Brandon Sanderson has stated that he would decline any offer to complete George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series should the author be unable to finish it himself. In a recent interview with IGN, Sanderson explained that he feels he is the wrong person for the task, believing that fans of both authors would agree.
"My entire career is, in a way, a response to A Song of Ice and Fire," Sanderson told IGN. "My entire career is, in a way, a response to A Song of Ice and Fire. Much as that series is a response to popular fiction of the 1990s, like Wheel of Time."
Sanderson added that if he were to accept such a role, he would strive to write the books as fans expect, but ultimately would not say yes. He believes there are more natural fits for Martin's world and that Martin deserves someone as well-suited to his work as Sanderson was to The Wheel of Time. "That said, I don't think George wants to go that direction, so let's just support him in writing his books at the speed he's capable of going," he concluded.
This stance aligns with George R.R. Martin's own statements earlier this year, where he indicated there was no plan for another author to take over the series, suggesting instead that it "simply won't be finished."
Martin, 77, has also acknowledged the ongoing delays and the lack of updates on the series. In a blog post titled 'Better Late Than Never,' he described the past year as stressful and overwhelming, mentioning both great and difficult events, including the loss of friends and battles with sadness and depression.
Sanderson also implored fans to remember Martin the person, acknowledging his struggles with mental health. He described Martin as a "great patriarch of the fantasy genre" who has been kind to him and supportive of new talent. Sanderson noted that writing can be a lonely profession and that he understands the difficulty of a book that "just WILL NOT work." He contrasted his own ability to abandon difficult side projects with Martin's situation, stressing that the completion of A Song of Ice and Fire relies on the support and patience of its readers.
Sanderson further pushed back against the idea that authors "owe" their audiences a finished work. "George doesn't owe people books, as he cannot actually make that promise – none of us can," he stated. "I can't promise the end of the Stormlight Archive, because who knows if I'll come down with a sickness tomorrow. I am literally incapable of making promises about the future in that way, the same as any person is."
He acknowledged that authors make a contract with readers when starting a series, implying a responsibility to work on the project and attempt timely completion. However, he described writing as an art form, citing his own ongoing struggle to deliver a sequel to his book, The Rithmatist.
"Regardless, I don't know that George owes anyone books as much as he owes them real, dedicated effort in producing those books, which might seem like semantics, but I'm an author. That's the job," Sanderson concluded. "It's not, however, my job to determine if George has made that effort or not. My gut says that he has – and the fact that we're where we are indicates that this is one of those times when the rest of the world has to wrestle with a terrible fact we as authors face every day. That from the outside, this seems like a trade (like making cabinets) when in reality it's an art, much like making music… and sometimes, you lose that music. [Let's] just hope it's not forever."
Sanderson maintains a progress tracker for all his ongoing projects, including screenplays and book drafts, on his official website.