Winter isn’t Coming: Why I’m Worried about The Winds of Winter

I am Razor’s Broken Heart: I have foolishly and anxiously anticipated an announcement from George R.R. Martin concerning a release date for the long-awaited sixth book in his Song of Ice and Fire series, The Winds of Winter, for a long time. For far too long, I have enjoyed knowing what was going to happen on each season of Game of Thrones (with the exception of some scenes in Season 5), and for the most part, the show had yet to spoil the books. In my naivete, I had kept the faith that Martin would gift us with a new book before Season 6 debuted, so that I could continue to enjoy not actually being spoiled by the show. I was wrong.

I am Razor’s Inflamed Sense Of Rejection: That’s right: knowing that we won’t get The Winds of Winter for at least another year makes me feel like, as a loyal fan of Martin’s work, that we the fans weren’t important enough for him to buckle down and finish that book. Look, I get it, I do. George R.R. Martin is not our bitch. I love George, and I have nothing but the upmost respect for him. He is my favorite author. But…as a loyal fan, I feel rejected.

I’m Razor’s Medulla Oblongata: My brain hurts from all the speculation pieces I have written over the course of a year, trying to guess at when Winds would be coming out. In those articles, I usually came to the conclusion that we were on the cusp of seeing an announcement regarding a release date. I have never been so wrong.

I am Razor’s Cold Sweat: Now, as I sit here typing this, I am beginning to feel the spectre of books unfinished creep up behind me, and it is making me paranoid. Will George ever complete his masterpiece? Or, will something awful happen, and we won’t ever get closure to A Song of Ice and Fire? I fully realize I am probably being overly and unnecessarily worried about Martin and the final books, but this is the burden and blessing that comes with being a George R.R. Martin fan.

I’m Razor’s Complete Lack Of Surprise: I should have known this was coming, and deep-down, I think I did. We’ve seen George take his time with other books, and that’s fine. I will be the first one to stand up and say “Please don’t rush, George.” But seeing as how A Feast for Crows took five years to write, and A Dance with Dragons took six, I assumed 2016 would be the year we got the next installment in this wonderfully engrossing series. It may just be late 2016…or beyond.

I’m Razor’s Raging Bile Duct: The question on everyone’s mind is: “Do I have the right to be mad at George?” The answer is not as simple as one might think. On the one hand, I feel bad for Martin. His explanation of what happened, and why The Winds of Winter is not finished, made me feel sad for him. He genuinely seemed dejected…which is outside the norm for the usually jovial Bearded Bard. However, I do feel it’s okay to be frustrated with the author. He created a world that equates to literary crack that gets his readers hooked and fiending for more. I am disappointed.

I’m Razor’s Smirking Revenge: What is a fan to do, when an author doesn’t deliver a promised book on time? Do you boycott Martin’s works and find other authors to follow and read? Do you begin to praise Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss for writing their own interpretation to Martin’s unfinished work? Would it even matter? The answer to all of these is a resounding no. Because I am such a loyal fan of George R.R. Martin, I will continue to await his next book. There is no revenge to be had here.

The Winds of Winter will be ready when it’s ready. I know that is an oversimplification of the situation, but look at it this way: At least we have HBO carrying the flag, and producing Game of Thrones Season 6, which means we will get at least some semblance of Winds in a few months, when it premieres. The only problem with that it is, some diehard book readers, such as myself, will get spoiled…but I guess we’ll just have to live with it and move on.