[Physics Knight]

For the North American, minimalist editions, what does everyone think will be the symbols to grace the covers of the last three books? For Dance, I'm betting a dragon, The Winds of Winter a wolf, and not sure what to think about what will be on A Dream of Spring. A flower maybe? :) Of course flowers and happy things are not GRRM's style, so something more sinister?

[Werthead]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the symbols on the first four books were:

1: A lion
2: A crown
3: A sword
4: A crow

So I'd expect you're right. A dragon for 5, a wolf for 6 and something unknown for 7. Maybe a rose.

Since there are seven books, seven kingdoms and seven major houses, I've wondered why they didn't just put the house symbols on the covers based on which house is prominent in each book. That would have been interesting:

1: House Stark
2: House Baratheon
3: House Lannister
4: House Martell
5: House Targaryen (?)
6: House Tyrell
7: Unknown

Or if they changed it again (I hope they don't) they could do just one character representing each book, like the new MBF coves:

1: Ned Stark
2: Tyrion Lannister
3: Jon Snow
4: Cersei Lannister
5: Daenerys Targaryen
6: Unknown
7: Unknown (perhaps Bran Stark, if he is responsible for the defeat of the Others through his green sight and other arcane knowledge)

[Nogothorod]

That sounds about right. A dragon for Dance, a wolf for Winds, and likely a rose (or maybe a weirwood, or some such thing) for Spring

[U-Borat]

A bit OT, but which cover do you think looks better; the British ones, or the American ones?

I think the British ones are better because the American covers look quite cheesy.

[Gildor]

I can only dream at what could have been.

Looking on the GRRM hompage and the section 'cover art' turns up some amazing covers, I mean look at this Japanese cover (http://georgerrmartin.com/gallery/thrones29b.html), I think that very cool myself.

Plus these two Spanish ones are fantastic
http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/2084/thrones41em5.jpghttp://img238.imageshack.us/img238/9608/crowsshort01vw1.jpg

Though unfortunetly we shall have the same Genric covers, occasionally this plain faced, clea, uncluttered look is fine, but it gets depressing when you see the artwork other countries have.

[aaron_m_89]

A Dance with Dragons may not have a dragon on the front because the british version of A Game Of Thrones did.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/images/000647988X/ref=dp_image_0/026-1231119-9176421?ie=UTF8&n=266239&s=books

[Werthead]

That won't affect the US editions though. It just means that the UK edition of ADWD won't have a dragon on it.