Author George R.R. Martin sparked controversy in the Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon fandom earlier this week when he released a now-deleted blog post complaining about how some important characters were removed from the second season of the show which could lead to ‘toxic’ revisions in future seasons.
While there are some fans on Martin’s side, there are also others who think that he was acting quite unprofessional and throwing the series writers under the bus. Though fans know only what’s come out online, Martin’s friend and fellow author Xiran Jay Zhao (Iron Widow, Zachary Ying) has come up to bat to contextualize Martin’s rant.
Contextualizing GRRM’s HOTD Rant
For context, Zhao is a fellow author who had befriended Martin, and they had recently gone viral with a video where she teaches Martin how to do a ‘finger heart.’
As it turns out, Martin had already revealed to Zhao his exact thoughts on what HBO is doing with House of the Dragon, and Zhao says that what Martin put in his blog isn’t even the worst of it. When the news first came out, this is what Zhao said:
Zhao then continues to list down bullet points of what the situation is between Martin that are specific enough, but not entirely vague. If anything, it contextualizes his relationship with HBO and how much power he actually holds when it comes to the writing of House of the Dragon. Zhao writes, “Like yes [GRRM is] rich off of the HBO royalties but ultimately everyone benefits from a better-written show, so this isn't just random complaining. It's VERY mild and I believe that was on purpose. He hasn't truly gone scorched earth but he's showing them that he COULD”
She even goes so far as to address the people who have been calling Martin’s behavior unprofessional.
What was in Martin’s Blog Post?
Though the post on Martin’s blog has been deleted, some fans have managed to salvage what he wrote, and it’s essentially a criticism of the Blood and Cheese scene and how it wasn’t as violent as he had depicted it in the books.
One of the main gripes also seems to be about the exclusion of Maelor, Helaena’s youngest son. Maelor was supposed to be in the Blood and Cheese incident, and he also becomes crucial to another plot point that Martin has confirmed will happen in the third season.
Though it does seem small now, Martin says that this could create a ‘butterfly effect’ that will lead to changes in some of the bigger setpieces from Fire & Blood; he even goes so far as to refer to them as ‘larger and more toxic butterflies to come.’
HBO’s Statement
With the blog post deleted, some fans think that HBO has already got to Martin and asked him to take it down. They even released a statement (via Deadline):
“There are few greater fans of George R.R. Martin and his book Fire & Blood than the creative team on House of the Dragon, both in production and at HBO… Commonly, when adapting a book for the screen, with its own format and limitations, the showrunner ultimately is required to make difficult choices about the characters and stories the audience will follow. We believe that Ryan Condal and his team have done an extraordinary job and the millions of fans the series has amassed over the first two seasons will continue to enjoy it.”
We don’t know if Martin’s rant could result in some changes for the third season, but as of now, the fans are backing him, and with Zhao’s context, it does seem like HBO should welcome a more collaborative spirit with the series original creator.
House of the Dragon Season 3 is expected to come out sometime in 2026.