My husband is fond of making the semi-cruel joke that George R. R. Martin may not live long enough to finish A Song of Ice and Fire, and the fans will be left with nothing but questions and the hope that some Brandon Sanderson of Westeros will be chosen to finish the series.
I dub thee, Replacement Author! ©Disney, 1963
I have faith that this won’t happen. Martin will finish the series himself.
Then again, I’m not convinced that fairies aren’t real.
Clap your hands, folks. ©Disney, 1953
Now, Robert Jordan’s wife and editor chose Brandon Sanderson to finish her husband’s work. And presumably many writers would indicate who they would like to see end the work. I’m sure editors contribute to the decision, too.
But since it’s fun to speculate, who would you choose? I’m really not sure who I’d pick. J. V. Jones writes gritty epic fantasy, but she may not have strong enough storytelling capabilities. Jacqueline Carey is well known for her erotic fantasy series, but she also wrote an epic that Martin himself enjoyed. I don’t know if she could pull off the ugliness that’s rampant in Martin’s world, though: Carey’s world is exquisitely, almost painfully (haha) beautiful, even when her character’s face truly appalling situations.
How about Stephen King? He could certainly write the ugliness, and he’s perfectly capable of writing an epic. Or Neil Asher, who writes gritty and bitterly humorous sci-fi? Asher, however, has not yet written an epic.
I’m curious, readers. Who would you pick? Have you had an author leave a beloved series unfinished?
Kristin McFarland 
Stephen King, definitely. But Cassie Clare might also be qualified to step up to the task.
There’s definitely some merit to the Stephen King suggestion. I’m not familiar with Cassie Clare, though. To the Wikipedia!
Wow – I couldn’t even begin to contemplate. I guess I wouldn’t want anyone to finish it, and I would just finish it in my head.
Ohhh, I differ there. I need an ending. I might cry if we had another cliffhanger like the one in Dance with Dragons, and no hope of an ending.
I think I agree with tmso. Anything other than what Martin writes would just feel like fanfic, I think. His style is unique to him… Gods forbid he dies before it’s done!
Yes! I can’t imagine it would happen… but since I brought it up… *knock on wood*
I rather like the idea of Stephen King. But writing as Stephen King and not trying to imitate Martin’s style. I think anyone as famous as King would be foolish to try to hide behind another writer’s style. I do, however, believe he could give the end of the epic the gritty, rich texture it deserves.
That’s a great point — imitation would never, EVER work. We would need someone who has a similar style to continue the story in their own way. That’s what would potentially make King a great fit.
Thanks for commenting! 🙂