United Kingdom, Oct. 13 -- George R.R. Martin has "always had trouble" with deadlines.

The 77-year-old author had been expected to complete his A Song of Ice and Fire book series before the Game of Thrones TV series finished in 2019 but, 14 years after the release of the most recent book in the series, 2011's A Dance with Dragons, fans are still waiting for the last two novels, The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring.

And while George didn't offer an update as to when the next book will be released, he did address the "controversy" surrounding its delay at New York Comic Con over the weekend.

At the start of a panel discussion, moderator Joe Hill quipped: "It's best to begin with the question I'm sure most of the people in this room ...