Video screenshot by Anthony Domanico/CNET

It's been pretty much a given for some time now, but "Game of Thrones" co-creator David Benioff recently confirmed that the TV series will spoil the books for those who fervently keep up with author George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series.

Martin is hard at work on book six in the seven-book series, and has even canceled appearances so he could finish " The Winds of Winter" as early as this summer. Even if Martin releases the book in 2015 ahead of the show's sixth season in 2016, it's unlikely he'll finish the seventh book by the seventh and (maybe?) final season of the beloved fantasy TV series in 2017. Fortunately, Benioff and co-creator Dan Weiss know how Martin intends to end the literary series, so the show and the books will at least finish in a similar fashion.

"Luckily, we've been talking about this with George for a long time, ever since we saw this could happen, and we know where things are heading," Benioff told the Oxford Union during a panel on Friday. "And so we'll eventually, basically, meet up at pretty much the same place where George is going; there might be a few deviations along the route, but we're heading towards the same destination. I kind of wish that there were some things we didn't have to spoil, but we're kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place. The show must go on... and that's what we're going to do."

So, while this was pretty much expected given how much more quickly TV series are released than full-length novels, there's finally official confirmation that the show will outpace the books as early as next season. This leaves a tough choice to make -- either wait for the books and then circle back and watch the show later while trying hard to avoid spoilers, or watch the show and know what's going to happen, and likely enjoy the books a little less.

You can watch the entire Oxford Union address in the clip below, with show creators Dan Weiss, David Benioff and actors Kit Harrington (Jon Snow) and John Bradley (Samwell Tarly) talking for over an hour about the fantasy series. Season 5 of "Game of Thrones" lands on HBO on April 12, so brace yourselves.

(Via Vanity Fair)