news George R. R. Martin Warns Final ‘Game of Thrones’ Novels Are Very Different from Story on TV

Game of Thrones” author George R.R. Martin just clarified that his upcoming novels are moving “further and further away” from the events of his saga as depicted in HBO’s TV show which ran from 2011 to 2019. The sixth and seventh “A Song of Ice and Fire” series installments are respectively titled “The Winds of Winter” and “A Dream of Spring.”

“I have been at work in my winter garden,” Martin wrote in a blog post on his website. “Things are growing…and changing, as does happen with us gardeners. Things twist, things change, new ideas come to me (thank you, muse), old ideas prove unworkable, I write, I rewrite, I restructure, I rip everything apart and rewrite again, I go through doors that lead nowhere, and doors that open on marvels.”

Martin joked that while his writing process “sounds mad, I know,” he can promise that his “gardening” will foster the blooming of new story paths separate from the TV show.

“What I have noticed more and more of late, however, is my gardening is taking me further and further away from the television series,” Martin hinted. “Yes, some of the things you saw on HBO in ‘Game of Thrones’ you also will see in ‘The Winds of Winter’ (though maybe not in quite the same ways)…but much of the rest will be quite different.”

“Not all of the characters who survived until the end of ‘Game of Thrones’ will survive until the end of ‘A Song of Ice and Fire,’ and not all of the characters who died on ‘Game of Thrones’ will die in ‘A Song of Ice and Fire.’ (Some will, sure. Of course. Maybe most. But definitely not all.) (Of course, I could change my mind again next week, with the next chapter I write. That’s gardening.)”

Back in 2019 he suggested something similar following the much-maligned finale: “How will it all end? I hear people asking. The same ending as the show? Different? Well… yes. And no. And yes. And no. And yes. And no. And yes.”

Martin previously said that his focus was entirely on finishing novel “The Winds of Winter” while spin-off show “House of the Dragon” debuts August 21 on HBO.

“Winter is still coming, and ‘Winds’ remains my priority, as much as I’d love to write an episode of ‘House,'” Martin penned in 2019. As for the first season of “House of the Dragon,” Martin revealed it also strays from “Fire & Blood.”

“For all you book fans, it IS my story. Sure, there are some changes from ‘Fire & Blood’ — we could not present three alternative versions of every major event, not and keep our sanity — but I think Ryan Condal and his writers made good choices. Even some improvements. (Heresy, I know, but being the author, I am allowed to say so),” Martin explained.

He also confirmed a “GoT” sequel series “Snow,” starring Kit Harrington as Jon Snow once again. Winter is coming, indeed.
 
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