“I don’t think my wife… will allow”: George R.R. Martin Made His Stance on Someone Else Finishing His Game of Thrones Books Clear Amid Winds of Winter Delay

SUMMARY

• Amid constant delays with The Winds of Winter books, fans are worried that George R.R. Martin might not finish them before his death.
• While fans wondered about the idea of Martin licensing his works and allowing other authors to finish his saga, the author firmly rejected the idea.
• In a 2013 interview, Martin admitted that he and his wife won't let publishers tempt them with money into licensing his Game of Thrones universe.

Yet another Christmas and New Year’s Eve is set to come and go, marking the end of 2024, but George R.R. Martin seems nowhere close to finishing The Winds of Winter books so much so that fans of A Song of Ice and Fire are growing concerned that Martin might not live long enough to finish the series.

George R.R. Martin in The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Amid such grave concerns, although a few fans had hoped for George R.R. Martin to license his novels, so that other writers could collaborate and help him complete the books, it seems the author strictly said “no”. In a 2013 interview, Martin shut down the possibility of another author finishing his works, by implying—over my dead body! 

George R.R. Martin Refused to Let Another Writer Finish His Work

Following the popularity of A Song of Ice and Fire, after it was adapted into the HBO series Game of Thrones, fans of George R.R. Martin’s books got hooked on the land of Westeros. And thereafter, people have been waiting for the author to complete and release The Winds of Winter, which is set to offer resolution to cliffhangers and bring in new twists.

However, the books have been delayed multiple times leading fans to grow concerned by the day about the possibility of George R.R. Martin passing away before offering a conclusion to the series. This led people to wonder about Martin’s stance on licensing his works for other authors to pitch in their ideas and help him complete the novels. 

Unfortunately, during a 2013 interview with Giles Hardie for The Sydney Morning Herald, George R.R. Martin claimed to have vowed to never let anyone else write a story set in the universe he created. Further, admitting how his wife won’t allow the same, Martin sadly hinted that people might have to do it, after his and his wife’s demise. 

George R.R. Martin via TIFF Originals | image: YouTube

Not while I’m alive. But eventually, I will not be alive because Valar Morghulis — all men must men die. I don’t think my wife, if she survives me, will allow that either. 

Offering his opinion on licensing his works, George R.R. Martin ruled out the possibility of allowing other authors to write licensed works set in the lands described in the Song of Ice and Fire series. But he sadly seemed confirm about the notion that Westeros would not die with him.

Game of Thrones Author is Worried About Abomination Awaiting Westeros 

While sharing his thoughts on licensing his works, George R.R. Martin strictly announced that he would never let others finish his work of art. Well, he wasn’t lying about his strong feelings, especially after Winteriscoming.net noted how Martin and several other authors teamed up to sue OpenAI, alleging “mass-scale copyright infringement”.

According to the outlet, the lawsuit originated after a fan used ChatGPT to write long, voluminous versions of George R.R. Martin’s The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring, the next two volumes in A Song of Ice and Fire series. So it seems that Martin was right to have opposed other authors getting involved in his creation.

However, despite refusing the idea of licensing his work during the 2013 interview, Martin didn’t shy away from addressing how things would eventually happen after an author’s demise. Drawing examples of legendary writers whose works ended tragically after their death, Martin seemed concerned about the same happening to A Song of Ice and Fire. 

George R.R. Martin | image: Sanna Pudas, licensed under CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

But one thing that history has shown us is eventually these literary rights pass to grandchildren or collateral descendants, or people who didn’t actually know the writer and don’t care about his wishes. It’s just a cash cow to them. 

And then we get abominations to my mind like Scarlett, the Gone with the Wind sequel. I’d hate to see that actually. I’ve always admired [J.R.R.] Tolkien and his immense influence on fantasy… I admire Christopher Tolkien, his son, who has been the guardian of Tolkien’s estate who has never allowed that.

Hoping for his wife to guard his work like Christopher Tolkien did to his father’s work of fiction, George R.R. Martin admitted to being aware of how things happen when money starts talking. Addressing how publishers are already “waiting in the wings with giant bags of money” to tempt his family, Martin boldly stated his desires against “some third-rate writer” completing his work. 

Written by Krittika Mukherjee

Articles Published: 2278

Krittika is a News Writer at FandomWire with 2 years of prior experience in lifestyle and web content writing. With her previous works available on HubPages and Medium, she has woven over 2000 stories with us, about fan-favorite actors, movies, and shows. Post-graduate in Journalism and Honors-graduate in English Literature, when this art enthusiast isn't crafting your next favorite article, she finds her escapism in coffee, fiction, and the Wizarding World.