George R.R. Martin Admits Rivalry With House of the Dragon as Season 3 Approaches

Alright, so if you thought things looked dicey onscreen in 'House of the Dragon', it sounds like there’s been plenty of drama behind the scenes too – and, no, not the fun kind with dragons and brooding Targaryens. I’m talking about a pretty rough creative rift between George R.R. Martin – you know, the guy who actually wrote the books – and House of the Dragon’s showrunner Ryan Condal.

The Relationship Started Off Well Enough

When the show first kicked off, Martin made it clear he was in the trenches with Condal. He even helped hire the guy. The two of them worked together during season 1, with Martin getting early drafts of scripts, giving feedback, and seeing some of his suggestions actually make it onto the screen. Martin himself put it pretty plainly: 'I thought Ryan and I were partners. And we were all through the first season. I would read early drafts of the scripts. I would give notes. He would change some things.'

For those wondering, Martin isn't one of those authors who freak out over every change; he admitted 'I have an ego,' but he’s also said he gets that some things have to shift to make good TV. But if an idea strays from his books too much, he wants a decent reason. So, season 1? Mostly smooth sailing, at least by TV standards.

Where It Fell Apart: Season 2 and Studio Interference

Fast-forward to season 2, and that friendly vibe between author and showrunner pretty much dissolved. According to Martin, Condal basically stopped listening. Feedback started going nowhere, and Martin noticed his notes getting ignored, or at best, brushed off with a vague 'I'll think about that.' Eventually, HBO stepped in and told Martin he had to send all his thoughts through the studio, instead of straight to Condal. That’s never a great sign.

'Then we got into season two, and he basically stopped listening to me. I would give notes, and nothing would happen. Sometimes he would explain why he wasn’t doing it. Other times, he would tell me, "Oh, OK, yeah, I’ll think about that." It got worse and worse, and I began to get more and more annoyed. Finally, it got to a point where I was told by HBO that I should submit all my notes to them and they would give Ryan our combined notes.'

If a messy corporate email chain doesn’t scream 'creative partnership in trouble,' I don’t know what does.

Martin’s Frustration Boils Over (And Then Gets Deleted)

At one point, Martin took his complaints public with a blog post (which has since been deleted, but let’s be honest: nothing actually disappears from the internet). He didn’t go full nuclear on season 2 but he didn’t hide his irritation – and the drama only fueled more headaches among fans who were already annoyed that the show was drifting from the source material.

Season 3: The Breaking Point?

Now, here’s where things get a little soap opera: After Martin’s blog post, there was reportedly a tense Zoom call with HBO brass, the showrunners, and Martin. When discussions turned to Condal’s big plans for season 3, Martin made it pretty clear he wasn’t on board, allegedly telling everyone:

'This is not my story any longer.'

Reportedly, things were so strained after that chat that there was basically a forced pause where everyone stepped back to 'figure out a new way forward.' One HBO insider summed it up by saying, 'George and Ryan had a disagreement on the direction of season three. At that point, it was clear that the process and communication with them was broken and needed a reset.'

Where Do Things Stand Now?

With season 3 on the horizon (premiering this year), the big question is whether the show can recapture fans' goodwill – especially after the somewhat mixed reaction to season 2’s growing distance from the books.

• Martin and Condal started as collaborators, with Martin heavily involved in season 1.
• Creative differences over season 2 led to Martin feeling sidelined and HBO putting up a firewall.
• A heated meeting about season 3 ended with Martin seemingly washing his hands of the show's new direction.
• The fandom is split, and the adaptation’s faithfulness to the novels is up for debate.

If you’re still watching 'House of the Dragon', it might be worth keeping all that in mind when season 3 hits HBO Max. At this point, even Martin himself might only be tuning in as a very frustrated fan.