For what feels like forever (but has actually been eight years), author George R.R. Martin has been toiling away on the final two installments of his "A Song of Ice and Fire" series -- a.k.a., the novels on which the recently-wrapped HBO series "Game of Thrones" was based. Now that that show has signed off, and Martin has heard all of the reactions to its controversial finale, will the writer be making any changes to his manuscripts?

If you've been following Martin at all over the years, you'll be unsurprised to learn that the answer is a resounding "No." In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the outspoken author admitted that there was some temptation to alter some of his more surprising twists, now that some suspense will be gone for readers.

But Martin said that doing so would be "wrong," because "you’ve been planning for a certain ending and if you suddenly change direction just because somebody figured it out, or because they don’t like it, then it screws up the whole structure."

"I want to write the book I’ve always intended to write all along," he told EW. "And when it comes out they can like it or they can not like it."

The author made similar remarks back in May, when addressing just how his own ending would compare to the show's, noting that there would be both similarities and differences. Speaking with EW this week, Martin said that he initially did feel pressure to finish writing his novels a few years ago, after the show started to get ahead of the books; now that "Thrones" is done, the urgency to wrap his writing has lessened significantly.

"I don’t only want to finish it, I want to make it as good as I possibly can," the author explained to EW. " ... There’s no longer a race. The show is over. I’m writing the book. It will be done when it’s done."

We suspect this won't be the last time Martin addresses this subject. Stay tuned to see if he comments again before "The Winds of Winter" hits shelves. (We have a feeling he will.)

[via: Entertainment Weekly]