I think most of us here appreciate the news postings you make here, whether it be about the book (or products related to it) or whatever else, Pizza, Politics, Football (which is hard to talk about when you're a long suffering Jets fan like me), etc.

This is not the 'Dance with Dragons Update' blog, its the "George R.R. Martin" Blog (well - "Not a Blog" rather).

Don't get me wrong, we're all eagerly awaiting your next novel but don't let the trolls bother you. Send Ilyn Payne with his new weapon, the ban stick (its far more sharp than Ice was) after them!

I will make sure to check out the Minis at Gecon. i cant wait to go. ONly 2 days till it starts.


I am wondering if I am troll or not.

Those look pretty good so far!

The miniatures look great Mr. Martin. Tom's proportions and style are a perfect match for your series, hopefully he will do all of the sculpting, because some of the other Dark Sword sculptors aren't as well suited in my opinion.

I'm sure you already noticed this, but there seems to be a possible error in the Jon Snow sculpt. The figure is described as Jon around the time of his battle with Qhorin Halfhand. If this is the case he should be armed with Longclaw, not the longsword he currently holds.

Anyway good luck on the miniatures line, here's hoping that the second time is a charm. I know I'll be buying a bunch, even if they aren't in my favorite scale of 1/72 plastic.

Juba

"And life is too short to deal with trolls."

I'm totally in love with your series and am anticipating a brilliant follow-up, but patience is a virtue. I'll wait until you've perfected your art.

Luke, House of Stark

I just wanted to let you know that your excellent writing and my own, not-quite-patented-but-should-be brand of whiny persistance got my best friend hooked on the Song of Fire and Ice series.
The books are amazing (most specifically SoFaI), and I've said it before/will say it again: good things are worth the wait. People who are snippy about having to wait are just silly. There are other pasttimes available with which they can occupy their time until Dance comes out.
Be good, have fun!

1)Very good to hear about the miniatures. I can't wait to buy them--and maybe try to paint them myself!

2)Very embarrassed about the troll situation.

3)Off topic--saw a scene from "Easy Rider"and started to cry when I saw Shiprock...and then thought about how I miss living out in NM, and how lucky you are to be there. I had also recently read the balloon ascension scene from "Armageddon Rag" and it also brought a tear to my eye of how that experience is truly unique and people don't really get it until they are up there.

Hello,

I think 2 great miniatures would be "Strong Belwas" (which I think has already been mentioned)

The second is "Rattleshirt"

Other suggestions would be a couple of the "Others"

"Aeron Damphair"

"Yoren"

"The Red Viper"

"The Blackfish"

"Rhaegar Targaryen" (one in full dragon armor and another without)

THere are others in fact I could go on all day with this but I feel the ones listed above would all make unique mini's. All of them display a lot of personality just from the description alone and all are a little off of the beaten path from the more obvious choices except maybe Rhaegar.

I think a Rattleshirt mini would look cool.

Lovely minatures Mr M, lovely.
Although personally not a collector, they interest me in the sense that they could, in the fullness of time, be collected to form a chess set.
This is why general 'non story led' character figures such as the archer could be useful as pawns. Now please forgive my ignorance but could these figures be put on a base as in chess or do they already come on some standing base? Could Mr M let us know if he plans to license a chess set to a seperate company, or could these figures, when more are completed, be used?

Who is the main supplier in the UK of such figures?

And, has anyone figured out how some of the scenarios from the series could be transported to the Battlelore or Dreamscape game systems.

Oh, and as for trolls.
Well done for putting them all in their place.
Their moaning is an absolute disgrace
They are indeed a peculiar race!
They hang about in ditches
Lurking under bridges,
Trapping passing goats
With their vile pitches!

Oh, and as for trolls.
Well done that you are on their wee cases
Out from Westeros you have given chase
As they run they'll trip over their laces!
They hide their moans in a thread.
Like BILBO who taunted
You've got em' cornered!!
So they'll freeze instead.

Oh, and as for trolls.
No longer will they lurk on this, YOUR space.
These creatures, the main subject should embrace,
Realising they post by your kind grace.
Posters must understand Sire Expanding your Westeros
Expanding Ice and Fire And giving Wild Cards the gloss
And Wild Card needs Your OR Needs Creator's time..or
Time. Be patient friends or.. Literature's loss.
We're in the mire!!!

Sorry I got carried away. Forgive the lack of scanning and grammatical errors. Enjoy!!! David

Oh my ode did explode.
It should have read like this instead!!!

Oh, and as for trolls.
No longer will they lurk on this, YOUR space.
These creatures, the main subject should embrace,
Realising they post by your kind grace.
Posters must understand Sire
Expanding Ice and Fire
And Wild Card needs Your
Time. Be patient friends or..
We're in the mire!!!

Alternate last four lines..
Expanding your Westeros
And giving Wild Cards the gloss
Needs Creator's time or...
Literature's loss!!!

The miniatures look great, I'm really excited! I'm all ready to buy a Jon, Jaime and Eddard (and others of course)!

Call me odd, but I would like a Duncan and Egg minis, well actually all of the knights from the Hedge Knight... Of course I want to read more of their adventures as well... actually more than Dance with Dragons. The Graphic Novels of their first two adventures are great.

Just point me at a troll and I will add their blood to my sword.

If the trolls want to try to rush you to finish the book, then they must not be concerned at all with the quality. I for one am not interested in a book that was rushed to finish for the sake of silencing some trolling troglodytes (sp?). Take whatever time you need to finish the book, and write it the way it was meant to be written. You have a great luxury of not having to have it out by a certain set date (as far as I know anyway). Many writers come out with subpar works to meet deadlines. Besides, there are MANY fantasy series that are still unfinished that people can be impatient over instead. Tad Williams is in the middle of one, Scott Lynch's Gentlemen Bastard series JUST STARTED, Greg Keyes' current tetralogy is awaiting its last volume, and Robert Jordan will NEVER finish his series. I think a little patience isn't a bad thing in awaiting the next chapter in ASOIAF.

Another thought about trolls (since I'm taking a thesis break) - one thing I'd love to see is a list of some authors/epic series that you've really enjoyed, for folks who are looking for something to read in the meantime. There's a lot out there, and not all of it is good (I'm very picky, myself!).

Tom is one of the more talented sculptors out there. He was really very good twenty ago when I first started miniature wargaming, now he's even better.

These sculpts are beautiful and will be probably sell like icecream in the desert without a ruleset.

It was the line, "'It's Brilliant!' -- Robert Jordan" on the top of the cover of _A Game of Thrones_ that caught my friend's eye, and he immediately handed the book to me (after reading of course). The rest is history.

True enough, since reading ASOIAF, I haven't been able to look at a Jordan book, but the influence is an important one. When I worked at Barnes and Noble, I used to force people who bought WoT books to buy Thrones. Usually worked, too.

Take your sweet time, my friend. It'll be just as amazing (if not more) if you have a few months more to critique! Good luck!

Ahh but trolls are so cute and cuddly

Mr. Martin,

I just wanted to take the time to say thank you for being so accessable and spending time with your fans at Tri-noc. I know I speak for all of us when I say we greatly enjoyed having dinner with you and spending the evening with you on Saturday night. Thank you for putting up with my libertarian rants.

Just a personal aside you signed a copy of "The Ice Dragon" I had with me, my daughter who is four years old, really wants to meet "The man who wrote in her book for her." I plan on trying to convince a local book store to try to get you to Columbia SC for your signing tour when "A Dance with Dragons" is released (provided you are aminable to such a trip, of course.)

Sincerely,

Adam

Oh how I long to get my hands on some ASOIAF minis!

I don't know how I could ever pick any ONE mini, because I want them ALL! SERIOUSLY! I cannot wait to pick these up...

I guess the one scene for which I would love to have all of the minis would be from the Tower of Joy and the glorious battle between the 3 Kingsguard and Eddard Stark's group of 7 companions... Truly an immensely incredible scene!!!

'And now it begins,' said Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning. He unsheathed Dawn and held it with both hands. The blade was pale as milkglass, alive with light.

'No,' Ned said with sadness in his voice. 'Now it ends.' As they came together in a rush of steel and shadow, he could hear Lyanna screaming. 'Eddard!' she called. A storm of rose petals blew across a blood-streaked sky, as blue as the eyes of death.

In addition to who is chosen I think the timing of the sculpture is important.

For example King Robert in his later years wouldn't work. Here is what I suggest:

Tyrion - as The Hand
King Robert - On the Trident
Knight of Flower - at the Hands tourney jousting
Jamie Lanister - I think I would like to see him on the iron throne when Eddard entered
Eddard Stark - in battle
Shagga and Wildlings - in battle


What do you think?

The minatures look amazing. I can't wait to be able to order them. :)

Mr. Martin.

Keep at it. Inspiration and hard work deplete one another in a delicate interplay the balance of which must be repeatedly fine tuned to the extenuating circumstances of daily life.

sounds like fun. And you just solved my X-Mass shopping issues for the next couple of years - both my fiancee and I are fans, so this could be cool to collect. :)

and yay to Troll slaying. Let me know if you need help with that, George, dear. Those people get on my nerves as well. Don't see how they are helping either.