Mallory Rubin, a prominent voice in the Game of Thrones fandom and director of content at The Ringer, has proposed a controversial idea: George R.R. Martin should cease work on the long-awaited novel, "The Winds of Winter." Rubin, co-host of the "House of R" podcast, suggests that Martin should instead focus his efforts on the "Tales of Dunk and Egg" novellas.
This opinion, shared during Polygon's Spicy Takes Cookout, comes after over a decade of Rubin analyzing Martin's works and their television adaptations. She argues that the immense pressure surrounding "The Winds of Winter," the sixth book in the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, is detrimental. Fans have been anticipating its release for 15 years, a period during which the HBO series "Game of Thrones" concluded, leaving many unsatisfied. The delayed publication of "The Winds of Winter" has become a recurring, often intrusive, topic in Martin's public appearances.
"I don't like to make George feel bad about this," Rubin stated, "I think it really sucks that every time he does an interview it's like, George, what if you die or get grievously ill or wounded before you get to finish your book? Do you have contingency plans? What’s that about!? George has given us so many gifts. Let's stop asking him those questions. I think he should give himself a reprieve from that concern."
Rubin's alternative proposal is for Martin to concentrate on the "Dunk and Egg" novellas, a series set approximately 100 years before "A Song of Ice and Fire." These stories serve as the basis for HBO's "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," which premiered earlier this year and is slated for annual season releases. However, Rubin notes a critical issue: only three "Dunk and Egg" novellas currently exist, with filming underway for a second. This leaves very limited source material for the planned television series.
Martin has reportedly conceived of 12 to 14 ideas for further "Dunk and Egg" novellas. Rubin contends that "we cannot, in good conscience and good faith, immediately within the span of three years, go back to, We're not working off source material anymore." By pausing "The Winds of Winter," Martin could ensure a steadier supply of material for "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," thereby avoiding the pitfalls that plagued "Game of Thrones."
Rubin acknowledges that comparing the situations of "Game of Thrones" and "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" might seem unfair, as the former's ending was unknown during its run, fueling fan speculation. In contrast, the general trajectory of Dunk and Egg's story is discoverable. However, she counters that beyond a few details, the specific path to their story's conclusion remains largely unknown. "Just knowing that happens isn't enough," Rubin asserted. "We have to know how. We have to know what leads Egg to that point."
Furthermore, Rubin points out that novellas are considerably shorter and potentially less demanding to write than a 1000-page novel like "The Winds of Winter." Completing a couple of novellas might help Martin regain his writing rhythm and potentially alleviate the writer's block that has affected the progress of "The Winds of Winter." "This is how we get back on track," Rubin concluded. "This is how we get to the end that we, and George, deserve."