George R.R. Martin reveals he’s ‘three quarters of the way done’ with his sixth Game of Thrones book

While promoting his new Game of Thrones reference book The Rise of the Dragon, George R.R. Martin offered an optimistic update for fans awaiting his sixth Game of Thrones book, The Winds of Winter.

It’s been 11 years since Martin published his fifth Game of Thrones book, 2011’s A Dance With Dragons, though he has revealed the titles for his sixth book (The Winds of Winter) and seventh and final book (A Dream of Spring) many years earlier.

The 74-year-old author appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Tuesday evening, where he revealed he’s 75% done with The Winds of Winter, approximately, while also revealing the original deign for the iconic Iron Throne.

Book: While promoting his new Game of Thrones reference book The Rise of the Dragon, George R.R. Martin offered an optimistic update for fans awaiting his sixth Game of Thrones book, The Winds of Winter

Throne: The 74-year-old author appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Tuesday evening, where he revealed he’s 75% done with The Winds of Winter, approximately, while also revealing the original deign for the iconic Iron Throne

Colbert joked that he, ‘legally’ has to ask him about his progress on The Winds of Winter.

‘I am making progress with The Winds of Winter. But did is still not done yet,’ Martin said, while Colbert asked, ‘How much are we talking, how much farther?’

‘Well, I think it is going to be a very big book. The biggest book so far were the third volume, A Storm of Swords and the sixth, A Dance with Dragons, both about 1500 pages,’ Martin added.

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Legally: Colbert joked that he, ‘legally’ has to ask him about his progress on The Winds of Winter

Big book: ‘Well, I think it is going to be a very big book. The biggest book so far were the third volume, A Storm of Swords and the sixth, A Dance with Dragons, both about 1500 pages,’ Martin added

‘This one is going to be bigger than either of that. And I think I’m about three quarters of the way done,’ he said to a smattering of applause. 

‘I’m done with some of the character, you know, they’re all– the characters all interweave so I have actually finished with a couple of the characters. I got their whole story but not others. So I have to finish all that,’ he added.

Colbert mentioned it’s taken him a decade to get to 75% and Martin said, ‘That’s depressing, as Colbert joked, ‘Yes, okay, all right, three more years.’

Bigger: ‘This one is going to be bigger than either of that. And I think I’m about three quarters of the way done,’ he said to a smattering of applause

Character: ‘I’m done with some of the character, you know, they’re all– the characters all interweave so I have actually finished with a couple of the characters. I got their whole story but not others. So I have to finish all that,’ he added

Martin added, ‘And I do know one thing for certain, that you know when we’re going to deliver it, and it is going to be published, and the next day I will get the first tweet that says, “Where’s A Dream of Spring?”‘

Colbert joked, ‘It will be from me.’

Martin also spoke about his new book The Rise of the Dragon, which he said is, ‘a quarter of that length’ compared to Fire & Blood, which House of the Dragon was based on, adding, ‘but we have added 150 original illustrations by some of the finest fantasy artists in the world, from all over the world.’

From me: Colbert joked, ‘It will be from me’

Martin also revealed one of those illustrations in his new book reveals what his original vision of the iconic Iron Throne really looks like… which would stand at least 15 feet tall and feature jagged stairs made of swords, leading to the throne itself.

The image itself caused the audience to gasp, as Martin explained, ‘It supposed to be, a lot of the kings cuts them is selves on it and sometimes it gets infected so it is probably good that you don’t have an iron seat there.

Colbert joked, ‘They have to make it out of all of the other chairs of the late night hosts,’ while Martin added more details.

Illustrations: Martin also revealed one of those illustrations in his new book reveals what his original vision of the iconic Iron Throne really looks like… which would stand at least 15 feet tall and feature jagged stairs made of swords, leading to the throne itself

‘The original Iron Throne in the books is, you know, very tall and the king silts up there, is he like 10, 15 feet above everybody looking down on the people. And it was made by like blacksmith it is not pretty it is not symmetrical it is full of hundreds and hundreds of swords,’ Martin added.

‘But when we actually got to making Game of Thrones, we didn’t have a sound stage with a tall enough ceiling in order to fit it in there. So they made the one that has become, you know, kind of iconic, for Game of thrones but when we made the new show, we had a little more room and we were able to expand it,’ Martin said.

The Rise of the Dragon is currently available at booksellers everywhere. 

New book: The Rise of the Dragon is currently available at booksellers everywhere