HBO. Jon Snow in HBO's "Game Of Thrones" adaptation.
In 1995, fantasy author George R.R. Martin gave his agent the first 200 pages of a novel titled "A Game Of Thrones," along with a plan for a trilogy called "A Song Of Ice And Fire." Nearly twenty years later, the series has sprawled to five long books, with two more planned, and - despite years of denials from Martin - now his editor has said that "maybe eight books" is a possibility.
Maybe eight books? After the runaway success of the series, selling more than 24 million books in the US alone and adapted to become the most successful HBO franchise ever, the author's history of undelivered deadline promises, and a slew of huge emerging plot lines in the most recent installment, an eighth book seems more and more likely.
While this may annoy some fans, many of us would be happy to read extra pages of the epic story.
The Trilogy Gets Longer
Shortly after submitting his outline for a trilogy, Martin realized he would need more space for the growing plot and added a fourth novel into the plan. By the time he completed "A Game of Thrones," released in 1996, the plan was for six books in two linked trilogies. "A Clash Of Kings" followed in 1998 and was the first of the series to appear on the New York Times Best Seller list. "A Storm Of Swords," published several months behind schedule in 2000, was even more popular. The first two books were long, averaging 1,100 pages, but the third was immense at 1,521 pages.
The second trilogy, supposed to take place five years after the first, was scheduled to launch in 2002, but Martin ran into unexpected troubles. He had expanded the story to focus on settings that were only mentioned in earlier books, and the page count, which publishers had asked him to keep under 1,200, was already longer than the previous book. He had also started rethinking the five-year jump, originally meant to give time for younger characters and young dragons to age, and ended up abandoning it. Martin took a friend's advice and divided the plot lines into two books, which took place at approximately the same time. Controversially, he saved the most popular characters for the fifth book.
The new target was for a seven-book series.
"A Feast For Crows" finally came out in 2005. Fans were already frustrated by the delay and complained even more when they saw Martin had left out so many key characters and plot lines. Although Martin promised to release the next book within a year, the author struggled with a series of plot complications nicknamed the Meereneese Knot. It would be an unthinkable five more years before "A Dance With Dragons" came out in 2011. The book was 1,600 pages, and Martin still could not fit a climactic battle sequence and left several major characters in cliffhangers.
Which brings us to "The Winds Of Winter" and a whole host of plot lines that Martin is trying to fit into just two more books. At this point, Martin's commentary on the firmness of the seven book plan is this: "I'm as firm as I am," Martin said, "until I decide not to be firm."
If history doesn't convince you that eight books are likely, then an overview of the plot will.
Open Ended Plots After "A Dance with Dragons"
Warning: Here's where most spoilers will be found.
Daenerys Targaryen, the exiled descendant of a former king, still hasn't returned to Westoros with her army and dragons to reclaim her rightful throne in the epic war that will require, and first she has to finish fighting a massive battle for power in the lands across the Narrow Sea.
Tyrion Lannister, the crafty but often disrespected high-born "imp" who escaped Westeros after murdering his tyrannical father and traitorous ex-lover, is close to meeting Daenerys - who he may join for a return to Westeros for vengeance.
Jon Snow, the bastard son of a great family, was apparently stabbed to death the last time we saw him, and, while most believe he will escape death, he still has to face an invasion of inhuman ice warriors from beyond the Wall.
Most mysterious of all is the slow revelation of the crippled hero Bran Stark's immense powers as a "greenseer," with the ability to see into the past, present and future, which will surely play a critical role in defending mankind against invasion.
And there are dozens of other ongoing plots that are just getting wilder and wilder. In other words, the story is only getting bigger.
The A Song Of Ice And Fire subreddit has a vast list of incredible fan theories and literary analyses of characters and their narratives. Last year, Reddit user indianthane95 compiled a list of unresolved plot lines organized by geographical area, adapted here:
The North:
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Battle between Stannis and the Bolton-Frey encampment at Winterfell
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Asha and Theon Greyjoy's reunion and fate
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Mance Rayder's and the spearwives among the Bolton men
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Jon's death and possible resurrection
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The Queen's men vs. wildings vs. Night's Watch
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Possible fall of the Wall and inevitable invasion by the Others
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Bran's increasing power and relationship with Bloodraven
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Howland Reed's introduction, possible confirmation that Rhaegar + Lyanna = Jon
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Benjen Stark's whereabouts
The Riverlands:
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Stoneheart + the Band without Banners' guerrilla warfare
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Jamie and Brienne's fate among them
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Blackfish's whereabouts
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Nymeria's rampaging wolf pack
The Vale
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Littlefinger vs. the Lords Declarant over the Vale
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Sansa's betrothal to Harry the Heir
The Reach:
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Ironborn naval raids, battles against Tyrells and Redwynes
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The Citadel and Sam's training as a master
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Jaquen Hagar's mission under the guise of Pate
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Sarella/Alleras' mission
The Stormlands:
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Aegon VI/Blackfyre's campaign with Jon Connington and the Golden Company
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Jon Connington's greyscale infection and inevitable death
King's Landing/The Crownlands:
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Cersei's trial by combat with Robert Strong (a headless Mountain? An undead Mountain with Rob's head?) vs. the Faith's champion
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Margaery's trial
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Loras' fate
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"Valonquar" prophecy (Myrcella, Tommen, and Cersei dying?)
Dorne:
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Balon Swann and Obara's hunt for Darkstar
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Effects of Quentyn's death
Braavos:
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Arya's training as a Faceless Man, potential return to mainland
Meereen:
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Battle of Meereen, involving Moqorro, Victarion, Tyrion, Jorah, Barristan, and many other factions
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The Harpy and power schemes
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Dany and Drogon with Jhago's Khalasar
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Dany's return to Westoros and battle for the throne
Iron Islands:
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Victarion vs. Euron, the Dragon Horn
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Aeron Damphair and something about godless men
No End In Sight
If the history of the series has taught us anything, it's that the plot lines are unpredictable, complicated, and have lots of potential for extending beyond their original goal. Though Martin knows where the main characters will end up, how they get there is a whole different story.
Readers seem divided in their opinion of the extension of the series into eight books. One school of thought argues that, in typical George R.R. Martin style, we're about to witness a massacre of characters in the onslaught of winter. This would reduce the number of open-ended plot lines and make seven book more feasible, but it might not necessarily resolve them in a satisfying way. Which is why many fans believe that, in order for a well written conclusion, there will be an eighth epic novel.
Martin has repeatedly expressed commitment to providing a terrific ending for fans, as he knows what it's like to experience disappointment at the hands of a series. Martin went on record as feeling "cheated" at the conclusion of "Lost," and considered it a huge letdown with multiple narratives left unsolved. If he intends to do the fantastically crafted story justice, he will need more pages.
Though readers morbidly joke that we hope 65-year-old Martin doesn't die before the books are finished, and extending the series into eight books would increase the risk of that actually happening, many would rather have a longer but well-written conclusion.
At the end of the day, Martin will continue to do what he's always done: write at his own creative pace, and at whatever length he believes is necessary for his story to be told.