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laviskrg's review against another edition
5.0
This collection of short stories from George R.R Martin is a treat for anyone who loves SciFi and Fantasy, who adores good writing and interesting characters. I am a fan of Martin's works, especially "A Song of Ice and Fire" which I basically worship. The fact that I bought this collection of stories in Barcelona on a day when Martin was also there and I had no idea adds to my pain as a fan, but that has nothing to do with the awesomeness of these works.
I found this to be an interesting anthology. I have not read numerous collections before, but I did find it interesting that every group of stories followed a telling of the author's own story, with explanations regarding the difficulties he faced as a writer, with details of his life-long love of comics, SciFi and Fantasy and different facts of life. I appreciate that kind of thing because I feel it brings one closer to the author's point of view, and reading about an author's activity in such a way is vastly superior to reading a random page on the Internet.
The stories are different, varied and quite awesome. Of course, some are better than others, but all (well, except "The Pear Shaped Man" which I personally did not enjoy) have something memorable, pleasant, enticing and gripping. I cannot select a favourite because most were on the same level, even if they were completely different stories, but probably "A Song for Lya", "The Second Kind of Loneliness", "This Tower of Ashes", "The Ice Dragon", "In The Lost Lands" and "Sandkings" were my absolute faves. I found myself adoring the romantic content in many of the stories. In a short story, one can never really become fully knowledgeable of all characters, there is simply not enough time to characterize all of them perfectly, but Martin did a great job portraying love lost or unrequited, loneliness, despair, emptiness. My bleeding heart responded at once.
I finished the book with the reading of "Nightflyers". I cannot decide if it is a strong or a weak element in the novel. I mean, I liked it, and I always enjoy SciFi with tinges of horror, especially when the SciFi is genuine and it discusses strong social issues. But I admit I was a bit underwhelmed by the ending and by the dialogue. Don't know, I couldn't buy the weird way in which Karoly and Royd were speaking. The others were more believable characters, albeit slightly stereotypical. Maybe that was the idea, I don't know. But, in the end, I felt like the story could have been shorter because not much happens. Either way, it is a good bit of SciFi.
Over-all, this collection is definitely worth reading. I am not a big connoisseur of short story anthologies, but I enjoyed it thoroughly. It is true that I prefer (and probably many others agree) engaging in a long, deeply satisfying read, which is either an enormous tome or part of a series, but this book can also be seen a study of Martin's literary concepts and his general career. Also, the man can write. In my opinion, he is the best Fantasy writer of our age. So, enjoy! I will read Vol 2 later. I feel like I need to take a small break from SciFi and Fantasy, though I don't know how much I will manage to resist.
I found this to be an interesting anthology. I have not read numerous collections before, but I did find it interesting that every group of stories followed a telling of the author's own story, with explanations regarding the difficulties he faced as a writer, with details of his life-long love of comics, SciFi and Fantasy and different facts of life. I appreciate that kind of thing because I feel it brings one closer to the author's point of view, and reading about an author's activity in such a way is vastly superior to reading a random page on the Internet.
The stories are different, varied and quite awesome. Of course, some are better than others, but all (well, except "The Pear Shaped Man" which I personally did not enjoy) have something memorable, pleasant, enticing and gripping. I cannot select a favourite because most were on the same level, even if they were completely different stories, but probably "A Song for Lya", "The Second Kind of Loneliness", "This Tower of Ashes", "The Ice Dragon", "In The Lost Lands" and "Sandkings" were my absolute faves. I found myself adoring the romantic content in many of the stories. In a short story, one can never really become fully knowledgeable of all characters, there is simply not enough time to characterize all of them perfectly, but Martin did a great job portraying love lost or unrequited, loneliness, despair, emptiness. My bleeding heart responded at once.
I finished the book with the reading of "Nightflyers". I cannot decide if it is a strong or a weak element in the novel. I mean, I liked it, and I always enjoy SciFi with tinges of horror, especially when the SciFi is genuine and it discusses strong social issues. But I admit I was a bit underwhelmed by the ending and by the dialogue. Don't know, I couldn't buy the weird way in which Karoly and Royd were speaking. The others were more believable characters, albeit slightly stereotypical. Maybe that was the idea, I don't know. But, in the end, I felt like the story could have been shorter because not much happens. Either way, it is a good bit of SciFi.
Over-all, this collection is definitely worth reading. I am not a big connoisseur of short story anthologies, but I enjoyed it thoroughly. It is true that I prefer (and probably many others agree) engaging in a long, deeply satisfying read, which is either an enormous tome or part of a series, but this book can also be seen a study of Martin's literary concepts and his general career. Also, the man can write. In my opinion, he is the best Fantasy writer of our age. So, enjoy! I will read Vol 2 later. I feel like I need to take a small break from SciFi and Fantasy, though I don't know how much I will manage to resist.
rosekk's review against another edition
4.0
The first few stories in the book are early efforts of his, and though none are bad (he's obviously had ta lent from the start) you can tell they are the work of a fledgling writer. The growth displayed in the stories is amazing, as the last few stories are as brilliant as any of the novels he's known for. 'Nightflyers' and 'A Song For Lya' are particular favourites - I know they are the ones he won/was nominated for more awards for, but I can see why - they're amazing work, among the best short stories I've read.
pine_wulf's review against another edition
Only Kids Are Afraid of the Dark: (1.5 stars) Suprehero fanzine story. Not surprised this was written when he was in high school.
The Fortress: (3 stars) Much better than the first one. Historical fiction about the loss of Sveaborg to the Russians. Not much of a climax but I liked the Epilog. Reminded me a lot about Latvian anti-Russian sentiment.
And Death HIs Legacy: (2 stars) About a man determined to kill the next Hitler. It's a completely plot driven story with no interesting characters. I did like that historical determinism was acknowledged.
The Fortress: (3 stars) Much better than the first one. Historical fiction about the loss of Sveaborg to the Russians. Not much of a climax but I liked the Epilog. Reminded me a lot about Latvian anti-Russian sentiment.
And Death HIs Legacy: (2 stars) About a man determined to kill the next Hitler. It's a completely plot driven story with no interesting characters. I did like that historical determinism was acknowledged.
gmvader's review against another edition
5.0
George R. R. Martin has become something of a legend in recent years. His short stories have been winning awards for decades and he’s been in the middle of the reformation of science fiction, horror and television throughout his career. More recently he wrote the fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire of which the first two books have been adapted to television in HBO’s A Game of Thrones season’s 1 and 2.
With all of those things it may be surprising to some that I have had very little interaction with Martin’s work. I have an anti popularity meter that goes off in my head. This is the reason that I have not read Harry Potter or seen Titanic or any of a number of other things.
I did once read a short story – ‘The Hedge Knight’ – by George R. R. Martin that I thought was really good.
I can only resist for so long. I decided to start with some short stories.
While any collection of short work is going to be a mixed bag I found this one to be spectacular.
Much of this first volume of Martin’s work is his early writing but even when he was in his early years he wove stories like fiction was his native language. A few highlights:
‘The Fortress’ is brilliant historical fiction about a time and place that many know little about.
‘The Exit to San Breta’ is the best ghost story I’ve read, though admittedly I don’t read many.
‘The Second Kind of Loneliness’ is a science fiction, psychological horror story that will send chills down your spine. Even if it is a little bit predictable.
‘With Morning Comes Mistfall’ and ‘A Song for Lya’ are science fiction that are meant to wrench your heart away… and they do.
Others that I found memorable were ‘This Tower of Ashes’, ‘And Seven Times Never Kill Man’, ‘Bitterblooms’, and ‘The Way of Cross and Dragon’. I find myself thinking about all of these stories whenever their author’s name is mentioned. They stick in my mind and bring up memories of sorrow or loss or anxiety and horror.
That is why I love them. The purpose of fiction is to give the human mind and psyche the opportunity to experience those troubling emoti
ons from a safe distance. We can sorrow and grieve and feel loss and pain and excitement and then we can close the book and walk away. When a story, in any medium, can wring those emotions from us in such a way that they feel real to us even after we’ve closed the book then the job has been not only accomplished, but mastered.
I find in many of these stories Martin has taken me and put me into another world where the events and emotions of a story become my own. I don’t have to be told when something is frightening or sad because I’m there and I can feel it.
However the greatness doesn’t stop there. At the beginning to each of the three sections of this book Martin has written a short explanation of what was going on in his life when he wrote them. These pieces are autobiographies that are told in some of the most poetic and loving language I’ve ever encountered. Martin truly loves the fields of fantasy and science fiction that he’s firmly established in and these little bits of his life show clearly his devotion and unashamed willingness to proclaim it’s affect on his life.
Martin is one of the most skilled writers today and it is evident that he has been one of the most skilled writers in any field for some time. These stories truly sing.
With all of those things it may be surprising to some that I have had very little interaction with Martin’s work. I have an anti popularity meter that goes off in my head. This is the reason that I have not read Harry Potter or seen Titanic or any of a number of other things.
I did once read a short story – ‘The Hedge Knight’ – by George R. R. Martin that I thought was really good.
I can only resist for so long. I decided to start with some short stories.
While any collection of short work is going to be a mixed bag I found this one to be spectacular.
Much of this first volume of Martin’s work is his early writing but even when he was in his early years he wove stories like fiction was his native language. A few highlights:
‘The Fortress’ is brilliant historical fiction about a time and place that many know little about.
‘The Exit to San Breta’ is the best ghost story I’ve read, though admittedly I don’t read many.
‘The Second Kind of Loneliness’ is a science fiction, psychological horror story that will send chills down your spine. Even if it is a little bit predictable.
‘With Morning Comes Mistfall’ and ‘A Song for Lya’ are science fiction that are meant to wrench your heart away… and they do.
Others that I found memorable were ‘This Tower of Ashes’, ‘And Seven Times Never Kill Man’, ‘Bitterblooms’, and ‘The Way of Cross and Dragon’. I find myself thinking about all of these stories whenever their author’s name is mentioned. They stick in my mind and bring up memories of sorrow or loss or anxiety and horror.
That is why I love them. The purpose of fiction is to give the human mind and psyche the opportunity to experience those troubling emoti
ons from a safe distance. We can sorrow and grieve and feel loss and pain and excitement and then we can close the book and walk away. When a story, in any medium, can wring those emotions from us in such a way that they feel real to us even after we’ve closed the book then the job has been not only accomplished, but mastered.
I find in many of these stories Martin has taken me and put me into another world where the events and emotions of a story become my own. I don’t have to be told when something is frightening or sad because I’m there and I can feel it.
However the greatness doesn’t stop there. At the beginning to each of the three sections of this book Martin has written a short explanation of what was going on in his life when he wrote them. These pieces are autobiographies that are told in some of the most poetic and loving language I’ve ever encountered. Martin truly loves the fields of fantasy and science fiction that he’s firmly established in and these little bits of his life show clearly his devotion and unashamed willingness to proclaim it’s affect on his life.
Martin is one of the most skilled writers today and it is evident that he has been one of the most skilled writers in any field for some time. These stories truly sing.
littlepanda's review against another edition
3.0
I thought I would never finished this book. Although usually I read GRRM's fiction very fast, this was a particular slow read. Which was weird because I enjoyed reading it, well some stories less than others (like the ones in the horror parts some were really gruesome). What was cool was some sort of small essays introducing each part were the author describes how he was lead to write or what inspired him, there are also biographic references. It was not as great as GOT yet I still give it three stars.
ismynamegeoff's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
fifteenthjessica's review against another edition
4.0
This book is a collection of short stories and novellas written early in George R. R. Martin's early career and teen years, interspersed with brief biographical bits. The biographical bits are fun from my standpoint as an aspiring writer. Since some of these short stories date back to his time as a teen writing fan fiction for comics, they're not all winners. Not to say that all of the stories that I felt were duds were limited to the start of this collection, but it was still a good read overall.
Personally, I could have skipped "Only Kids Are Afraid of the Dark" (very corny, but I guess it's the oldest complete work that he had a hard copy of), "A Song for Lya" (I'm probably in the minority, but I didn't care for Robb or Lya which made this novella drag), "This Tower of Ashes" (at least it's short), "The Meathouse Man" (that one's just really gross and pointless), and "The Monkey Treatment" (which is also gross and pointless).
Favorites include "The Fortress", "The Hero", "The Second Kind of Loneliness", "And Seven Times Never Kill Man", "Bitterblooms", "The Way of Cross and Dragon", "The Lonely Songs of Laren Dorr", "Remembering Melody", and "Sandkings." These pieces, to varying degrees inspired some story concept nuggets for myself and made me curious about more of Martin's sci fi works as well as horror as a whole, a genre I normally neglect because scary scenes in movies and television usually mean I'm looking over my shoulder for the next twenty-four hours at least. I will probably add Dreamsongs, Volume 2 to my list of novels to check out later, which already includes Martin's Fevre Dream novel.
Personally, I could have skipped "Only Kids Are Afraid of the Dark" (very corny, but I guess it's the oldest complete work that he had a hard copy of), "A Song for Lya" (I'm probably in the minority, but I didn't care for Robb or Lya which made this novella drag), "This Tower of Ashes" (at least it's short), "The Meathouse Man" (that one's just really gross and pointless), and "The Monkey Treatment" (which is also gross and pointless).
Favorites include "The Fortress", "The Hero", "The Second Kind of Loneliness", "And Seven Times Never Kill Man", "Bitterblooms", "The Way of Cross and Dragon", "The Lonely Songs of Laren Dorr", "Remembering Melody", and "Sandkings." These pieces, to varying degrees inspired some story concept nuggets for myself and made me curious about more of Martin's sci fi works as well as horror as a whole, a genre I normally neglect because scary scenes in movies and television usually mean I'm looking over my shoulder for the next twenty-four hours at least. I will probably add Dreamsongs, Volume 2 to my list of novels to check out later, which already includes Martin's Fevre Dream novel.
westongrey's review against another edition
5.0
Wow,
If you’re a GRRM fan, this is honestly a must read. Admittedly I enjoyed the intro pages for each chapter where George would talk about his writing life and influences throughout his early writing career.
Some of the short stories are incredible but they all at least have some very very unique settings and characters.
In order of appearance, And death his legacy, A song for Lya (my favorite), Bitterblooms, The ice dragon, sandkings and the Monkey treatment were all standouts for me.
You can also see a ton of early ideas in GRRMS writing that later appears in a song of ice and fire.
Examples
Lyanna and Robert, names in a story
Dragons
He mentioned the long winter and never ending winter
A land where winter is long than a regular winter season
And I’m sure there are tons more but those are the ones that jumped out at me when writing this.
I highly recommend for ASOIAF fans.
If you’re a GRRM fan, this is honestly a must read. Admittedly I enjoyed the intro pages for each chapter where George would talk about his writing life and influences throughout his early writing career.
Some of the short stories are incredible but they all at least have some very very unique settings and characters.
In order of appearance, And death his legacy, A song for Lya (my favorite), Bitterblooms, The ice dragon, sandkings and the Monkey treatment were all standouts for me.
You can also see a ton of early ideas in GRRMS writing that later appears in a song of ice and fire.
Examples
Lyanna and Robert, names in a story
Dragons
He mentioned the long winter and never ending winter
A land where winter is long than a regular winter season
And I’m sure there are tons more but those are the ones that jumped out at me when writing this.
I highly recommend for ASOIAF fans.
knightofkush's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0