Game Of Thrones author George R.R. Martin was confronted by an angry fan at a comic con Q&A, who urged him to allow another author to finish the book series.
Martin shot to fame as the writer of the book series A Song Of Ice And Fire, later adapted into the TV show Game Of Thrones, which would run from 2011-19. There have been five books published, the last being A Dance With Dragons in 2011. However, the final two books have remained unwritten, causing frustration among fans (the TV show concluded with their own ending after surpassing the plot of the books).
This past weekend, Martin appeared on a panel of authors at WorldCon in Seattle, which included a Q&A with those in attendance. One person, claiming to be a “fan” of the writer’s work, told the author he was “not going to be around for much longer” and asked how he felt about fellow panelist Brandon Sanderson finishing the series. Sanderson is the author of the Mistborn series among other titles, and notably finished The Wheel Of Time books after original author Robert Jordan passed away in 2007.
Audience interviewer tells George R.R. Martin he’s going to die soon and asks Brandon Sanderson to finish the Game of Thrones book series pic.twitter.com/AqgjLOGd6S
— 🖤 Physical Media Forever 🖤 (@VHSDVDBLURAY4K) August 19, 2025
The question led to boos from fellow attendees, and was denounced by others on the panel before the event was ended prematurely by the hosts. On X (formerly Twitter), fans criticised the moment as inappropriate.
“This is too much” said one user. “I want the book to come out too, but the man deserves respect.” Another added: “Not finishing a book series is not a valid reason to harass and be an asshole to a man who’s done nothing wrong. It’s just a book.”
This is too much. I want the book to come out too, but the man deserves respect.#thewindsofwinter #gameofthrones #ASOIAF #georgerrmartin #worldcon https://t.co/dZH2SzfxyL
— Joe Rich (@joerichmusic) August 19, 2025
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There is no justification for what happened to George R. R. Martin.
Not finishing a book series is not a valid reason to harass and be an asshole to a man who’s done nothing wrong.
It’s just a book.
— John Gillian 📖✍️ (@JohnGilian) August 18, 2025
George R.R. Martin has spoken previously about the progress of The Winds Of Winter, the next book in the series, saying in March: “The books are what I’m going to make them. And, I think the one I’m writing is coming pretty well, but I wish it would come faster”.
Regarding the frustration surrounding the delay, in April the author described finishing the books as “the curse” of his life, while also confronting criticism about their delays in a May blog post.
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