George R.R. Martin Reveals He’ll Write More Game of Thrones Stories ‘If I Have The Time’

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Ahead of the January 18, 2026, debut of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the Official Game of Thrones Podcast released the first episode of its AKOTSK series, dedicated to the new Game of Thrones prequel. Podcast hosts Greta Johnsen and Jason Concepcion interviewed George R.R. Martin, the author of A Song of Ice and Fire, discussing The Tales of Dunk and Egg and his newest HBO series set in the Game of Thrones world.

George R.R. Martin recently shared that he hasn’t forgotten about his Dunk and Egg stories and may still write more novellas, though he admits time is a factor. However, he’s stated he won’t begin any new A Song of Ice and Fire stories until The Winds of Winter is finished. It’s been almost 15 years since the last published book, A Dance with Dragons, and there’s currently no indication of when Winds will be released.

George R.R. Martin Confirms He Has More Dunk and Egg Stories to Write – But Only If He Has The Time

Following a conversation about the A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms adaptation on the Official Game of Thrones Podcast, George R.R. Martin hinted at continuing the adventures of Dunk and Egg. He mentioned that if his schedule allows, he plans to write further stories about their experiences and future. Martin has previously stated he intends to write several more Dunk and Egg novellas, ultimately leading up to the events of the Tragedy at Summerhall, which the new prequel series may eventually depict if it continues beyond the existing novella material.

Each season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will have six episodes and focus on one of George R.R. Martin’s novellas. However, this means the show will likely run out of source material even faster than Game of Thrones. If Martin doesn’t publish more novellas in the next few years, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will catch up to the existing books by its third season. At that point, HBO will have to decide whether to end the show or continue it by using outlines and other materials, similar to what they did with the final seasons of Game of Thrones.

George R.R. Martin Reveals His Inspiration For The Game of Thrones Prequel & Why He Couldn’t Write A Tyrion Story

Early in his interview on the Official Game of Thrones Podcast, George R.R. Martin explained why he began working on a Game of Thrones prequel while still writing his A Song of Ice and Fire series. He had just finished and published Game of Thrones and was in the process of writing the second book, Clash of Kings – which was behind schedule. Around that time, his friend Bob Silverberg, a highly respected science fiction writer and editor, sold an original anthology called Legends.

I remember when those fantasy anthologies were huge, especially Legends. They commanded high prices because they were packed with all the biggest names in the genre. It was amazing – ten brand new stories, each set in the world of ten different, incredibly famous fantasy authors. Robert Jordan was included, along with Stephen King, Anne McCaffrey, Ursula K. Le Guin… honestly, a truly all-star cast. And me! Though, if I’m being honest, I probably didn’t quite belong alongside those giants back then.

I’d already published one successful book, but my next one wasn’t finished yet. That’s why I agreed to write a new story set in the world of Westeros. The contract specifically required a Westeros story. Afterwards, I panicked! I hadn’t actually planned a story for Westeros, and my current book wasn’t done. I realized writing a story about Tyrion would reveal major plot points about his fate in the future books, which I couldn’t do.

I knew immediately it had to be a story set in the past. It took me a while to figure out what that story would be, but eventually I came up with the idea for The Hedge Knight. I wanted to focus on the common people – those who weren’t lords or fighting for the Iron Throne, because realistically, they had no chance of getting it unless everyone else was gone. I was interested in how the big events – the wars, the magic, the threat from the Others – impacted the lives of ordinary people. That’s how I started writing what would become The Hedge Knight.

Dunk and Egg Might Have To Face The White Walkers in a Future Story, Setting Up Game of Thrones’ Long Night

I’ve been thinking about a quote from George R.R. Martin, and it really struck me that he has a much bigger picture for the White Walkers than we’ve seen in A Song of Ice and Fire so far. While House of the Dragon linking The Long Night to the Targaryens has sparked some debate, his hint about Dunk and Egg encountering the Others in their stories is fascinating. It makes me believe that Ser Duncan the Tall and his young ward will eventually have to confront the White Walkers directly in The Tales of Dunk and Egg. It’s an exciting thought!

Another possibility is that a future Dunk and Egg story could be used to bring up the prophecy of Aegon the Conqueror within the A Song of Ice and Fire series. As Viserys I Targaryen explains to Rhaenyra in the first episode of House of the Dragon, Aegon didn’t conquer Westeros just out of ambition. He had a vision – a dream that, like Daenys’s prediction of Valyria’s fall, foretold the end of the world as everyone knew it.

It started with a fierce winter wind blowing from the far north. Aegon foresaw utter darkness carried on those winds, something that threatened to obliterate the world. When this great winter arrives, Rhaenyra, all of Westeros needs to fight together. For humanity to survive, a Targaryen must rule from the Iron Throne – a king or queen powerful enough to unite everyone against the coming cold and darkness. Aegon called this vision ‘The Song of Ice and Fire,’ and the secret has been passed down through Targaryen heirs ever since.

Currently, the prophecy about ice and fire only appears in the TV series. However, fans believe George R.R. Martin may have originally intended it for his books, and his latest interview seems to support that idea.

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2026-01-12 22:06