Overview
- During a Friday Q&A in Seattle, an attendee told Martin he was "not going to be around for much longer" and asked about handing the series to Brandon Sanderson.
- Fellow authors and moderators intervened as the room booed, and the session was ended ahead of schedule.
- Martin did not respond to the question, left the stage, and continued with scheduled book signings.
- Sanderson replied "Not me" on stage and has previously said he would decline the role despite completing Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time.
- The exchange drew broad criticism on social media, and no new progress update on The Winds of Winter was provided beyond past acknowledgments of slow work.