TWoW & aDoS - writers

[The Dames do Moan]

Simple question, not meant to be disrespectful in anyway, do you think GRRM is the best author to finish the A Song of Ice and Fire series? 

Again I should reiterate that I mean no disrespect to GRRM, he created a world I fell in love with, so I have nothing but the utmost respect for him. But he also started to work on that world almost 30 years ago when he was 43 and when the first book was published he was around 48. He’s 70 now, and just like his characters change, surely he’s changed in the last 30 years. Ideas he once had, have been scrapped, (ex. 5 year jump) and changed into new ideas. I mean the story he had in his mind at 40 has evolved into something more. Neither better nor worse, just changed. Books 4 and 5 were very different than books 1-3. Not just the stylistic changes and his goals with the storylines, but the books at their core felt very different. Through the years and rereads i’ve come to appreciate AFFC and ADwD, maybe even moreso than the first three. Certainly the last few will be changed as well.

His closeness with the show will likely bleed into the books. Not that it’s a bad thing, but it will bleed in a bit and that will change his writing a bit. Whether it’s specific scenes and characters, or trying to grapple with the task of balancing the story and still pleasing the mass audience he now has. I’m sure when he was putting the story together, he never dreamed he’s be writing it for this many people. And furthermore there’s the challenge of engaging an audience that’s already seen the broad stokes of the story play out and know where it’s going. Surely all those things will change his writing a bit.

Lastly, there’s the wait. It’s been almost 7 years since the last book. And 4 and 5 were truely one act of the saga. Which means since ASOS we’ve gotten one act in 18 years. With the show, the offshoot books, the growing fame and responsibilities that come with it, it’s understandable to a point, but most of that will still likely be around for the next few years at least. Especially if HBO picks up spin offs. So I don’t see the pace quickening before the end.

I’ve been thinking about it myself. So just posting to see how other people feel I guess. I’m ecstatic to get a finished GRRM story, and certainly will love it. Selfishly though, I also love the story and world and want the best version of it and wondering myself if it’d be from him.

 

 

[Platypus Rex]

I share your doubts that GRRM will ever finish the series.

HOWEVER.

GRRM's finish is the only finish I am interested in.

I am not going to join anyone in asking him to hand it off to another writer.

He's already done that with HBO.  If you want to see someone else finish the story, you will already get that, to some degree.

Now there may come a time when GRRM gives up, decides he cannot finish the series, and hires a younger writer to finish it for him, hopefully under his supervision.  If that were to happen, I would cross my fingers and hope for the best.  But I'm not going to ask him to do that any earlier than he feels inclined.  Let him keep tinkering at this as long as he can.  And if he cannot finish the series, I can at least hope he will finish book 6; and lay out a pretty serious outline for book 7 (and 8? and 9?).

[The Dames do Moan]

That makes sense, I do feel like I should clarify, I’m not actually asking him to hand it off. That would never happen and shouldn’t happen, it’s his and his to finish. I’m just wondering if people personally think he’s the best to finish it for their own personal enjoyment.

I think the show’s a bit different just because you have to make certain character and plot specific changes among others whereas an author would have the free reign GRRM has without some of the restrictions a television show / movie create. But that’s another topic.

I do think in the end, for me, he probably is the best but then again I’m not attached to any other authors that could do it.

[867-5309]

59 minutes ago, Platypus Rex said:

I share your doubts that GRRM will ever finish the series.

HOWEVER.

GRRM's finish is the only finish I am interested in.

I second this.  I don't want the ending coming from HBO.  That's the ending created by D&D to please a segment of the fans.  A segment which I do not belong in. Don't want to be in.   I only want George Martin's ending.  It's the one that counts.

I am not going to join anyone in asking him to hand it off to another writer.

He's already done that with HBO.  If you want to see someone else finish the story, you will already get that, to some degree.

Now there may come a time when GRRM gives up, decides he cannot finish the series, and hires a younger writer to finish it for him, hopefully under his supervision.  If that were to happen, I would cross my fingers and hope for the best.  But I'm not going to ask him to do that any earlier than he feels inclined.  Let him keep tinkering at this as long as he can.  And if he cannot finish the series, I can at least hope he will finish book 6; and lay out a pretty serious outline for book 7 (and 8? and 9?).

[Euron III Greyjoy]

Typically when another author takes over, that is when the books start going downhill. The best examples I can think of, at least in my opinion, are Dune and The Wheel of Time. So I'd much rather GRRM carry on with the books then someone else. 

That being said, I'm not sure if all 7 books will actually be completed by him. Its currently been over 7 years since the last book came out, and whilst I definitely feel like he is pretty close to finishing TWoW, he then has to write a whole 7th book. That isn't even taking into account he also plans on making a second volume of Fire and Blood, and he has at least two more Dunk and Egg stories planned. 

[Marcelowww]

15 hours ago, The Dames do Moan said:

Simple question, not meant to be disrespectful in anyway, do you think GRRM is the best author to finish the A Song of Ice and Fire series? 

Again I should reiterate that I mean no disrespect to GRRM, he created a world I fell in love with, so I have nothing but the utmost respect for him. But he also started to work on that world almost 30 years ago when he was 43 and when the first book was published he was around 48. He’s 70 now, and just like his characters change, surely he’s changed in the last 30 years. Ideas he once had, have been scrapped, (ex. 5 year jump) and changed into new ideas. I mean the story he had in his mind at 40 has evolved into something more. Neither better nor worse, just changed. Books 4 and 5 were very different than books 1-3. Not just the stylistic changes and his goals with the storylines, but the books at their core felt very different. Through the years and rereads i’ve come to appreciate AFFC and ADwD, maybe even moreso than the first three. Certainly the last few will be changed as well.

His closeness with the show will likely bleed into the books. Not that it’s a bad thing, but it will bleed in a bit and that will change his writing a bit. Whether it’s specific scenes and characters, or trying to grapple with the task of balancing the story and still pleasing the mass audience he now has. I’m sure when he was putting the story together, he never dreamed he’s be writing it for this many people. And furthermore there’s the challenge of engaging an audience that’s already seen the broad stokes of the story play out and know where it’s going. Surely all those things will change his writing a bit.

Lastly, there’s the wait. It’s been almost 7 years since the last book. And 4 and 5 were truely one act of the saga. Which means since ASOS we’ve gotten one act in 18 years. With the show, the offshoot books, the growing fame and responsibilities that come with it, it’s understandable to a point, but most of that will still likely be around for the next few years at least. Especially if HBO picks up spin offs. So I don’t see the pace quickening before the end.

I’ve been thinking about it myself. So just posting to see how other people feel I guess. I’m ecstatic to get a finished GRRM story, and certainly will love it. Selfishly though, I also love the story and world and want the best version of it and wondering myself if it’d be from him

 

Of course he''s the best. It's his creation, to put someone else to finish his story sounds like robbery to me. 

I dont believe that the show will bleed into the books. The show is VERY differente from the books, and Martin is not pleased how Dumber and Dumber are treating his story. And pleasing the mass audience? Really?  Do you really think that the guy who wrote the Red Wedding cares about pleasing his audience?

 

[asongofheresy]

I do think we will have D&E and TWOW since F&B seem to motivate him but I am less hopeful about ADOS and F&B Vol 2 

[JNR]

On 12/21/2018 at 6:47 PM, The Dames do Moan said:

Simple question, not meant to be disrespectful in anyway, do you think GRRM is the best author to finish the A Song of Ice and Fire series? 

If he will actually do it, then yes. 

He is determined to do the best possible job and he has by far the strongest grasp of the future material in his head of anyone worldwide.   He's been gradually developing the story for a quarter century just so he can end it this way.

But if he simply won't do it... a possibility that seems stronger every year... then instead of ASOIAF being over, I would prefer to have the last two books written by someone who is both very skilled, and extremely well versed both in the current canon and GRRM's notes and plans for the last two books.

On things like the future plot, major character arcs, and the solutions to all the major mysteries, such a writer would have to follow GRRM's plan and notes to the letter, as much as possible.  And GRRM would also have absolute editorial power to review and change anything, in any way, prior to publication.  This way we would still get GRRM's story, which I think is what we all want.

What I definitely would never want to happen is for some other writer to roll along and basically just wing it for the last two books.

That would be an abomination worse than ADWD being the last ASOIAF novel, and might even be worse than the show (which really did strike me basically as D&D winging it).

[kissdbyfire]

On 12/22/2018 at 1:04 PM, Marcelowww said:

Of course he''s the best. It's his creation, to put someone else to finish his story sounds like robbery to me. 

Hear, hear! 

On 12/22/2018 at 1:04 PM, Marcelowww said:

I dont believe that the show will bleed into the books. The show is VERY differente from the books,

Ditto. 

 

[Marcelowww]

3 hours ago, kissdbyfire said:

 Ditto. 

 

What?

[White Ravens]

The long waits between books inevitably brings questions like this.  GRRM is the author of the unfinished story that we all love so much.  Only he could have written the existing material and only he can write the remaining books that will conclude the story.