Books: A Song of Ice and Fire *SPOILERS* Part XV

[discostu]

My original hope that when the show finished and enough time passed, he'd have a lot less attention on him, that he would have more success in getting past whatever writers block he has.

With spinoffs in the works though, I don't think that will happen. This series will remain a pop culture phenomenon for years. I don't think it's a function of time. I don't believe he has a plan that he's comfortable with, and unless something on that front changes, it'll be an unfinished series with loads of unpublished material that will ultimately get released that tells us where he was heading.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I hope he seals the manuscripts inside a lockbox and writes it into his will that they be dropped into a volcano on live television.

Pull a Dany and go full heel on the fanbase

 

[MadDevil]

He's released two books in this series in the last 14 years, and neither of them have been as good as the first three. I don't know as if I have faith that he'll wrap this up any more satisfactorily than the show has.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

He's released two books in this series in the last 14 years, and neither of them have been as good as the first three. I don't know as if I have faith that he'll wrap this up any more satisfactorily than the show has.

I can't believe he relinquished control by letting the show outpace the books. That tells me that he is really struggling to move the books forward. That's especially concerning since how the series ends (by and large) appears to be known.

 

[Prairie Habs]

I can't believe he relinquished control by letting the show outpace the books. That tells me that he is really struggling to move the books forward. That's especially concerning since how the series ends (by and large) appears to be known.

The show has a whole team of writers that took an extra year to try and finish it satisfactorily and they couldn't do it. Let's give GRRM as much time as he needs to do it right.

I don't think what has happened in the show is really that much of a spoiler for the books. There isn't even a Night King in the books (yet?) so his death isn't a spoiler, but if he's in there I would assume he would be defeated anyway. I assume that Cersei dying and Dany going Mad Queen will be the broad strokes of what happens, but the books have always been more about the how and the why as opposed to the what.

I hope GRRM seeing what doesn't work will help him find what does work.

 

[ecemleafs]

do we think that hes done anything on a dream of spring? like when he cant find a way to make chapters in winds work, does he move on to ideas of spring that he can put on paper?

 

[Rabid Ranger]

The show has a whole team of writers that took an extra year to try and finish it satisfactorily and they couldn't do it. Let's give GRRM as much time as he needs to do it right.

I don't think what has happened in the show is really that much of a spoiler for the books. There isn't even a Night King in the books (yet?) so his death isn't a spoiler, but if he's in there I would assume he would be defeated anyway. I assume that Cersei dying and Dany going Mad Queen will be the broad strokes of what happens, but the books have always been more about the how and the why as opposed to the what.

I hope GRRM seeing what doesn't work will help him find what does work.

Nah, that goodwill is gone. GRRM's crapped the bed and doesn't know how to get out of it.

 

[Kurtz]

I'll admit that my interest in the Daenerys chapters was low in the books.

Both her and Cersei actually seemed to have better developed and more well-rounded characters on the show - something I'll chalk up to GRRM's inability to write women particularly well or most characters aside from Tyrion and Jaime.

I agree that Lena Headey completely elevated Cersei, but disagree with the rest of your comments. Most of Martin's characters are fantastic - yes, Tyrion and Jaime are at the top of the food chain, but there's a reason why book-readers also love Stannis, Arya, Davos, Victarion, etc. Hell, even the Sand Snakes and Arianne Martell are pretty compelling in the books (imo).

 

[NyQuil]

I agree that Lena Headey completely elevated Cersei, but disagree with the rest of your comments. Most of Martin's characters are fantastic - yes, Tyrion and Jaime are at the top of the food chain, but there's a reason why book-readers also love Stannis, Arya, Davos, Victarion, etc. Hell, even the Sand Snakes and Arianne Martell are pretty compelling in the books (imo).

I was thinking POV mostly but you make a fair point. Davos and Arya were good. I liked Barristan as well.

 

[Kurtz]

I was thinking POV mostly but you make a fair point. Davos and Arya were good. I liked Barristan as well.

Oh yeah - all of those names I've mention had a point of view chapter or more...although Arianne's chapter may have been from one of Martin's preview chapters from the next book.

 

[RandV]

do we think that hes done anything on a dream of spring? like when he cant find a way to make chapters in winds work, does he move on to ideas of spring that he can put on paper?

I was talking/hoping about this idea a few posts up, but the answer from GRRM himself is a flat out no. He's still working directly on Winds, and hasn't/won't start Dream until that's done.

 

[RandV]

I don't think what has happened in the show is really that much of a spoiler for the books. There isn't even a Night King in the books (yet?) so his death isn't a spoiler, but if he's in there I would assume he would be defeated anyway. I assume that Cersei dying and Dany going Mad Queen will be the broad strokes of what happens, but the books have always been more about the how and the why as opposed to the what.

I hope GRRM seeing what doesn't work will help him find what does work.

I really don't think there's going to be a "Night King" in the books, though I'd suspect Dany burns Kings Landing in the end. I'm kind of split on how that will go down, on one hand I don't see Cersei being as successful, but the Magi prophecies suggests Dany is going to be the one to take her down. But considering that the books now have Faegon running and in Westeros ahead of her, I think it would make more sense if he's the one who takes Kings Landing and who Dany goes crazy on near the finale.

That or he gets use to 'clear the field' of Tyrell's, Sparrows, and King Tommen in the capital, instead of of the great Sept being blown up, but is taken out in the process leaving a mad Cersei the only one left in the city to take the throne.

 

[Eisen]

Ian McElinney, Ser Barristan Selmy's actor says that the books are done and GRRM has struck an agreement with D&D not to release the books till after the show is done.

That would piss me off. I have waited for ages for these books. If that's the case, I won't buy them.

 

[Emperoreddy]

That would piss me off. I have waited for ages for these books. If that's the case, I won't buy them.

GRRM said this week this isn’t true.

 

[Eisen]

GRRM said this week this isn’t true.

Good. I wonder how someone involved with the show has come up with something like that.

 

[RandV]

Good. I wonder how someone involved with the show has come up with something like that.

I'd guess probably just someone who's been out of the loop for a while due to his characters death who also happens to be a big fan of the books engaging in fan theories like the rest of us. The actors will know more than the rest of us but aren't going to have the same knowledge as the writers & producers, and from another compilation video that's been posted into the other thread Ian McElinney seemed to have done all his homework and was looking forward to playing and tried to get the writers to keep the expanded role Selmy gets at the end of Dance.

 

[Brodie]

I hope he seals the manuscripts inside a lockbox and writes it into his will that they be dropped into a volcano on live television.

Pull a Dany and go full heel on the fanbase

tbh his fans deserve it. The level of entitlement is really something.

 

[RandV]

tbh his fans deserve it. The level of entitlement is really something.

Not really. I dislike these people too but they probably make up a pretty insignificant percentage of the fanbase, they just get on the internet and are by far the loudest. As is typical with these sort of things.

 

[Loopy0ne]

Sadly, it feels like he had a stroke or something changed in his mind (meds?) after a Storm of Swords. The first three books are some of the best I've ever read. They were all 10/10. But then, something happened, something changed because a Feast for Crows was filled with rambling and, in many ways, was a lot harder to read. I think there was a ramble about Blood Oranges in that made my eyes roll.

It has been years since I read that book, though. Also, I still did like the 4th and 5th but the quality went down IMHO

 

[Brodie]

Defend this shit

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

D and D everyone!

First 50 episodes of pure gold turned to 23 episodes of pure SHIT.

God awful finale and god awful last 2/3 seasons.

GRRM finish winds tubby thanks.

 

[67 others]

I hope he seals the manuscripts inside a lockbox and writes it into his will that they be dropped into a volcano on live television.

Pull a Dany and go full heel on the fanbase

He did. Years ago he slandered Robert jordan for letting someone finish wheel of time after he died.

He proclaimed when his fat ASS has a heart attack nobody can play in his sandbox and nobody will get to know what happened.

I'm sadly not kidding. Robert jordan was the man and had one of the greatest series ever and made sure the author finishing his work after he died knew what to do. Grrm was good for 3 books then phoned it in for a paycheck and stopped trying years ago

 

[67 others]

tbh his fans deserve it. The level of entitlement is really something.

Not really. Most of them call a spade a spade.

Grrm fell in love with his fame and spends more time with his "adoring fans" at booksignings than he does eating. And that's saying something because he is a fat slob.

And he basically told everyone he stopped writing in his blog. It's not writers block. It's just he wants to be fawned over by fans at signings instead of doing more books.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Blood raven power move.

 

[Chaels Arms]

Help us Obi Wan GRRM, you're our only hope.