You Have Given Up on Me: George R.R. Martin Fires Back at Calls to Hire a Ghostwriter for The Winds of Winter

George R.R. Martin knows you are tired of waiting. He knows you have jokes, timelines, and a running list of people you think should finish The Winds of Winter for him. And he finally addressed it head-on: not just in a long Not A Blog post, but in the comments and in interviews. Short version? He hears it. He hates the ghostwriter idea. And yes, he is still writing.

He hears the frustration, loudly

In his latest blog post, Martin basically summed up the chorus of complaints he sees every time he posts anything that is not an update about Westeros or The Winds of Winter. He knows the refrains by heart.

'Some of you will just be pissed off by this, as you are by everything I announce here that is not about Westeros or THE WINDS OF WINTER. You have given up on me, or on the book. I will never finish WINDS, If I do, I will never finish A DREAM OF SPRING. If I do, it won’t be any good. I ought to get some other writer to pinch hit for me... I am going to die soon anyway, because I am so old.'

He also reiterated that he still cares about A Song of Ice and Fire and wants to finish the final two books. That part tends to get lost in the noise, but it is the point he keeps returning to: he is still at it.

No, he is not handing off the books

This is the button that really pushes him. Fans have floated the idea for years that another writer could jump in and finish the series. Some have suggested his longtime collaborators Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. Others keep name-dropping Brandon Sanderson. Martin is... not into it.

When a commenter named OneFairfax asked on his blog if Abraham and Franck could eventually write stories in the ASOIAF universe, Martin replied: 'Uh... no.' The follow-up question pressed further: could anyone else do it, or would the books remain his alone? His answer: 'I don't see anyone else ever writing (legally) in that universe.'

As for Sanderson, even though fans love to bring up his name, he has no interest in taking over A Song of Ice and Fire. So that fantasy draft pick is not happening either.

Yes, he talked about the mortality thing

Martin is 77, and he is not oblivious to the not-very-subtle comments about the clock. He told The Hollywood Reporter he is very much alive and has the energy to keep working. The subtext here is pretty simple: stop writing his eulogy while he is still at the keyboard.

What happens to Westeros after him

Here is where it gets a little more behind-the-scenes than fans usually like to think about. Martin has said that even though he does not want anyone else writing in his world, he understands how literary estates work. In an interview with Fairfax Media, he pointed out that rights often pass to grandchildren, other relatives, or sometimes people not related to the author at all. He is not thrilled about the idea, and he is well aware that plenty of opportunists hover around big franchises. But in his words and tone, there is also an acknowledgment that Westeros probably will not disappear with him, whether he likes it or not.

Where the books stand right now

If you need a refresher on the timeline and why everyone is so antsy, here is the publication history so far:

• A Game of Thrones — 1996
• A Clash of Kings — 1998
• A Storm of Swords — 2000
• A Feast for Crows — 2005
• A Dance with Dragons — 2011
• The Winds of Winter — TBA
• A Dream of Spring — TBA

The bottom line

Martin knows the complaints. He is still writing The Winds of Winter and wants to finish both remaining books himself. He is not handing the series to Abraham, Franck, Sanderson, or anyone else while he is around. He is also not pretending the IP will be buried with him, even if that possibility bugs him. For now, it is him and the pages. That is the update, whether it makes you hopeful, skeptical, or both.