New George R.R. Martin Update Is the Best 'Winds of Winter' News in Years

The Winds of Winter, the book title that pains us all. The thing readers want so badly that they’ve convinced themselves will never happen. And hey, there’s no shame in that. With Game of Thrones come and gone, there’s little reason for hope in the air regarding the penultimate A Song of Ice & Fire novel, and while nothing can truly make up for that, a recent update has granted one of my long-standing wishes for the author.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms seems to have revitalized at least some interest in the Game of Thrones television franchise this year, and showrunner Ira Parker is responsible in large part, having finally executed what audiences deem a “faithful” adaptation. The best franchise news in months has now come from that same sort, as Ira Parker recently revealed George R.R. Martin is working on a fourth Dunk & Egg novella. Now, of course, this may not seem like good news for Winds, but hear me out.

Table of Contents

A Fourth ‘Dunk & Egg’ Novella Is Just What George R.R. Martin Needed

Aerion Targaryen in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

I know, I know, George R.R. Martin completed every side quest in the game, so to speak, and he still hasn’t written The Winds of Winter. He’s writing TV shows, producing movies, curating short story collections, and even renovating historic movie theaters. But what about the book? The last news anyone wants to hear regarding George R.R. Martin is that he’s done anything, literally, if it’s not finishing The Winds of Winter. But what if the best way forward is backward?

George R.R. Martin has described himself as a gardener, not a planner, an idea that sounded cool when he talked about it 15 years ago, but is now commonly considered one of the downfalls of his novels. It’s evident in any interview that George R.R. Martin loves the world he’s created. His gardening methods prove that. Rather than move the story forward in A Dance with Dragons, he used dozens of pages to have characters simply travel his world and listen to stories, introducing readers to a wealth of lore and personality in the Seven Kingdoms. In his heart, he’s a storyteller. The problem is that he’s stuck.

The creative process is immensely challenging to one who values their work, especially when there’s immense external pressure and discussion surrounding the material. If he takes a break to work on more Wild Cards, fans will protest. But what about working on something in the world? Sure, Fire & Blood caused some outcries upon release, but at least it gave readers something to sink their teeth into during the wait. More Dunk and Egg is a win for everyone. The readers love it, and Martin obviously loves it.

Sure, working on more ASOIAF books that aren’t Winds may detract from his process, but if I were to give anyone plagued by writer’s block some advice, it would be to shift gears and write something else. It’s better to write something than to be stuck and write nothing, and in this way, he’s staying in this world and just might reignite the passion he needs to tackle the big fish. I’m taking this as a positive sign, because it means, at the very least, we’ll be getting some more great stories in Westeros.

What Is the Fourth Dunk & Egg Novella?

Peter Claffey in a Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

With A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 2 already underway, the show is only a couple of years away from surpassing its source material, just like Game of Thrones did. George R.R. Martin can provide them with the material by fulfilling an outline he provided years ago, which included the title The She-Wolves of Winterfell. This book takes Duncan and Aegon up to the North, which many have theorized will include some familiar characters, including Old Nan as a young woman.