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‘Game Of Thrones’ Will Not Be George R.R. Martin’s Only Book Adaptation: ‘Wild Cards’ Comes To TV

By Alexandria Ingham
Published on: 03:21 PST, Aug 10, 2016

Game of Thrones Season 8 may be the last, but it’s not the end for George R.R. Martin’s adaptations. His book series Wild Cards is the latest to become a TV series, thanks to his latest deal.

This is not going to work the same as Game of Thrones. While Universal Cable Productions has picked up Wild Cards, the writer himself will not be involved. He has already signed an exclusive deal with HBO for the Thrones series, which suggests that there may be a spinoff in the works in the future.

What does this mean for Wild Cards? Nobody really knows right now, but it could end up being substantially different from the books. This happened with The Vampire Diaries, when Julie Plec initially adapted the book series. The TV show has now taken a life of its own, and readers and TV show fans can avoid any spoilers for the two.

Most people will be aware of Martin’s series A Song of Ice and Fire thanks to the TV show, but what about his superhero anthology, Wild Cards? This is a 22-volume creation, with thousands of characters to delve into. He certainly doesn’t like to do things by half!

During a blog post on LiveJournal, he shared that the work will start immediately on the new series, and assistant editor Melinda M. Snodgrass will take over as executive producer. This may help the series stick to the books, as she will know more about Martin’s wants than anyone else. She also has a reputation for the sci-fi TV world, with credits in Star Trek: The Next Generation and The Profiler, among many others.

The series of novels and mosaics take readers through a time of alien invasion set in September, 1946. An alien virus is released in Manhattan, with 90 percent of the population dying instantly. Just one percent of the population get the power to become aces, while nine percent become jokers. Think of it like a deck of cards!

Wild Cards is more than a series of novels. There are graphic novels and games already involved, and it works out very similar to the DC and Marvel universes with superheroes and villains. The difference is there is likely more death, destruction, despair, and more than the universes made for young adults — that is, if Game of Thrones is anything to go by.

While Universal Cable Productions takes on this new series, Martin is still working on finishing his series A Song of Ice and Fire. Fans were extremely disappointed to hear that Winds of Winter wouldn’t be completed before Game of Thrones Season 6. It seems that not all the storylines have been given away, and most of them have had extra twists thrown into the series to allow the book readers to enjoy something different. For example, Martin wasn’t too happy with the way Jon Snow was brought back, according to Blasting News, so what does that mean for the books?

Winds of Winter will hopefully be released later this year, but he does have a habit of missing deadlines due to other projects and procrastination. He previously said that he is focused on completing this novel, but there has been little said since then. There is no publication date set for the novel yet.

Wild Cards is another series that Martin is still developing. So far 22 books have been released, and a 23rd is set for release later this year. How long the series will go on for is unknown. It is unclear which stories will be adapted first and just how long Wild Cards will go on for. Will it be as popular as Game of Thrones?

[Photo by Steven Snowden/Getty Images]

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