George R. R. Martin says he’s “still working on” new ‘Game Of Thrones’ book and addresses fan anger at delays

George R. R. Martin has discussed the final two books in the Game Of Thrones series, assuring fans he still cares about the story.

From 1996 to 2011, Martin wrote five of the books in the novel series A Song Of Ice And Fire, which was adapted into the TV show Game Of Thrones. Two more books in the series are planned, but the sixth book, The Winds Of Winter, has remained delayed since the previous book, A Dance With Dragons, was published in 2011.

Game Of Thrones created an original ending to finish the HBO series, and speculation has continued as to when the author will complete the next book.

Speaking at New York Comic Con this past weekend, the writer addressed the delay once again. “I know there’s all this controversy about Winds Of Winter and how late it is, but I’ve always had trouble with deadlines,” he said (via Entertainment Weekly), “and I don’t feel happy breaching contracts or missing a deadline or anything like that.”

He also talked about backlash he receives when he announces a non-Winds Of Winter project, and the fans that say he should be focusing on the novels rather than announcing film or gaming projects based on his work.

“Every time that happens, and I announce it on my website, half the internet goes crazy,” Martin said. “‘Why the f— is George R.R. Martin writing this other thing when he should be writing Winds of Winter? What is he doing?’ And I want to say, ‘I did it in 1993, guys. Come on! It was lying in my drawer, and they wanted it, so I sold it to them!’”

When asked about the status of the next novel, and his feelings about it, he replied: “Yes, I do love Winds of Winter. I’m still interested in it, I’m still working on it, but honestly, I love these other things, too.”

The delays around The Winds Of Winter drove one fan to demand he let another author finish the series during a confrontation at a comic con in August, while Andrzej Sapkowski, famous for writing The Witcher series of books, poked fun at the delays in June.

In May, Martin hit back at accusations about his output, writing on his blog: “I do care about them. And I care about Westeros and WINDS as well. The Starks and Lannisters and Targaryens, Tyrion and Asha, Dany and Daenerys, the dragons and the direwolves, I care about them all. More than you can ever imagine”.