Kevin's Watch

Amazon feels confident enough to allow pre-orders.

I got an email from them today about it.

www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553801473/re ... il_title_1

SerScot wrote:Waddley,

Before yesterday's announcement could you please point to the post where GRRM made an unqualified promise to deliver ADWD on a particular date.

Of course not, because the book wasn't complete. Just like it isn't now. The difference is that in the past he didn't have HBO execs breathing down his neck.

Murrin wrote:Waddley, the not-a-blog is his personal blog.

Awww, Murrin, I like you, we shouldn't argue! Buttt.... I think you're confused about the difference between "personal" and "private." When you put a blog in the interwebs, that is visible for all to see, for you to talk about all the details to your life, in the public domain, it is a public forum.

You will never, ever hear/read me complain about the speed that Donaldson writes, regardless of how long he takes, for exactly the reason I get so frustrated with Gurm. Donaldson keeps his private life VERY private, and wouldn't rub it in our faces that he'd rather do anything than work on his book. Gurm has done the opposite. If you aren't bothered by the fact, good on ya, you're a bigger man than I.

I just worry about you guys, I hate to see hearts get broken

I've had my pre-order at Boarders (or B&N, it's been so long, I don't remember) for so many years, I wonder if I could go in and talk to them about interest....

Waddley,

Of course not, because the book wasn't complete. Just like it isn't now. The difference is that in the past he didn't have HBO execs breathing down his neck.

No, the difference is that if the book is not released on 7/12/2011 GRRM will actually be breaking a promise unlike his behavior in the past.

His blog his business. Why do you care what he posts?

Here's the problem: we're in an age of publishing where books are expected to come out every year. I mean, even Donaldson's three years between books is considered insane. So here we have many authors that have started and finished massive series' after Martin had begun aSoIaF, and people start thinking this is the norm.

The problem is... it isn't necessarily.

For example, how many years were there between The Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit? The answer: Seventeen. And if I recall, the Return of the King's publication was delayed while Tolkien was working on the Appendixes.

A Dance with Dragons is about as long as The Lord of the Rings. Other classics took longer to write, there are many classics that are unfinished.

Really, the only question is: will a DwD be worth it?

Waddley Hasselhoff wrote:

Murrin wrote:Waddley, the not-a-blog is his personal blog.

Awww, Murrin, I like you, we shouldn't argue! Buttt.... I think you're confused about the difference between "personal" and "private." When you put a blog in the interwebs, that is visible for all to see, for you to talk about all the details to your life, in the public domain, it is a public forum.

I think you're the confused one, mixing up the idea of a personal blog in a public medium, and a demand performance.

It's his personal blog, by which I mean he created it for the reasons most people create personal blogs: To talk about stuff they're interested in talking about. It's not a promotional blog. He has a website for that.


Reader entitlement is hugely arrogant and inconsiderate. He owes you nothing (and before anything is said, you bought a book and got what you paid for - you haven't paid him for the book he hasn't written yet, only the ones he already finished).

Hmmm, well I don't mean to sound entitled, despite my rantings. What I feel is dicked around, that's pretty much the extent of it. We all feel different things about it, no big deal. I am sorry if I got anyone all worked up over this. I kinda like getting worked up is all, so I tend to rant for the fun of it.

So, since it's been eons since I last read the last book, I can't remember who's chapters are supposed to be in this new one. Are we going to see Tyrion, or did we have him in the last book? I miss that little imp.

Who are you most excited to read about again?

Waddley,

Tyrion, Jon, Dany, Bran (I've heard a spoiler chapter reading), Davos, and several others. The events in ADWD will be focused in the North and the East (Merren). The timeline should extend past the end of AFFCs.

Tyrion, Jon, and Dany were the main missing ones. There's debate about if Davos is alive or not because he wasn't in Feast and was announced as captured and beheaded. The Greyjoy who had a PoV in book 2 is still alive and in the hands of the Ramsays, and there's a lot of speculation he's the old familiar PoV that was meant to show up again.

Oh, and Bran hasn't been shown much at all lately and might get more coverage, but I never really cared for his story.

Also: www.towerofthehand.com/books/104/
Chapter summaries, if you can find the time and want to really get caught up.

Murrin,

Thanks for that link. I hadn't read the "Reek" chapter before.

Hmmm, I bet that Davos is still alive. Martin generally seems to punish characters after they make a mistake, and I don't really remember him making a specific mistake, though it's been a while. I really liked him.

Is anyone here on board with the "Jon is a Targ" theory? Because with both Dany and Jon chapters in this book, it makes me think that something might come of that. I'm pretty stoked to see what happens.

oh yeah...jon is definitely a targ. targ/stark to be exact. ned's sister sleeps with rhaegar. uh...yeah.

Well, it's obvious to US, I just don't know who else is in on the secret

I'm not excited about the Reek chapters, to be honest. I want The Hound!

Other than that, I want more Tyrion, Arya and Jon. I've been reading all of the books on and off for so long now, I could dictate verbatim every word. So I'll probably just hop right into ADWD.

I have a feeling we're not going to like where Arya goes. She's joined an assassins cult, one which goes out of its way to make its initiates give up their identities and become faceless. I think she's going to end up a pretty cold character.


I have no idea where Daenerys is going. She hase Euron coming with a horn that controls dragons, Tyrion who I assume will be a valuable advisor at least for a time, Quentyn Martell with the Golden Company, and all the other people trying to influence her, and she hasn't shown a lot of perspective so far when it comes to men.

I agree about Arya, I'm worried about her direction. But if I remember correctly, I like where Sansa is going. If she can maintain some semblance of goodness while she learns from Little Finger (she's still with him, right?) I think she can become a very cunning and powerful Lady.

She's learning to be cunning, yes. So far she seems smart enough to play along with what Petyr wants while keeping herself intact, but it could also end up bad for her if she becomes a real schemer and winds up backstabbing him once she's learned enough.

Wasn't there supposed to be a 5 year gap between Storm of Swords and Dance with Dragons?

I think that was the original plan, since Martin repetedly said that it was tough to write through the eyes of such young characters. But I've heard it may not be the way it is now.
I can check my other forums real quick, but they're about 100x more full of vitriol than I am, and haven't actually discussed the books in a sane way in years. I don't know what kind of information I can actually get from them...

Waddley,

I take it you've seen "Finish the Book George" and the "Is Winter Coming" Board? They both spew vitriol at GRRM like nobodies business.

I wish I got all my news this way:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G6QyXl6d2M

Nah, Scot. This is the only author-specific board I visit (with regularity). It's just a thread in the book section of a humor forum. An awful one.

Waddley,

You should check out asoiaf.westeros.org. It's another fun message board I frequent.