George RR Martin is well aware that fans are pretty impatient for the release of his forthcoming Game of Thrones novel The Winds of Winter.

On Twitter on Friday afternoon (August 4), the writer decided to poke a bit of fun at his long-suffering book fans by saying it had been so long since he last visited his publisher's offices, the security guard didn't recognise him.

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. pic.twitter.com/tr7VvF4NPY — George RR Martin (@GRRMspeaking) August 4, 2017

"I am in New York City, and everywhere I go people know me, stop me on the street, ask for selfies," he said.

"The only place I was not recognised was my publisher's offices, where the security guards stopped me and demanded to see ID."

Naturally, good-natured fans continued the banter and poked fun right back at the author.

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. pic.twitter.com/4TTYLXSVFt — Meaghan (@pink_ferret) August 4, 2017

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. you'd think they would recognise him from his moment of fame - his Sharknado cameo — Radio Westeros (@RadioWesteros) August 4, 2017

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Whose face were you wearing? — Ghost (@WinterfellCrypt) August 4, 2017

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Were you there dropping off a finished Winds of Winter by any chance? — PLEASE WEAR A MASK (he/him) (@PlanetLandsman) August 4, 2017

However, some followers speculated on why Martin was at his publisher's in the first place... dropping off the final draft of a certain long-awaited manuscript perhaps??

Although, we may point out here that he surely would have done this online for fear of his probable masterpiece getting stolen or him tripping and his folio flying into air, pages fluttering everywhere.

So, maybe George was just there to get a grilling from his publishers about exactly how far along the novel is – but, according to Martin, we could expect to see it as early as next year.

HBO

Taking to his LiveJournal blog last month, he spoke about when we can expect The Winds of Winter and Targaryen family history saga Fire and Blood.

"Whether Winds of Winter or the first volume of Fire and Blood will be the first to hit the bookstores is hard to say at this juncture," he said.

"But I do think you will have a Westeros book from me in 2018... and who knows, maybe two."

Yes please.

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Louise McCreesh Louise McCreesh is a freelance news writer at Digital Spy.

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