Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin calls The Winds of Winter the "curse of my life" after admitting it's "13 years late", but offers a tiny glimmer of hope: "I have periods where I make progress"

George R.R. Martin's sixth book in his fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire has long since overshot its due date. Now, the author – admitting it's over a dozen years late – gives the latest update on how work is coming along with The Winds of Winter.

When pressed by Time on how work on The Winds of Winter is going, Martin said, "That's the curse of my life here. There's no doubt Winds of Winter is 13 years late. I'm still working on it. I have periods where I make progress and then other things divert my attention."

Those things, it seems, include the litany of Game of Thrones spin-offs currently in the works. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is hitting HBO this summer, but more series – including House of the Dragon season 3 – are planned. The author has also teased another announcement, but said it wasn't Winds of Winter related.

Article continues below

Martin went on to deny that his busy dance card means he's not able to get his head down and write Winds of Winter. In fact, it's the opposite – his various projects and side hustles rarely take up much of his writing time.

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.