George RR Martin has outlined plans for as many as 12 additional Dunk & Egg stories, extending the lives of Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire Egg beyond the three novellas published to date.
The outlines were shared directly with Ira Parker, creator and showrunner of HBO’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, during development of the series, suggesting a long-term narrative that could shape the future of the franchise if the show continues.
“He has shared with me about 10 to 12 more little outlines for books, for novellas, taking Dunk and Egg all the way through their life,” Parker tells The National.
If HBO continues with a one-novella-per-season approach, the number of stories Martin has outlined would give A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms the potential to run as long as – or longer than – Game of Thrones, which concluded after eight seasons. House of the Dragon, which is in production on season three, will run four seasons.
“Right now, we’re focused on one, and we’ll see how the world responds to that. We’re making two at the moment,” Parker says. “Hopefully, everybody likes it and we get to keep doing these. Certainly, I love doing it. I love writing in this world, and it’s a wonderful story. So, I hope we get to make as many of these as possible.”
While Martin has previously spoken about his intention to write additional Dunk & Egg stories, he has varied his estimates over the years. Writing on his LiveJournal blog in 2014, he said: “It has always been my intent to write a whole series of novellas about Dunk and Egg, chronicling their entire lives. At various times in various interviews, I may have mentioned seven novellas, or 10, or 12, but none of that is set in stone.”
Taken together with the three novellas already published, the scale of the outlines described by Parker suggests Martin has mapped out material for as many as 15 Dunk & Egg novellas in total, should they all be written.
Martin has said he plans to write the fourth novella in the series once he completes The Winds of Winter, the long-awaited next instalment in A Song of Ice and Fire. Writing on his website in January 2025, he added: “I will need to get hopping on The Village Hero, and all the other tales that await the lads. Don’t worry, I am sure you folks will remind me.”
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which Martin co-created with Parker, is based on the Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas and is set roughly 100 years before the events of Game of Thrones.
The first season adapts The Hedge Knight (1998), with a second season based on The Sworn Sword (2003) already in production. The Mystery Knight, published in 2010, would likely form the basis of a potential third season.
While Martin is not credited as a writer on any individual episodes in the first season, Parker describes his working relationship with the author as unusually close, with Martin involved from the earliest stages of development. Scripts were shared directly with him, with feedback taking the form of questions and discussion rather than directives.
“It’s been one of the most fulfilling creative partnerships of my whole career,” Parker says.
“Very early on – probably in my very first meeting with him – I told George that I’m not going to put anything in the show that you don’t want in the show. Because of that, it never became a question of his version versus my version. We were just making a version together.”
Their collaboration remained close throughout the writing process, Parker adds. “I would write drafts, and he would be the first person I’d send them to – well, my wife first, then George, because she’s softer in her appraisals of my writing.
“We would get on the phone and discuss it. He would ask questions – ‘Why did you do it like this?’ – and then I’d respond. It was truly a very productive and fruitful relationship.”
Martin has previously described the Dunk & Egg stories as among his favourite works in Westeros, and Parker notes that the author considers The Hedge Knight “the best thing he’s ever written”. That affection is reflected in the show’s smaller, more grounded approach, which places character ahead of spectacle, particularly in its early episodes.
Unlike Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon, which open amid dynastic conflict and large-scale violence, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms begins with a young man unsure he is equal to the role he has chosen. Parker describes the series as a story about endurance and self-doubt rather than destiny – a perspective he says aligns closely with Martin’s own view of the characters.
Parker adds: “Having somebody who is equally as passionate as I am about this material at your disposal any time to ask questions or riff has only made the show better.”
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres on January 18 on HBO and OSN+ in the Middle East
