George R. R. Martin is an author who should be best known for his A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy book series, the basis for the hit HBO show Game of Thrones (which he also writes for). Instead, he's much better known for the amount of procrastination he takes between each of his novels. It's a continuing series, remember, yet the length of time between his books negates any positive anticipation his fans could possibly muster during the interim.
It's not that he's too busy with the TV show; that would be somewhat acceptable. Instead, the man spends most of his time either watching every football game in the NFL season, or attending any fan convention that will have him.
George R. R. Martin may be the most notable person suffering from George R. R. Martin Syndrome (GRRMS), but he is not alone. There are plenty of GRRMS sufferers that you probably just haven't noticed.
1. Neil Degrasse Tyson: The George R. R. Martin of Astrophysicists
N. D. Tyson is nothing if not wise. How many professional astrophysicists can you name off the top of your head? But that's part of the problem. Tyson is also one of the biggest fame whores on this spinning orb we call a planet. He does ALL the television. He appears on shows from NOVA to The Daily Show with such regularity it boggles the mind as to when this guy has time to work on astrophysics.
The only reason people tend not to notice that he indeed suffers from GRRMS is because it's obvious when a book doesn't come out. But how are we supposed to know when piles and piles of astrophysics remain incomplete?
2. Sherlock: The George R. R. Martin of TV Series
Sherlock is the most popular British import series that doesn't involve Maggie Smith, lingering fee tails and antique snuff boxes. This show is so good that many people fail to notice that they only put out three episodes EVERY OTHER YEAR!
What kind of show is this? The second we start to really get into the intrigue, the season abruptly ends, forcing the viewers to wait two painstakingly long years for any sort of plot resolution.
And how do they justify that atrocity? The producers say that it is way too hard to get all the people together, considering the actors' film schedules and whatnot.
Unacceptable answer! Ricardo Montalban played Khan in a Star Trek movie, yet he still managed to film 154 episodes of Fantasy Island. AND THE MAN WAS 62 YEARS OLD AT THE TIME!
3. Axl Rose: The George R. R. Martin of Music
Yes kids, Axl Rose does exist. He's not the fictional will-o'-the-wisp lore has told us. And yes, every decade and a half or so, the man decides to put out an album. Although his GRRMS is a bit of a different strand. Unlike the above mentioned sufferers, when Axl puts out a piece of work after a long period of abstinence, the quality of the material is not a guarantee.
Seriously, listen to Chinese Democracy. It just might be the worst album ever imagined.
4. The Modern Congress: The George R. R. Martin of Democracy
The current U.S. Congress may pass a law every now and then, but blink and you're bound to miss it. Also, like Axl, the quality of their work is questionable. So much, that in the rare cases they actually get together to create something lawful and permanent, it usually involves a bit of legislation that includes a salary increase for Senators and representatives involved.
5. J. D. Salinger: The George R. R. Martin of Authors
In all truth, George R. R. Martin isn't even the author with the most severe case of GRRMS. In fact, prior to J.D. Salinger's death, he heard that Martin released a book in his series every eight years or so. Upon learning this Salinger was quoted as saying, "Holy Baloo, this guy is productive!"
Not only was Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye about 1/8th the length of one of Martin's tomes, it was basically the only thing he did in life, ever! And he didn't allow his fans the pleasure of a television show like Game of Thrones. Salinger went a different way; he fought to make it impossible for anybody to adapt Catcher into any other form of media until 100 years after his death (AKA public domain).
Hmmm, maybe George R. R. Martin isn't so bad after all? Because when you think about it, at least the new season of Thrones will have lots of violence, dragons and boobs!
Violence, Dragons and Boobs (VDB): the only known cure for GRRMS.