Fan Confronts George R.R. Martin at Worldcon: Suggests Brandon Sanderson Should Finish The Winds of Winter

According to CinemaDrame News Agency, George R.R. Martin got into a heated exchange with some readers at last week’s Worldcon event in Seattle. The creator of the Game of Thrones universe began writing The Winds of Winter years ago, but the long delay has left many fans speculating that he may never complete the final two volumes of the A Song of Ice and Fire series.

Martin was joined at the event by fellow authors Brandon Sanderson, Robin Hobb, Rebecca Roanhorse, and Ryan Cahill. During one session, a so-called “fan” suggested that Martin should hand over the writing of The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring to Sanderson since Martin would “die soon.” The other writers quickly came to Martin’s defense, after which he continued to a book-signing session with more appreciative fans.

Martin has previously spoken about “toxic” fans, saying: “It used to be fun to talk about favorite books and movies, and to have lively debates with fans who watched all kinds of different works… But in the age of social media, it’s no longer enough to say, ‘I didn’t like movie X or movie Y, and here’s why.’ Now, anti-fans dominate the conversation, preferring to focus on what they hate rather than what they love, and they delight in dancing on the grave of someone whose work has failed.”

The 76-year-old author has also stated that, despite his involvement in multiple projects, completing The Winds of Winter remains his top priority: “A lot of people have already declared me dead. [They say:] ‘He’s never going to finish it.’ Maybe they’re right. I don’t know. But I’m still alive! As far as I can tell, I’m still breathing!”