Fantasy fans’ hearts were broken as 2016 began. George R. R. Martin admitted the thing we want most won’t be ours. The author still hasn’t finished the sixth novel in the series, despite claims and assurances that it would be finished by now and The Winds of Winter would launch alongside the sixth season of Game of Thrones . It’s a blow, to be sure, but who’s feeling it most? And, does this news signal a shift in importance when it comes to creating the series?
You have to be someone who has been part of some kind of creative endeavor. As much of a blow as it is to see something we want unfinished, we’ll live. There’s no responsibility or pressure on us. We’re going to even have some form of follow up, thanks to the next season of the HBO show. After all, Martin shared something of an outline with the show’s creators. They have an idea of future proceedings and, while the book and tv worlds may diverge, the story should largely stay the same.
It’s George R. R. Martin that will feel this failure the most. It’s evident in his Livejournal . Going through the passages, you can feel his pain. He talks about the missed goals and all the factors that could have contributed. He mentioned real life obligations, like his nephew’s wedding. He even touched on how depressed he was by the progress. And the fact that, after going through all this, he still fully takes on accountability, shows his character. This is a man aware of himself, his limitations, his flaws, and his fans’ expectations.
When you have these sorts of things on your mind, it hampers you. Any student with a major term paper or test coming up knows this, as studying and preparations can be delayed as you worry about the impending trial. Anyone who makes things for someone else knows, because you’re not only facing your own standards, but those of your editor or client and fans. Even people motivated by pressure may find their progress impeded once they find themselves trapped in their own heads. He may not find himself able to perform his job as usual. Perhaps this is a sign that his importance to the series is waning?
Because we still have hope. Now that the sixth season of the show is coming in April, some pressure should be relieved. Martin can focus on the book. People can take some solace in a form of Game of Thrones media, even if some storylines won’t play out exactly the same in the TV show as they will in the books. There’s something to cling to and offer a breather for a man who, in that most recent admission, is clearly troubled by the lack of progress on an entry in his most famous work. Perhaps it will also further cement an idea that maybe, just maybe, the man who started it all isn’t as important or liable anymore.
Everyone is entitled to feel some hurt and disappointment, knowing that The Winds of Winter haven’t blown as swiftly as they should. What has happened is an unfortunate event. But remember that, for those of us not irrevocably tied to the series, we have an out. We can take solace in the TV retelling of the series as season six begins. The author and creator doesn’t have that luxury, and we’ll probably never fully know or understand how much damage that does to George R. R. Martin. Nothing can ever compare to the pain we inflict on ourselves. Perhaps this is an opportunity to not only lighten his load, but increase the importance of the TV show?