Brandon Sanderson has accomplished a lot throughout his career, including helping to bring an end to one of the most beloved fantasy series of all time: The Wheel of Time.
Following the death of author Robert Jordan, Sanderson was selected by Jordan’s widow and editor to help finish the franchise using notes Jordan had left for his vision of the closing of the franchise. The end result was Sanderson using those notes to bring fans a trilogy of books that brought the story to a close, giving readers closure with/to the story they had invested so much time into through the years.
While Sanderson was more than happy to step in and help bring The Wheel of Time franchise to a close, he has no desire to do the same for another popular fantasy franchise. We’re referring to George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, which many fans have suggested Sanderson should complete should Martin pass before finishing the two final books in the series.
There has been a lot of discussion over whether Sanderson could finish The Winds of Winter, in particular, which we understand. Sanderson and Martin share many similarities, and Sanderson has already helped to bring one iconic franchise to a close as a co-author. However, if Game of Thrones fans are holding out hope for Sanderson to complete The Winds of Winter, they need to prepare themselves for more disappointment.
Sanderson has never expressed interest in completing the Game of Thrones franchise, and he’s doubled down on that in a new interview with IGN, making it clear that he has no interest in completing Martin’s works, and there is one key reason why: he’s the wrong person for the job.
“Respectfully, I'm the wrong person to do this—and I think most fans of both of our works would agree. My entire career is, in a way, a response to A Song of Ice and Fire. Much as that series is a response to popular fiction of the 1990s, like Wheel of Time,” Sanderson remarked when asked about finishing the franchise.
While Sanderson would do his best to complete the series in a manner that would give fans what they've been wanting, he would not be the best person for the job—should Martin ever choose to go in that direction. To him, there are many more qualified candidates, and Sanderson has no intention of tossing his hat into the ring if Martin were to seek out someone to finish his franchise.
“If I were to say yes, I would do my best to write it exactly as fans want and expect, but I would not say yes—because there are much more natural fits out there, and if George decided to go that direction, he'd deserve someone who is as good a fit for his world as I was for Wheel of Time. That said, I don't think George wants to go that direction, so let's just support him in writing his books at the speed he's capable of going.”
Sanderson is one of the few people who knows the hardships of being a high-profile author and the pressure that comes with crafting the perfect story. While he hasn't quite struggled in the same way Martin has in completing his books, he knows how every author has their own process and that each situation is unique, and we love that he continues to be an advocate for Martin.
It’s understandable that fans see Sanderson as the best option to finish the A Song of Ice and Fire sereis as Sanderson did a brilliant job in closing out The Wheel of Time franchise. Ultimately, Sanderson’s comments make it clear that he has no interest in stepping into Martin’s shoes, and perhaps that’s exactly how it should be.
A Song of Ice and Fire is Martin’s story, and while fans may continue to speculate about who could finish the series if he were ever unable to do so, it’s clear that Sanderson wants no part in that continued narrative.
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