Author gives NZ permission to 'imprison' him until Game of Thrones books complete

George R. R. Martin. Photo / Getty Images

Game of Thrones author George R R Martin has finally set a deadline to finish the next book in the series and it all comes down to little ol' New Zealand.

It's been eight years since Martin released the last book A Dance with Dragons and in the meantime fans have been tided over with the HBO television series, but now that's over the demand for The Winds of Winter is higher than ever.

Finally though, Martin has dropped an all-important clue as to when the sixth book will arrive.

The star author wrote on his blog that he was planning a trip to Wellington in July next year, to attend the World Science Fiction Convention.

He said he plans to have the book finished before then because trying to write while in New Zealand would "distract me entirely too much".

He even said if he wasn't finished by then, we could take him prisoner until he penned every last word.

"If I don't have The Winds of Winter in hand when I arrive in New Zealand for worldcon, you have here my formal written permission to imprison me in a small cabin on White Island, overlooking that lake of sulfuric acid, until I'm done. Just so long as the acrid fumes do not screw up my old DOS word processor, I'll be fine," he wrote.

Martin has not detailed too much about the books but says they will have a different ending to the TV show.

That said, this only book six of seven and Martin says he hasn't even begun to write the final book, A Dream of Spring.