Kevin's Watch

I need a date to slaver over. When will this book finally come out?!?!?

Geez, you'd think Runes would be enough to slaver over! And for the record, no date has been set, though Amazon.com has given release dates for Feast now and then (though they were rough estimates, nothing else).

Martin says Oct 05. Still just estimating, though.

of 06????

The wait for Feast may not be too much longer.

This from GRRM's website today:

"I said that I hoped to have the book done by the end of the year. Famous last words. No, it's not done, though I am getting closer. I have more than thirteen hundred pages in final draft form and another hundred or so in roughs or fragments, but there are still some chapters yet to write. I'm telling myself that I'm on the home stretch. As soon as FEAST as done, I will announce it here. "
www.georgerrmartin.com/nextbook.html

It will certainly be a 'Feast' in length, and if the quality of the writing equals the previous books I'll be happy.

It's been months since that update, and no more news from GRRM. This is taking him a very long time...

Duke, perhaps I'm a cynic, but I take that latest update from Martin as bad news, not good. If he's still writing the thing, it will take many more months afterwards to get it published. I seriously doubt if we will see A Feast for Crows in 2005.

Martin is doing to epic fantasy what David Gerrold did to science fiction. His War Against the Chtorr has been ongoing for thirty years now, and still several books need to be written.

I had two favorite fantasy series, Dark Tower and Song of Ice and Fire. King delivered the goods last year. Martin is screwing around. It's a damned shame.

While I really don't like that he's making us wait like this, I'm trying to be optimistic about the rest of the series. My thought is, once he's past Feast, A Dance with Dragons will put him back on track - aDwD being one of the three books he originally planned for the series, he should have a lot of this one worked out already.

If that update was months ago, why does it say jan 05 at the bottom?

Yes Roland you're being cynical

Maybe I should start reading 'The Dark Tower', and by the time I've finished it 'Feast' will be done.

Crap. For some reason my browser was only showing me the old page. I read 'As I write, six days have passed since the election' then came back here to point it out.

I'm as anxious to read "Feast" as anyone else is, but based on the strength of the first 3 books, I'm sure it will be even better than what has gone before.

I just hope he doesn't end up in Jordan's situation where the series starts out good then ends up dragging on endlessly for multiple books.

Meanwhile, I've been contenting myself with re-reading old favorites and discovering new stuff.....

FYI- This is the most recent update...

I said that I hoped to have the book done by the end of the year. Famous last words. No, it's not done, though I am getting closer. I have more than thirteen hundred pages in final draft form and another hundred or so in roughs or fragments, but there are still some chapters yet to write. I'm telling myself that I'm on the home stretch. As soon as FEAST as done, I will announce it here.


—George R.R. Martin, January 17, 2005

***Sigh***

-Avy

I wonder if anyone has had the guts to ask him if we can expect the same excruciating and annoying delays with the rest of the series?

i really think that GRRM should take all the time in the world he needs to finish that novel. it is quite funny, i am not really a fan of him, although i´ve read all the ASoIaF novels, and will read on of course. but i am just ambivalent to his writing - i want to know how the story goes on of course, but the loads of gratuitous things that happen have slightly bemused me. well, a matter of taste, of course.

Murrin, Roland, whoever; PM me when there is an official date set for FEAST. I've been holding off reading the first three books (I did go out and get them all in HB) as I want to be able to read all four in order, but frankly, I'm getting tired of reading Pern books to pass time. I suppose I could go get books 2-7 of King's Dark Tower to whittle away the time.....

You could switch to FREEDOM'S LANDING and its sequels, dAN.

Acording to fans who went to Boskone 2 weeks ago for a signing, Martin gave no specific date but stated without out reservation it would be out by this summer. Although admittedly I wasn't their it was relayed to his offical board and Westero.org by dependable posters who attended.

Ainulindale, I find that awful hard to believe myself. Even if Martin finished writing the novel today, it takes many months to put manuscript into published book form for retail stores. Not to mention marketing and sales strategies for such an anticipated novel.

I still say early 2006.

So maybe it really is in the hands of his publishers by now. Considering the size of the thing, they might want to avoid public pressure by staying quiet about it while they do thorough preparations. It would be better than being stampeded into putting out a hasty, poor production. Why would Martin lie about the date, especially when he's been so cautious for so long?