Martin Meltdown

over on Pat's Fantasy Hotlist, they recently posted up an excerpt from the new Dunk and Egg story from George R. R. Martin, and it caused a bit of a kerfluffle. The causes for this in case you aren't aware is because George R. R. Martin is responsible for one of the most popular Fantasy series of all time ' The Song of Ice and Fire '..

The First three volumes came out over a 6 year period, followed by a 5 year gap before the 4th came out, and we are now nearly a second 5 year gap for the 5th volume.. with two more at least still to go after that.. all told, it will probably be something like 30 years between the first one and the last one being released.. the problem with that is.. that George, is 62 this year, and a few of us are worried he may in fact never finish the series.. some would say that he has no obligation to his fans to finish the series.. and that is probably true. And while I'm not trying to begrudge him his Football games, or his book signings or his jet setting.. he's worked hard to earn that.. I do wish he wouldn't be quite so blatant about it.. because to people who have an emotional investment.. not to mention a monetary and time investment in his books.. it does come across as well.. Dithering.. most of his readers I imagine.. don't care who won the football game he just spend the last 3 hours watching.. or who won the other 3 games he Tivo'd to watch latter..

I'm not going to say he won't finish the series, I certainly don't want anything happening too him, but I do hope he was at least pro-active like Robert Jordan and has arranged for such an occasion.. Telling some one who can keep a secret the ending, leaving a concise outline of where he wants to go with it.. I'd rather have another author finish the series than have it half complete.. or have to have the ending presented in an extremely unfinished form.. like what was done with Tolkien's Silmarillion.

This is part of the double edge sword with writing a multi-tome epic.. It takes time, and the world is an uncertain place.. and I look forward to reading the remaining 3 Westeros novels.. and I'm glad to get a 3rd Dunk and Egg novella.. I just wish that everyone could be calm about it, as insulting the man is not going to help get it published any sooner..