It’s unfortunate news for both fans of the A Song of Ice and Fire series and the HBO drama Game of Thrones but ASOIF author George R.R. Martin announced on his blog that he won’t be finishing the book Winds of Winter before the sixth season of the popular HBO series airs this April.
“The Winds of Winter is not finished,” Martin wrote. “Believe me, it gave me no pleasure to type those words. You’re disappointed, and you’re not alone. My editors and publishers are disappointed, HBO is disappointed, my agents and foreign publishers and translators are disappointed…but no one could possibly be more disappointed than me.”
Martin can’t give a specific date when he plans to finish it. He just says “it will be done when it’s done.” The book is supposed to hold key answers as to whether Jon Show dies in the hands of the Night’s Watch or what happens to Daenerys Targaryen with the Dothraki. This goes to show how much the book and series will diverge from each other.
“I can’t think of any other instance where the movie or TV show came out as the source material was still being written. So when you ask me, ‘will the show spoil the books,’ all I can do is say, ‘yes and no,’ and mumble once again about the butterfly effect,” Martin says. “Those pretty little butterflies have grown into mighty dragons. Some of the ‘spoilers’ you may encounter in season six may not be spoilers at all… because the show and the books have diverged, and will continue to do so.”
Source: George R.R. Martin’s Blog + TV Guide