and he won't finish them for fans either. People really need to stfu about it, but fans are fans and it's realistic they never will. He is not your entertainment slave people!