Recent rumors about “Winds of Winter” have put things in an entirely new perspective, as it’s now rumored that George R. R. Martin might have been working on the book and its sequel simultaneously, and is now planning to release them both at once. This is still unconfirmed, and it’s a rumor fans should definitely take with a grain of salt, but it’s already managed to build up quite a lot of hype within the community.
The rumors go on to say that “Winds of Winter” is actually pretty much finished, and at this point the book is going through a proofreading phase. There is still no clear indication on when it might be released, however. If it’s true that Martin also wants to release “A Dream of Spring” alongside “Winds of Winter”, it will probably take some time before the two books are properly proofread and edited.
And while those rumors sound quite hopeful – perhaps a little too good to be true – they would certainly explain the huge delay in releasing “Winds of Winter”. More importantly, they would also put some fans’ minds at rest with regards to the future of the franchise, as this has been under question for some time now.
After all, it’s been a long time since we last saw an installment in the series, and as dark as it may sound, Martin’s age is progressing. It’s not clear how much longer the author’s health will be in a good state, and it would be a huge disappointment to learn that he has passed away without ever getting to finish his current work.
Even the release of “Winds of Winter” might not resolve the situation, as the author would still have to write the next book in the series (if the rumors above are false, that is). And given his trend of taking more and more time with each new entry in the series, it’s easy to see why some fans are worried that “A Song of Ice and Fire” might never get finished.
That has some serious implications for “Game of Thrones” as well. The TV show, based on the books, has been following the original storyline quite closely until now. While the producers have taken some creative liberties in order to develop the plot in a more interesting way, or to better adapt it to the TV screen, the show still relies on the work of Martin himself in order to progress.
Sure, we can easily see the writers behind “Game of Thrones” picking up the torch and continuing the show in their own way, but many fans would probably leave, disappointed that the story they’re seeing is not the original one that was meant to be developed.
Of course, as we said above, it probably doesn’t make much sense to take our thoughts in such a negative direction for now. If it’s true that “A Dream of Spring” is coming up right after “Winds of Winter”, that will significantly change the context of those discussions among fans, and it will give many people new hope.
In any case, Martin should most definitely take the time to address his fans and clarify the current situation somewhat, as people have been getting more and more anxious about what’s going on. Even if it’s to say that there are no updates, it would be better than the current silence fans have been treated with for a long time.