George R.R. Martin confirms no 'Winds of Winter' in 2018 while announcing new 'Game of Thrones' book

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Is George R.R. Martin the literary world's biggest villain?

George R.R. Martin is most famous for writing the book series that 'Game of Thrones' is based on, but he's also infamous for the fact that he's yet to finish writing the books after more than two decades.

It looks like fans of both HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and the “A Song of Ice and Fire” novels for which the show is based will be waiting until at least 2019 for new content. Author George R.R. Martin announced on Wednesday that he won’t finish “Winds of Winter” this year.

For those unfamiliar, Martin has been delayed for roughly seven years getting the sixth in his projected seven-book series completed. With other projects on his plate, many assumed that the book would not come this year, but the star took to his blog to confirm the theory.

“No, winter is not coming… not in 2018 at least. You’re going to have to keep waiting for THE WINDS OF WINTER,” he wrote.

Surprisingly-enough, the author announced that the sixth book would not come in 2018 while announcing the release date of a prequel book set in the world of “Game of Thrones” that will hit shelves this year. “Fire and Blood” was previously teased by the author on his blog, and he proved that he’s capable of completing a “Game of Thrones” book, even if it’s not the sixth in the series. Fans can check out the history of the Targaryen kings of Westeros on November 20, 2018.

As fans of both the books and the TV show know, HBO’s popular drama began to outpace the novels after Season 6. Now, with the show about to enter its eighth and final season, fans are curious as to what new information they’ll glean from Martin’s written word. As previously reported, the books haven’t necessarily been a priority for the 69-year-old fantasy author. However, he still has every intention to finish them.

Martin concluded his “Fire and Blood” announcement with a note of optimism about book 6, confirming that he’s returning to work on the novel without further distractions.