George RR Martin gives update on his next books, and his take on the Game of Thrones finale

Just write the books, George. Please.

George RR Martin, author of the A Song of Ice and Fire series on which Game of Thrones is based, has written a blog post in response to Monday night's series finale. Martin, a frequent blogger, stopped short of actually giving a critical evaluation of the finale - but had many thanks for HBO, creators David Benioff and DB Weiss, the directorial team, writer Bryan Cogman and the cast. Instead, he wrote that "there is too much to say" and noted that "In the weeks and months to come, I may post about some of my favorite moments from the making of this show… now and again, when I am feeling nostalgic… but just now, there are so many memories, and no time to do them all justice." However, Martin had a bit more information for fans of his books, especially those curious about when the sixth book - Winds of Winter - will be released. Martin's most recent book, A Dance of Dragons, was published eight years ago, and he has regularly missed publisher deadlines to follow it up. "And I’m writing. Winter is coming, I told you, long ago… and so it is. THE WINDS OF WINTER is very late, I know, I know, but it will be done. I won’t say when, I’ve tried that before, only to burn you all and jinx myself… but I will finish it, and then will come A DREAM OF SPRING. Martin also had some words for those curious about whether the books would end in the same way as the show. He was cryptic. "How will it all end? I hear people asking. The same ending as the show? Different? Well… yes. And no. And yes. And no. And yes. And no. And yes. "I am working in a very different medium than David and Dan, never forget. They had six hours for this final season. I expect these last two books of mine will fill 3000 manuscript pages between them before I’m done… and if more pages and chapters and scenes are needed, I’ll add them. And of course the butterfly effect will be at work as well; those of you who follow this Not A Blog will know that I’ve been talking about that since season one. "There are characters who never made it onto the screen at all, and others who died in the show but still live in the books… so if nothing else, the readers will learn what happened to Jeyne Poole, Lady Stoneheart, Penny and her pig, Skahaz Shavepate, Arianne Martell, Darkstar, Victarion Greyjoy, Ser Garlan the Gallant, Aegon VI, and a myriad of other characters both great and small that viewers of the show never had the chance to meet. And yes, there will be unicorns… of a sort…" "Book or show, which will be the “real” ending?   It’s a silly question. How about this? I’ll write it. You read it. Then everyone can make up their own mind, and argue about it on the internet." You can read the blog post in full here.