When is 'The World of Ice and Fire' coming out v.2

[Lord Fred of Mole's Town]

Ok, fair enough. [Perhaps a thread should be established where honest ASoI&F publishing concerns can be vented without judgment?]

Moving on....

As others have noticed, Amazon already has some prelim info about TWoI&F, such as length (288 pgs), release date (10/14/2014), and formats (hardback & Kindle). As a Kindle fan who has embraced ereaders since they were introduced, my questions are e-reader centric:

1) I've noticed that the "Lands of Ice and Fire" map book doesn't have a Kindle/ebook equivalent, which is a frustration. [i have had heated discussions where it would be nice to display these maps on a big screen, a wall projection, etc] Since TWoI&F will contain significant artwork, given your insight, how well is it integrated into the ebook? Will the artwork be embedded like the hardback, or will it be accessible via hyperlink (and treated as a separate object)?

2) Are there any ebook capabilities (hyperlinks, audio, video, progressive charts, etc) that the ebook version will utilize?

3) Can we zoom into the artwork using the finger zoom capabilities of ereaders?

4) Will there be an X-ray feature in the Kindle version (to relate the topics/content)?

5) Combining the issues from #1 and #3 above, will there be a hyperlink between artwork/maps embedded in TWoI&F and the maps from TLoI&F? That would be a dream. :cool4:

It goes without saying that the ASoI&F series is a multi-media bonanza. I honestly would like to know if this effort has been thought of as a traditional coffee table hardback book or as a flexible multi-media effort that utilizes the many excellent technological enhancements that the industry has to offer.

[Ran]

Fred,

I don't know the answers to any of these questions, but I've gone ahead and sent them on to our editor to see what insight she can offer. Right now I think most of your questions are TBD, as I expect they don't even start thinking about the e-book until the text, art, and layout are finalized.

[slayer420]

All this talk go me thinking wouldn't you love to see once the main story is finished or almost finished a small book on each of the seven main houses history. A complete history of the Stark family. That would be amazing. one can only dream. But sounds like this book does some of that.

[Lord Fred of Mole's Town]

Fred,

I don't know the answers to any of these questions, but I've gone ahead and sent them on to our editor to see what insight she can offer. Right now I think most of your questions are TBD, as I expect they don't even start thinking about the e-book until the text, art, and layout are finalized.

Thank you, ser! I guess I had the mistaken impression, given the info dispersed in the prev thread, that all was "finalized" and ready for pub. I am so looking forward to the creativity and thought being put into this tome and others in the works. (mucho respeto)

[Rhaenys_Targaryen]

So is the release date (10/14/2014) really final now? Is this confirmed anywhere, or is this simply something amazon came up with?

[Alhazred]

So is the release date (10/14/2014) really final now? Is this confirmed anywhere, or is this simply something amazon came up with?

Amazon's date is 10/28/14. From everything I have heard over the past year, they got it from the publisher, and did not make it up. However, it is a tentative date; and could be changed. I very much doubt it will be pushed forward; I will be less surprised if it is pushed back.

The 10/28/14 date is not new information, but was posted on Amazon several months ago, replacing the previous release date, which was 10/29/13, and which I understand also supplied by the publisher.

[Werthead]

I've noticed that the "Lands of Ice and Fire" map book doesn't have a Kindle/ebook equivalent, which is a frustration.

I believe the concern here is that a Kindle/ebook version would need the maps to be blown up to a very high resolution, which could then easily be ripped and published online. Also, the maps are posters meant for wall-hanging. Unless you are going to hang your kindle on the wall, an e-version would not be suitable for that task ;)

Is there any confirmation that he even started it?

Yes. GRRM confirmed to me, in person, in November 2009 that he had already started writing The She-Wolves (working title) before The Mystery Knight was even published. He has periodically written additional bits in the meantime. However, it sounds like he hit an issue which could not be solved easily, and a total rewrite of the story would take too much time away from TWoW, so it's been put on the backburner until TWoW is finished (or perhaps inspiration strikes so he can overcome the issue without more extensive work).

[Jussi]

GRRM confirmed to me, in person, in November 2009 that he had already started writing The She-Wolves (working title) before The Mystery Knight was even published.

I don't think "She-Wolves of Winterfell" is an actual working title. I believe it was invented by fans and Martin has never used it.

http://grrm.livejournal.com/331218.html?thread=18046162#t18046162

You're out of date, and that was never the actual title.

Can we hear real working title yet?

Don't have one.

It looks like fourth Dunk & Egg will be finished only after Martin has wrote A Dream of Spring:

Interestingly for fans of the D&E novellas: he indicated that there was a new 3 volume reprint of these coming soon, which would be lavishly illustrated by one of the calendar artists (I'm looking forward to that!) and more than once he indicated his determination to write several more of these novellas to continue the whole Dunk and Egg story (after Winds of Winter and Dream of Spring, of course!).

[Bushido]

According to an AU book blog, GRRM is close to finishing 4th D&E; however, this does not imply that the novella is close to publication.

(OK, a tiny detour from the topic, pray forgive, mormont :) )

[Lord Fred of Mole's Town]

I believe the concern here is that a Kindle/ebook version would need the maps to be blown up to a very high resolution, which could then easily be ripped and published online. Also, the maps are posters meant for wall-hanging. Unless you are going to hang your kindle on the wall, an e-version would not be suitable for that task ;)

Thanks, but as a software architect who is actively involved in moving past 20th century anachronisms (like foldable maps suitable for college dorm rooms, etc), I must respectfully disagree. I often have discussions in class and at my office using projections of virtual zoomable maps of the world, of the universe, of schematics, and of artwork. I have virtual art hanging on walls and pictures in e-frames on my desk. My interest in this topic is purely positive in nature (I mean well!) and primarily involves overlaying/integrating the artwork that is provided with the text. Can you imagine a painting of the post-RW Twins massacre that is accessible via hyperlink from the map of the Riverlands? Of ToJ activities? Can you imagine the various paths taken by D&E and other characters overlaid on Westeros and Essos maps, with interesting nodes full of fun hyperlinks along the way? The amazing things one can do using a map (or any image) as a metatag-base, portal or launching point are incredible!

[since Westeros is the defacto reference site for the GRRMverse, maybe published emaps could be linked to articles, wiki info and forums here? Check out the Time magazine ebook app....it is awesome what they do to expand/extend the maps and stories that can't be done via paper. The GoT political article that James Poniewozik did earlier this year was brilliant]

There are other various websites that attempt to do some of these things on an informal, unauthorized (as far as I know) basis...I just am wondering what formal efforts by associated publishers are in the works that apply current referential hyper-technology to the incredibly robust material and world-building surrounding ASoI&F. Think of it as another way to deconstruct the genius of GRRM.

[Alhazred]

According to an AU book blog, GRRM is close to finishing 4th D&E; however, this does not imply that the novella is close to publication.

I put no stock in an AU book blog, unless it quotes GRRM directly. Rumors that Dunk&Egg#4 is nearly finished have been flying around ever since GRRM said in Summer 2012, that he hoped to have it finished by early Fall, 2012. So fall came and went and everyone said to themselves "he must be done by now." However, "hopes" are not a progress report; they are merely hopes; and 2.5 months is potentially enough time to write a novella, no matter how incomplete it is. GRRM's hopes do not always go according to plan.

Werthead's statement in this thread is the first reported statement of GRRM I have heard that he did, at least, start it, back in 2009.

[Alhazred]

I don't think "She-Wolves of Winterfell" is an actual working title. I believe it was invented by fans and Martin has never used it.

GRRM uses the phrase "the She-Wolves of Winterfell" in his July 2, 2011 not-a-blog. It is true, however, that he does not explicitly identify it as the title of the piece. The capitalization of "She-Wolves" does suggest titular status. But the working title may have been simply "The She-Wolves".

[Jussi]

Yeah, GRRM said that the story is about the She-Wolves of Winterfell. But he didn't use it as a title.

[SirCharles of HouseBarkley]

I think that the graphic novels are the reason that the D&E compilation is not getting a definite green light. HK was just released, SS is coming out next month, and MK shouldn't be to far off. They will wait for their sales to slump off before a re-release of the combined stories in their original formats will be considered, even if a forth story is the main enticement.

[Lord Fred of Mole's Town]

I just downloaded DW and started diving into TP&tQ. The perspective is from a maester in Oldtown, as implied in the early samples. So, given the comments I've read in v.1 and v.2 of this thread, shall we assume that the perspective of TWoI&F is in a similar historical narrative voice, no PoV or God's eye realtime perspectives? It's a very different writing style than ASoI&F and D&E. Interesting.

[Ran]

Yes, the world book is the work of a maester.

[Rhaenys_Targaryen]

*don't hit me* but what is an AU book blog? I'be never heard of this.

If the World book will indeed be released on 10/28/2014, it would be very nice if the dunk and egg novellas would be released in one book in the first half of the year, and WoW early 2015.

That would mean a publication every half year (roughly spoken), even though it won't always be something new. This sounds very likely to me.

[Ran]

An Australian book blogger spoke with George and according to what he said, George indicated he wasn't that far from completing the fourth Dunk and Egg novella... but at first he called it a book, the fellow, so who knows how accurate the report is.

[Bushido]

:lol: Rhaenys_Targaryen - I think that the passions run weaker in these parts of the forum. :D

The blogger said, via Twitter, that the book he and George talked about is indeed a novella, and as opposite to TWoW, novella doesn't have a title, but publishers know when it's going to be published. He added - GRRM loves that.

[Alhazred]

:lol: Rhaenys_Targaryen - I think that the passions run weaker in these parts of the forum. :D

The blogger said, via Twitter, that the book he and George talked about is indeed a novella, and as opposite to TWoW, novella doesn't have a title, but publishers know when it's going to be published. He added - GRRM loves that.

Who is this blogger we keep talking about?