George RR Martin Faces “Fury & Despair” Regarding Game of Thrones TV Adaptations

After making headlines with his critiques of House of the Dragon, George R.R. Martin has revealed that the Game of Thrones TV adaptations have contributed to the delays in his writing. Fans eagerly anticipating the release of his next book, The Winds of Winter, have been pressuring Martin for updates ever since the franchise has graced our screens.

In a September 9 post on his website, Martin expressed, “Writing came hard, and though I did produce some new pages on both THE WINDS OF WINTER (yes) and BLOOD & FIRE (the sequel to FIRE & BLOOD, the second part of my Targaryen history), I would have liked to turn out a lot more.”

Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen and Harry Collett as Jace in Game of Thrones — HBO

He went on to specifically cite the various TV projects as a significant factor in these delays, although he expressed a more favorable outlook on certain endeavors. “My various television projects ate up most of those months,” he noted. “Some of that was pleasant (DARK WINDS, and THE HEDGE KNIGHT), most of it was not.”

Martin shared his struggles, stating, “The stress kept mounting, the news went from bad to worse to worst, my mood seemed to swing between fury and despair, and at night I tossed and turned when I should have been sleeping. When I did sleep, well, my dreams were none too pleasant either.”

Online reactions to his post appear largely critical, particularly from those who have expressed dissatisfaction with him in the past. However, some comments were sympathetic. One user on X stated, “He’s 80, another friend dies every week, health waning; he shouldn’t have to focus on writing one of the most complex fantasy stories of all time and I don’t think he can.”

Another user added: “I genuinely feel sad about what he’s feeling. I hope he can take care of himself & do things that bring him joy.”