The Winds of Winter Update: Brandon Sanderson Defends George R.R. Martin Over Book Delays

Brandon Sanderson urged readers to be patient with George R.R. Martin over The Winds of Winter in an IGN interview published on 17 September 2026.

He argued that frustration over the unfinished novel should not eclipse the human difficulty of completing a book that has resisted its author for years.

Martin published A Dance with Dragons, the fifth mainline A Song of Ice and Fire novel, in July 2011. Readers have therefore waited more than 15 years for its planned follow-up.

During that period, Martin has continued working in Westeros through companion books, collected novellas and historical material. Those releases include The World of Ice & Fire, created with Elio M. García Jr. and Linda Antonsson, and Fire & Blood. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms also collected Martin's first three Dunk and Egg novellas. None advances the main series beyond A Dance with Dragons.

Sanderson's publishing career has followed a markedly different path. His first published novel, Elantris, appeared in 2005, the same year Martin released A Feast for Crows. Sanderson has since published extensively across the Cosmere and other projects, making comparisons between their output common among fantasy readers.

Sanderson Urges Patience Over the Winds of Winter

'Absolutely. I implore people, in this discussion, to remember the person,' Sanderson said when asked whether he sympathised with Martin. He described Martin as 'one of the greats of our genre' and recalled his kindness earlier in his career.

Sanderson said writing can become isolating when a manuscript refuses to come together. He explained that his own difficult books have often been side projects. That allowed him to set them aside without seriously disrupting his wider career.

Martin's position is different because The Winds of Winter belongs to one of fantasy's most closely watched unfinished series.

That distinction shaped Sanderson's appeal to readers. 'The only thing that will lead to A Song of Ice and Fire being finished is our support, patience, and effort,' he said.

He also stressed that novels remain largely the work of individual people. His broader argument was that publishing output alone cannot explain why one writer finishes a book while another struggles.

Since Elantris, Sanderson has expanded Mistborn, The Stormlight Archive and other projects at a prolific pace. Martin, meanwhile, has not published another mainline A Song of Ice and Fire novel since 2011.

Sanderson compared how outsiders can view writing as a predictable trade, while describing the creative process itself as art. His argument did not dismiss readers' frustration. Instead, it challenged the assumption that creative work can always proceed on a reliable schedule.

What Sanderson Says Writers Owe Readers

Sanderson also addressed whether Martin owes readers the final two planned A Song of Ice and Fire novels. He rejected the idea that an author can guarantee a future book regardless of circumstances.

He said illness, unexpected events and the creative process itself can make such promises impossible. Still, Sanderson argued that beginning a series creates a responsibility towards readers.

In his view, that responsibility means giving the work serious attention and making a genuine effort to finish it. He distinguished that obligation from guaranteeing a publication date.

Sanderson also turned the comparison towards his own unfinished work. Readers have waited since 2013 for a sequel to The Rithmatist, and he acknowledged his disappointment at not completing it.

'I feel terrible I haven't been able to deliver, but the artistic process can be a whimsical one,' he said. That admission adds context to his defence of Martin. Sanderson applies much the same principle to himself. He believes readers can reasonably expect effort, even when a completed book cannot be guaranteed.

He also declined to judge Martin's private working process. 'It's not, however, my job to determine if George has made that effort or not,' Sanderson said. He added that his instinct was that Martin had tried.

The Winds of Winter remains unpublished more than 15 years after A Dance with Dragons. Sanderson's comments offered no release date, completion estimate or new progress update for the novel.

Instead, he returned to the unpredictable nature of creative work. Sanderson compared writing with music, suggesting an artist can sometimes lose access to something that once came naturally. 'And sometimes, you lose that music. [Let's] just hope it's not forever,' he said.