George R.R. Martin, the author of the books that inspired “Game of Thrones,” has spoken out about the series finale amid an uproar from fans.
The writer of the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series, took to his website on Monday after the hit HBO show ended and updated fans on when he’ll finish his next highly-anticipated novels in the series.
{mosads}Martin remained cryptic on the question of whether the ending in the books will be different than that of the show, which began outpacing his published text several seasons ago.
“Well … yes. And no. And yes. And no. And yes. And no. And yes,” Martin wrote.
The author pointed out that the TV show creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss worked with a different medium and had six hours for the final episodes.
“I expect these last two books of mine will fill 3000 manuscript pages between them before I’m done … and if more pages and chapters and scenes are needed, I’ll add them,” Martin wrote.
He added that “if nothing else” readers will learn what happens to characters who never made it onto the show or who died on TV but are still alive in his writing.
“Book or show, which will be the ‘real’ ending? It’s a silly question. How many children did Scarlett O’Hara have?” Martin wrote. “How about this? I’ll write it. You read it. Then everyone can make up their own mind, and argue about it on the internet.”
The internet went wild on Sunday after the show wrapped up its eighth and final season, drawing in more than 19 million viewers.
Fans have been unhappy with the final season storylines and many have argued the Benioff and Weiss rushed the final six episodes due to lack of source material from Martin.
More than 1.4 million people signed a Change.org petition to remake season 8 with “competent writers.”
“This series deserves a final season that makes sense,” the petition’s author, identified as Dylan D., wrote on the website. “Subvert my expectations and make it happen, HBO!”
Several prominent Democratic lawmakers spoke out about the finale and how it portrayed the main female characters.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) pointed out that the show’s controversial series finale was “written by men.”
“I feel like we were getting so close to having this ending with just women running the world,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a video released Tuesday.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), also a Democratic presidential candidate, on Monday said the finale left her “very unhappy.”
“I hated the last three episodes … my two favorite characters, destroyed,” Gillibrand said.