While we wait for Winds of Winter, George R.R. Martin is treating us to more Dunk & Egg adventures.

It’s been six years since George R.R. Martin, the mastermind behind Game of Thrones, last released a new book or novella. While he occasionally reassures fans that progress is being made on the long-awaited Winds of Winter, the drawn-out saga has left many wondering if they’ll ever see another publication from him. The silver lining is that Martin is currently working on something other than a TV adaptation, though whether it will satisfy fans remains to be seen.

The latest update on Martin comes from an interview with Ira Parker, the showrunner for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Much of the discussion revolves around the HBO series, which is nearing the end of filming for its second season. Naturally, the conversation shifts to Martin and how the show plans to navigate his unfinished works.

Parker previously mentioned he might take a multi-year hiatus after the third season. For the fourth season, he expressed a desire to bring back the same cast to explore new canonical stories. However, this approach poses challenges, especially since Dexter Sol Ansell, who portrays Egg, will age, potentially making it difficult for him to fit the role if Martin takes too long to release new material.

Parker confirmed that Martin is actively working on the fourth novella in the series, a fact fans were already aware of. In 2022, Martin voiced some concerns about the novella’s progress in relation to the show. He indicated that he would continue to develop the Dunk and Egg stories after the release of Winds of Winter, whenever that may be.

From Parker’s recent interview, we learned two intriguing details. First, the fourth novella is set in a “very cool location,” and the fifth will mark the conclusion of Egg’s childhood. By that point, the age of the actors won’t matter as the narrative will shift to Egg as a prince.

Parker elaborated, saying, “[We] can do Egg the Prince, do some politics, do some fun stuff in Summer Hall and King’s Landing, and get a different vibe where they’re not on the road all the time.”

Additionally, Parker revealed that Martin has shared unpublished pages with him, describing them as “actual written prose he found in his files somewhere that he sent over, and we used them.” He noted that this material is considered canon according to Martin’s archives.

While it’s unclear if these pages belong to a specific book, they likely pertain to the fourth novella. Earlier this year, the showrunners mentioned that Martin had provided outlines for “a dozen or more” stories featuring Egg and Dunk throughout their lives. This recent interview suggests that Martin has shared more than just outlines.

For those hoping for an update on Winds of Winter, it seems the wait continues. Ironically, it appears we might see a new Egg and Dunk novella before Winds of Winter, despite Martin’s earlier assurances. At least he’s actively writing something.

Let’s not underestimate the effort he’s putting in.