Game of Thrones finale 'an ending, but it was also a beginning:' George RR Martin

What's next for Game of Thrones?

Author George RR Martin, whose work was adapted into the HBO series that drew a record-setting numbers of viewers for Sunday's finale, says it's "been a wild ride."

According to numbers released by HBO, the series finale brought in 19.3 million viewers across its various platforms, topping the previous episode's 18.4 million, to make it the most-viewed episode of any kind in the channel's history.

Martin wrote on his blog Monday that it "was an ending, but it was also a beginning."

The 70-year-old says he's working on the next instalment, The Winds of Winter.He says he knows it's late, "but it will be done."

He's just not saying when. He added that A Dream of Springwill follow.

Martin noted that he hears people asking whether his series have the same ending as the show or will it be different.

"Well. yes. And no,"Martin writes.

"I am working in a very different medium than [show creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss], never forget. They had six hours for this final season. I expect these last two books of mine will fill 3000 manuscript pages between them before I'm done and if more pages and chapters and scenes are needed, I'll add them."

Martin rebuffed the notion of competition between the HBO show and his books over which would be the "real" ending, calling it a silly question.

"How about this?" he continued. "I'll write it. You read it. Then everyone can make up their own mind, and argue about it on the internet."