--- description: Robert Kirkman recently spoke about George R.R. Martin's decision to tell the Game of Thrones' showrunners where his story is going. title: 'The Walking Dead' Creator Says He Is 'Disappointed' in George R.R. Martin image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt845362bc20ef8031/6988963de20a8766dea9117f/robert-kirkman.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Here's Why _The Walking Dead_ Creator Robert Kirkman Is 'Disappointed' in George R.R. Martin  by [Megan McCluskey](/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Staff Writer Jun 3, 2016 5:22 PM CUT  Creator/Executive Producer Robert Kirkman arrives for the Premiere Of Cinemax's 'Outcast' held at Hollywood Forever on June 1, 2016 in Hollywood, California. Creator/Executive Producer Robert Kirkman arrives for the Premiere Of Cinemax's 'Outcast' held at Hollywood Forever on June 1, 2016 in Hollywood, California.Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images  by [Megan McCluskey](/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Staff Writer Jun 3, 2016 5:22 PM CUT With the premiere of the sixth season of [_Game of Thrones_](http://time.com/4355413/game-of-thrones-characters-returning/ "undefined")on April 24, the HBO drama officially veered off from the books on which it is based—[George R.R. Martin’s](http://time.com/4356059/george-rr-martin-brienne-duncan-the-tall/ "undefined") _A Song of Ice and Fire_ series—into uncharted narrative territory. Yet despite his plan to release more books in the saga, Martin has remained integral to the show’s creative development—a move that’s been criticized by [_The Walking Dead_](http://time.com/4194632/walking-dead-villains-ranking/ "undefined")creator Robert Kirkman. In a recent [interview with _Rolling Stone_](http://www.rollingstone.com/tv/features/robert-kirkman-inside-walking-dead-creators-twisted-mind-new-show-20160531?page=4 "undefined"), Kirkman—who also pens _The Walking Dead_ comics—spoke about Martin’s decision to tell the _Thrones_‘ showrunners where his story is headed. “I would never do that,” he said. “That’s the one thing I’m disappointed in George R.R. Martin for doing. He should have just been like, F—k you. _You_ make it up now, I’ll get to mine when I’m ready.” While other fans have questioned whether there will still be incentive to read the books after the show airs, showrunner David Benioff has said this concern is unfounded. “People are talking about whether the books are going to be spoiled—and it’s really not true,” he [told _Entertainment Weekly_](http://www.ew.com/article/2016/05/24/george-rr-martin-3-twists-game-thrones "undefined"). “So much of what we’re doing diverges from the books at this point. And while there are certain key elements that will be the same, we’re not going to talk so much about that—and I don’t think George is either. People are going to be very surprised when they read the books after the show. They’re quite divergent in so many respects for the remainder of the show.” “The Broken Man,” the seventh episode of _Game of Thrones_‘ sixth season airs Sunday at 9 p.m. on HBO. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4356678/walking-dead-creator-robert-kirkman-disappointed-george-r-r-martin/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4356678/walking-dead-creator-robert-kirkman-disappointed-george-r-r-martin/"},"headline":"Here's Why The Walking Dead Creator Robert Kirkman Is 'Disappointed' in George R.R. Martin","datePublished":"2016-06-03T17:22:18.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:32:57.892Z","description":"\"I would never do that\"","url":"https://time.com/4356678/walking-dead-creator-robert-kirkman-disappointed-george-r-r-martin/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Television","game of thrones","Books","The Walking Dead","TV","George R.R. 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