Displeased with the provisional title A Time For Wolves for the final volume, Martin ultimately announced A Dream of Spring as the title for the seventh book in 2006.[10] Martin is firm about ending the series with the seventh novel "until I decide not to be firm",[14] leaving open the possibility of an eighth book to finish the series.[34] With his stated goal to tell the story from beginning to end, he will not truncate the story to fit into an arbitrary number of volumes.[28] Martin is confident to have published the remaining books before the TV series overtakes him,[18] although he told major plot points to the two main Game of Thrones producers in case he should die.[18] (Aged 62 in 2011, Martin is by all accounts in robust health.)[51] However, Martin indicated he would not permit another writer to finish the series.[39] He knows the ending in broad strokes as well as the future of the main characters,[18] and will finish the series with bittersweet elements where not everyone will live happily ever after.[26] Martin hopes to write an ending similar to The Lord of the Rings that he felt gave the story a satisfying depth and resonance. On the other hand, Martin noted the challenge to avoid a situation like the finale of the TV series Lost, which left fans disappointed by deviating too far from their own theories and desires
