George R. R. Martin, author of the Song of Ice and Fire fantasy novels and a producer for the upcoming HBO adaptation Game of Thrones, attacked the ending of national TV phenomenon Lost in an interview with The New Yorker.

The author echoed the sentiments of many Lost fans, claiming that the finale failed to pay off on the series' many twists and turns. Martin stated that he hopes the ending for his Song of Ice and Fire novels - and one can only assume Game of Thrones as well - doesn't disappoint in the same manner.

Like many Americans, Martin was a faithful viewer of Lost right up until its conclusion in 2010. He said he felt "cheated" by the ending, and dreads the prospect of his own series ending in the same fashion.

"And then I felt so cheated when we got to the conclusion... I want to give them something terrific. What if I f*** it up at the end? What if I do a Lost? Then they’ll come after me with pitchforks and torches."

Apparently Lost showrunner Damon Lindelof didn't appreciate the illustration. In a series expletive-filled Twitter posts, Lindelof responded in kind, making light of everything from Martin's famously protracted publishing timetable (ask the nearest fan for an earful) to the design of his website.

"George? You got yourself a feud, motherf*****… Winter IS coming, b****!

"I’ve just been informed George is working on his feud response. I’ll have it in FIVE YEARS!"

When Entertainment Weekly reached out to Lindelof, he confessed that he's a big fan of the author's work. The producer recalled fond memories of Martin's previous science fiction/fantasy series Wild Cards. While he acknowledges some of thew negative reactions to the Lost finale, he still stands by it, comparing it to the divisive ending of The Sopranos.

 

After reading the interview, it's clear that Lindelof doesn't hold any real resentment for Martin. Closing out his response to Entertainment Weekly, he told the interviewer, "Good lord, don’t antagonize him! And please let him know I’m a fan." The back-and-forth is an example of two professionals from different generations with different mediums having their say.

In more concrete news, the 15-minute preview of Game of Thrones that HBO aired Sunday night scored some interesting numbers. 720,000 people tuned in for their first look at the series. While that's hardly a blockbusting figure, the only lead-ins were other previews. The official Game Of Thrones YouTube channel has 1.3 million views, indicating that the series will have a healthy audience tuning in for the upcoming debut.

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Game of Thrones premieres April 17th on HBO.

Source: Entertainment Weekly