Was House of the Dragon Launched To Aid The Winds of Winter?

House of the Dragon, although a prequel to Game of Thrones, was strategically altered to serve as a precursor to Martin’s book: theory says.

By Pratyush Singh
December 15,2022
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House of the Dragon is a precursor to Game of Thrones as it talks about the timeline almost 200 years before the happening of the events of Game of Thrones. For those who don’t know, HBO’s Game of Thrones was based on a book series called, ‘A Song of Ice and Fire,’ (ASOIAF) written by George R. R. Martin. Similarly, Martin’s book Fire & Blood talks about the Targaryen bloodline and the civil war which is the basis for HBO’s House of the Dragon. But here’s the twist: ASOIAF book series isn’t over yet. Its sixth and second last book, The Winds of Winter is yet to be completed, and will likely be launched during the final days of HoTD.

On forums such as 4chan and Reddit, House of the Dragon fans who are also Martin’s book nerds, have theorised something peculiar. George R. R. Martin, along with other HoTD showrunners, purposefully decided to change certain aspects of the series to promote Winds of Winter. Read along to understand Martin’s master plan.

 

Why House of the Dragon Needs To Aid The Winds of Winter

House of the Dragon and The Winds of Winter posters
House of the Dragon and The Winds of Winter posters

George R. R. Martin has a habit of releasing books after a long time gap. Although the first three books were released every two years, Martin’s fourth book, however, took 5 years to complete, and the fifth book, a whopping six years! The Winds of Winter, ASOIAF’s sixth book will be launched in two volumes, the first by early 2023 and the second one after 2028. A Dream of Spring, the final book of ASOIAF may never be released, unless the 74-year-old George Martin lives long enough.

To cope with the late launch dates, readers and viewers will need to have their memories refreshed. House of the Dragon will play an important role to do this, and also to connect the readers of The Winds of Winter to the threat beyond the wall. The detail of Aegon’s Dream and the wight walkers are introduced in HoTD, which is an alteration from Fire & Blood. This alteration was made so that the fans of the entire Game of Thrones universe (books and series alike) are familiarised and connected to the main theme of The Winds of Winter. Also, the original viewers of House of the Dragon, who did not watch Game of Thrones, are unaware of the main underlying factor GoT, as it was how Game of Thrones opened; not only as a series but also as a franchise.

 

HoTD Serves (possibly) The Jon Snow Sequel

Jon Snow goes beyond the wall in the Game of Thrones series finale
Jon Snow goes beyond the wall in the Game of Thrones series finale

House of the Dragon was heavily influenced by Game of Thrones, and even though GoT viewers were left unsatisfied with how the Night King was dealt with, HoTD continues to keep the wights at the forefront of the series. The showrunners had to keep up with the Game of Thrones franchise, as HoTD’s attention and fame are largely due to the already-built audience from GoT. This is being leveraged to kill many birds with one stone.

George Martin has also talked about a Jon Snow sequel that may be launched during the time House of the Dragon is ongoing. The series, if it comes to existence, would focus on Jon Snow’s travels beyond the wall with the wildlings. If House of the Dragon fans is already interested in the threat beyond the wall, then the Jon Snow sequel may perform much better.