George R.R. Martin. Photo by Henry Söderlund (Cropped) (CC BY 4.0)

In the latest episode of How to Train Your Patience: Westeros Edition, George R.R. Martin has once again reminded us that time is a flat circle, especially when it comes to The Winds of Winter. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Martin confessed what fans have suspected for years: the book might be late enough to qualify for AARP benefits.

“Thirteen years late,” he said, sounding like a man who just realized he accidentally RSVP’d to a wedding in 2011 and forgot to show up. “Every time I say that, I’m like, ‘How could I be 13 years late?’ I don’t know, it happens a day at a time.” Yes, George, that’s how calendars work. But, to his credit, the man is alive, vital, and still keeping the dream alive—at least until another HBO spin-off steals his attention.

A Song of Ice, Fire… and Frustration

Fans of A Song of Ice and Fire have become as legendary as the series itself, enduring each delay with the grim determination of the Night’s Watch. Some have taken to writing their own endings. Others have moved on, knowing the true spirit of the series is the friends (and therapy bills) we made along the way. And yet, like a direwolf stubbornly guarding its post, most of us cling to the hope that The Winds of Winter will someday grace our shelves—preferably before we see a real dragon flying.

To be fair, Martin hasn’t exactly been resting on the Iron Throne. He’s been producing spin-offs, nurturing adaptations of his late friend’s works, and working as an executive producer on House of the Dragon. He even found time to drop Fire & Blood, a 700-page detour that inspired the prequel series. (Let’s just say it’s like starting a side quest while the main storyline sits neglected in your inventory.)

“I Seem Pretty Vital!”

Martin has heard the morbid grumblings from the fandom—those dark whispers that he might not finish the series before he joins the Old Gods (or the New). “A lot of people are already writing obituaries for me,” he said with a chuckle. “Maybe they’re right. I don’t know. I’m alive right now! I seem pretty vital!”

That’s the kind of pep talk fans needed… 10 years ago. At this point, it feels like Martin is engaged in an epic standoff with time itself, armed only with a quill, some stubborn optimism, and a mountain of unfinished pages.

The Real Winner of the Game of Thrones

Let’s be honest: George R.R. Martin is playing a game far more cunning than any scheming Lannister. He knows we’re hooked, and he’s mastered the art of making us wait. After all, the man did invent a plotline where Jon Snow’s true parentage was teased for over a decade.

But here’s the twist: maybe the real final chapter isn’t about The Winds of Winter or its sequel, A Dream of Spring. Maybe the saga is about us—the fans who keep waiting, theorizing, and holding out hope. (Or maybe that’s just what we tell ourselves to feel better about checking release updates for the 7,000th time.)

Until that fateful day when the book finally lands, we can only echo the words of a certain direwolf-loving Stark: Winter is coming. Eventually. Probably. Hopefully.

And if not? Well, there’s always fan fiction.