'Game Of Thrones' author George R.R. Martin is writing his next novel in self-isolation

'Some days, watching the news, I cannot help feeling as if we are all now living in a science fiction novel. Let us hope we all come through this safe and sound, ' says Martin. Photo: AFP

George R.R. Martin, the author of popular American novel A Game of Thrones, is currently spending more time in the fictional land of Westeros than in the real world.

"I am off by myself in a remote isolated location, writing every day. Things are pretty grim in the Seven Kingdoms... but maybe not as grim as they may become here," said the 71-year-old American writer about the Covid-19 pandemic in a recent blog post.

He added that his age puts him among the most vulnerable population group, but he feels fine at the moment.

He does not plan on going into town or meeting anyone.

"We are taking all sensible precautions," he said.

Instead, he is using the time to work on his highly anticipated novel, The Winds Of Winter, which is set to be the newest instalment in his popular epic fantasy series, A Song Of Ice And Fire. It has been more than eight years since the last book in the series was published.

The book series was adapted into the highly successful television series Game of Thrones, which aired on television network HBO over eight seasons from 2011 to 2019. Martin was an executive producer for the show.

He has also written several short story collections.

In the same post on his blog, named Not A Blog, Martin also said he will be shutting down his non-profit organisation Stagecoach Foundation for the time being, suspending its film and television workshops for children.

On the virus outbreak, he said: "Some days, watching the news, I cannot help feeling as if we are all now living in a science fiction novel. Let us hope we all come through this safe and sound. Stay well, my friends. Better to be safe than sorry." - The Straits Times/Asia News Network