The "Game of Thrones" watch might have ended, but what is dead may never die. Or something like that. Extremely nerdy and egregiously mixed metaphors aside, fans of author George R.R. Martin's fantasy series of novels have no shortage of live-action adaptations to look forward to these days. In their ongoing quest to fill the giant "Game of Thrones"-shaped hole at the center of their programming since the hit show's conclusion in 2019, HBO has moved forward with multiple spin-offs of the wildly popular property. The "House of the Dragon" prequel is by far the closest to appearing on our television screens, set hundreds of years before the events of the original show and detailing the reign of the Targaryen dynasty long before Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) or Jon Snow (Kit Harington) were ever born.

Residing in the same world as "Game of Thrones" -- though on the much less grand and epic side of the fantasy spectrum -- is Martin's "Tales of Dunk and Egg" series of novellas. Our last (and so far only) update on this planned series merely indicated that HBO was set to adapt the small-scale stories of Ser Duncan the Tall and his loyal friend Aegon Targaryen, whose respective nicknames provide the title of these stories. With today's news, we finally know who has been tapped to write and executive produce this "Tales of Dunk and Egg" prequel series.

Tales Of Dunk And Egg

It'd be easy for fans of "Game of Thrones" to have forgotten by now -- especially in the wake of the controversial end to the series and the still-ongoing debate over the final season(s) overall -- but Aegon "Egg" Targaryen was actually referenced in the original series by his brother Aemon on his deathbed. Played by the late Peter Vaughan, Maester Aemon was a source of wisdom and sage advice to both Jon Snow and his friend Samwell Tarly (John Bradley) at Castle Black throughout the early seasons of the series, having refused the throne to the Seven Kingdoms many decades earlier and willingly joined the misfit crew of the Night's Watch instead. His younger brother Aegon ascended to the kingship in his stead, becoming the unlikeliest Targaryen ruler after his humblest of origins.

It's that exact origin that this "Tales of Dunk and Egg" series will explore, which takes place almost 100 years before the events of "Game of Thrones." According to a report by Variety, Steve Conrad has joined the series as a main writer and executive producer. Known for his previous work on "The Pursuit of Happyness," "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," and "Wonder," Conrad also has extensive experience on shows such as Amazon's "Patriot," AMC's "Ultra City Smiths" animated series, and Epix's "Perpetual Grace LTD."

George R. R. Martin wrote three novellas about the adventures of the legendary Dunk and his squire Egg, which were compiled in 2015 into "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms." This will be quite a change of pace from the "Game of Thrones" tone that viewers have grown accustomed to, perhaps making this series into a test of sorts as to whether fans will continue to show up after the divisive end to the original. "Tales of Dunk and Egg" joins "House of the Dragon," "10,000 Ships," and "Sea Snake" as the many proposed spin-offs and prequels in various levels of development. While dates are officially TBA for the other shows, "House of the Dragon" is set for a premiere sometime in 2022.

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