Decoding Fandom is a weekly column that dives deep into the world of fan culture and runs on Wednesdays in the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter. If you want to get this column a day before we publish it, subscribe to web_crawlr, where you’ll get the daily scoop of internet culture delivered straight to your inbox.
Has there ever been a writer that’s frustrated fans more than George R. R. Martin? The author of the A Song of Ice and Fire series, the source material for HBO’s Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, has a penchant for upsetting readers by taking many years to complete his books.
Last week, another wave of annoyance erupted within the fandom due to a post on Martin’s much-used blog. Ostensibly about a festival in Sante Fe, Martin ends the post with a hint at what’s to come. “I do not look forward to other posts I need to write, about everything that’s gone wrong with HOUSE OF THE DRAGON… but I need to do that too, and I will,” he writes.
The online reaction to Martin’s post was swift, and unanimous. Almost every post on X and Reddit was something along the lines of “well why don’t you finish Winds of Winter instead?” For context, The Winds of Winter is the next book in Martin’s as-of-yet incomplete A Song of Ice and Fire series. It’s been thirteen years since the previous book in the series came out, and Martin has sporadically provided updates about his progress that have elicited both hope and despair among fans.
Because Martin hadn’t (and still hasn’t) completed the series, the final three seasons of Game of Thrones diverged from the books, concluding with that divisive finale. As such, the slow pace at which Martin finishes his projects has long been a point of contention among fans.
A few responses to Martin’s blog post were humorous in tone, and at least a little lighthearted. “Men will do literally anything instead of writing The Winds of Winter,” wrote one fan on X.
But many other posts were significantly more vitriolic, revealing a deep well of resentment and anger within the fandom. “The idiot should just write his books. It’s been 13 years,” wrote one fan. “Write faster old man,” wrote another.
On the Game of Thrones subreddit, a number of fans appear to have legitimate beef with Martin, despite the fact that he is the author of what is presumably one of their favorite series. “Anyone else find it ironic he keeps whoring out his IP to HBO doesn’t get involved with the writing then bitches about it?” one fan asked. “GRRM sold his soul to the devil and will leave behind an unfinished legacy,” wrote another. Others suggested he’s “playing” or “trolling” fans, profiting off his IP and keeping fans waiting for his own amusement.
The dynamic at play here is rather puzzling. These fans purport to love Martin’s work, yet they express disdain for the man himself. It’s not so much separating the art from the artist as it is demanding more art as if the artist himself isn’t also a human being.
Though the backlash to Martin’s post was mighty, not everyone boarded the hater train. On X, one user questioned how fans treat Martin, noting that they seem to hate him more than Neil Gaiman, who has been accused of sexual assault by five women. Another suggested that the hate is in part due to how Martin looks. There is certainly evidence to back up this hypothesis, as a number of posts about Martin use fatphobic and ageist language.
A different user wrote that “fandom-heads will hold artists to the same standard as a factory line,” while someone else chimed in to say that fans don’t see him as a real person. Indeed, Martin wrote in his blog post that he’s had a “wretched year,” a distressing statement that seems to have entirely gone over fans’ heads.
Why it matters
The question at hand hinges on the issue of obligation. Fans feel that Martin owes them more books, the circumstances of his own life or the world at large be damned.
At the same time, some are angry with Martin for giving creative control to HBO, suggesting that they do begrudgingly accept his artistic vision. But do they accept his artistic process? Not so much.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
