Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Fool me 17 times? I don't even want to contemplate. Which is why I'm nervous at the news that after six long years, an official publication date has been announced for George R. R. Martin's next book, the fifth in the series A Song of Ice and Fire, A Dance With Dragons: July 12, 2011.
Of course, there's a catch. He hasn't actually finished writing it yet. And as this very shrewd Entertainment Weekly writer notes, giving Martin a deadline is a bit like making a photo request of J.D. Salinger.
This is a little different from any "publication dates" you may have heard in the last six years, as all of those dates were bookstores inventing something to tell their customers, and this actually came down from the publishers themselves. It's also something George R. R. Martin appears to be taking at least seriously enough to install a countdown clock on his web site.
So, we'll see. My hope had been that the HBO series would light the fire under Martin and make him do his job. It appears that maybe... just maybe... it has.
3 comments:
Ah! The "not finished yet" part was not in the news article I read about the subject. Dampens my enthusiasm a little, even if I can't help but hope that he'll eventually finish the series.
My biggest fear about the Song of Ice and Fire saga is that Martin will pull a Robert Jordan on us and die before it is finished...
Jean-Luc
If anything, the HBO series has given the man even MORE money, adding to the feeling that he doesn't "need" to finish the cycle.
Not that I'm directly affected by this: I have yet to read book #1.
But everyone's telling me I should.
So maybe I will.
FKL
I disagree with your statement about making Marting "do his job." Yes, his job is a writer, but he's free to write whatever he wants. As much as I want him to finish this book and this series too, he doesn't owe it to you, me or anyone to do so.
Timmay
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