Even as we try to prepare ourselves for the approaching end of HBO's "Game of Thrones," another series by George R.R. Martin has begun its journey toward television.

The author announced on Saturday that Universal Cable Productions has acquired the rights to "Wild Cards," a sprawling collection of superhero stories set in a shared universe. Melinda M. Snodgrass, a TV veteran who co-created "Wild Cards," will serve as an executive producer, alongside Gregory Noveck.

Rooted in a long-running role-playing game campaign involving several authors and supervised by Martin, "Wild Cards" is set in an alternate history in which an alien virus rewrites DNA, leaving the survivors with crippling physical conditions or superhuman abilities. Debuting with the 1987 anthology "Wild Cards," the series now spans 22 books (the 23rd will be released later this month), with stories by the likes of Martin, Snodgrass, Roger Zelazny, Gail Gerstner-Miller, Chris Claremont, Paul Cornell and many others.

"I hope you're as excited as I am," Martin wrote on his blog. "Of course, Hollywood is Hollywood, and nothing is ever certain in development ... but I think I hope I cross my fingers that the Wild Cards will be coming to your home screens in the next year or two."

He noted that he won't be involved with the adaptation, as he has an exclusive deal with HBO. Plus, he added, "I am writing 'The Winds of Winter,' as I believe most of you will recall."