George RR Martin reveals how he wants Game Of Thrones to end
A Song Of Ice And Fire will be finished in seven books — but book six is still a long way away, according to author George RR Martin.
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A Song Of Ice And Fire will be finished in seven books — but book six is still a long way away — and don’t expect a happy book six, a neat and tidy ending or for the “most deserving” person to get the Iron Throne.
Oh, and so many characters were killed off in the best-selling fantasy series because author George R.R. Martin loved reading the death of Gandalf in JRR Tolkien’s The Lord Of The Rings series.
These — and many other questions — were answered by Martin in a Q&A session at the Guadalajara Book Fair at the end of 2016, an appearance he described as his last major event before he devoted himself to finishing Winds Of Winter, the long-awaited book six, in the series which so far spans A Game Of Thrones, A Clash Of Kings, A Storm Of Swords, A Feast For Crows and A Dance With Dragons.
Given it is 2019 and still no word on a release date for WoW, fans have had to turn their attention to the television series and how it will end.
But while some fear Martin may never finish the series, the author has no doubts. As well as the final two books, he reckons he’ll be able to write “eight or nine” Dunk And Egg stories plus more history of the Targaryen dynasty.
Well, at least we got that history — Fire And Blood — at the end of last year.
Quite how he plans to do all the rest in the next few years is another matter.
“The tale grew in the telling,” Martin said. “Back in 1994 I was selling a trilogy and writing a novel a year. In my innocence I thought I’d finish it all in three years.
“It’s taken a little longer!
“I had no idea how long it would take but you have to follow the story.
“Sometimes I look back and say, did it really have to be the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros? The Five Kingdoms of Westeros, that would have been good, right?”
He also warned fans to expect plenty of darkness in Winds Of Winter, saying it would not be a “feel-good” story.
Given we have already seen much of this material in the hit television show, fans would be expecting to enjoy such moments as Jon Snow’s return and Ramsay Bolton’s death. However, Martin hinted it will be harsher than the show.
He also said things may not be all neat and tidy at the end of the series, so don’t expect a “crystal clear” finish.
“That’s not to say everything will be tied up in a neat bow,” he said.
“There’s a difference between a loose end and something that has been left deliberately ambiguous.
“First I have to finish the damn thing. I’m a slow writer and as I get older I get slower.”
Martin explained that, as he “crests the hill” in each book and “sees the ending” he speeds up in his writing.
“I’m hoping that will happen at some point, that I will see the finish line and work will start gaining momentum and getting much faster. So far it hasn’t.”
Martin also revealed his love of killing off readers’ favourite characters such as Ned Stark, the Lord of Winterfell, in the first book of the series was inspired by reading Gandalf’s death in The Fellowship Of The Ring, the first book of JRR Tolkien’s Lord Of The Rings trilogy, back when he was aged about “12 or 13”.
“The power of that scene,” he said.
“He was the daddy, he knew everything. (Killing him) was such a tremendous, gutsy move. But then he brought him back! I would have left him dead.”
As for who gets the Iron Throne, he repeated that the ending would be “bittersweet”.
He also warned that it “doesn’t go to who deserves it but who has the power to take it …”
Given Cersei already has it, that seems to rule her out, leaving it to Daenerys or Jon Snow.
* Duncan Lay is the author of The Dragon Sword Histories trilogy and the Empire Of Bones trilogy, both available through HarperCollins.
* Want to read #ForTheThrone? There’s a special offer for Sunday Book Club readers, thanks to HarperCollins Australia: a boxed set of Game of Thrones books, $99.95, for just $59.95. Go to Booktopia, search A Game Of Thrones: The Story Continues 7-Volume B Format Boxed Set (link here for online: https://www.booktopia.com.au/a-game-of-thrones-the-story-continues-george-r-r-martin/prod9780007477159.html) and use code GOT10. And remember our Book of the Month for April is Felicity McLean’s The Van Apfel Girls Are Gone. Get a 30 per cent discount at Booktopia with code BCBT19 (link for online: https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-van-apfel-girls-are-gone-felicity-mclean/prod9781460755068.html)
* You’ve read how George RR Martin wants it to end. Now step back in time with us to remeet the key Game of Thrones characters, as they were introduced in his first book, with exclusive extracts every day this week only at INSERT MASTHEAD WEBSITE HERE. Starts tomorrow with Daenerys.
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Originally published as George RR Martin reveals how he wants Game Of Thrones to end
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