Bubonicon, cheekily named after the Bubonic Plague (they have a rat for a mascot), is an annual multigenre convention held in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The most recent Bubonicon went down this past weekend, and the big ticket item was a talk from A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin, who lives about an hour's drive away in Santa Fe, New Mexico. So far as we know, the talk was not recorded, but some folks who attended are sharing what they saw and heard. Secondhand accounts should be taken with a grain of salt, but they're still pretty interesting.
The main account comes from a Redditor named nickrl, who has since deleted their post. Nevertheless, it lives on on places like Westeros.org. "There was not some huge ASOIAF update," nickrl wrote. "He said he was still working on [The Winds of Winter] and that he was really stressed about it and worrying/thinking about his legacy a lot. He was actually really vulnerable and heartfelt about his struggles."
It's well-known that Martin has been working on The Winds of Winter, the sixth book in his Song of Ice and Fire series, for many years now; 13, to be exact. The book has kind of become the great white whale of the fantasy world. Save the first season, the entirety of HBO's Song of Ice and Fire adaptation Game of Thrones came out while fans were waiting for The Winds of Winter, and now we're two seasons into the spinoff series House of the Dragon. Is it ever coming out?
One angle on this is that Martin, who is 75 years old, shouldn't worry about completing his series and just enjoy his golden years. He's been writing the books for decades and I think some fans worry that whatever toll it's now taking on his mental health isn't worth it. But according to nickrl, "now I think that finishing the books IS what would make him the most happy. He talked about visiting Tolkien's grave and being struck by all the memorials left behind by fans. He said he dreamed of leaving such a legacy but worried that he wouldn't if he didn't finish. He also said he thinks of his characters as his children (like all authors do) and that he really wanted them to outlive him."
"He didn't seem bored or fed up with ASOIAF, he seemed like he still loved it and had so many ideas he still wanted to bring to life."
It's great to hear that Martin is still so invested in his creation, not that I ever doubted it; I've always figured that the long wait time was due to him trying to write it as well as he possibly could. Another Redditor named brachycephalopod told much the same story when they reported on their visit to Bubonicon:
"He was very open and honest about how the recent years have been stressful and he is easily distracted. He is not finished with Winds but working on it. He is thinking a lot about his legacy and whether to focus on writing or the TV shows...He visited Tolkien's grave and was touched by all the tributes. Wants a legacy like that. Talked a lot about how the books are his children but also how TV is very rewarding because you can see your ideas come to life."
It's not shocking to hear that a man like Martin, who is pushing 80, is thinking about his legacy. We all want to read The Winds of Winter, to say nothing of whatever Song of Ice and Fire books he may have planned after that which would bring the series to a close. I hope he's able to balance the stress of trying to live up to expectations with enjoying his life.
Obviously, there's no release date for The Winds of Winter yet set. HBO is taking what books Martin has written and running with them. A third season of House of the Dragon is targeting a 2026 release date, and a new spinoff called A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is due out in 2025.
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