A Dance with Dragons - 12 July 2011 [SPOILERS] - See Mod Post #4

Dades

Yes - it's true. The book is to be released on the 12th July (the twelfth the twelfth the glorious twelfth!)

At least according to his official site:
(His site page took ages to load so have reproduced the full text)

George RR Martin wrote:

No. Sorry. Not done yet.

I'm close, though. Watch this space. When the book is done, you will read it here.

Meanwhile... there is news. Big news. The end is in sight, at long long last, and we're close enough so that my editors and publishers at Bantam Spectra have set an actual publication date.

A DANCE WITH DRAGONS will be in your favorite bookstore on

TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2011

Yes, I know. You've all seen publication dates before: dates in 2007, 2008, 2009. None of those were ever hard dates, however. Most of them... well, call it wishful thinking, boundless optimism, cockeyed dreams, honest mistakes, whatever you like.

This date is different. This date is real.

Barring tsunamis, general strikes, world wars, or asteroid strikes, you will have the novel in your hands on July 12. I hope you like it.

(For what it's worth, the book's a monster. Think A STORM OF SWORDS.)

The dragons are coming. Prepare to dance.

And hey... thanks for waiting.

Perfect timing for me as I'll have gotten through the 47 hours of the Feast for Crows audiobook by then (yes I've read it - this is a recap!)

Red Hand

Thank Lord of Light for that!

You know, I just saw this on the boards opening page and I was about to actually start a thread about ASOIAF...coincidence!

I'd like to speculate on one or two things-which I'll do using spoilers in case I give away anything about the series to those who haven't read it.

I think that John Snow will prove to be, not Ned Stark's bast8rd as has been implied, but Ned Stark's sister's (Lysenne Stark?) son. Her son by Rhaegar Targaryeon. Rhaegar had taken her and they lived togther for some weeks. Which will mean that he will be a legitimate claimant for the throne.

titan18

Counting down the days.Should be able to get Malazan out of the way by then,if not,screw it ASOIAF is much more important

ixoy

If this actually happens then it's a good year for fantasy: Final Malazan book, new Patrick Rothfuss book and now the penultimate book in ASoIaF. Also some new Mieville and a couple of other goodies on the way.

*** DISCUSSING THE BOOK ***


The book's out now but we'll all be reading at different paces. Can I ask anyone wishing to discuss to therefore:

1) Use spoiler space
2) When using spoiler space, indicate what point you're at in the book so we know how far you're up to.
i) If it's the hardback book, give a page number
ii) If it's a Kindle, give the % figure

There's no point in using chapters since there aren't any, just different POVs.

If I've to read complaints about spoiling, and have to spoil it myself trying to edit the post, I will hunt you down and crown you with molten gold.

AnCapaillMor

Wonder is it a coincidence that the book will be out around the time the show ends.

Antar Bolaeisk

AnCapaillMor wrote: »

Wonder is it a coincidence that the book will be out around the time the show ends.

How very cynical of you

Also, I will not believe this until I see the book in shops available to buy, or at least available to download on my Kindle.

Argh, I'm torn. I've all the other books in hardback and so want to get this one in hardback but I've been spoiled by my kindle now and don't think I could go back to reading massive books.

Zapp Brannigan

I'll believe it when I have the book in my hands!

Sin_J

Zapp Brannigan wrote: »

I'll believe it when I have the book in my hands!

Exactly!

Everyone has jumped on the date, but keeps overlooking the first thing he said in his post about still not being finished writing it yet. This i think is just the publisher jumping on the added press the show is generating and throwing out a release date to kick up the fans even more.

I'd love it to be out then, but i really don't see GRRM working to a deadline when he seems happy to work at his own pace.

ixoy

How can it be released that quickly if he's not finished writing? I've read other writer's blogs and there is a long enough process when it goes to editing and then back and forth with corrections/suggestions. That's before then you begin typesetting, publishing, distribution, etc.

Red Hand

ixoy wrote: »

How can it be released that quickly if he's not finished writing? I've read other writer's blogs and there is a long enough process when it goes to editing and then back and forth with corrections/suggestions. That's before then you begin typesetting, publishing, distribution, etc.

He said that it's as big as a Storm of Swords...so maybe, it is split into 2 volumes with the first volume being ready for publishing but not the second?

Sin_J

No, this is the second volume. A Feast for Crows was the first.

The Don

I really hope he gets it finished in time to be released on this date. Failing that, in time for christmas.

matrim

ixoy wrote: »

How can it be released that quickly if he's not finished writing? I've read other writer's blogs and there is a long enough process when it goes to editing and then back and forth with corrections/suggestions. That's before then you begin typesetting, publishing, distribution, etc.

Given that he's been writing and re-writing it for so long. I wouldn't be surprised if an editor had already gone over a lot of it

OwaynOTT

Could be something similar to Brandon Sanderson and Wheel of Time books. If I recall correctly the first one was finished and published within a couple of months of him finishing it.
Also it not being finished, I'd say a lot of the book is polished up to a high standard so maybe it won't be much editing or that. Which again is similar to Brandon Sanderson and the wheel of time books.
Or I could just be talking out of my arse.

ixoy

OwaynOTT wrote: »

Could be something similar to Brandon Sanderson and Wheel of Time books. If I recall correctly the first one was finished and published within a couple of months of him finishing it.

Could be. I think I read it on Patrick Rothfuss' blog but then he's a real perfectionist. Can Sanderson be? I mean he wrote two 900+ page epics and released them in the same year! One of them was very enjoyable and the other I have yet to read.

Sin_J

The problem is that he's been rewriting some chapters forcing him to change their place in the book, forcing him to rewrite more chapters. So even if he does get done with what is left he may feel the need to go back to a different chapter to change something.

This is the story he's painted himself in his blog. It honestly sounds like he's written himself into a corner and is trying to figure a way out of it.

Sanderson had a fairly detailed for the most part plot outline and Jordans wife, who edits the books to keep him in line so to speak.

GRRM only answers to himself, so while i'm sure he has an outline, he screwed with it to split the books the way he did and i'd say is having trouble finding a decent structure to the book to make it a satisfying read on its own.

katarin

I have to lend my voice to the cynical response accross the internet: I will believe it when I see it on a shelf in Waterstones. I reckon GRRM's publisher has figurativley taken him by his shoulders and shaken him, told him to GTF on with it and stop fussing like a Irish Dancing Mother.

He's been getting a bit of stick from other authors too. I heard recently that a notable and topical contemporary said at a book signing recently that he wasn't the type of author who would take a decade to write a sequal, or have the inconsideration to die before finishing. It's getting a bit ridiculous at this stage with ASOIAF and it's dominating discussion on what should otherwise be a very hot debate on what exactly is going on. I'm too far into it to let it go that I'm pissed off.

Also,

I also think that Jon Snow is Rhegar's son.

Dades

I'm as big a fan as anyone, but never having written an epic fantasy series am inclined to bite my tongue when it comes to criticizing someone for not writing fast enough.

George is well aware of all the pressure on him to finish, so I would find it bizarre that he would announce a release date (personally, not via his publisher) that he didn't think he'd make.

ixoy

Dades wrote: »

I'm as big a fan as anyone, but never having written an epic fantasy series am inclined to bite my tongue when it comes to criticizing someone for not writing fast enough.

Problem is that he seems to have written himself into a corner, judging by his blogs. Therefore it would give the impression that he hasn't planned it fully meaning which is very disconcerting for the direction of the series.
One thing (among many) that impressed me with Erikson's Malazan sequence is the clear amount of planning he did in advance of beginning. He came close to releasing one volume per year and had those volumes planned well in advance. It meant we didn't get these sort of painful delays.

Sin_J

Dades wrote: »

I'm as big a fan as anyone, but never having written an epic fantasy series am inclined to bite my tongue when it comes to criticizing someone for not writing fast enough.

Yeah a writer should write at their own pace but if you follow his blog, apart from, like ixoy mentioned, him seeming to have written himself into a corner, it seems that he is doing about a million other things rather than working on the book.

He's either traveling, going to cons, editing other books, working on the tv show, watching football, etc.

Fair enough, if you've gotten a bit of a block then do something else to take your mind from it and work it out, but the level to which he seems to be putting off working on the book is mind boggling.
From his posts it seems that if he gets a paragraph written he's impressed with himself then goes off to do other stuff for a month as a reward.
It's just amazingly frustrating as a fan to put up with the delays knowing that we could end up with a Robert Jordan on our hands. And something tells me that GRRM doesn't have the massive amount of notes and plans for the books that would allow someone else to finish them that Jordan had.

Red Hand

Don't read his blog!:pac:

me-skywalker

Cannot wait for this!!! Just started wheel of time last week though eeep! haha

me-skywalker

On one hand I agree that he never had a definitive plan on how to get where he wanted to end this. The fact that he keeps having to add thigns, change things, rewrite things is something that when writing the sequels he should be expanding as whole and using foresight to have these things already mapped out.

On the other hand I've loved the series, have trusted and enjoyed his way of writing so far that'll I'll be willingly to just let him get on with it his own way if it means the book is fantastic.

katarin

I agree ^^ that if the book is as good as the others then I won't bitch anymore. But tbh, I'm not sure I have the patience to wait another six years for a sequel without becoming extremely bitter. In a similar vein, David Gemmell died halfway through his last Troy book, very suddenly in his mid-50s. It can happen to anyone, he just fortunately left behind sufficient notes and plans for his wife to finish. I don't see anyone finished ASOIAF for GRRM.

Lightshow

I think we can (finally) believe that this is the actual release date for the book. Seems he's well down the road towards finishing the 6th and final 7th ones too. I'd say the televising of the Game of Thrones on HBO/Sky Atlantic has had an awful lot to do with the timing of this release. We're all big fans here but the show will introduce a hell of a lot of newbies to the seires who otherwise might not have read fantasy.

Can't. Bloody. Wait.

me-skywalker

katarin wrote: »

I agree ^^ that if the book is as good as the others then I won't bitch anymore. But tbh, I'm not sure I have the patience to wait another six years for a sequel without becoming extremely bitter.

I'm quite sure he has at least half of The Winds of Winter written as he has moved chapters and storylines that ended up being in the wrong place when he decided to restructure AFFC & ADWD. Well thats what I think I've read and I'm optimistic about thats what he's done! (Fool on me)

Lightshow wrote: »

I think we can (finally) believe that this is the actual release date for the book. Seems he's well down the road towards finishing the 6th and final 7th ones too. I'd say the televising of the Game of Thrones on HBO/Sky Atlantic has had an awful lot to do with the timing of this release. We're all big fans here but the show will introduce a hell of a lot of newbies to the seires who otherwise might not have read fantasy.

Can't. Bloody. Wait.

And... Then ensue's the book versus screen debate! haha

micayla

Just found this thread If you've been reading his blog and it seems ye all have then surely ye would know that he wouldn't have put up a date were he not going to stick with it. Also, in one of his blog posts he mentioned that one of the reasons for the delay is that he would write a chapter for a character but find that it fitted in better in the next book so it sounds like he has the guts of the book 7 written. So many online bookstores, Waterstones being the main offender, have issued publishing dates for the book in the past but GRRM I trust:D

ixoy

Pre-ordered it there for my Kindle: €8 with delivery, naturally, on the day! Sweet.

AnCapaillMor

micayla wrote: »

Also, in one of his blog posts he mentioned that one of the reasons for the delay is that he would write a chapter for a character but find that it fitted in better in the next book so it sounds like he has the guts of the book 7 written. So many online bookstores, Waterstones being the main offender, have issued publishing dates for the book in the past but GRRM I trust:D

He said pretty much the same with the last book 5 years ago, so don't get your hopes up.

fitz

I think he screwed himself with the way he split AFOC and ADWD, and had to write himself out of a corner. If he's done that, maybe he'll be able to make steadier progress without his self-imposed hurdles?
Fingers crossed.
Looking forward to ADWD for now though...

Antar Bolaeisk

ixoy wrote: »

Pre-ordered it there for my Kindle: €8 with delivery, naturally, on the day! Sweet.

Where did you pre-order for €8?

ixoy

Antar Bolaeisk wrote: »

Where did you pre-order for €8?

From Amazon.com here. Glad to see the e-Book price is lower than the hardback.

Tar.Aldarion

can't wait. May have to reread them all though

ríomhaire

Kong is dead!

5starpool

ixoy wrote: »

From Amazon.com here. Glad to see the e-Book price is lower than the hardback.

Excellent, just ordered me that. Good to see it released on the same day, not like the Wheel of Time kindle version.

Dades

AnCapaillMor wrote: »

He said pretty much the same with the last book 5 years ago, so don't get your hopes up.

Now Kong is dead my hopes are well and truly up!

Apparently Roy Dotrice has already started reading the audiobook.

Playboy

Dades wrote: »

Now Kong is dead my hopes are well and truly up!

Apparently Roy Dotrice has already started reading the audiobook.

Excellent .. Loved Dotrice reading the first 3 .. It was really difficult get used to the other guy doing the 4th altough it did help that many of the same characters were not used.

Tar.Aldarion

How much are these audio books, never listened to one, hmm.

5starpool

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

How much are these audio books, never listened to one, hmm.

I don't think I'd like listening to an audio book. When reading you can get a vivid picture in your head, complete with makey-up voices, etc, and that wouldn't be possible with this.

Antar Bolaeisk

ixoy wrote: »

From Amazon.com here. Glad to see the e-Book price is lower than the hardback.

Cheers, I did look but didn't realise I couldn't see it due to having my account with .co.uk.

Playboy

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

How much are these audio books, never listened to one, hmm.

Can get them for free from the usual sources or else you can spend quite a bit of money to own them!

Tar.Aldarion

5starpool wrote: »

I don't think I'd like listening to an audio book. When reading you can get a vivid picture in your head, complete with makey-up voices, etc, and that wouldn't be possible with this.

Ah yeah, I wouldn't consider listening without having read it first myself.

Dades

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

Ah yeah, I wouldn't consider listening without having read it first myself.

Indeed. I've listened to them as a "catch up" before the TV series and Dance with Dragons. (Very useful if you spend a lot more time walking or commuting than you get to spend reading.)

Playboy

Dades wrote: »

Indeed. I've listened to them as a "catch up" before the TV series and Dance with Dragons. (Very useful if you spend a lot more time walking or commuting than you get to spend reading.)

Yeah I do quote of bit of walking to work as well as been stood up on a packed train so audiobooks are fantastic as an alternative to reading. Dotrice is excellent in reading these books in particular .. really brings them to life although some of the accents he uses for characters can clash with the image you have in your head of someone.

Dotrice has a part in the TV show too I think?

Sleepy

I think he was cast to play Pycelle but schedules prevented it.

He did, however, get a Guinness World Record for voicing the most characters in distinguishedly different voices for the audiobook of GOT. Someone obviously didn't tell the Guinness Officials that he'd broken his own record on Storm of Swords!

Tenger

Jeremiah 16:1 wrote: »

I'd like to speculate on one or two things-which I'll do using spoilers in case I give away anything about the series to those who haven't read it.

I think that John Snow will prove to be, not Ned Stark's bast8rd as has been implied, but Ned Stark's sister's (Lysenne Stark?) son. Her son by Rhaegar Targaryeon. Rhaegar had taken her and they lived togther for some weeks. Which will mean that he will be a legitimate claimant for the throne.

I had the exact same though while starting to re-read Book 1.
Her last words to Ned were "promise me, Ned"

@pljudge321: I realise the import of the oath to the Night's Watch and the legal staus of Jon Snow. But the lineage issue would have great impact on the history of the kingdom.

pljudge321

Tenger wrote: »

I had the exact same though while starting to re-read Book 1.
Her last words to Ned were "promise me, Ned"

Jon wouldn't be a legitimate claimant to the throne, he's born out of wedlock presumably and he swore off all titles and inheritances when he joined the watch.

Sleepy

I see R + L = J has reared it's head... As to the issue of legitimacy: why else would GRRM have introduced the plot point of the Targaryen's practicing polygamy?

As Rhaegar's son, Jon's claim would supercede Daenarys'

Also, Maester Aemon told of precedence for the vows of the Night's Watch to be rescindable where ascendency to the throne is at stake.

nesf

ixoy wrote: »

From Amazon.com here. Glad to see the e-Book price is lower than the hardback.

Thanks for that reminder. Ordered there.

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

can't wait. May have to reread them all though

Same here, just started. Am very happy they're available on the Kindle as opposed to most older fantasy which doesn't seem to have made the transition much to my annoyance!

Antar Bolaeisk

GRRM wrote:

On March 12 he revealed that the unfinished manuscript had exceeded A Storm of Swords in length, making it the longest book in the entire series.[30] On March 27 he announced that the manuscript had exceeded 1600 pages.

I'm glad I've ordered this for Kindle :eek:

Sleepy

Big announcement for ADwD on George's "Not a Blog" today concerning a new POV character:

Ser Barristan fans might be interested to know that he has a big part in A DANCE WITH DRAGONS. In fact (drum roll, please), he becomes a viewpoint character.