In the end, no matter what happens next, it’s undeniable that George R. R. Martin managed to create a fantastic, rich world full of excitement and adventure, and he changed many people’s attitudes towards the fantasy genre and books as a whole.
Even if the next book never comes out, fans will at least remember Martin’s work with fondness, and he made many people happy over the years with his creative thinking. It would be a shame to never see the next chapter of the epic story, but fans should at least remember what they got from the previous books.
We definitely agree with some fans that the author should be a bit more open about his current situation though. It’s been a while, and at this point fans deserve some kind of explanation.
Even if it’s in a cryptic way, Martin should at least say if he intends to finish the book or not. A simple confirmation is all his fans need right now, as the recent rumors about the author’s supposed plans have been pushing many people to lose trust in him. And when that happens, no matter how much respect people had for the person in the past, it will be very hard for Martin to rebuild his reputation and see the same kind of popularity for his next release.