Latest news with #GeorgeRRMartin
The Independent
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Game of Thrones author sets fans straight on next book
George RR Martin has addressed fans' concerns about the delayed release of The Winds of Winter, the sixth book in his A Song of Ice and Fire series. Martin announced he is producing an adaptation of Howard Waldrop's novella, A Dozen Tough Jobs, which triggered complaints about his work on projects unrelated to The Winds of Winter. Martin responded to criticisms that he doesn't care about finishing the series, detailing the typical negative comments he receives, including that his writing has deteriorated and he will die soon due to his age. He said he had worked on numerous other projects, but 'you don't care about anything but Winds of Winter. You've told me so often enough'. Martin has been working on The Winds of Winter since 2010, and despite expressing frustration and delays due to other projects, he stated in 2022 that the book was about "three-quarters of the way done".
Geek Tyrant
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
George R.R. Martin Rants About WINDS OF WINTER Pressure: 'You Don't Care About Anything but WINDS" — GeekTyrant
If you've been on the internet any time in the past decade, you've probably seen the familiar chorus: 'Where's The Winds of Winter ?' It's become a meme, a plea, and sometimes a demand hurled at Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin every time he announces… well, anything that's not the next book in A Song of Ice and Fire series. This week, Martin addressed that ever-persistent noise head-on in a characteristically frank and personal post on his Not a Blog, triggered by the announcement of a new project: an animated adaptation of Howard Waldrop's A Dozen Tough Jobs . 'I know, I know. Some of you will just be pissed off by this, as you are by everything I announce here that is not about Westeros or THE WINDS OF WINTER. You have given up on me, or on the book.' From there, the post took a sharp turn into brutal honesty, and maybe a little sarcasm, as Martin rattled off the recurring criticisms he's heard over the years. 'I will never finish WINDS, If I do, I will never finish A DREAM OF SPRING. If I do, it won't be any good. I ought to get some other writer to pinch hit [finish it] for me… 'I am going to die soon anyway, because I am so old. I lost all interest in A Song of Ice and Fire decades ago. I don't give a shit about writing any longer, I just sit around and spend my money.' He didn't stop there. Martin pointed out that many fans seem to resent anything he does outside Westeros, whether it's Wild Cards , his award-winning short stories, or the many anthologies he's edited with the late Gardner Dozois. 'You may hate everything else I have ever written… You don't care about any of those, I know. You don't care about anything but WINDS OF WINTER. You've told me so often enough.' But if it sounds like Martin's throwing in the towel, think again. 'Thing is, I do care about them, and I care about Westeros and WINDS as well. The Starks and Lannisters and Targaryens, Tyrion and Asha, Dany and Daenerys, the dragons and the direwolves—I care about them all. More than you can ever imagine.' Martin isn't brushing off Winds of Winter . He's telling fans, in his own slightly grumbly, very George R.R. Martin way: I'm still in this. I still love these characters. I'm just not going to sacrifice every other part of my creative life to satisfy one demand. Fair enough, but it's taking so damn long! Martin hasn't abandoned Westeros. He's just trying to live a full creative life outside of Westeros. Fans have been waiting so long for the book, though, that there's not much more patience.
Gizmodo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
George R.R. Martin Is Really Starting to Get Sick of Your ‘Winds of Winter' Complaining
The longer it's taken the 'Song of Ice and Fire' author to finish its latest chapter, the more it feels like addressing it is like warning a child not to touch a hot stove. George R.R. Martin has been writing The Winds of Winter for a very long time, and in that process, he's also happened to do a lot of things that are not 'write The Winds of Winter.' Most of Game of Thrones' production, the birth and death of multiple of its spinoffs, movies, TV shows, book anthologies, video games, updates on his blog about how he is indeed writing The Winds of Winter, begging us to not ask him about updates on Winds of Winter, giving us the updates on Winds of Winter anyway: the man's been doing stuff. But that is still not enough for some who have made the wait for Winds of Winter become as excruciating for the writer as it is for them. And Martin is letting it be known through his medium of choice, his Not a Blog blog, that it's really starting to annoy him. As part of an update announcing his involvement in producing an animated feature adaptation of Howard Waldrop's novella A Dozen Tough Jobs—a mythic riff on the story of Hercules and the Greek gods, reimagined in 1920s Mississippi—with Lion Forge, Martin took a moment to pop off at anyone priming to make a joke about him adding yet another side quest to his list of projects. 'I know, I know. Some of you will just be pissed off by this, as you are by everything I announce here that is not about Westeros or The Winds of Winter,' Martin wrote. :You have given up on me, or on the book. I will never finish Winds, If I do, I will never finish A Dream of Spring. If I do, it won't be any good. I ought to get some other writer to pinch hit for me… I am going to die soon anyway, because I am so old. I lost all interest in A Song of Ice and Fire decades ago.' 'I don't give a shit about writing any longer, I just sit around and spend my money. I edit the Wild Cards books too, but you hate Wild Cards. You may hate everything else I have ever written, the Hugo-winners and Hugo-losers, 'A Song for Lya' and Dying of the Light, 'Sandkings' and Beauty and the Beast, 'This Tower of Ashes' and 'The Stone City,' Old Mars and Old Venus and Rogues and Warriors and Dangerous Women and all the other anthologies I edited with my friend Gardner Dozois, You don't care about any of those, I know. You don't care about anything but Winds of Winter. You've told me so often enough,' Martin added. The point Martin, continues, is that he does care about Winds and the world it inhabits, it's just more than who he is as a writer—and in this case, a producer acting on the behalf of a late friend to bring their work to life. 'Thing is, I do care about them. And I care about Westeros and Winds as well,' Martin continued. 'The Starks and Lannisters and Targaryens, Tyrion and Asha, Dany and Daenerys, the dragons and the direwolves, I care about them all. More than you can ever imagine.' 'I loved A Dozen Tough Jobs the first time I read it, ages ago. I loved Howard too. It saddens me that he did not live long enough to see the film; I hope we do him justice. How can we not? Hercules, Howard, Joe, Lion Forge… I wish you all could share my excitement at the prospect of this movie.' It's the sort of frankness that Martin has, for better or worse, become known for on his personal blog–where has has, of course, done everything from rail on his Winds of Winter progress detractors to engage in a bit of backroom drama with HBO over changes to House of the Dragon. Martin has also used the blog to announce that he's no longer giving the world updates on Winds of Winter, before promptly giving them anyway. It's clear that, for as long as it is taking to finish the novel, Martin does have the passion for it that people sometimes, jokingly otherwise, accuse him of lacking. Otherwise he just wouldn't keep telling us about it anyway, even as he rails against people's response to those updates in turn. People are still going to complain over how long it's taken him, but woe betide anyone who accuses the author of not caring about it. Whenever Winds of Winter finally comes our way, there's probably going to be plenty more Martin-affiliated projects that get announced or come along before it regardless. No one's going to stop him from doing them±just as Martin himself insists that no one will stop him from finishing Winds on his own terms.
Geek Tyrant
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Here's the Story That Alex Garland's ELDEN RING Movie Should Tell — GeekTyrant
Alex Garland is officially heading to The Lands Between. A24 and Bandai Namco have tapped the Ex Machina and Annihilation filmmaker to write and direct a live-action Elden Ring movie. This is a big move for both Garland and A24. Known for cerebral sci-fi and grounded psychological storytelling, this is uncharted territory, a sweeping dark fantasy epic loaded with monster gods, obscure lore, and more emotional trauma than a family reunion at Stormveil Castle. It's easily the biggest swing either has taken: a sprawling, high-fantasy world born from the minds of Dark Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaki and Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin. Expectations are appropriately colossal. But the big question is: What story are they going to tell? If you're familiar with Elden Ring , you know the game gives players the freedom to piece together their own path through fractured lore and cryptic NPCs. It's not exactly screenplay-friendly. That's why the best approach for Garland might be to focus not on your Tarnished, but one who came before: Vyke the Dragonspear. Before the player ever touched grace, Vyke wasn't just another warrior trying to become Elden Lord, he was the Tarnished to watch. A once-loyal knight of Leyndell's Ancient Dragon Cult, Vyke's story is tragic, beautiful, and perfect for the screen. According to lore, Vyke trained under Lansseax and pursued the Elden Ring with a determination that mirrored the player's own journey. But everything changed when he tried to save his Finger Maiden from her destined sacrifice. That's where the tragedy really kicks in. "Vyke's story revolves around his desire to save his Finger Maiden from being sacrificed to become Elden Lord, a fate that seemed inevitable for him. He sought out the Three Fingers, potentially on the advice of Shabriri, and embraced the Frenzied Flame, ultimately becoming a Lord of Frenzied Flame." A man chasing glory gives it all up for love, not for power, not for dominion, but to save someone who was viewed as disposable. And in doing so, he loses his mind, his purpose, and is eventually imprisoned, his journey cut short. 'A fate worse than death' doesn't begin to cover it. This is pure Garland material, a character at war with himself, torn between love and destiny, slowly unraveling under the weight of a cursed world. Vyke isn't a Chosen One. He's not a god or a myth. He's a tragic reflection of the player, the path that could have been, and that makes him the perfect protagonist. "Vyke's story is a cautionary tale about the consequences of choosing the Frenzied Flame path and the struggle between love and duty. He represents the player's mirror image, a Tarnished who embraced the Frenzied Flame to avoid a seemingly inevitable sacrifice." With Garland's eye for psychological nuance and A24's appetite for boundary-pushing cinema, this could be as massive and epic as The Lord of the Rings. This could be a stunning fantasy film that gives us something intimate, brutal, and emotionally honest, and Vyke's story is exactly that, a poetic nightmare about love, power, and the cost of choosing your own path. If A24 and Garland are serious about doing this right, they'll let us burn with Vyke first.
Stuff.tv
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Stuff.tv
I (just about) survived Elden Ring Nightreign's unforgiving co-op chaos
Stuff Verdict Adapt to its initial frustrations and Elden Ring Nightreign is one of the most challenging but rewarding co-op action fantasy games around. Pros The best of Elden Ring in digestible sessions Cool variety of character classes and skills Rewarding boss fights include a best-of from past FromSoft games Cons Faster structure sometimes at odds with traditional FromSoft mechanics Some bosses feel spongy and unbalanced A miserable time for solo expeditioners Introduction More than three years since its release, Elden Ring has sold over 30 million copies. Not bad for a fantasy RPG that seems to hate you as much as co-creator and Game of Thrones author George RR Martin seems to hate his characters. But you can see why there's demand to keep the cycle spinning, with a movie adaptation in the works (28 Days Later's Alex Garland is attached to direct), and now this new online co-op spin-off, Elden Ring Nightreign. It doesn't sound like an idea that should work on paper, even if one of the magical parts of Elden Ring (and the Dark Souls series that preceded it) was the jolly cooperation between strangers. Given how influential FromSoftware's games have been in the last decade, it's also peculiar that the developer would be chasing other genre trends. And yet after taking a while to adjust your expectations, there is something special here for players up for working together to overcome some fiendish challenges. The night is young Nightreign is essentially Elden Ring condensed into a run-based roguelite, with random loot and persistent upgrades – but also the gradually shrinking open world map of a battle royale. Once you match up in a team of three fellow Nightfarers, or by yourself (there's sadly no way to play this as just a pair), you drop into Limveld; over the course of three game days, the goal is to defeat the Nightlord on the final day, by ensuring you've gotten strong enough with the necessary resources from the previous days. It's just the first of many nightlords, just to keep these runs on your toes. After defeating the first one, more become available and you're free to tackle them in any order. That's just as well, because the second one is an absolute nightmare – you'd do well to not continue successive runs bashing your head against the wall on them. The map is also constantly changing for each run in terms of what structures and enemies you might encounter. One version of Limveld might contain snowy mountains, while another has lava-filled volcanoes, though it's also sometimes prone to duplicating the same ruins and soldier camps. How you explore the map is also dictated by the Night Rain, an encroaching storm that drains your health if you're caught in it. This happens each day, leaving a large-ish circle on the map, while by night you're forced into a smaller arena to face a mini-boss. It then means you have to prioritise your objectives: do you hit up the churches first to upgrade the number of times you can heal from your flask, do you seek out rare resources for upgrading your weapons in the caves, or do you focus on defeating other formidable enemies on the map to gain more gear or abilities they drop as well as more runes for levelling up? Do you risk continuing these tasks even when the rains close in or try to save them for the second day when the cycle restarts? Souls stars This more streamlined, turbo-charged approach may be appealing for players already into the likes of Apex Legends rather than the commitment of a 80+ hour RPG, but it does mean some elements of what has defined FromSoftware's hardcore RPGs are lost. When you have to be so quick on your feet, the careful, methodical approach of both Elden Ring and Dark Souls doesn't really gel. It's why you won't be examining items for lore, can't leave messages for other players, and why your nightfarers are pre-set characters rather than ones you can customise yourself. The archetypes you're presented with are nonetheless an interesting bunch that play quite distinctly. Wylder is your typical jack-of-all-trades knight, Raiders hit hard and can also take quite a few hits without being interrupted, while Duchess (who's unlocked later) moves and attacks swiftly though also more fragile. Perhaps best of all is IronEye, who actually makes bow combat very viable – you can actually get in decent attack damage while maintaining a safe distance. In that hero shooter-inspired vein, each nightfarer also has their own unique passive and active skills, the latter relying on cooldowns before they can be used. IronEye can slide into enemies to mark them, doubling the damage they receive, while Revenant can summon phantoms as temporary allies. Naturally, each also has ultimates, like how duchess can cloak everyone with invisibility to give you a quick respite from hostile enemies, while Executor transforms into a primordial beast with unique and powerful attacks for a brief time. To match the faster pace, everyone can sprint and clamber up walls quickly, while using spiritstreams and spectrals hawks can also help you traverse the map at greater speed. It's not always well implemented though; it can take just a rock or branch on the ground to stop you in your tracks. You're also still reliant on classic Soulsy combat mechanics such as stamina management and the loss of your runes if you die (though your teammate can revive you, assuming you're sticking together). You can even shield parry, but why would you stand still to attempt it when there are better options? Three to play You've not just got nightlords to deal with; a plethora of bosses encountered both on the field and at the end of each night have cheekily been pulled from both Elden Ring and the Dark Souls series. A shrewd case of recycling content, though it does add to the feeling that this is the work of modders rather than an official FromSoft joint. The one striking change from how these bosses were before is they're super spongey now, compounded by having mobs spawning in to distract you. This makes it clear how vital it is to level up at checkpoints regularly. If you reach the end of the second day and your level's still a single digit, you're unlikely to survive the boss at the end of that day, let alone the nightlord on the final one. In some team-based games you might count on a strong player to carry the team, but Nightreign demands that you be in synergy with one another to stand a chance. The game doesn't scale down in difficulty either, meaning the solo expedition option is really just for the most hardcore of masochists. For the rest of us, it means hoping you match up in a competent trio – in other words, nightfarers who don't run off randomly, or try tackling a big dragon when they haven't levelled up sufficiently – though it's definitely recommended organising a party of likeminded pals on voice chat. Summoning a stranger to help you with a boss in Elden Ring is one thing, but trusting two others for three in-game days that can take between 30-45 minutes can feel like a risky commitment. There are many crushing lows that make you question the time you've spent and your poor decisions. Yet when the team is in sync, you feel fully prepared by the final day, and someone's able to revive you without you having to yell into a headset, it turns out that Nightreign still, against all odds, keeps the spark of what makes Elden Ring special in the first place. You know what they say about how the night is always darkest before the dawn. Elden Ring Nightreign verdict In its streamlined online co-op structure, Elden Ring Nightreign often rubs up against the foundations of the FromSoftware action RPG formula in ways that frustrate, and in many ways it really shouldn't work. This isn't necessarily going to be one for every Elden Ring devotee who enjoys spending many hours in the Lands Between. Yet with a compelling roster of nightfarers, each who also have their own optional arcs, a mash-up of past and present FromSoft bosses, and the right team synergy, triumphing over the nightlords brings a new challenge and reward that redefines our expectations of jolly cooperation. For those who felt that this year's Monster Hunter Wilds had made its core loop a little too frictionless to widen its appeal, here's a co-op game that keeps its uncompromising teeth intact. Stuff Says… Score: 4/5 Adapt to its initial frustrations and you have one of the most challenging but rewarding co-op action fantasy games around Pros The best of Elden Ring in digestible sessions Cool variety of character classes and skills Rewarding boss fights include a best-of from past FromSoft games Cons Faster structure sometimes at odds with traditional FromSoft mechanics Some bosses feel spongy and unbalanced A miserable time for solo expeditioners
