George R. R. Martin has a new sample up!

[The_lurkeR]

This is a revised chapter. There are several changes in the Cersei chapter.

For example, one new part is where Martin describes the coin found in the Goaler's cell.

Good catch!
I have the SoS trade paperback edition and was dissappointed at first to see this posted as a "new" sample. That coin addition is an interesting tidbit

 

[Lasher Dragon]

<grrrrrrr> I don't care what slightly-new additions he has made to the story, in the end this does not count as a new excerpt and I am getting damn sick of him taking his sweet time with this book. I apologize for giving false hope... I myself had never read this Cersei chapter, even though I check his website quite often. He claims he plans on writing until they nail shut his coffin, which originally I thought was a cool ideal, but now I think he's just planning on leaving a half-written story for some other sop to finish up on. I mean, how old is he? I admire that kind of commitment, but this is starting to get ridiculous.

 

[Endur]

Five+ Years is a long time to wait for a novel. But he has been busy writing other stuff and working on games, comic books, conventions, website, and so on. He is now a celebrity author, and writing is a small piece of what he does these days.

Game of Thrones 1996
Clash of Kings 1999
Storm of Swords 2000
Next Novel 2006?

 

[takyris]

Five+ Years is a long time to wait for a novel. But he has been busy writing other stuff and working on games, comic books, conventions, website, and so on. He is now a celebrity author, and writing is a small piece of what he does these days.

And this is not a good thing. I'd rather have an author-author than a celebrity-author. Author-authors get their stuff done instead of complaining about how many conventions thay have to go to in order to satisfy their fans.

 

[Vonlok The Bold]

His product is a good one. I wouldn't presume to tell George RR Martin, how to write. If he needs to take this long to come out with a quality book, then I'll live with it. I'm not happy about it, but I'll live with it.

As far as conventions etc. slowing him down, I don't really buy it. His little comment section spoke to that perception a while back. He says that it doesn't slow him down, and he may or may not be telling the truth. Either way I've been waiting far too long for this book, and I would like it if he finishes it quickly.

 

[takyris]

His product is a good one. I wouldn't presume to tell George RR Martin, how to write. If he needs to take this long to come out with a quality book, then I'll live with it. I'm not happy about it, but I'll live with it.

Don't-presume away.

I, on the other hand, have no problem saying, "Uh, no. It's his job. If he's making enough money on royalties that he doesn't feel like doing his job, that's fine. But I'm not going to pretend that writing fiction is a big mystical art, and the muses haven't gifted him with the proper adjective to describe the way Cersai writhes when Jaime stabs her in the stomach with his new magical flaming hand and then pyro-vivisects her while she's still alive, or whatever new and inventive shockingly violent death-scene he's going to use this time."

I'm not sending him e-mails saying that, because a) I've never met him personally and b) I'm not a jerk. So neither of us is presuming to tell Martin how to write directly. But pretending that it's a magic process mere mortals can't understand is a tad naive. It's his job. It's his craft. It's the thing he gets paid for. If a musical conductor did half a symphony and then stepped down from the podium and said, "Gosh, I'm really trying hard, but I just am not ready to give you the next half of the symphony, but man, it's going to be great when I do decide to do that second half," I doubt the folks in the seats would be impressed. Some people would say that it was unprofessional, and some people would say that artistically it's shoddy work because a major part of the experience was getting to hear the different pieces closely together, so that the natural transition didn't have a big unnatural pause right there in the middle. And some folks would, after long enough, decide that while they liked the first part of the symphony, it just wasn't the same now, and they might go listen to something else instead.

As far as conventions etc. slowing him down, I don't really buy it. His little comment section spoke to that perception a while back. He says that it doesn't slow him down, and he may or may not be telling the truth. Either way I've been waiting far too long for this book, and I would like it if he finishes it quickly.

I agree on both fronts.

 

[Narfellus]

I'm also eagerly awaiting book 4. I was a late bloomer for GoT, and had a hard time getting into it at first. All i can say is that book 3 was worth the wait, with probably the hands down best cliffhanger i've ever read. Fortunately i finished that book only a few months ago. If i had to wait FIVE YEARS to find out what happened i would be a little peeved too. Still, i think it will be a great book, and longer than any of the other ones. Maybe getting two books in one will help soften the long wait!

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

If i had to wait FIVE YEARS to find out what happened i would be a little peeved too.

They have been great books. I grabbed the first book the week it came out on a whim, and was hooked. My word of mouth must have sold dozens of copies because I was telling everyone I knew was a fantasy fan back in '96. Got my wife hooked, even.

But you are right on the Five years business. I'm one of those who have been waiting. But I'm done waiting, I've dropped the entire series until it is all published. ALL! Right now I hope I still have an interest when this is all finished. But at the rate new, fresh, authors are discovered lately... we'll see...

 

[Berandor]

I, on the other hand, have no problem saying, "Uh, no. It's his job. If he's making enough money on royalties that he doesn't feel like doing his job, that's fine. But I'm not going to pretend that writing fiction is a big mystical art, and the muses haven't gifted him with the proper adjective to describe the way Cersai writhes when Jaime stabs her in the stomach with his new magical flaming hand and then pyro-vivisects her while she's still alive, or whatever new and inventive shockingly violent death-scene he's going to use this time."

Hey! How about a spoiler warning?

If a musical conductor did half a symphony and then stepped down from the podium and said, "Gosh, I'm really trying hard, but I just am not ready to give you the next half of the symphony, but man, it's going to be great when I do decide to do that second half," I doubt the folks in the seats would be impressed.

Well, the analogy doesn't work 100% because the folks in the seats alread paid for the symphony. A better way would probably be if Peter Jackson had said, "Sorry, folks, but Return of the King isn't ready yet. I'll release it in 2008 - but it'll be awesome, I promise."

As for me, Martin doesn't owe me anything. In my opinion, he can write as fast or as slow as he likes to. The first three books really entertained me, and I got their value's worth out of it (and more). So we're even. If Martin never publishes another book, I'll read other books. If he publishes the book some day, I'll take a look. Or not. But I probably will, even though I won't be as "into the story" then as I was after my first read.

The Song of Ice and Fire is Martin's brainchild. It's his to do with as he wants. I'm sure he's aware his lack of speed is losing him readers, because the money to buy the books is ours to do with as we please. But just like Martin can't force anyone to buy his books, I can't force him to finish. So why bother?

 

[Rhialto]

Right. Or if Jack Vance had taken decades to finish his "The Demon Princes" and "Lyonesse" series, that would be a good analogy.

Oh, wait. That's exactly what happened.