Game of Thrones Book Series May Extend to Eight Books – Update

An eighth kingdom may move George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series to be eight books long.

Update: In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, George R. R. Martin clarified his plans for A Song of Ice and Fire. “My plan is to finish in seven,” he said. “But my original plan was to finish in three. I write the stories and they grow. I deal with certain things and sometimes I find myself not at the end of a story. My plan right now is still seven. But first I have to finish Book Six. Get back to me when I’m halfway through Book Seven and maybe then I’ll tell you something more meaningful.”

Beyond the book series, Martin praised actor Pedro Pascal for his performance as Oberyn Martell. He also said he suspects the Game of Thrones producers’ plan of telling the story in seven seasons will not be enough to cover everything. One solution Martin likes is Game of Thrones feature films, but HBO is against this.

Original story: George R. R. Martin’s A Song Of Ice And Fire series, filmed for TV as Game of Thrones, may move from his book series being seven books long to a total of eight books, according to Anne Groell, the editor of the book series.

In a Q&A with fans, Groell revealed conversations she had with Martin about the series’ length. “I remember when he called me, years and years back, to confess that his little trilogy was… well… no longer a trilogy,” Groell said. “He predicted four books. I said, ‘Seven Books for Seven Kingdoms.’ Then he said five books. I said, ‘Seven Books for Seven Kingdoms.’ Then he went to six. I said… Well, you get it. Finally, we were on the same page. Seven Books for Seven Kingdoms.”

While editing The World of Ice and Fire, a companion book to be published this fall, Groell learned there is an eighth kingdom. The contract stipulates Martin will write seven books for A Song of Ice and Fire.

Jane Johnson, UK publisher for A Song of Ice and Fire, is unsure how long the series will end up being. “I know there’s been some speculation that A Song of Ice and Fire may run to more than the seven books we currently have under contract, but in all honesty only George knows how many books there will be in the series,” Johnson said. “Indeed at this stage of the writing, with the many branching pathways of characters’ stories still to intersect, he may not know. As an editor I can say that it feels as if there’s a lot to tie up in just two more novels – albeit very long novels – but if George continues to kill off characters in his usual ruthless fashion, it could easily be over in the planned seven books!”

Years go between the releases of books in the series. The fifth book, A Dance with Dragons released in 2011, six years after the previous book, and the sixth, titled The Winds of Winter, is still forthcoming.

Source: Suvudu Universe via The Guardian