George RR Martin shares rare The Winds of Winter update: ‘It’ll be as big as a dragon’

Author says new book will likely be his ‘largest’ yet

Game of Thrones author George RR Martin has shared an exciting update on his forthcoming novel.

The Winds of Winter will be the sixth entry in his A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy series.

The book will follow in the series after Dance with Dragons, which was published in July 2011.

During a livestream organised by his publisher, Random House, the author divulged that the book is roughly “three-quarters of the way done”.

He called it a “big, big book”, adding: “It’s a challenging book. It’s probably going to be a larger book than any of the previous volumes in the series.”

“A Dance With Dragons and Storm Of Swords are the two largest books in the series, they were both about 1,500 manuscript pages,” he said.

“I think this one is going to be longer than that by the time I’m finished with it and I think I’m about three-quarters of the way done, maybe. But that’s not 100 per cent done, so I have to continue to work on it.”

Martin went on to explain that after he finishes writing the book, it is down to his publisher to decide on the release strategy, which includes the question of whether the novel will be split into two.

He said: “Of course, then there’s the issue here of my friends at Random House, when I deliver this monstrous book that will be as big as a dragon, are they going to try to make me cut it in two? We’ll find out about that but first I have to finish it, I have to get it all done.”

Martin, 74, also addressed fans who are pressuring him for an estimated release date, stating: “I make what I think is the best case estimate, and then stuff happens.

George RR Martin says The Winds of Winter will be ‘quite different’ to HBO show (Liam McBurney/PA) (PA Archive)

“Then everybody gets mad that I ‘lied’. I’ve never lied about these predictions. They’re the best I can make, but I guess I overestimate my ability to get stuff done, and I underestimate the amount of interruptions and other projects, other demands that will distract me.”

In an interview with The Independent from earlier this year, Martin said he knew what it was like to be a “superfan”, having grown up as an avid reader of Marvel comics.

Despite not enjoying the TV adaptations of the comic books, however, he “didn’t go crazy and start writing hate mail”.

“I’ve got to think social media has something to do with it,” said Martin who is reguarly harangued over the much-derided final season of Game of Thrones.

The first season of HBO’s House of the Dragon, based on Martin’s book Fire & Blood, recently concluded its first season.

Martin is currently in the process of developing its second series, as well as a number of other Game of Thrones spin-off shows.

Recently, Martin appeared to have all but confirmed a fan theory surrounding the health of Viserys in House of the Dragon.