It's a great time to be a Game of Thrones fan, and it's not only because a brand-new spinoff series will soon bring a fan-favorite chapter of the saga to life. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is the exciting world expansion we have been waiting for to hit our screens, but author George R.R. Martin appears to have suggested that even more stories could be coming down the pipeline.
The new spinoff series, which makes its premiere on HBO and HBO Max on Jan. 18, takes inspiration from Martin's standalone novella The Hedge Knight. Released in 1998, the novella was followed up by two more novellas that continued Dunk and Egg's story with more adventures. It's been over 15 years since the last installment was released, but the wait could end in the near future.
Before A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms gets unleashed into the world, Martin appeared on HBO Max's The Official Game of Thrones Podcast: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms to discuss the new series as the architect of this beloved fantasy world, share his inspirations for Dunk and Egg's journey, and even hint at what the future could hold for the characters about to take Westeros by storm.
George R.R. Martin hints at more Dunk and Egg stories
According to Martin, he's planning to write additional stories about Dunk and Egg, but there's a slight catch. He gave the caveat that he will pen more stories if time outside of his other projects allows: "If I have the time, there's more stories to tell Dunk and Egg and their education and what's going to befall them in future years," Martin revealed to hosts Jason Concepcion and Greta Johnsen.
Since the three novellas that comprised Dunk and Egg's story were compiled into A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms in 2015, Martin hasn't published a new installment. In 2003, The Sworn Sword followed up The Hedge Knight, and the series unofficially ended in 2010 with The Mystery Knight. These novellas could (and probably will) see the television adaptation through three seasons.
Obviously, Martin didn't provide a concrete timeline on when more stories could possibly be published, but we weren't expecting him to do so (just ask the Game of Thrones fans who are still waiting on The Winds of Winter). However, simply hearing him suggest that he's thinking about continuing Dunk and Egg's adventures and weaving more tales together is exciting enough.
During the podcast, Martin also explained his inspiration to craft a prequel series about Dunk and Egg and how that directly differs from his intention with the original Game of Thrones books. He wanted to focus on a single character's viewpoint rather that jumping around to multiple characters, and beyond that, he also wanted to shine a light on the "small folk" in Westeros who weren't involved with the Iron Throne.
No matter what Martin writes, the fans will be there to voraciously read every single word, and with luck, we will eventually be seeing those words come to life Sundays on HBO. Before we get too excited about the prospect of new Dunk and Egg stories, be sure to dive into the three novellas before the characters leap of the page and onto our screens.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres Sunday, Jan. 18 on HBO and HBO Max.