Despite having a head start of several years, George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels will finally be overtaken when Game of Thrones season 6 premieres next month. To put it simply, the Game of Thrones TV series has run out of novels to adapt, and it’s all uncharted territory from here on out.
Nobody can say that they didn’t see this coming. Even Martin knew it was a possibility, but the fact remains that his sixth novel, The Winds of Winter remains unfinished and it’s anyone’s guess when it will finally be published. But there is good news for A Song of Ice and Fire fans. In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss insisted that the new season actually won’t spoil the experience of reading the books!
“People are talking about whether the books are going to be spoiled – and it’s really not true,” said Benioff. “So much of what we’re doing diverges from the books at this point. And while there are certain key elements that will be the same, we’re not going to talk so much about that – and I don’t think George is either. People are going to be very surprised when they read the books after the show. They’re quite divergent in so many respects for the remainder of the show.”
Related: Watch a New Game of Thrones Season 6 Behind-the-Scenes Video
“What makes the books so great is that George doesn’t make meticulous blueprints for every beat of this story and then fill in the blanks dutifully going from A to B to C, fleshing out an outline,” added Weiss. “At a certain point, we realized we were going to outpace the books and we kind of chose to see it as a great thing on both sides – there’s this amazing world George has created and now there are two different versions, and there’s no reason we can see why you can’t be thrilled and surprised and dismayed by both of these different versions of this world.”
It should be noted that there are characters on Game of Thrones who have been killed off even though they are alive in the novels…or at least, not dead yet. There is another possibility that neither the showrunners nor Martin seem to talk about. The TV series will likely end after the eighth season, long before Martin’s seventh and final book wraps up his storyline. Benioff and Weiss have previously indicated that Martin told them his ending years ago, and it’s likely that they will still use it. So it may not be entirely accurate to say that the series won’t spoil the novels. Some spoilers are inevitable at this point.
The new season of Game of Thrones begins on Sunday, April 24 on HBO.
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Game of Thrones Season 6 Gallery
Game of Thrones Season 6 Gallery
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Sansa Stark In the Snow
Guess who survived the leap from Winterfell's castle walls? Sansa Stark lives to avenge herself and her family.
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Sansa and Theon
Sansa has every reason to hate Theon, but he did help her escape the Boltons. Will she forgive him and allow Theon to help her?
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Ramsay Bolton
The most hated man in the North and Sansa's husband, Ramsay Bolton.
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The Boltons
Roose Bolton and his bastard, Ramsay. They must be defeated at all costs if the North is to be freed.
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Melisandre at Castle Black
Contrary to fan rumors, Melisandre doesn't have the power to bring Jon Snow back from the dead. But perhaps her Lord of Light does...
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Davos Seaworth
As soon as Davos learns what happened to Princess Shireen, Melisandre had better watch her back.
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Brienne of Tarth
Brienne has reached the crossroads of her journey and avenged Renly by killing his brother, Stannis. But she still owes Sansa Stark a vow of protection.
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Sam and Gilly
Sam and Gilly had the very good fortune to get out of Castle Black before the men turned on Jon Snow. But their role in the story is far from done.
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Bran Stark and The Three-eyed Raven
Bran Stark is back this season, as the Three-eyed Raven tutors him in the use of his powers.
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Lord Balon Greyjoy
Lord Greyjoy remains a wildcard in the story and an enemy of both the North and the Lannisters.
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Yara Greyjoy
Theon's sister, Yara, is more of a man than he'll ever be...especially now. She could be a valued ally, or a fearsome foe.
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Jaime Lannister
Jaime Lannister traveled to Dorne to save his daughter, Myrcella. He failed, and now accompanies her body back to King's Landing.
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Tommen and Jaime mourn Myrcella
Before she died, Myrcella revealed that she knew Jaime was her father. Is Tommen aware of that fact as well?
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Jaime and Cersei
Somehow, we don't think that Cersei will ever forgive Jaime for failing to save their daughter.
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The High Sparrow
A deceptively simple man, the High Sparrow may also be the most dangerous man in King's Landing. Cersei's foolishness has given this holy crusader his own army and near impunity to do as he wishes.
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Margaery in captivity
Case in point, the High Sparrow still has Queen Margaery in captivity because she lied to protect her brother, Loras. But who will break first, Loras or Margaery?
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Arya Stark
Across the Narrow Sea in Braavos, Arya is now a blind beggar after crossing the Faceless Men.
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Daenerys
The Mother of Dragons has been removed from her seat of power by her own dragon, and she can not return to home...yet.
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Daenerys in captivity
As you can see, Daenerys is currently being held captive by a Dothraki khalasar.
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Daenerys Stormborn
But does anyone think that Daenerys will tolerate being a captive for long? She may not even need her dragons to conquer the khalasar.
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Missandei
Daenerys' trusted adviser, Missandei attempts to keep Meereen in the name of her leader.
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Tyrion, Missandei and Grey Worm
Missandei and Grey Worm don't really know or trust Tyrion, but he may be their only hope of restoring the peace in Meereen.
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Tyrion and Varys
Everyone's favorite odd couple is back in Meereen. Varys and Tyrion made quite the team in King's Landing, and now they can work their magic without Joffrey making things worse for them.
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Tyrion
Aside from Daenerys herself, Tyrion may be the best suited to rule the seven kingdoms of Westeros. But he may have to settle for being the new power behind the throne...provided that Daenerys finally gets around to reconquering her homeland.
Image Credit: Macall B. Polay/HBO
