Fans of HBO's "Game of Thrones" may be grumbling about having to wait a year until next season, but for the millions who read the books on which the show is based, that may seem like a very short time indeed. George R.R. Martin's series "A Song of Ice and Fire" is a six-book fantasy series, but the fourth book came out in 2005 and there have been no releases since then. In the interim, fans have been getting kind of antsy, with many turning on Martin for taking so long to write the story.
Perhaps that's why, with 14 days left until the fifth book finally arrives in stores, Martin's publishers have made an official plea online to anyone in the U.K. who has an embargoed copy of "A Dance With Dragons" to refrain from posting any spoilers about the long-awaited tome. Also, they'd appreciate it if you stayed off of any unofficial "GRRM" sites, in case someone does decide to leak some crucial bit of information.
An excerpt from the post on Voyager Publishing's website, titled "A Plea to George R.R. Martin fans":
And so, Voyager is asking you – if you can bear it – to avoid your favourite GRRM-related sites (except for George’s official site, and the Voyager site of course, where we will be screening comments as always) to ensure that the latest instalment of this epic story is not spoiled for you. You’ve got a remarkable journey ahead of you, and some stunning surprises, and nothing should come between you and that experience. The embargo is now being thoroughly enforced by all accounts and customers around the world to ensure that no more copies are sold early.
It seems odd to ask fans to stay away from message boards about their favorite series. Information is usually leaked one way or another in the entertainment industry (look at all the musicians whose albums have been put online before the release date!), and people will choose to click on it, or they won't. Begging them to stay away from the communities that generate the most buzz about the upcoming book doesn't just seem futile, but counterproductive as well.
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