George R.R. Martin Doesn’t Have Time To Watch ‘Game Of Thrones’ Anymore

The latest update on The Winds of Winter came in July, when author George R.R. Martin denied reports “that [said] the book is finished and I’ve been sitting on it for some nefarious reason, or the one that says I have no pages.” He’s “still working” on the sixth installment in the A Song of Ice and Fire series, but “I do think you will have a Westeros book from me in 2018… and who knows, maybe two. A boy can dream.” Especially if the dream is of spring.

The gap between the last book, A Dance with Dragons, and the new one is already the longest in the series, but it’s hard to fault Martin for taking his time. For one thing, The Winds of Winter is arguably the most anticipated novel since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and twice as complex, with literally hundreds of backstories to keep track of. Also, he’s a busy man. You try rooting for the New York Jets — it’s exhausting. Martin hasn’t written an episode of HBO’s Game of Thrones since season four; in fact, he told Metro that due to writing and touring, he doesn’t even watch it anymore.

“I did not start to write slower over the years,” Martin said. “I was working on the first book for six years and four years on the second one. Fantasists who release their novels every year, do not offer books of large volume… In addition, I have not become younger. Age does not add enthusiasm.” He added, “The book series and TV adaptation go their separate ways. On the screen, characters are killed right and left. About twenty of them have died already, which are quite alive to me and will appear in a new book.”

But Martin left out the real reason Winds isn’t out yet: hat fashion shows.

(Via Metro)