George R.R. Martin appeared to weigh in on the recent controversy surrounding art that was released for the 20th anniversary of A Feast for Crows. Earlier this month, an illustrated edition of the fourth book in the fantasy series that inspired the Game of Thrones television show hit the shelves, but it swiftly drew criticism when fans theorized that the book may have included AI-generated art. Critics on Reddit cited oddly held weaponry, bizarre depictions of hands and mouths, details that seemed to be incorrect when compared to book canon, and images that seemingly resembled fanart. Some users also noted that if it was not AI, it simply wasn’t the quality of work from a professional artist that they had expected. On Nov. 10, Raya Golden — who not only worked with Martin on the project, but also manages the art direction and licensing development at Fevre River — denied the allegations that artificial intelligence was used to create the imagery in a statement shared to the author’s official blog.
“I alone am responsible for approving all the licensed art that accompanies our SOI&F book driven materials…To our knowledge and as presented by the artist who completed the work in question there was NO such programing used. While he is a digital multimedia artist and relies on digital programing to complete his work, he has expressed unequivocally that no AI was used, and we believe him. SO…The official word from our office is, of course, that we DO NOT, never have and will not willingly work with A.I generative artists in any way shape or form.”

George R. R. Martin Explains ‘The Winds of Winter’ Delays

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Martin, 77, is no stranger to criticism regarding his work as an author — especially when it comes to his timelines. The latest book in his A Song of Ice and Fire series, A Dance With Dragons, was published in 2011, but nearly 15 years later and long after the Game of Thrones television show has ended, The Winds of Winter still isn’t finished. While Martin hasn’t given up on one day completing it, fans have begun to doubt they will ever get the chance to read the next installment of the fantasy saga. During an appearance at New York Comic Con 2025, Martin claimed “half the internet goes crazy” whenever he announces yet another delay, but he simply has other projects in the works that he enjoys. “I’ve always had trouble with deadlines, and I don’t feel happy breaching contracts or missing a deadline or anything like that,” he explained at the time. “Every time that happens…’Why the f— is George R.R. Martin writing this other thing when he should be writing Winds of Winter? What is he doing?’”
“I want to say, ‘I did it in 1993, guys. Come on! It was lying in my drawer, and they wanted it, so I sold it to them!’ Yes, I do love Winds of Winter. I’m still interested in it, I’m still working on it, but honestly, I love these other things, too.”