I write this the day after the presidential election.
A FEAST FOR CROWS is still not finished. Yes, I have written some more pages since the June update. No, the book is not yet done. My August and September schedule was full of conventions, travel, and speaking appearances, which cut deeply into my writing time during those months. Yes, I could have made more progress on the book if I had stayed at home chained to the desk, but I make these commitments years in advance and I take them very seriously.
Also, some of the writing that I have done since June has actually been rewriting. My goal, as I have said repeatedly in these updates, has always been to produce a book that is a good as it can be, so when I suddenly realize that one of my story threads can be made much more powerful and dramatic with some restructuring, I restructure... even if that means going back, tearing up finished chapters, and reworking them from start to finish.
That's done, anyway. A FEAST FOR CROWS will be much better for it, and now I am back at work on new chapters once again... although not today, and maybe not tomorrow, or next week. I am pretty good with words, usually, but no words can express how miserable, angry, and depressed I am feeling this morning over the results of yesterday's election. The exit polling makes it clear: this was a victory for bigotry and fear, a mandate bought with lies. I know from past experience that it is going to take me some time to shake off this depression.
Losing myself in the world of Westeros would probably be the best medicine for what ails me just now, I know full well. There is solace in work, and books -- my own books, and those of others -- have always been a refuge for me during dark times in my life. Today, however, the {fictional} travails of my {fictional} Seven Kingdoms seem pretty unimportant compared to the very real woes that the United States is facing, a future of war and isolation abroad, and division and repression at home.
Winter is coming to Westeros, but it has already come to America.
?George R.R. Martin, November 3, 2004
Originally posted by: TheAudit
Thanks for the update.
I haven't bothered to check his webpage for awhile now.
Oh, did you want a recommendation?
How about Chris Bunch's Seer King Trilogy. It's nowhere near as deep as Fire and Ice but Bunch knows how to make heroes and battles.
At least that is a series that is finished.
A Song of Fire and Ice will not be finished until our grandchildren have grown up.
Originally posted by: BigJ
Gives me more time to read the first 3 books again. I'm actually reading the Thomas Conveant the Unbeliever series right now.
Originally posted by: Tomato
Is Chris Bunch's Seer King Trilogy like that, at all?
Originally posted by: TheAudit
Originally posted by: Tomato
Is Chris Bunch's Seer King Trilogy like that, at all?
Is it like that meaning the hero always wins?
Well, the series opens up with the protagonist in prison and the emperor lies dead. The books tell the story of how things ended up that way.
I don?t think any other series is as deep as Fire and Ice (I loved book #1 and #3) so nothing can touch it there. But the Seer King is one of my favorite books and I do a lot of reading (I have about 400 paperbacks and maybe 40 hard covered books at home).
I would heartily recommend the Seer King as a good fantasy yarn.
Originally posted by: Drizzy
GRRM is pulling a classic blunder - he is forgetting what made him rich and famous. His Fire and Ice books! He is letting appearances and other things get in the way of his continuation of his real success. And I wansnt too happy to go to his site for an update and see a political statement instead of a real update on his books. Its been 6 months since his last update almost and he has NOTHING to show for it.
As I write, six days have passed since the election.
Since I posted my "Mourning for America" update last Wednesday, I have been absolutely deluged with emails. As of this writing I have received more than six hundred letters. Short letters, long letters, funny letters, sad letters, heartfelt letters, angry letters, and everything in between. I am pleased to say that the vast majority of those emails have been very supportive.
Yes, there have been a few dozen abusive letters full of semi-literate namecalling, but actually fewer than I anticipated. No surprise there. Like Superchicken, I knew the job was dangerous when I took it. To those who say they will never read a book by me again, well, that's your choice. To those who suggested I get out of "your" country and move to France, nah, don't think so. I have nothing against France and hope to visit there again one day, but this is my country, and I believe I will stay and fight for it.
I have also received some thoughtful and considered missives from Bush voters, expressing their disagreement with the views I expressed in my last update. I wish I had time to answer those, since I do believe that the only way America is ever going to heal is if people of good will on both sides talk to one another and find some common ground. However, the last thing I need right now is to engage in twenty or thirty protracted political discussions via email. I do appreciate those letters and respect those who took the time to write them, as much as we may disagree on Bush, Kerry, and the issues.
Hundreds of you wrote to echo my sentiments about the election and the future that we face. Some of you have said that my words helped you in dealing with your own rage, depression, and despair. If so, I am very pleased. Your own emails had the same effect on me. I wish I could answer each and every one of those emails personally, but that is obviously impossible... especialIy since the flood continues even as I write.
I have, however, read every letter that I received. We all need to be reminded from time to time that we do not stand alone. It was good of so many of you to take the time to console me, commiserate, share your outrage, and generally help me try and recover from the aftermath of the vote.
So where am I now?
Back at work on A FEAST FOR CROWS, mostly. Revised and rewrote one of Arya's chapters yesterday. Today I mostly worked with Sam, and a little bit with Cersei. I still hope to finish by year's end, but of course I have said that before. We will see how it goes.
As for the election, our fight (like Tolkien's road) goes ever on and on, and we must follow where we can. There will be other battles, other elections, and we are legion. The Boss says it best: NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER.
Keep reading, keep thinking, and keep voting.
?George R.R. Martin, November 8, 2004
Originally posted by: GuybrushThreepwood
i LOVED Song of Ice & Fire... too bad he's taking his time with book 4.
i WHOLEHEARTEDLY recommend:
Steven Erikson - Malazan Book of the Fallen series
first book came out this past summer in the US - Gardens of the Moon
i'm waiting for book 6 to be released in the UK.
this is an AMAZING fantasy series. very original characters (well, not totally original, it's really similar to Glen Cook's Black Company series), original races, original magic system.
my favorite fantasy series by far. It's much more in-depth and complex than the more juvenile kind of fantasy like the D&D books(which aren't bad, mind you, but it just seems that they're written for teens)
*EDIT*
i also recommend:
Glen Cook - Black COmpany Series (10 books i think, was never finished, which is a shame)
Robin Hobb - Farseer Trilogy (haven't read her other stuff)
Terry Pratchett - u just can't go wrong with any of his books
David Eddings - Belgariad (5 books), Malloreon (sequel series, 5 books) and the 2 side-story books: Belgarath the Sorcerer and Polgara the Sorceress
also by David Eddings - The Elenium series (different storyline, 3 books) and the Tamuli series (sequel series, didn't read it, heard it was total crap)
Raymond Feist - i only read the first three books. it was good, but i was totally sick and tired of the elf/dwarf stereotypical fantasy.
but i really really recommend the Erikson. once u've read erikson, everything else (except maybe ice&fire) pales in comparison.
Originally posted by: Drizzy
GRRM is pulling a classic blunder - he is forgetting what made him rich and famous. His Fire and Ice books! He is letting appearances and other things get in the way of his continuation of his real success. And I wansnt too happy to go to his site for an update and see a political statement instead of a real update on his books. Its been 6 months since his last update almost and he has NOTHING to show for it.
Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Steven Brust - The Book of Jhereg (another trade paper 3 book combo platter)
Originally posted by: Kelvrick
Originally posted by: Drizzy
GRRM is pulling a classic blunder - he is forgetting what made him rich and famous. His Fire and Ice books! He is letting appearances and other things get in the way of his continuation of his real success. And I wansnt too happy to go to his site for an update and see a political statement instead of a real update on his books. Its been 6 months since his last update almost and he has NOTHING to show for it.
What? You expect him to just wake up everyday and write until he goes to bed? let him do what he wants. When it comes out, it comes out and it'll probably be great. He was right when he compared himself to the other greats like tolkien.
Originally posted by: TheAudit
Originally posted by: Kelvrick
Originally posted by: Drizzy
GRRM is pulling a classic blunder - he is forgetting what made him rich and famous. His Fire and Ice books! He is letting appearances and other things get in the way of his continuation of his real success. And I wansnt too happy to go to his site for an update and see a political statement instead of a real update on his books. Its been 6 months since his last update almost and he has NOTHING to show for it.
What? You expect him to just wake up everyday and write until he goes to bed? let him do what he wants. When it comes out, it comes out and it'll probably be great. He was right when he compared himself to the other greats like tolkien.
A Storm of Swords was published almost exactly four years ago. There is a spread of less than two years between Storm and Clash and less than three years between Clash and Game. Apparently, from his own ramblings, he has a long way to go on this, the fourth book, with at least three books forthcoming. Again, our grandchildren might see the conclusion to this tale.