Guys, it's going to be a while before the "Winds of Winter" release date finally rolls around. If summers lasted a decade and winters last a lifetime, why, by the time winter rolled around the book might be in our hands. But in our world, well, it's going to be a couple couple whiles. In fact, it's now a virtual certainty that the next season will come out before the book does, and that season will start to cover material from that book. Dang, toughies. It's an awkward situation.
And if you're a true lover of reading and are just dying for the "Winds of Winter" release date, you may be left wondering: What else could I possibly read? Well, there are many options. By many I mean five, and they are below. I guess you could consider other options, but you should only consider these options: The perfect books to read while you wait for "Winds of Winter" to come out!
Books To Read Instead Of "Winds Of Winter," Since You Can't Read "Winds Of Winter," Since It Isn't Out
"The Wheel Of Time" Series
The "Wheel of Time" series by Robert Jordan was the great predecessor to "A Song of Ice and Fire." Indeed, George has always partially attributed the success of the series to a blurb from Robert Jordan on the cover of "A Game of Thrones," and I don't think he's wrong. Trust me, in the early '90s, fantasy wasn't like it is today. Harry Potter hadn't happened yet. The epic saga was, if not in decline, usually not well done.
"Wheel of Time" was well done. At least the first few books. Spanning fourteen novels written from 1990 to 2013, with the last three written after Robert Jordan's death (and considerably better than the last few books Jordan wrote himself-he was sadly quite ill), the series is no "Game of Thrones," but it's still worth your time.
Gormenghast
Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast trilogy is not like WoT or GoT. It's a dark Gothic fantasy. Wikipedia is calling it a fantasy of manners, which is exactly what it sounds like. Mervyn Peake wrote three books in the series, dying before finishing the third one. Read all these puppies anyway.
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy
You've presumably heard of this one, but Douglas Adams' science fiction comedy is still just as science fictiony and comedyesque as it was back when it was written. Which is not always the case for literature! The series is a pretty biting take at, uh, all sorts of things, and is alternately depressing and goofy. Entirely worthwhile. Sadly, Douglas Adams died while writing the sixth book.
The Silmarillion
The great prequel to Lord of the Rings and one of the greatest works of literature of the twentieth century [citation needed], The Silmarillion tells the tale of the first few thousand years of Middle Earth-at least the first few thousand years of the ages of the Sun. Indeed, it starts at the very creation of the world. It's a weird book, a very unique book, that Tolkien worked on intermittently for the last few years of his life. Unfortunately, he died before finishing it, and it was pieced together by his son.
The Years Of Lyndon Johnson
Enough fantasy and science fiction for you! I think it's time for you to upgrade to nonfiction. Robert Caro's four plus volume series takes you through pretty much every single facet of LBJ's life. Ever. Ever ever! We've got four books so far: "The Path To Power," "Means of Ascent," "Master of the Senate," and "The Passage of Power." The first book came out in 1982, the most recent in 2012, and Robert Caro estimates that the fifth and final book would take another two or three years. He said that in 2011, so, uh, sound familiar? Oh, also, he's 78. There's no sign of it yet. Even though no book in the series has taken fewer than 8 years, he says it'll come in three. I certainly hope he's right.
Hope you enjoyed this list of "Winds of Winter" release date alternatives! Also, George, please don't kill me.
