In 1975, Martin met Dune author Frank Herbert at a book convention and they shared a drink. The meeting was “near the end of Herbert’s life,” Martin says. Herbert had written many acclaimed novels, but all fans seemed to want was more Dune. Herbert’s publisher had just offered him a modest advance for a story he wanted to write, or six times that number for another Dune novel.
“He didn’t like Dune anymore and he didn’t want to write any more Dune books,” Martin says. “But he felt locked in by the success of Dune, so he kept writing them.”
Martin finishes … and waits.
I ask: Do you relate to how Herbert felt?
“I’m not necessarily tired of the world [of Ice and Fire],” he says. “I love the world and the world-building. But, yes, I do.”
He had to contractually hand over the plan to the show runners when they ran out of finished books, what you see in the final seasons is what he wanted. Granted it has almost certainly been hamfistedly handled by the show runners but it was his ending.
I am still a big believer that the vitriol of the ending by the fans has played its part into George not finishing the books, and how hes slowly started talking about changing the ending. Personally idgaf if he does change it, he probably does as he will have to admit to changing it as Benioff and Weiss will certainly call him on it if he doesn’t as it massively impacted their careers.
Couple this with his slow pace of writing, huge number of distractions available to him, I am not surprised if he isn’t just running the clock down.