I'm calling horseshit but here is what he wrote on his blog:
And, yes, I know you all want to know about THE WINDS OF WINTER too. I've seen some truly weird reports about WOW on the internet of late, by 'journalists' who make their stories up out of whole cloth. I don't know which story is more absurd, the one that says the book is finished and I've been sitting on it for some nefarious reason, or the one that says I have no pages. Both 'reports' are equally false and equally moronic. I am still working on it, I am still months away (how many? good question), I still have good days and bad days, and that's all I care to say. Whether WINDS or the first volume of FIRE AND BLOOD will be the first to hit the bookstores is hard to say at this juncture, but I do think you will have a Westeros book from me in 2018... and who knows, maybe two. A boy can dream... |
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He could just be really lazy, but I think that probably makes the most financial sense.
He could just be really lazy, but I think that probably makes the most financial sense.
I doubt it. His editors don't give a shit about the show and I'm not sure he does either. His UK publisher bashed the show last season. His co-writers of The World of Ice and Fire hate the show and have openly bashed it calling the adapters moron hacks. He's never asked any of them to stop.
I think he's just lazy and couldn't be bothered finishing it.
All joking aside, the show seems to have clearly distracted him. Not that he's returning the paychecks anytime soon. Once the show ends, he'll either get serious about finishing, or abandon it altogether
All joking aside, the show seems to have clearly distracted him. Not that he's returning the paychecks anytime soon. Once the show ends, he'll either get serious about finishing, or abandon it altogether
2024? Ever the optimist.
Show didn't distract him. There were two years between the first 3. Feast for Crows and Dances w Dragons 11. Show wasn't on the horizon. He likes to jump around. Write other stuff watch the Giants and do anything else. He got bored or stuck or didn't give a shit about WOW. . All in all about 17 or 18 years to put out 3 books. 3 sword and sorcery books. This is not exactly Tolstoy or Hemmingway. . He's become beyond pretentious w the fame and fortune IMO. Deserves the fortune. Good for him. And I guess I'll read this from the library but who knows what I'll remember after about half my life has gone by since the first book.
I definitely am going to need to do a re-read as well, but don't want to commit all of the time required to do it. I'm sure there are some good summaries out there that will serve to jog the memory.
I hear you, i think its been about 4 years since I read ADWD. I can't remember fine details anymore but once I start reading it will job my memory. Tower of the Hand and Wikia have great chapter reviews but some of them are almost as long as the chapters, haha. I'll probably just read the book and whatever I remember will be a bonus.
Bill L : 7/23/2017 10:52 pm : link : reply
But for me, an avid book reader, he's pretty much become irrelevant.
Total agreement here. The show has breathed new life into the fantasy genre. Lots of stuff out now, or on the way, that I've moved onto.
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I'm sure most are excited,
Bill L : 7/23/2017 10:52 pm : link : reply
But for me, an avid book reader, he's pretty much become irrelevant.
Total agreement here. The show has breathed new life into the fantasy genre. Lots of stuff out now, or on the way, that I've moved onto.
Please share, because I'm looking for a good series (or two)...
King Killer Chronicle by Patrick Routhfess - Book 1 and 2 are out now, with 3 on the way. Though I'll warn you he's on GRRM pace for that third book
Gentle Bastards by Scott Lynch - Probably my favorite right now.
The First Law Trilogy By Joe Abercrombie - Awesome trilogy. And if you like the world, he's got three stand alones that follow it. Very Dark
Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson - Awesome world building and characters.
King Killer Chronicle by Patrick Routhfess - Book 1 and 2 are out now, with 3 on the way. Though I'll warn you he's on GRRM pace for that third book
Gentle Bastards by Scott Lynch - Probably my favorite right now.
The First Law Trilogy By Joe Abercrombie - Awesome trilogy. And if you like the world, he's got three stand alones that follow it. Very Dark
Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson - Awesome world building and characters.
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Rob -
King Killer Chronicle by Patrick Routhfess - Book 1 and 2 are out now, with 3 on the way. Though I'll warn you he's on GRRM pace for that third book
Gentle Bastards by Scott Lynch - Probably my favorite right now.
The First Law Trilogy By Joe Abercrombie - Awesome trilogy. And if you like the world, he's got three stand alones that follow it. Very Dark
Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson - Awesome world building and characters.
Rothfuss is just as slow as Martin and, if it's possible, he's more arrogant and obnoxious to the fanbase who ask about it.
Can concur that Rothfuss is slow and arrogant and that the books are otherwise very good.
Also would agree that Gentlemen Bastards is a lot of fun. Would make a great HBO series.
King Killer Chronicle by Patrick Routhfess - Book 1 and 2 are out now, with 3 on the way. Though I'll warn you he's on GRRM pace for that third book
Gentle Bastards by Scott Lynch - Probably my favorite right now.
The First Law Trilogy By Joe Abercrombie - Awesome trilogy. And if you like the world, he's got three stand alones that follow it. Very Dark
Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson - Awesome world building and characters.
Thanks!
King Killer Chronicle by Patrick Routhfess - Book 1 and 2 are out now, with 3 on the way. Though I'll warn you he's on GRRM pace for that third book
Gentle Bastards by Scott Lynch - Probably my favorite right now.
The First Law Trilogy By Joe Abercrombie - Awesome trilogy. And if you like the world, he's got three stand alones that follow it. Very Dark
Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson - Awesome world building and characters.
TLDR coming up.
The First Law Trilogy (and the stand-alone followups) are all excellent. If you enjoyed Martin and the ASOIAF books, you owe it to yourself to read Abercrombie right away. He writes extremely flawed/brutal, but still really compelling characters that you can't help but root for. There's all sorts of minor interesting characters that pop up in later books that you see a whole new side to.
Kingkiller chronicles are both great books too but, like CoughlinHandsonHips said, I'm not sure if he's ever going to finish this. The books are still worth reading, but don't expect any sort of resolution to things any time soon.
Never heard of Gentle Bastards or Scott Lynch, but seems like based on your other recommendations, that I'd like it. I'll pick it up some time.
I'll also throw in two other recommendations:
(1) Anything by Guy Gavriel Kay. His books are a mix of historical fiction and fantasy. Always has memorable characters and isn't afraid of big plot twists. Most of his books are stand alone singles, so you get endings and resolutions rather than strung along for 5+ book series. Lions of Al-Rassan, Tigana and Last Light of the Sun all stand out to me.
(2) Red Rising. This is a trilogy. It's sort of YA but still pretty brutal at times and is going to make a great movie. The first book is an easy read (can easily finish in a day or two once you get hooked) but I really loved it and havn't met anyone who regretted reading it.
(1) Anything by Guy Gavriel Kay. His books are a mix of historical fiction and fantasy. Always has memorable characters and isn't afraid of big plot twists. Most of his books are stand alone singles, so you get endings and resolutions rather than strung along for 5+ book series. Lions of Al-Rassan, Tigana and Last Light of the Sun all stand out to me....
My favorite author of all time. I read everything he's written (on his own) except for Children of Earth and Sky and that is on my kindle waiting for me to finish the book I'm currently slogging through (one of Terry Brooks' latest).
I love all of them but my I would recommend Tigana most. My favorite is the Fionavar Tapestry trilogy but it's generally regarded as his weakest. He started out all sorcery and fantasy and them gradually reduced the magic in favor of pseudo-history. I'm just a wizard kind of guy I guess.
Not stringing you out for 5 books but there are several trilogies and 2-book sets in his work.
You're going to love Children. Only thing I didn't like about it was that it ended and now no more new Kay for 2-3 years.
The last book was released in 2011 with GRRM admitting he took 400 pages out of it to put in The Winds of Winter. So he had a 400 page head start. So this means there has to be long stretches of time like weeks and maybe even months where GRRM hasn't written a single word of The Winds of Winter. Has to be. I don't think it's even possible for him not to be done with it if he works on it everyday or every week. This is almost 8 years ago already.
King Killer Chronicle by Patrick Routhfess - Book 1 and 2 are out now, with 3 on the way. Though I'll warn you he's on GRRM pace for that third book
Gentle Bastards by Scott Lynch - Probably my favorite right now.
The First Law Trilogy By Joe Abercrombie - Awesome trilogy. And if you like the world, he's got three stand alones that follow it. Very Dark
Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson - Awesome world building and characters.
Can second all Of These. Abercrombie is awesome. Easy reads but good stuff. Rothfuss is Martin's clone. Another pretentious dope. It's fantasy. Geez.
Lynch had delays too but he had actual real issues w depression
and family. Love his stuff
Add John Gwynne. The Faithful and the fallen. Great series. 4 books. He put them all out in about 3 years.
King Killer Chronicle by Patrick Routhfess - Book 1 and 2 are out now, with 3 on the way. Though I'll warn you he's on GRRM pace for that third book
Gentle Bastards by Scott Lynch - Probably my favorite right now.
The First Law Trilogy By Joe Abercrombie - Awesome trilogy. And if you like the world, he's got three stand alones that follow it. Very Dark
Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson - Awesome world building and characters.
Great list, but most the first two suffer from the same thing that GRRM does. Slowwwwwwwwwwwww.
Brandon Sanderson is an anomaly. He's great and he writes 2-3 books a year. It's uncanny.
I've stopped reading series that aren't done. I love Rothfuss, but I'm going to have to go back and read his books again before he ever finishes the last one. A while back I was watching him and he said he had an announcement that he was doing on a live stream. Everyone thought it'd be news about the 3rd book, but he ended up announcing a 10th year anniversary edition of the 1st book in the series. Oy. Why would you do that? The books are still great regardless.
I've been reading some scifi lately. The Old Man's War series is pretty solid, as is the Expanse. Not sure if you're interested in scifi, but you might try those if you are.
I want to double or even triple agree with "The First Law Trilogy" recommendation. Those are some amazing books. The stand alones are great, too.
I want to double or even triple agree with "The First Law Trilogy" recommendation. Those are some amazing books. The stand alones are great, too.
Wheel of Time was great -- until the fifth or sixth book, and then wow did it drag. I mainly finished it just because I'd invested so much damn time in the series, I wasn't really wowed by the end of the series. Something got lost in translation, I know the basic story is what Jordan wanted, and perhaps the big ending battle was him, but when I read the concluding books I knew it wasn't him.
King Killer Chronicle by Patrick Routhfess - Book 1 and 2 are out now, with 3 on the way. Though I'll warn you he's on GRRM pace for that third book
Gentle Bastards by Scott Lynch - Probably my favorite right now.
The First Law Trilogy By Joe Abercrombie - Awesome trilogy. And if you like the world, he's got three stand alones that follow it. Very Dark
Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson - Awesome world building and characters.
Absolutely love the Abercrombie books. Best Served Cold is one of my all timers