The author of a popular fantasy series confirmed Saturday that he missed the last deadline that would have allowed the sixth novel in his fantasy series to be published before the next TV series begins.
The failure to meet the December 31 deadline will mean the sixth season of HBO’s Game of Thrones series will appear on screen before The Winds of Winter — its source material — can be read by fans of the novels.
George R.R. Martin wrote on his blog Saturday, "The book's not done. ... I tried, I promise you. I failed.''
Martin said he was working with HBO to ensure the show reflected the next installment of the A Song of Ice and Fire books.
Martin wrote on his blog that even though he had written hundreds of pages and dozens of chapters, it would still take months more to finish The Winds of Winter.
The seventh novel in the series, A Dream of Spring, will be the last, according to Martin.