George R.R. Martin is helping develop a new series at HBO, even though he has yet to finish other projects.

Game of Thrones fans will either love or hate the latest news about Martin, the author of A Song of Ice and Fire, a bestselling saga that HBO adapted into a television show. Martin has faced a lot of criticism as of late, because the upcoming fifth season of Game of Thrones will catch up to many of the storylines in his saga.

He told Entertainment Weekly that he's hoping to publish his next book, titled The Winds of Winter, before season six airs next spring. Martin has even cancelled convention appearances and interviews to ensure the next installment of his saga gets finished and released on time, but he has not cleared his schedule completely.

The author is developing a new series at HBO called Captain Cosmos. It's set in 1949 and is about a young writer who "creates a science fiction series that tells stories no one else will dare to tell". The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed the pilot will be penned by Michael Cassutt, a writer and co-executive producer on SyFy's Z Nation.

The proposed series reportedly won't take up too much time for Martin though, as he does realise the world is patiently waiting for the follow up to 2011's A Dance With Dragons, but most people also know the creative writing process is a difficult journey and that pressure only increases the chance of writer's block.

HBO's Game of Thrones will return with season five on 12 April. You can already get your hands on an excerpt from the fantasy series' next novel too, as Martin recently posted 6,703 words from the The Winds of Winter on his website.

READ: HBO to simulcast GoT season 5 everywhere but the UK each week