George R. R. Martin addresses 'controversy' over Winds of Winter delays: 'I love these other thin...

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&34;I don't feel happy breaching contracts or missing a deadline or anything like that,&34; the author said at a New York Comic Con panel. George R. R. Martin a

"I don't feel happy breaching contracts or missing a deadline or anything like that," the author said at a New York Comic Con panel.

George R. R. Martin addresses 'controversy' over Winds of Winter delays: 'I love these other things, too'

"I don't feel happy breaching contracts or missing a deadline or anything like that," the author said at a New York Comic Con panel.

By Nick Romano

Nick Romano is a senior editor at ** with 15 years of journalism experience covering entertainment. His work previously appeared in *Vanity Fair*, Vulture, IGN, and more.

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October 12, 2025 7:52 p.m. ET

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George R. R. Martin at New York Comic Con 2025. Credit:

Craig Barritt/Getty

At the start of his panel conversation with *A Game of Thrones* author George R. R. Martin at New York Comic Con, moderator and fellow novelist Joe Hill made a joke that everyone in the audience instantly understood.

"It's best to begin with the question I'm sure most of the people in this room want answered. I know everyone is hoping you can tell us...Can the Giants keep winning?" Hill said.

That is, obviously, not the question everyone wants answered. It's more like: When will *The* (Goddamn) *Winds of Winter*, Martin's long-awaited continuation of the *Song of Ice and Fire* book series, finally be (goddamn) finished? (The goddamns are optional, depending on your anticipation level.)

George R. R. Martin and Joe Hill at a New York Comic Con panel.

Craig Barritt/Getty

While Martin didn't provide any updates on that front at the New York Comic Con panel, the scribe did address what he called the "controversy" surrounding its delay.

"I know there's all this controversy about *Winds of Winter* and how late it is, but I've always had trouble with deadlines," he said, "and I don't feel happy breaching contracts or missing a deadline or anything like that."

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Later on in the conversation, after Martin explained his process ("I hate doing outlines"), he circled back on the topic. He pointed out how his success from the *Game of Thrones* universe led networks and studios to now buy up the screen rights to all his past works that he may have considered commercial failures back in the day.

"Every time that happens, and I announce it on my website, half the internet goes crazy," Martin said. "'Why the f--- is George R.R. Martin writing this other thing when he should be writing *Winds of Winter*? What is he doing?' And I want to say, 'I did it in 1993, guys. Come on! It was lying in my drawer, and they wanted it, so I sold it to them!'"

Martin doesn't have kids but likened his works, including *Wild Cards* and AMC drama *Dark Winds*, which he executive produces, to children that he loves equally. "Yes, I do love *Winds of Winter*. I'm still interested in it, I'm still working on it, but honestly, I love these other things, too," he said.

Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) and Jon Snow (Kit Harington) on 'Game of Thrones' season 8.

To date, Martin published five books in *A Song of Ice and Fire*: *A Game of Thrones* (1996), *A Clash of Kings* (1998), *A Storm of Swords* (2000), *A Feast for Crows* (2005), and *A Dance with Dragons *(2011). *The Winds of Winter* and *A Dream of Spring* are meant to be his final two installments. The intent was to finish them before HBO released the final season of its *Game of Thrones* TV adaptation. That didn't happen, but it was said that Martin gave series creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss an outline of what he had planned so they could conclude the show.

In a May blog post on his Not a Blog website, Martin laid into all those critical fans who are ticked off "by everything I announce here that is not about Westeros or *The Winds of Winter*."

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He proceeded to list off some of the most common remarks he receives: "I will never finish *Winds*. If I do, I will never finish *A Dream of Spring*. If I do, it won't be any good. I ought to get some other writer to pinch-hit for me... I am going to die soon anyway, because I am so old. I lost all interest in *A Song of Ice and Fire* decades ago. I don't give a s--- about writing any longer. I just sit around and spend my money."

During the New York Comic Con panel, Martin alluded to at least one of these complaints. "People are speculating that I might die before [finishing the books]," he told Hill. "I'm not going to die until I see the Jets and the Giants in the Subway Super Bowl. I think that means I live forever."**

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Source: "AOL Comic-Con"

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