Game of Thrones author George RR Martin has put himself into isolation amid the current coronavirus crisis, and will finally be able to finish The Winds of Winter.
The HBO series might have rounded up almost a whole year ago, however, the 71-year-old is yet to complete his set of novels – despite writing the next book for more than a decade.
But it seems he has a whole host of time on his hands after quarantining himself during the pandemic.
Taking to his blog, the writer confessed that he was avidly working on the next installment of the franchise while giving an update on his health.
‘For those of you who may be concerned for me personally… Yes, I am aware that I am very much in the most vulnerable population, given my age and physical condition. But I feel fine at the moment, and we are taking all sensible precautions,’ he stated.
‘I am off by myself in a remote isolated location, attended by one of my staff, and I’m not going in to town or seeing anyone. Truth be told, I am spending more time in Westeros than in the real world, writing every day.’
The novelist continued: ‘Things are pretty grim in the Seven Kingdoms… but maybe not as grim as they may become here. Some days, watching the news, I cannot help feeling as if we are all now living in a science fiction novel.
‘But not, alas, the sort of science fiction novel that I dreamed of living in when I was a kid, the one with the cities on the Moon, colonies on Mars, household robots programmed with the Three Laws, and flying cars.’
Rounding up his spiel, the star added: ‘I never liked the pandemic stories half so well… Let us hope we all come through this safe and sound. Stay well, my friends. Better to be safe than sorry.’
George has teased an alternative ending was on its way, after fans were left shocked by the TV show, which saw Bran Stark take the Iron Throne.
Isaac Hempstead Wright, who played the ruler of the seven kingdoms, wasn’t too keen on the idea of his character being dethroned.
Chatting to Metro.co.uk, he said: ‘I will be a bit gutted I think.
‘What’s nice is the fact the books and the show were able to evolve as their own thing, so George has no obligations to end it in any of the same ways we did.’
The 20-year-old added: ‘That’s quite cool, you’re going to get two alternative endings to Game of Thrones.’
We pressed to see who he’d want on the throne, to which the actor smirked: ‘It would have to be another Stark I think, Sansa or someone.’
When suggesting Jon Snow as a potential candidate, Isaac didn’t look too impressed, and just sniggered: ‘Urrmm…’
Game of Thrones is available to stream now on NOW TV.
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