Game of Thrones publisher HarperCollins confirmed that Winds of Winter, the sixth book in the hit series, would not be coming out in 2015.
HarperCollins executive Jane Johnson told The Guardian, "I have no information on likely delivery. These are increasingly complex books and require immense amounts of concentration to write. Fans really ought to appreciate that the length of these monsters is equivalent to two or three novels by other writers."
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The last book, A Dance With Dragons, was published in 2011, making it at least five years between volumes for eager fans.
The news is sure to disappoint booksellers as well. A big-selling book like Game of Thrones drives lots of traffic into stores and inevitably has a halo effect on overall sales.
HarperCollins is touting an illustrated reissue of three Westeros novellas as a panacea to fans. "The novellas are illustrated in black-and-white line drawings throughout by Gary Gianni in classic style. It will be a truly lovely book, and I adore these clever, funny stories," said Johnson.
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Of course fans also have the fifth season of the popular HBO TV show to look forward to in the summer of 2015. A new trailer for the next season just debuted at an Imax screening of season four.
Author George R.R. Martin has come under criticism from fans for his slow pace amid fears that the hit HBO show will run out of material. In July, he snapped back at fans worried that he might die before he finished writing the series. "I find that question pretty offensive. So f—k you to those people."
