Yesterday, the simmering outrage over having to wait for a sixth Song Of Ice And Fire novel was briefly overtaken by a new, hot-flash outrage over maybe also having to wait for an eighth, an unexpected prospect floated by George R.R. Martin’s longtime editor. Today, Entertainment Weekly sought to clear things up by contacting Martin—who, fortunately, wasn’t busy with anything—to clarify that he’s not specifically planning an eighth novel. Still, you never know, ha ha, such are the caprices and delightful vagaries of George R.R. Martin:
“My plan is to finish in seven,” Martin says. “But my original plan was to finish in three. I write the stories and they grow. I deal with certain things and sometimes I find myself not at the end of a story. My plan right now is still seven. But first I have to finish Book Six. Get back to me when I’m half-way through Book Seven and then maybe I’ll tell you something more meaningful.”
So, there you have it. Martin doesn’t think there will be eight books, at least until he does. We’ll just have to check back when he’s halfway through the seventh book to find out for sure. Look for an update in the year 2023.