George R.R. Martin Says 2016 ‘Keeps Getting Worse’ As He Mourns Death Of Several Icons
George R.R. Martin just described 2016 as the year that “keeps getting worse and worse” because of death. In a recent post entitled “A Bad Year Gets Worse,” he expressed his sadness over the deaths of Carrie Fisher and “Watership Down” novelist Richard Adams.
“Death, death, and more death … this year just keeps getting worse and worse,” he wrote. The post came as a surprise to fans who are greatly aware of Martin’s fascination for incorporating deaths in his “Song of Ice and Fire” series. In fact, its television adaptation, Game of Thrones, have already featured 704 deaths since its pilot episode. In Game of Thrones Season 5 alone, 246 deaths took place.
Nonetheless, fiction is indeed different from real life. Martin believes that Carrie Fisher passed away before her time. He said that her memory will live on especially because of her Star Wars character’s legacy.
“There is not much I can say about the death of Carrie Fisher that a thousand other people have not said already. She was way too young. A bright, beautiful, talented actress, and a strong, witty, outspoken woman. Princess Leia will live as long as STAR WARS does … probably forever.”
Martin likewise remembered Adams who died at a nursing home over the Christmas Eve. He lauded Adams for penning the novel he believes is “one of the three great fantasy novels of the 20th century, right up there with ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Once and Future King.'” For Martin, “Watership Down” is a book commonly forgotten by fans when they talk about amazing fantasy books.
If there is one thing he regrets, it’s his inability to meet Adams when he was still alive.
“Adams was not ‘one of us,’ in the sense that he was never a convention-goer or part of our genre fantasy community, which may be why he was never honored with a life achievement award by the World Fantasy Convention. Nonetheless, he deserved one. I’ve been suggesting him for that honor for at least twenty years … in part because I wanted to meet him. Now I never will. That’s sad.”
This year truly witnessed the deaths of some of the world’s beloved figures. Sports enthusiasts mourned the death of boxing champion Muhammad Ali while Harry Potter fans lifted their wands for Alan Rickman who gave life to the character of a misunderstood professor, Severus Snape. The music scene wasn’t spared with the passing of Prince and David Bowie.
Artist Chris Barker created a photo featuring the culture stars the world lost in 2016.
#RIPDebbieReynolds Terrible sad news. I have had enough of this year now. #sgtpepper2016 pic.twitter.com/f09uHVLrs8
— christhebarker (@christhebarker) December 29, 2016
Many social media users shared the photo with some saying that they can’t wait to say “goodbye” to this year.
Meanwhile, the release of Martin’s “Winds of Winter” is still unknown but the novelist maintained that “winter is the time when things die.” It’s the time when “darkness fills the world,” that’s why fans should not hope for a feel-good story.
With Martin’s perspective of the year 2016, it won’t be startling if the sequences of his novel would be dark too. Now that there are two shortened seasons left, it appears that Game of Thrones will end without witnessing the release of “Winds of Winter.”
Even if Game of Thrones already surpassed its reference material, Martin reportedly had a say on how the show would end. Showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss made sure to closely work with the author. With the network’s plan to expand the series after its ending, Martin might be given more opportunities to helm the story.
The famed HBO series returns for its second to the last season this summer.
[Featured Image by Taylor Hill/Getty Images for Miller Lite]
