There’s an epic tale about an epic tale so epic it may never be finished. Yes, we’re talking about how author George R.R. Martin is still writing the next to last book in the Game of Thrones series; and fans have pretty much given up literary closure in Westeros. And frankly, I can’t unsee a comment about the author living up to his South Park parody.
During an episode of Bangcast Martin and fellow author Bernard Cornwell gave us yet another “update” on where The Winds of Winter stands, saying that he is "struggling with it." Upon someone sharing this news on Reddit, a whole bunch of reactions came to the forefront; including the following remark in question:
Every day the South Park portrayal of him feels more accurate.
Oh, that is definitely a fair and accurate assessment. For those of you who haven’t seen it, the South Park episode “A Song of Ass and Fire” engaged in a caricature of George R.R. Martin that kept stalling for time. While working towards any sort of payoff, be it pizzas or cutting a ceremonial ribbon at a shopping center, Martin would continue to tell stories about “weiners.”
Long, sidetracked tales of male anatomy that prevent any sort of serious storytelling are plentiful, and you can now see why South Park fans are feeling a bit vindicated at this point. Just in case you’re feeling interested in digging into this Season 17 episode a little more, here’s a reel of the gags involving George R.R. Martin:
So what exactly did Martin say that set Game of Thrones fans off? Well, while speaking on a panel with fellow author Bernard Cornwell, Martin provided this status update on his sixth book in a planned seven-book series:
I'm 12 years late on this damn novel and I'm struggling with it. I have like 1,100 pages written but I still have hundreds more pages to go. It's a big mother of a book for whatever reason. Maybe I should've started writing smaller books when I began this but it's tough. That's the main thing that dominates most of my working life.
For those of you keeping score, George R.R. Martin put his penultimate Game of Thrones novel at an initial deadline of 2011. That’s the same year the HBO series adapting these very books began. While the series and the GOT cast gained popularity, the book continued to be delayed. At one point Martin intended to finish The Winds of Winter by 2016, but that of course didn’t happen. Now, we're still waiting for the book, and the television world of Westeros has moved on from this initial battle for the Iron Throne, and has gone back in time to show the Targaryen's history. While Winds of Winter's release is unknown, at least we know Season 2 of House of the Dragon will premiere on the 2024 TV schedule.
Just as people can’t get over Game of Thrones’ finale, the fandom behind this song of fire and ice is still stung by the lack of finality in George’s work. And to think, there was once a time when the six-year wait between books in Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series seemed like an eternity!
Maybe The Winds of Winter will blow onto bookshelves at some point in the near future, or maybe it’ll be another couple of years. In any case, the healthy second life of all things Thrones will probably benefit as a silver lining to that prolonged wait. So it's not like there's nothing for devoted subjects of Westeros to enjoy in the meantime.
Whether you want to watch Game of Thrones, its prequel House of the Dragon, or South Park’s “A Song of Ass and Fire,” there’s only one place you need to look. With access to a Max subscription, that treasure trove of wonder is at your fingertips. Meanwhile, The Winds of Winter will be released...when it is.
