George R.R. Martin kept “out of loop” during final Game of Thrones seasons

George R.R. Martin has been discussing his involvement in Game of Thrones’ final seasons on HBO, saying he wasn’t consulted as the show neared its end.

Game of Thrones became the biggest show on television when it aired, with the world watching its heady combination of politics, sex, and violence.

Based on the books by George R.R. Martin – collectively called A Song of Fire and Ice – the show followed the novels pretty closely for several seasons.

But Martin isn’t the fastest writer, and with the TV version becoming an annual event, the series soon overtook its source material. Meaning the show’s producers Daniel Weiss and David Benioff were flying solo for the final seasons.

What did George R.R. Martin say about his Game of Thrones involvement?

George R.R. Martin has previously been been critical of the backlash against the finale, telling The Independent: “I don’t understand how people can come to hate so much something that they once loved.”

But in a recent interview with the New York Times, he has spoken about his involvement with the final two seasons.

“By Season 5 and 6, and certainly 7 and 8, I was pretty much out of the loop,” he explains, and when asked why, responds: “I don’t know – you have to ask Dan and David.”

Will the Game of Thrones books end differently to the show?

George R.R. Martin rarely gives updates on forthcoming Song of Fire and Ice finale The Winds of Winter, but last month, he alluded to the fact that the book is proving to be quite different to its TV counterpart.

Writing on his blog, Martin said: “I have been at work in my winter garden. Things are growing… and changing, as does happen with us gardeners. Things twist, things change, new ideas come to me (thank you, muse), old ideas prove unworkable, I write, I rewrite, I restructure, I rip everything apart and rewrite again, I go through doors that lead nowhere, and doors that open on marvels.

“Sounds mad, I know. But it’s how I write. Always has been. Always will be. For good or ill. What I have noticed more and more of late, however, is my gardening is taking me further and further away from the television series. Yes, some of the things you saw on HBO in Game of Thrones you will also see in The Winds of Winter (though maybe not in quite the same ways)… but much of the rest will be quite different.”

George R.R. Martin has been involved with Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon however, which hits screens on August 21, and which he spoke about here.