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HBO’s watch has ended when it comes to the main saga of Game of Thrones, and eyes are once again turning to creator George R. R. Martin to FINISH. THE. DAMN. BOOKS.
Martin continues to give non-updates on the state of things, and we do sympathize with Grandpa George. Imagine having the responsibility of the most popular television show in the world’s highly divisive ending in your rearview mirror while trying to bring your creation to a full and satisfying close. That’s a lot of pressure, admittedly.
And, oddly enough, we may have a 2020 literary event to thank for the final push to get him to finish the next book in the series, “The Winds of Winter”.
Air New Zealand launched a video campaign to get GRRM to visit them, in the hopes that a trip to the magical island will help him “finish his book”.
GRRM responded to this on his “Not-A-Blog“, admitting that he *does* have plans to hit New Zealand in 2020 for WorldCon.
In the summer of 2020, Wellington is hosting the World Science Fiction Convention, the oldest and most important con in the SF/ fantasy calendar, and they’ve asked me to serve as Toastmaster for the Hugo Awards. Writers, fans, and artists from all over the world will be headed down to check out all of your wonders. I hope lots of you Kiwis will join us.
www.conzealand.nz
GRRM goes to far as to say a trip like that would probably distract him more, BUT DID SAY if he didn’t have “The Winds of Winter” *IN HAND* by WorldCon, they could do their worst to him:
As for finishing my book… I fear that New Zealand would distract me entirely too much. Best leave me here in Westeros for the nonce. But I tell you this — if I don’t have THE WINDS OF WINTER in hand when I arrive in New Zealand for worldcon, you have here my formal written permission to imprison me in a small cabin on White Island, overlooking that lake of sulfuric acid, until I’m done. Just so long as the acrid fumes do not screw up my old DOS word processor, I’ll be fine.
That….sounds promising?
We’ll let you know what we hear about a possible release date, and anything Grandpa George shares about the upcoming HBO Game of Thrones spinoff series.
