A short story that George RR Martin wrote in the 80s has been optioned for TV by HBO’s sister company, Cinemax, the writer announced on his blog at the weekend. The Skin Trade, an “offbeat werewolf-noir novella” was originally published in 1988 horror anthology Night Vision, which also included original contributions from Dan Simmons and Stephen King. So far, the TV series is just at the pilot-script stage, but, Martin said, “You never know where things will end ... If they like the script, we’ll shoot a pilot, and if they like that, hey, who knows, maybe we’ll get a series on the air.”

Scriptwriter Kalinda Vazquez (Prison Break, Once Upon a Time) has been hired to work on the pilot. The story follows the adventures of private investigator Randi Wade, who is friends with Willie Flambeaux – a collection agent who is also a werewolf. “Kalinda’s take on the story and the characters blew me away,” said Martin. “She loves the story and the world, and really seems to get Willie and Randi.”

In case any fans are worried that it’s going to put a further delay in the Game of Thrones writing schedule, Martin made it clear he won’t have a hands-on role should The Skin Trade get picked up. “While I would have loved to write the script and run the show myself myself, that was never really in the cards,” he wrote. “I have this book to finish. You know the one.”