George R.R. Martin Has Mapped Out Up to 15 Dunk & Egg Stories, Paving the Way for a Long-Running HBO Series

George R.R. Martin has quietly laid the groundwork for a much larger future for his beloved Dunk & Egg stories — potentially extending the saga far beyond what readers have seen so far.

According to Ira Parker, creator and showrunner of HBO’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Martin has already outlined plans for 10 to 12 additional Dunk & Egg novellas. Combined with the three stories already published, that would bring the total to as many as 15 tales, following Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire Egg across their entire lives.

Parker revealed that Martin personally shared these outlines with him during the early development of the HBO series, suggesting a long-term narrative roadmap 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 said.

A Potential Run as Long as Game of Thrones

If HBO sticks to its current approach of adapting one novella per season, the sheer volume of material Martin has envisioned could allow A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms to run as long as — or even longer than —Game of Thrones, which ended after eight seasons.

For comparison, House of the Dragon is already confirmed to conclude after four seasons.

For now, Parker says the focus remains on the immediate future.

“Right now, we’re focused on one, and we’ll see how the world responds to that. We’re making two at the moment. Hopefully, everybody likes it and we get to keep doing these.”

Martin Has Long Teased More Dunk & Egg Tales

Martin has openly discussed his desire to expand the Dunk & Egg saga for years, though the exact number of stories has always fluctuated. In a 2014 blog post, he wrote that estimates ranging from seven to 12 novellas were never set in stone.

More recently, in January 2025, Martin confirmed that the fourth novella, titled The Village Hero, would be next on his list — after he finishes The Winds of Winter**, the long-awaited next installment in A Song of Ice and Fire.

“I will need to get hopping on The Village Hero, and all the other tales that await the lads,” Martin wrote. “Don’t worry, I am sure you folks will remind me.”

A Close Creative Partnership

Although Martin is not credited as a writer on individual episodes of the first season, Parker describes their collaboration as unusually hands-on. Scripts were shared directly with Martin from the earliest drafts, with feedback arriving as thoughtful questions rather than mandates.

“It’s been one of the most fulfilling creative partnerships of my whole career,” Parker said.

Rather than clashing visions, Parker emphasized that the show has always been a shared effort.

“It never became a question of his version versus my version. We were just making a version together.”

A Smaller, More Personal Story in Westeros

Based on the Tales of Dunk and Egg, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is set roughly 100 years before the events of Game of Thrones.

The first season adapts The Hedge Knight, with season two already in production based on The Sworn Sword. A potential third season would likely draw from The Mystery Knight.

Unlike its Westerosi predecessors, the new series opens on a more intimate note — focusing on self-doubt, endurance, and personal growth rather than sprawling wars and dynastic power struggles. Parker says this grounded approach closely mirrors how Martin himself views Dunk and Egg.

Martin has even called The Hedge Knight “the best thing he’s ever written,” a sentiment that shapes the show’s character-first storytelling.

Premiere Date

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres January 18 on HBO, with the potential to become one of the most expansive and personal stories ever told in Martin’s world — if audiences embrace the journey ahead.