'The Winds of Winter' release date, news: George R.R. Martin hints book's status in new LiveJournal post

George R.R. Martin recently shared an update on the status of "The Winds of Winter," leading fans to speculate that it could be out as early as next year.

After reminding everyone about an impending doom under the Trump administration, Martin offered yet another short LiveJournal update on his "The Winds of Winter" progress. According to the best-selling author, more work will be done next year. Although any publication date beating "Game of Thrones" season 7's summer premiere is far from happening many anticipating fans are happy to know that Martin is making progress.

"This is my last scheduled event for 2016. My appearance schedule for 2017 is very limited, and will remain so until WINDS is completed. So if you want to meet me or get a book signed, this will be the last chance for a good few months," his post on his personal blog reads.

This is a welcome sight for longtime fans of the book series, albeit being somewhat familiar. Martin initially gave himself until 2015 to finish "The Winds of Winter," only to announce later on that he didn't like the idea of deadlines. In a Twitter post last month, a "Game of Thrones" fan site revealed a timeline chart predicting a 2017 release for "The Winds of Winter." Additionally, the final book titled "A Dream of Spring" is speculated to be finished by 2023.

"The Winds of Winter" is the upcoming installment in Martin's "A Song of Fire and Ice" novels, which serve as the source material for HBO's epic fantasy drama "Game of Thrones." Martin previously admitted to his fans that he struggled from a writer's block that ended up with "Game of Thrones" surpassing its source material.