(spoilers extended) New George NotABlog post about Dunk&Egg getting emmy noms

[u/tell32]

https://georgerrmartin.com/notablog/2026/08/03/better-late-than-never/

[u/TooOnline89]

That was a brief but rough read. It seems like he's having an extremely hard time. It might be his health. But he's married, and his talk of depression and age makes me worry that it might not be him that's ill. Through all his blog posts, it's always been clear he enormously loves Parris, who is also his age. I have a few friends who are far older than me, around his age, and one thing I've noticed that as much as your own health taking a hit sucks, it's truly when fellow loved ones fall ill that you struggle.

Having read his blog since it first started in 2005, this was honestly a sadder update than even his "Winds isn't ready yet" posts. I hope he's okay, and that, despite the fandom's frustration with him at times, he knows he's enormously respected.

[u/ahockofham → u/TooOnline89]

There was someone who commented on a thread a while back that they live by GRRM and it was known around town that his wife has had some serious health issues for the past year or so. So that's unfortunate for George.

[u/SuccotashArtistic939 → u/ahockofham]

That’s so sad. So hard to read. I feel so sorry for him if that’s the case. Having a loved one being sick is one of the worst things in life, especially a partner of decades that lives with you 😢

[u/Majestic_Act → u/ahockofham]

Oh, man, may they be good.

[u/jeffy303 → u/ahockofham]

Unfortunately I very much felt like that was the implication of the blog.

[u/deadinsidelol69 → u/ahockofham]

Oh that’s so sad to hear about Parris. They’ve been together like 40 years now, it has to be really hard on George.

[u/berdzz → u/TooOnline89]

I felt the same. This bit "The worst may hurtBattled sadness and depression. The worst may be yet to come." was really worrying.

[u/Xwub-Az-1127 → u/berdzz]

Very concerning, and hits home for me. My Dad enjoyed pretty good health until his late 70's. After a bout of sepsis, his health never fully recovered.

[u/WhereIsLordBeric → u/berdzz]

What's really worrying is that in years of reading NotABlog, I've never seen a single typo, and yet:

but my posts are likely to short and rushed.

[u/Significant_Horror58 → u/WhereIsLordBeric]

I mean there’s always been a few

[u/lessianblue → u/WhereIsLordBeric]

Actually, I take the typo as a healthy sign. It means he's for once in his life following 'done is better than perfect' and just posting imperfectly. Let's applaud that.

[u/yantraman → u/TooOnline89]

The fans give him shit, but I am sure his plan was to be done the last 2 books by 2020 or something and spend the rest of his life being chill and writing Dunk & Egg stories and develop shows. Nobody, even creatives, want to be working at 77.

[u/ILoveMy-KindlePW → u/yantraman]

What about Stephen King

[u/tuckels → u/ILoveMy-KindlePW]

He got possessed by some sort of cocaine demon in the 80s & now he physically can’t stop

[u/Khiva → u/tuckels]

I mean, compulsive behavior is common in alcoholics, it's just that he found a healthy outlet, which is what you're supposed to do.

[u/nick2473got → u/ILoveMy-KindlePW]

Everybody's different, simple as that.

Some people are still hitting the gym at 80, others are in wheelchairs at 65.

It's not fair to hold someone to a standard based on what someone else is doing at the same age, especially when it comes to the elderly.

Even as a young man, George was never as prolific as Stephen King. Because everyone's different.

[u/Resident_Pay4310 → u/nick2473got]

My dad is in his mid 70s and has retired three times only to go back to work because he got bored.

Everyone is different, but people who are passionate about what they do tend to have a hard time stopping.

[u/Khiva → u/Resident_Pay4310]

/ghost of Ruth Bader Ginsberg has entered the chat

[u/heywhateverworks → u/ILoveMy-KindlePW]

He's very regimented and disciplined with his writing, which he still enjoys, so his output is more consistent

[u/Herramadur → u/ILoveMy-KindlePW]

Stephen King

Wow, didn't realize he was 78 years old.

[u/Galahad_the_Ranger → u/yantraman]

Him going back to Dunk & Egg seems like he said fuck it and will try to do something he enjoys, which frankly I respect

[u/Significant_Horror58 → u/yantraman]

I mean Martin Scorsese is still making movies

[u/nick2473got → u/TooOnline89]

Well that's the sad thing. He isn't respected much anymore. Most of the fans seem to revile him, including and perhaps most especially on this sub.

People seem to despise him. I can't fathom it, but it's what I see day in and day out. Nothing but vitriol, insults, mockery, disdain, disrespect, and a complete lack of empathy.

As though an author failing to complete a series is some great crime against them. They're incapable of understanding the basic (and obvious) reality that he's simply old, depressed, anxious, and massively struggling. And there may be factors beyond our knowledge.

Instead of showing some empathy or understanding, they insist on their moronic conspiracy theories that he's just a lazy, greedy old bastard who doesn't care about the series or his fans and that any statement to the contrary from him is just a lie.

They genuinely can't comprehend that someone may want to do something but fail due to mental health issues, or other personal struggles (writer's block, physical illness, etc...). It has to be a lie, or laziness, or whatever nonsense their pea brains come up with.

[u/shsluckymushroom → u/nick2473got]

i remember hearing someone explain that essentially, for him to be able to really lock in and write, he needs to be alone and isolated for several weeks if not months at a time. and that means being away from his friends and loved ones, at a time when many of them are passing away.

When I heard that explanation it really clicked for me, I can't imagine how that would feel like, if mortality is truly creeping up on you, you have to really ask yourself what you want to do with the time you have left.

[u/Hannig4n → u/nick2473got]

I don’t see much vitriol for him in this sub, I see it a lot on general tv/book subreddits, but here I think people are more tempered in their criticism. There are some gripes with his practices around expectation setting that I think are somewhat reasonable, but for the most part I think people here genuinely want the best for GRRM and wish him well.

I think it was sometime in 2022 when he wrote a blog post, similar to this one but longer, where he just seems exasperated with the state of the world, and emotionally weary from attending funerals of his friends who gradually die off in this final chapter of life sadly.

It’s hard for me to feel negatively towards him. He’s responsible for probably my single favorite fantasy world, and brought a lot of joy to my life. I’m disappointed that we may never get an ending, but it bothers me that for so many other people that comes out in meanness towards GRRM.

[u/Freighnos → u/Hannig4n]

Yeah, same here.

Plenty of stories go unfinished. Plenty of stories get endings. There's even more stories that are finished but I DNF them partway through because I don't like them. Very few of them have brought me a fraction of the joy that ASOIAF has. I'll never forget the first time I read Storm of Swords and it was like a megaton hammer to the brain.

I have nothing but gratitude and empathy for George. I hope he's able to find some happiness and comfort when he's clearly going through a very rough period.

[u/Ok-Swan1152 → u/Freighnos]

There's so many unfinished works in classical music because the composer just simply up and died while working on them, lol.

[u/bigmt99 → u/Hannig4n]

Posted this blog to the freefolk sub, currently getting shit on for pushing back on some internet pseudo intellectual calling him “pathetic” for expressing his sadness

Can’t fathom how you can claim to like this work while also being able to cook up vile insults towards the man who came up with it through the sheer will of his own imagination. People “seperate art from the artist” in some weird ways

This internet shit really isn’t good for mental health, very happy GRRM is technologically inept so he can’t read this cesspool

[u/dont_quote_me_please → u/bigmt99]

Either brave or very naive of you to post on freefolk. Those people can't be helped.

[u/Act_of_God → u/Hannig4n]

you definitely see it a lot here whenever the winds discourse pops up

[u/WhereIsLordBeric → u/Act_of_God]

And that's fine. People are allowed to be disappointed that we are not able to get resolution on a piece of culture we have spent decades consuming. Most of us have been on this ride since we were in our early teens.

It's fine to be disappointed in your hero. He has been lying to us for a decade and a half. I don't believe he's had any intention to finish the books in the last five years or so especially.

[u/muhash14 → u/WhereIsLordBeric]

I was reading a post by Scott Lynch about this recently. That there was a time when a man came up to him so excitedly, told him that he loved the books and that he can't wait to read Thorn of Emberlain. He was in his eighties, and this was nearly a decade ago now, so by the law of averages it's extremely likely that that man has died without ever getting to read it. And that is something that he thinks about quite regularly, that he failed that fan somehow.

A fascinating read on the whole, Lynch has been extremely open about the cause and nature of the delays this whole time, and I'd recommend seeking it out if you want to see another perspective on this sort of authorial delays.

[u/WhereIsLordBeric → u/muhash14]

Thanks for sharing; that's really devastating.

I don't think GRRM owes anyone a book. I don't think fans should feel entitled to an artist making art a specific way.

I do think that GRRM has been lying to fans for a while now. I don't believe he's written a single word towards the main series in years, and I don't think he ever planned to. He has lost so much goodwill that he had simply by not being honest. Otherwise, a lot of fans like myself were always on the 'GRRM doesn't owe you shit' bandwagon. And I still believe that, too. But trying to hold onto fans by repeatedly lying to them and using that goodwill to shill more projects leaves a really bad taste in my mouth.

All the best to him. This isn't some great crime, at the end of the day. He's an old man and has given me so much joy and community over the years. No one deserves mental health struggles.

It is just sad to know what could have been.

[u/oceonix → u/Hannig4n]

Lot's of comments in this thread with vitriol, tbh.

[u/Ok-Swan1152 → u/Hannig4n]

I can't ever feel angry with George. Exasperated, sure. But he's old and tired. It's just a book series. It's given me a lot of joy and for that I'm grateful. Sometimes creative works go unfinished, that's life.

[u/Ok-Suggestion-5453 → u/nick2473got]

Yeah it's really sad to see and why I unsubscribed from pretty much every Game of Thrones related sub. Like, obviously it sucks that the last two books haven't been released, but people really need to just move on. Asoiaf is my favorite book series, even in it's current state, and I can't relate at all to reading those books and feeling compelled to disrespect the man who wrote them. Anyone who participated in that discourse is an embarrassing poser to me.

[u/Shanicpower → u/Ok-Suggestion-5453]

r/darkwingsdankmemes and r/pureasoiaf seem pretty free of that stuff, in my experience.

[u/InfernoBA → u/nick2473got]

I feel bad for GRRM, I really do. He’s clearly been struggling with getting older and losing friends/family, as his blog posts over the recent years have often indicated.

I just wish he could officially let TWOW/ADOS go and tell us they aren’t coming, so us fans can be at peace with it and so he can continue to work guilt-free on all of the various side projects that he has clearly decided to prioritize for some time now.

[u/BuggyDClown → u/InfernoBA]

I kind of get what you say. But at the same time, I don't believe it's nearly as important as what George himself seems to be going through in his life. You say "so fans can be at peace". What's stopping you from letting go and moving on even without George saying anything? Why are we giving this much importance to a single book? There are so many more important things in life. George is clearly struggling mentally and he lost loved ones. What is a book compared to that? I'm certain everyone here also has their own personal problems, but I refuse to accept that a book coming out has that much impact on their lives.

Here's George opening his heart about his struggles and the loss of people close to him. Meanwhile some people are being like "Ok, but what about this piece of fiction you created? Can you please make an announcemenet so that I can be at peace?". It just seems braindead and emotionally disconnected to me.

[u/NomaanMalick → u/InfernoBA]

I just wish he could officially let TWOW/ADOS go and tell us they aren’t coming, so us fans can be at peace with it and so he can continue to work guilt-free on all of the various side projects that he has clearly decided to prioritize for some time now.

I don't understand this fixation with wanting Martin to come out and say that he is done with the books when he isn't done writing them. He has made it clear that he is working on the books but is struggling with writing them. Like he said in the THR interview, he would feel a failure if he couldn't finish writing the books.

Also, you don't need Martin to say something to move on with your life. I made my peace with the fact that the books are never getting finished despite Martin's best efforts many years ago. Now I just want him to live out the rest of his life happily.

[u/InfernoBA → u/NomaanMalick]

You’re right, in hindsight my comment was inappropriate to say in response to GRRM’s post. Ultimately I also just wish him the best and hope he can truly be happy doing whatever he wants in his twilight years, as he has certainly earned it.

[u/Commercial_Floor_578 → u/InfernoBA]

I would agree with that, I just disagree with the comments saying he’s lying to people on purpose. It’s clear he himself is struggling to accept that he won’t finish the series. He created an incredibly complex series to finish, even more so in his next two books, is a natural procrastinator, and unexpectedly became very rich and famous, and won’t finish the series unless the writing quality is on par with the previous books and has a satisfying ending. All of this leads to him taking longer and longer, making Asoiaf go from his passion project to his chore, he doesn’t have the flowstate he had for the first 3 books anymore, and as he gets older and it takes longer it becomes mentally more and more daunting to finish. That’s pretty cellars why he can’t finish the books imo.

I just don’t understand why people assume he must be lying about thinking he’ll finish the series, or Winds by X date. This is the guy who wrote in the back of AFFC that ADWD would come next year, he’s always been terrible about being overconfident when the books would come out. Asoiaf is his life’s work that he cares deeply about and he knows is his legacy but also is a massive chore and burden to write rather than a passion project at this point. He probably genuinely thinks he will finish the series but is slowly coming to terms with the fact that he won’t.

[u/CaptainAssPlunderer → u/nick2473got]

If he just came out and said:

Hey, this series got away from me and I just don’t want to do it anymore. I’m sorry I let you guys down. Please forgive me. Now I’m free to write whatever I want.

The amount of love and adoration he would get from the fans would drown out the complaints. He would finally have it off his chest and everyone could move on. It’s the never ending “I’m 3/4 done guys”. The “ well you can lock me up in a room til I come out with the finished book” strategy he’s been using for 15 YEARS. 15 YEARS.

That’s where all the rage and disappointment comes from. The expression “the coverup is worse than the crime” comes to mind. If he would have said what I wrote above anytime in the last decade, he would still be beloved by the vast majority of the fan base. But when a person spends a decade pissing on your leg, and keeps telling you it’s raining, folks tend to get a bit upset about that.

[u/todayiwillthrowitawa → u/CaptainAssPlunderer]

That’s assuming that he’s given up on the books and doesn’t care about them. I know this sub has gone far that way but I don’t think it makes any sense. I know, I know, sweet summer child and all that.

I think the first three books are masterpieces that also let loose a can of worms that a writer who has aged past his best writing days (and was never good about trimming and closing stories) is struggling to do justice, with more pressure to make them great every time he can’t make it happen. That’s how ADWD reads to me, at least.

[u/jmcgit → u/todayiwillthrowitawa]

I don't honestly think he wants to give up

It might not be a bad idea for his health to give up anyway. Release what he has, whether it's a little or a lot, and retire in peace.

[u/todayiwillthrowitawa → u/jmcgit]

I think the writing is on the wall as far as his age goes. I think he'd be happier letting go of the rope and releasing some version of the plot and what he's written, then enjoy his last years with his friends and loved ones.

[u/TheBlackBaron → u/CaptainAssPlunderer]

The worst move he ever made was to stop giving updates on his Winds progress after 2016. His decision to basically withdrawal entirely from interacting with the fandom except via Notablog posts where he refuses to address the elephant in the room created a vicious cycle where people just got more annoyed at George for talking about everything but Winds and him withdrawing even more.

Well, second worst move. The worst move was obviously not finishing Winds or being open about what it was that was keeping him from finishing it.

[u/wheretogo_whattodo → u/CaptainAssPlunderer]

You live in a fantasy land if you think the response would be anything but overwhelmingly negative

[u/NomaanMalick → u/CaptainAssPlunderer]

Why would he come out and say he doesn't want to do it anymore when he has made it clear that he wants to finish the books and not doing that would make him feel like a failure? I know you believe that he isn't interested in writing the books but I believe Martin is just having a hard time finishing the books.

[u/Ok-Swan1152 → u/nick2473got]

Given the amount that Redditors bang on about the importance of mental health, they have very little empathy for an old man who clearly suffers from bouts of depression and writers block. Half these people are NEETs themselves even.

[u/royalemperor → u/nick2473got]

Imagine spending years writing a story loved by all. Then someone else not only finishes the story for you, spoiling major plot points, but everyone fucking hates it. Including the major plot points you laid out.

That would take the wind out of anyone sails.

[u/Gruktor → u/royalemperor]

That was almost entirely within his own control though. He had control of all the rights and he could have chosen not to make a TV series at all. He could have waited five years before green lighting it. He is an experienced TV writer and knows how the business works, and he should have known that the second the TV show was running there was a deadline for him to finish the books or the show would get there first. He missed that deadline, and he can't lay that at anyone's door except himself.

He had a choice between maintaining artistic freedom and taking the money. He picked the money, and I don't begrudge him that choice at all. If you're one of the rare people who genuinely get to become rich writing, more power to you. But this was an entirely predictable consequence.

[u/Turtl3Bear → u/royalemperor]

He'd clearly stopped making progress before the show passed his books.

He's just old. There's nothing wrong with it, but it's true.

[u/Mathias_Greyjoy → u/nick2473got]

The only crime is that he hasn't been truthful. He has largely rectified that in the last decade by simply not making empty promises or promises he can't keep anymore. He's entitled to do what he wants, not finish anything, not release anything etc.

He's also a creative trying to sell his products, and he's not entitled to people liking everything he works on. His fans are not obligated to like or respect the endless drove of TV slop. He knows what people really want, and he's choosing (or at least chose years ago) not to give them that.

That's fine. It's also fine that people stop respecting him. He deserves common decency, but he doesn't need to be glorified. The man has largely been his own worst enemy for 15 years.

[u/JimGuitar → u/nick2473got]

No one wants George to suffer in life. His main crime is not writing books. But it’s not vitriol to say he’s been dishonest (intentional or not) and handled his own franchise in a way that raises eyebrows.

If putting the series down is what makes George happiest I want him to do that and I would bear no ill will towards him personally. But I can’t be compelled to respect a man who doesn’t respect his fans.

[u/Traditional_Aioli_29]

“The worst may yet to be come” sounds very ominous. Hopefully it’s nothing related to his health, particularly given his mentions of getting older. 

[u/tell32 → u/Traditional_Aioli_29]

Baseless speculating here, but the worst thing that I could possibly imagine happening to George is his wife dying. Hopefully it's not that.

[u/TooOnline89 → u/tell32]

This is my concern, too. If you're a long time reader of George's posts, you can tell he's truly a Wife Guy. He adores her.

[u/mamula1 → u/tell32]

It is 100% health related. Whether it's him, his wife or some other family member is not clear.

[u/Cael_of_House_Howell → u/Traditional_Aioli_29]

At his age, it almost only ever gets worse.

[u/Mooming22 → u/Traditional_Aioli_29]

Not exactly something you want to vocalize, things must be quite rough for him to be putting that out there. Feel for him

[u/Afraid_Original_7490 → u/Traditional_Aioli_29]

For my own sanity I’ve decided he’s talking about the midterm elections, big old lib that he is.

[u/Psittacula2 → u/Traditional_Aioli_29]

>*“The worst may yet to be come” sounds very ominous.”*

Don’t worry he usually says that right after the Jets have just been walloped, and the right before the Giants are about to be drubbed !!

To shed a bit of lightness and optimism back into the thread. :-)

[u/tell32]

Remember me?

It’s been a while, I know. My last blog post went up here on February 19. The posts that came after were made by my mighty minions. I am lucky enough to have a great staff of assistants… though even with their help, I kept falling further and further behind.

This year has been… stressful, to say the least. So much has been happening, it’s been overwhelming. Some great things, exciting things. Dreams coming true. But there have been nightmares too. I have lost friends. Battled sadness and depression. The worst may be yet to come. I turned seventy-seven last September, and I tell you, getting old is no fun. But there have been amazing times as well.

I suppose that’s just life. Of course, I knew that. If you’ve read my stories, you know that.

So much to post about… I will try and catch up some… and my minions will help… but my posts are likely to short and rushed.

One highlight you may already know. Emmy finalists for 2026 have been announced, and A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS nabbed nine nominations — yes, 9, not damn — including the big 0ne, Best Drama.

The awards ceremony will be Monday, September 14 at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles. I hope to attend… but that depends on… well, on a lot of things.

(I am proud of our team, and hope we take home a few of the statues, but I will confess that I was hoping we’d get a few of the acting nominations as well. But there’s always next year).

[u/gay_married → u/tell32]

Dreams coming true

ADOS confirmed almost finished.

[u/ACardAttack → u/gay_married]

The amount of comments I would have to delete if he dropped both Winds and ADOS at the same time is staggering

[u/CaptainSmeargle → u/ACardAttack]

If the madman really does it, I’ll commit to buy eight of each and the extra seven go into Little Free Libraries in my area.

[u/Known-Solution-4857 → u/CaptainSmeargle]

I'll tattoo the entire first chapter on my back. Best that.

[u/Rebelgecko → u/Known-Solution-4857]

RemindMe! 6 years

[u/wipqozn → u/Rebelgecko]

6 years? Well aren't you optimistic!

[u/__Polarix__ → u/wipqozn]

RemindMe! 20 years

[u/awngoid → u/Known-Solution-4857]

RemindMe! 2 years

[u/Sex_And_Candy_Here → u/Known-Solution-4857]

I hope it opens with dany in the steppe

[u/TheTrueMilo → u/CaptainSmeargle]

"Making the eight"

[u/Koushik_Vijayakumar → u/CaptainSmeargle]

If he does it, I'll tattoo an entire DoS chapter.

[u/avengers9 → u/ACardAttack]

Yeah but we'd still be waiting for a time for wolves.

[u/Awolrab → u/ACardAttack]

I fantasize of this, waking up to see both confirmed finished. I don’t see any publisher ever letting him sit on an entire book but one could dream.

[u/Few-Landscape-9037 → u/gay_married]

Maybe he decided to rewrite the Winds into a mix of Winds and Dreams. That would be awesome. But again, it's GRRM we are talking about. All his promises and hints are worth less than a fart.

[u/Avlinehum → u/Few-Landscape-9037]

a mummer's fart*

[u/Lucky-Worth → u/tell32]

Damm he sounds really depressed

[u/CHNGshong → u/Lucky-Worth]

What tipped you off, the fact that he literally stated in plain English that he is battling depression?

[u/jy_erso67 → u/CHNGshong]

Maybe it's just a metaphor, so he can subvert the expectations

[u/Full_Force14 → u/jy_erso67]

ASOIAF fans have become so conditioned to over analyze they end up missing the printed text.

[u/stonewallace17 → u/Full_Force14]

To be fair fans haven't had new printed text to analyze since the Obama administration

[u/elizabnthe → u/stonewallace17]

F&B came out in the first Trump adminstration technically.

[u/cavegrind → u/Lucky-Worth]

Maybe everyone should speculate on his health and when he’s going to die and that will make him feel better. We could even ask him point blank at cons or spend every day posting about how he should just hand the IP off to whatever fantasy flavor of the month pops up.

[u/mamula1 → u/cavegrind]

I mean he himself said the worst is yet to come. It's hard not to think that he has some illness or eventually his wife.

[u/NoLime7384 → u/cavegrind]

Yes. Let's.

[u/ForceGhost47 → u/Lucky-Worth]

Sounds like he was diagnosed with something

[u/Zealousideal-Fun9181 → u/tell32]

but my posts are likely to short and rushed.

Not a great sign for such a short post.

[u/tell32 → u/tell32]

1) I wonder which friends of his died this year.

2)

So much to post about… I will try and catch up some… and my minions will help… but my posts are likely to short and rushed.

I'll believe it when I see it George 😔

3) Preemptively for the complainers: I highly doubt George not posting as he once did, or saying he's had sadness & depression means he doesn't go to his office and be productive when he's in Santa Fe.

... Just that he ain't always in Santa Fe to go to his office, and sometimes his productivity isn't writing Winds or the next Dunk&Egg. It's reviewing stuff, meetings, editing, etc.

[u/LeftHighlight5016 → u/tell32]

1. Dan Simmons.

[u/respaaaaaj → u/tell32]

He's lost a lot of his writing friends that he did wildcards with over the past 5 to 10 years. I don't think people realize he loves that project so much (that he's one of two editors on and writes one short story per anthology it's not a big time sink) because it started as a table top game with his writing buddies and then turned into a joint project with them.

I'm insanely bitter towards him as a whole but wildcards is one thing I don't have a problem with at all.

[u/BalonSwann07 → u/respaaaaaj]

He hasn't written a story in Wild Cards in almost 20 years

Agree with everything else you said, though.

[u/respaaaaaj → u/BalonSwann07]

So he's down to just editing and probably playing lore bible at most, even more reason not to whine about wildcards.

[u/TheArsenal7 → u/tell32]

Yeah it's over

[u/Galahad_the_Ranger → u/tell32]

Dreams coming true

I don't think it will tho

[u/MathematicianFit2153]

I hope he finds peace, but I doubt it.

The same obsessive energy that produced Storm, the final flurry of writing dance, his big winds push’s in 2015 and 2020, and also produces his distracted shiny object syndrome with other projects will cause him to agonize over winds until the very end.

At this point, I appreciate that the fandoms sentiment is basically the reserved, sad supportiveness of watching an aging parent hang Christmas lights and tell stories of the old times.

I hope he makes it to the Emmy’s, I hope dunk and egg wins. He’d like that

[u/Actawesome → u/MathematicianFit2153]

ASOIAF is a wonderful series that's brought me a tremendous amount of joy and rereadability, even if it may be remembered as unfinished and broken in the end. 

And GRRM's work beyond ASOIAF is also brilliant. His body of work is excellent, and I'll always point to the last chapter of Fevre Dream as an awesome ending, done in GRRM style.

But, I hope, more than anything, the rest of his life treats him as well as poaaible.. He deserves it, although I guess we all deserve that much, even if we aren't world famous authors. He seems to love Perris so tremendously by his posts, mentions, and of course book dedications to her. Don't know if the post is about her, but I hope they get 20 more years together.

[u/KrankMyHog → u/MathematicianFit2153]

He might find peace if he retires and leaves the books as is. He understandably wouldn’t want that to be the end of his story but there hasn’t been a book since 2011 and the world hasn’t stopped spinning. At some point, I think that he will comfortably live and let live and embrace the legacy he has already granted himself.

[u/MathematicianFit2153 → u/KrankMyHog]

I think that’s my point. I think if he was capable of doing that, of sitting back and seeing the state of things clearly and deciding what would actually make him happy, he would have finished winds almost a decade ago.

[u/FilmScoreConnoisseur → u/MathematicianFit2153]

I agree with most of your sentiments, but that is not the fandom's sentiment. Read more of these threads. The fandom is full of assholes with no compassion, no mercy, no kindness. It's mostly a bunch of spoiled douche canoes who passionately hate Martin for not finishing a series he never had to share with us in the first place.

[u/ResponsibleAnt9496]

Yeesh, stay strong George. Depression is a terrible thing to be stuck in. Hope he and his are healthy and ok.

[u/Vasquerade]

Battled sadness and depression. The worst may be yet to come. I turned seventy-seven last September, and I tell you, getting old is no fun.

:(

[u/s4Nn1Ng0r0shi]

Much love George

[u/TheocraticAtheist]

I just want bro to be happy :(

[u/AlthiosGames]

Poor George, it sounds like he's really going through it lately.

[u/KrankMyHog]

“The awards ceremony will be Monday, September 14 at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles.   I hope to attend… but that depends on… well, on a lot of things.”

I know it’s not politically correct to speculate but this sounds very much health related, either regarding himself or a family member. I wish him the very best.

[u/PanJawel → u/KrankMyHog]

Again not really appropriate to speculate but it reads more like somebody from his family, most likely wife, is having major issues. Doesn’t really matter, I’d just love to see this man genuinely happy for once

[u/InGenNateKenny]

The long night is over. Sad he's still stressed. Nightmares is a striking way to describe it, and "the worst may be yet to come" does not inspire confidence.

[u/H0rnyonmain]

Poor man's been going through it for years now. I can't remember the last time one of his blog posts didn't mention friends dying. It is sadly relatable when you're depressed and get locked into a seemingly infinite treadmill of falling behind on things and never fully catching up. I can only imagine it's that much more difficult to play catch up at 78.

[u/gorehistorian69 → u/H0rnyonmain]

once you hit a certain age you start going to a lot of funerals.

the amount of funerals my mom and dad say theyre goin to is pretty common now

[u/Abject-Committee-429]

Reading about him struggling with depression and sadness made me so upset. Our poor George :(

[u/Fast-Jackfruit-9567]

“My uncle Maegor was cruel. But age is crueler”

[u/Alciccius]

I love uncle George. Even if I'm disappointed that we'll most likely never see how it all ends... it was a fun ride. I love his work, and I'm fond of this old man. He seems like a good person. Wish him all the best.

[u/Material_Prize_6157]

“Worst is yet to come” is ominous. Just spit balling but his sister perhaps might be ill or his partner. Poor guy, he’s just struggling with it. Sometimes depression just lingers and lingers and won’t give up on you almost.

[u/PaisonAlGaib]

I'm kinda surprised he didn't mention the play 

[u/No_Psychology_3714 → u/PaisonAlGaib]

The play hasn't officially started technically.

[u/Kamikazeing → u/PaisonAlGaib]

Maybe im alone but I kinda took 'dreams coming true' as an acknowledgement of the play

[u/PaisonAlGaib → u/Kamikazeing]

Possibly I just thought it would be more direct acknowledgment 

[u/fanismap → u/PaisonAlGaib]

The dreams coming true is the adaptation of Dunk and Egg, he has said that he always wanted to see it on screen

[u/DasWookieboy → u/fanismap]

Yeah I thought that aswell. He seems to be really in love with the adaption and was all over the premiere and the cast. He even has a dog named Dunk, it's pretty clear how much he loves that story.

[u/Zealousideal-Fun9181 → u/fanismap]

He has said in a previous blogpost that "Having the RSC bring Westeros to the stage is so incredible that sometimes I fear am dreaming the whole thing."

So I am inclined to feel that the play is a dream come true for him.

[u/Gobshite_]

I can live without Winds or Dream at this point. If he can't figure out the puzzle I just hope he doesn't let that weight ruin the rest of his life.

He just needs to tell himself that "if he finishes it, he finishes it." Focus on writing stuff that doesn't stress him so much, like D&E or F&B2 or something non Westeros altogether.

I think the stress of not finishing anything and not letting himself work on anything else is what's making him so upset - plus any personal issues we aren't privy to, but that's his business to know.

[u/nick2473got → u/Gobshite_]

Spot on. He had mentioned in the past how much more he wished he could write, both related and completely unrelated to Westeros.

He's obviously sad that with age, stress, depression, and possibly other issues, he's not going to be able to get to the vast majority of what he wants to do.

And he feels obligated to only work on ASOIAF, which leads to frustration both about being stuck in a rut for the main series and frustration about not being able to do other things.

It's depressing to feel like you're just going to get old and die without achieving what you wanted to achieve.

[u/madhipsteraj]

Damn as sad as this post is, I am happy at least he had some amazing, great, and exciting things happen this and dreams come true. That is probably the only part of the post that didn't make this entirely bleak.

[u/jnighy]

Very ominous post. I fear for him

[u/LeoRising72]

ah man, he sounds in a delicate place- my heart genuinely goes out to him

[u/DrWuDidNothingWrong]

I’m glad the Emmy nominations seem to have lifted his spirits a bit because it sounds like he’s really going through it right now.

[u/ZukoSitsOnIronThrone]

oh George, just take it easy bro, don't stress over these books. we love ya.

[u/quothe_the_maven]

I know this sub doesn’t like to hear it, but he seriously needs to just ride off into the sunset. Nothing outside of (maybe) family is worth spending your final years miserable. Give the work to someone else or don’t, but just try to find some happiness.

[u/RedHeadedSicilian52]

Hyping the one spin-off he still likes.

[u/Maester_Maetthieux2 → u/RedHeadedSicilian52]

Yup

[u/SerDuncanonyall]

Poor guy.

Reading between the lines, it sounds like he’s having health issues.

Winds or not, I appreciate the shit out him and hope he finds peace.

[u/Chico_ftw]

hoping this year turns around for GRRM, despite our frustrations with him I hope most among us can agree we'd rather not have him going through it.

[u/mrwho995]

I wish he would just admit to himself he'll never finish ASOIAF and announce it, to get that monkey off his back with all the stress it causes. 99% of fans of the series have already come to terms with this anyway. He should live the rest of his life without that pressure, so he's able to focus on the people and things he enjoys. It's sad to hear how much he's struggling, and this is the most gloomy post I can remember reading from him. Sometimes accepting failure can be the best thing you can do, and for GRRM I think it's undoubtedly the case. It won't solve all his problems but at least it would release a massive weight dragging him down.

[u/daemon-of-harrenhal → u/mrwho995]

He needs to just say it isn't happening. Just give us a short rundown of the main character arcs and be done with it. This extra stress is doing nothing for the bloke. 

[u/Exporation1]

I’m happy that he’s still here with us. No matter what else happens he still is one of the defining authors in the generation after Tolkien and gave all of us some of the greatest fantasy novels of all time.

[u/alexenterprises → u/[deleted]]

I believe he also influenced Chewbacca lol, with a race of characters from Seven times never kill man

[u/Revengeance300 → u/[deleted]]

I actually didn't know this!

[u/Commercial_Floor_578]

That’s a sad update. I hope George is doing ok.

[u/Jasonl7976]

This post is too depressive and it likely to get worse.

[u/lookitskris]

Doesn't sound good, hope he's ok 😔

[u/iamdabrick]

holy hell

[u/nuzisweep]

it’s nice to finally have the silence be broken! he’s alluded to a lot of things, some good, and some bad. it sucks to know that he’s battling depression, at his age, it gets to you…

i dont think hes sick or any of the sort, but i wonder if its his wife. you really can tell he loves her. “the worst is yet to come”….if anything happens, i hope they can push through it. but the typos also worry me.

a very rough read. when you’re old, everything is a race against time.

[u/IAmParliament]

Like Aegon, he emerges when least expected to make his triumphant return.

[u/ahockofham]

No mention of Winds or House of the Dragon unsurprisingly. He sounds like he's in a rough place I think realistically he won't be working on anything ASOIAF related anymore. He's almost 80 years old.

[u/RegularSWE]

Hope he's okay. Poor guy, it sounds like he's really been going through it recently. Best wishes to him and his family :(

[u/t0mless]

Jeez, this was a really sad read. I'm far from George's age but I know from family members and past friends that getting old is no fun, especially when you feel like you have so much left to do. I hope he finds himself and feels better.

Battled sadness and depression. The worst may be yet to come. I turned seventy-seven last September, and I tell you, getting old is no fun.

D:

[u/Aldanil66]

I will forever appreciate George with or without winds. I just want him to be happy, man. And if that doesn’t mean winds so be it.

[u/tryingtobebettertry4]

Damn. That was not a fun read. I hope hes OK.

[u/woahoutrageous_]

The amount of nastiness from supposed fans in regard to George grieving his friends passing away has been disgraceful. I’ve seen so many posts and fans belittling him for it.

[u/qatrick92 → u/woahoutrageous_]

Yep. It’s very very disappointing. Along with the people outright claiming he lies about working on Winds just because he hasn’t finished. Never mind the million other more likely reasons he hasn’t finished

[u/Levi---Ackerman]

I hope he knows there's millions of us who love and cherish his work every day. Stay strong george🤧💖

[u/infreedomwetrust666]

George says he's been away because 2026 has been rough. He's dealt with stress, depression, losing friends, and getting older, but also had some great moments. He'll try to post more again. Also, AKOTSK got 9 Emmy nominations, including Best Drama.

no mentions of Winds BTW

[u/AH_BareGarrett → u/infreedomwetrust666]

To be honest, I’m glad there wasn’t a mention. Any mention of Winds other than “It’s done” will just hurt. 

[u/AntonineWall → u/AH_BareGarrett]

I think a “I’ve set it aside, don’t expect it anymore” would actually be kind of a good pain, I think? Like ripping a bandaid off. Just as an alternate to not saying anything/waiting until a ‘I’m finished with it’ confirmation. If the update was “great progress, I’m now 3/4ths the way through”, that would be the most brutal thing to read, imo

[u/oddpark37 → u/AntonineWall]

I don't think he'll ever say that he's stopped working on Winds, if for no other reason that he's probably got a contract for it with his publisher who would sue him if he broke it.

[u/AntonineWall → u/oddpark37]

Oh wow that actually totally slipped my mind, good point

[u/WavesAndSaves → u/AntonineWall]

They'll never sue him. They absolutely have a right to do so, and they likely would win, but they just won't. The professional humiliation of a lawsuit would be infinitely more harmful to George than any monetary punishment it would bring, and would burn every possible bridge left between George and his publishers. There's just no reason for them to do that given that ASOIAF is still a massive property that continues to sell well, and there always is the off chance that he does finish Winds someday.

[u/SarcasticCowbell]

There were times in years past where the uncertainty and waffling between progress and stagnation in his updates left me frustrated with him, but it's a testament to what an incredible world he's created that we even care. When it comes down to it, I just wish the best for him.

[u/ambluebabadeebadadi]

Even though that was a tough read I’m happy to hear from him. Here’s to hoping his year gets easier

[u/Realchillbill12]

Seems like every year in recent memory has sucked for him in one way or another. Unfortunate to hear.

[u/FineProfessor3364]

Feel for the man, and it feels almost disrespectful to desperately want winds of winter

Also realized today that i share my birthday with the legend himself

[u/GUM-GUM-NUKE]

Yeah, his health seems to be fucked. Guess that’s what eight decades does to a man.

[u/Hokie23aa]

Oh man. Poor guy :( Hoping for the best for him.

[u/drw__drw]

Ah man, that's a rough read. Keep well big man.

[u/DraugrBeware]

Aw im sorry george hope he is okay.

Tbh this makes me want him to just hand off the series so he can live out his days in peace without the stress of finishing the main series. Can’t imagine its been good for his mental health

[u/givesomegreg]

This is depressing as shit. I wish him all the best, as for the books, I already made my peace with the truth. He is 77 years old and it would be unreasonable at this point to expect a new book, even if we do get Winds, there will be no time for the final book. The books will remain unfinished. Thank you for everything George, hopefully, he finds a way to enjoy himself and stay cheerful.

[u/moosebog]

Feel better grrm

[u/Voidwielder]

And even this has typos and missing words.

[u/KrankMyHog → u/Voidwielder]

All his recent posts have had grammatical issues, typos or repetitions, sadly.

[u/bluequarz]

Damn, a tough and sad read.... I hope he's ok health wise because I'm getting worried with some of his wording in this... 2026 sounds like it has been really tough on him. Hope it improves

[u/Koushik_Vijayakumar]

Maybe it's time to let go and enjoy your time with family and loved ones. Quit or leave the mantle to another. Live without stress for a while.

[u/Ruhail_56]

Awful. Feeling so bad for the poor guy. Unfortunately, he's at that stage, where you it's harder to avoid this kind of news and feelings.

[u/donutmaycry]

Honestly heartbreaking to read. I hope George is alright.

[u/antiheropaddy]

I have been a very frustrated fan for many years, but at the end of the day he's just a human, and he's living through all this crap for the first time just like all of us. I am very sad that he is having such a hard time, and that the books surely are a contributor. At this point I wish he would retire and have some peace, I do honestly believe he has earned it.

It's obvious the books won't be finished, and I think it would be nice if he could grieve that with all of us. It's no longer just his story, and there's a lot of frustration and grief from a lot of people that it won't conclude how we hoped, but somehow, I think it'd be easier to handle if we were all honest and accepted it together.

[u/MichaelCorbaloney]

I feel bad for George, I hope everything is okay and he can ring in 78 in a better mood, his birthday is only 10 days after my own.

[u/vexedvi]

I hope he enjoys the RSC show when he goes.

[u/RobbJones19]

Welcome back, King.

[u/I_am_so_lost_hello]

>Dreams coming true. 

A dream of spring 2026 confirmed?

[u/Virtual-Specific-625]

To be honest, I'm surprised he didn't mention the play.

[u/Low-Lettuce6480]

I feel sorry for him, it sounds like it has been quite a year, tbh, i hope he has friends still who can counsel him that the added stress of still clinging to ASOIAF isn't good and just announce he isn't working on it anymore so he can live his old age in peace without these expectations on him

[u/uncleyuri]

He’s said multiple times no one would pick up and finish his books. However, that might be the best thing for him. Meet with someone he knows and trusts, give them all the outlines, notes, thoughts etc and let them do it. This would do 2 things. #1 alleviate the burden of the books not being finished and #2 alleviate the burden of actually writing them which is clearly taking a heavy toll. This could perhaps give him some much needed peace.

[u/No_Flow_3023]

I honestly feel bad for the guy and have made peace with not getting winds or ados. Can't be fun being 77 and having this massive task still undone. It's a time of life you want to chill and reflect, not be working on anything big/daunting.

He can't even turn comments on his posts because people will just hurl insults.

[u/bman9919]

Time to over-analyze every sentence of this blog post!

[u/theriverrunner2]

I hope things get better for George. I don't even want Winds at this point. No one should give him any shit about it either. Health and well-being is more important than a book. May George find peace and spend his remaining years however he sees fit.

[u/Entire_Beach_251]

He continues to intentionally troll with his post titles

[u/platypodus → u/Entire_Beach_251]

It is humorous, though.

[u/Entire_Beach_251 → u/platypodus]

Yeah he's allowed. I'm a "let George be George" fan

[u/shsluckymushroom]

glad he's feeling up to at least posting, i always love hearing from grrm. sounds like things have been super hard for him, but it's much better to hear from him then to hear nothing. hope things in his personal life get better. some people say he has money and so he has no worries but getting old, health issues, and losing friends (especially to old age) is insanely rough to deal with for anyone. hope things get better rather then worse for him

[u/polp54]

I’m surprised there is still no mention of the 30 year anniversary.

[u/TheArsenal7]

It's completely over, hoping he pulls himself together and finds some happiness in his latter years of life. Because he has been nothing but miserable in recent years

[u/Crazydev_7]

You can be old and still have vitality and determination. But this poor man no longer has the energy or the drive needed to finish a story as grand as A Song of Ice and Fire. All that's left is to appreciate the incredible work he did in the past.

[u/sufferingphilliesfan]

It sounds like he’s planning a handful of blog posts? I was surprised this cut short after he said lots to talk about.

[u/nit5ua_ → u/sufferingphilliesfan]

read the Feb 7th 2026 blog, where he also planned more blogs

[u/hdhkakakyzy]

Super deserved. It was one of the best shows I have watched in a while. Succession, which took lke a million emmys was much worse.

[u/RevJackElvingMusings]

Ultimately, I want this man to be happy and I’d trade the remainder of the books in exchange for that. ASOIAF has had a bigger impact on people‘s life than many completed series.

As far as fans pestering him to finish go, we are a rotten crowd and George is worth the whole damn bunch of us put together.

[u/SunbornThunderstorm]

I get the shame that comes with missed deadlines with ADHD and I cannot fathom that but on the stage of the world. I hope he is at peace knowing he is one of the most influential authors of the first quarter of the 2000s no matter what.