George R. R. Martin: The Books [ Edited ]

[Jessica]

During the course of his long, prolific career, Martin has accrued every major literary prize for science fiction or fantasy writing. But what endears him especially to his readers is his extraordinary accessibility. A tireless participant in genre conventions and festivals, he maintains a cordial relationship with his fans through his website and blog.

Which of these books or series have you read? Reply to this message to talk about your favorites, and to ask the author for his insights.

---

The Ice Dragon
[Martin's children's book debut.] The ice dragon was a creature of legend and fear, for no man had ever tamed one. When it flew overhead, it left in its wake desolate cold and frozen land. But Adara was not afraid. For Adara was a winter child, born during the worst freeze that anyone, even the Old Ones, could remember. In her fourth year she touched the ice dragon, and in her fifth year she rode upon its broad, chilled back for the first time. Then, in her seventh year, on a calm summer day, fiery dragons from the North swooped down upon the peaceful farm that was Adara’s home. And only a winter child -- and the ice dragon who loved her -- could save her world from utter destruction.

Dreamsongs, Vol. 1
Gathered here, in Volume I, are the very best of George R.R. Martin’s early works, including never-before-published fan pieces, his Hugo, Nebula, and Bram Stoker Award-winning stories -- plus the original novella of The Ice Dragon. A dazzling array that features extensive author commentary, this is the perfect collection for both Martin devotees and a new generation of fans.

Dreamsongs, Vol. 2
Whether writing about werewolves, wizards, or outer space, Martin is renowned for his versatility and expansive talent, highlighted in this dazzling collection. Included here, in Volume II, are acclaimed stories such as the World Fantasy Award-winner "The Skin Trade," as well as the first novella in the Ice and Fire universe, "The Hedge Knight," plus two never-before-published screenplays.

Fevre Dream
This is the spellbinding tale of a vampire’s quest to unite his race with humanity, of a garrulous riverman’s dream of immortality, and of the undying legends of the steamboat era and a majestic, ancient river. Struggling riverboat captain Abner Marsh receives an offer of partnership from steely-eyed Joshua York, who doesn’t care about his investment. York needs to traverse the powerful Mississippi, and for Marsh, the promise of both gold and a grand new boat seals the deal. Not until the maiden voyage of his new sidewheeler Fevre Dream would Marsh realize he had joined a mission both more sinister, and perhaps more noble, than his most fantastic nightmare ... and mankind’s most impossible dream.

Windhaven
Written with Lisa Tuttle, this is the story of the planet of Windhaven, a recent home to humans following the crash of a colony starship. Many generations later, among the scattered islands that make up the water world of Windhaven, silver-winged flying people are the new nobility. Maris of Amberly, a fisherman's daughter, challenges tradition and demands that flyers be chosen on the basis of merit rather than inheritance. She wins that bitter battle, but finds herself fighting to preserve the integrity of a society she so longed to join -- not to mention the very fabric that holds her culture together.

Dying of the Light
A whisperjewel summoned him to Worlorn, and a love he thought he’d lost. But Worlorn isn’t the world Dirk t’Larien imagined, and Gwen Delvano is no longer the woman he once knew. She is bound to another man, and to a dying planet that is trapped in twilight, forever falling toward night. Amid this bleak landscape is a violent clash of cultures in which there is no code of honor -- and the hunter and the hunted are often interchangeable.

The Armageddon Rag
Onetime underground journalist Sandy Blair has traveled far from his radical roots in the ’60s -- until the bizarre and brutal murder of a millionaire rock promoter draws him back. As Sandy sets out to investigate the crime, he finds himself on a magical mystery tour of the pent-up passions of his generation. For a new messiah has resurrected the once legendary rock band Nazgûl -- but with an apocalyptic new beat that is a requiem of demonism, mind control, and death only Sandy may be able to change in time.

A Song of Ice and Fire

A Game of Thrones - #1
Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister forces are massing beyond the kingdom's protective wall. To the south, the King's powers are failing, and his enemies are emerging from the shadows of the throne. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell. When Lord Eddard Stark is reluctantly summoned to serve as the King's new Hand, it's an appointment that threatens to sunder not only his family but also the kingdom itself.

A Clash of Kings - #2
As winter approaches, two great leaders -- Lord Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon -- who held the peace are dead. Now chaos reigns, as pretenders to the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms prepare to stake their claims. Six factions struggle for control of a divided land. And a continent away, an exiled queen, the Mother of Dragons, risks everything to lead her precious brood across a hard hot desert to win back the crown that is rightfully hers.

A Storm of Swords - #3
Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage as violently as ever. Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daenerys, mistress of the only three dragons still left in the world. As she prepares to win back the crown she believes is rightfully hers, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost line of civilization. In their vanguard is a supernatural army of the living dead whose animated corpses are unstoppable. And as the future of the land hangs in the balance, no one will rest in their quest for victory.

A Feast for Crows - #4
It seems too good to be true. After centuries of bitter strife and fatal treachery, the seven powers dividing the land have decimated one another into an uneasy truce. After the death of the monstrous King Joffrey, few legitimate claims to the once desperately sought Iron Throne still exist. The war, which raged out of control for so long, has burned itself out. Yet is not long before the survivors, renegades, and carrion eaters start to gather, fighting for the spoils of the soon-to-be dead. Dangerous new alliances are formed, while surprising faces -- some familiar, others only just appearing -- emerge from an ominous twilight of past struggles and chaos to take up the challenges ahead. COPY

See all George R. R. Martin titles and editions.

Message Edited by Jessica on 03-26-2008 12:56 PM

[lpgeorge123]

I've read the four Song of Ice and Fire books that are currently out, and I've got to say that they're some of my all time favorite books. The thing that really got me hooked in the series was that the story is told from several points of view. It's nearly impossible to decide who is the bad guy and who is the good guy. None of the characters are perfect, and they all have reasons behind their actions. In one chapter, a character is the victim, and in the next they're the villain. I love how complex the characters can be.

Also the different threads of plot are interesting in the way they connect. There's a main plot line in the series, but then there are all sorts of other stories going on around it, and it's all meshed together. This adds a lot of depth to the books and really makes the setting come alive. Sometimes the twists in the plot are so unexpected. There were a few times where all I wanted to do was to thrown my book across the room from something so shocking (in a good way). I had a hard time putting the books down.

For George R. R. Martin: Do you have the story line all plotted out before you write, or do you just have a vague idea of where you want to go? And if you could pick a favorite character out of this series, who would you choose?

[Ran]

I can't resist a few more questions.

1) Over the course of your career, you've shown that you're not bound to writing within a specific genre. But other than a couple of early stories of yours that I'm aware of (collected in Dreamsongs I), a common denominator has almost always been that there's something fantastical -- strange planets, gruesome monsters, magical occurrences -- in the stories. Would you ever consider writing a novel that doesn't have any elements of the fantastic at all?

2) A Song of Ice and Fire has a lot of fans in part because of the "color" you give the world, the sort of details that suggest it's a living, breathing space with a past. Part of the fun are the historical mysteries, things mentioned off-hand, like how did Maegor the Cruel really die, whose son was Daeron the Good, did Brandon the Builder really build all the things the stories claim, and so on.

When you introduce these mysteries, do you always know the answers to them, or do you prefer to keep them mysterious even for yourself?

3) Which book of yours would you be most eager to write a follow-up to, after A Song of Ice and Fire is done?

[Thrawn]

Dear Mr. Martin,

I'm tuning in from Germany to ask you four tiny little questions.


First will you ever visit your loyal fans in Germany? You have quiet a legion of fans here as you may see when you visit our website: http://www.eis-und-feuer.de/eisfeuer.html

Every year there is the world's largest book mess in the world here in Germany in Frankfurt or you could visit us here at my University at the Jon F. Kennedy Institute in Berlin which is also one of the most important centers of American Literary Studies in Europe (my daydream), it would be great to see you there sometime or perhaps your German publisher can work something out. Guess it is not possible to squeeze Germany in your visit to Europe in July?


Now to my second and personal question. I am eagerly looking forward to the 'World of Ice & Fire'- Companion book you announced some while ago. It has been suspiciously quite on that front for awhile. I know its a hell of a lot of work to so such a tome but can we expect it to hit stores this year?

Also, Ted Nasmith announced that he will be doing an illustrated edition of the Subterranean editions of Ice & Fire (I bought all of them till now - to the dismay of my bank account). Can you confirm this?

And last any news on the HBO series? Gods I really hope they won't turn it down for the hundreth adaptation of King Arthur.


Thank you so much for your time (off to reread 'Storm' again...)

Marc-Antonius Kassner

[higgins]

Hi Mr. Martin,

I'm a role player and ever since I've read A Song of Ice and Fire, I've been convinced that the novels are based on a game of yours. The multiple entwined storylines were hauntingly familiar to me despite never having met this kind of technique in literature before. In other words, the vast scope and huge depth of detail of A Song of Ice and Fire aside, this is exactly how we run our games.

To us, that also explains why Dragons are taking so long. In our experience, it takes much more time to play all those events than to write them down in a book -- and it's definetly all the more time consuming with the HUGE ensemble of the characters.

This has got to be true. But is it?

Regards,
Henri

P.S.
Please also give my regards to the player of Tyrion (if he exists). I love his lines. And to Jaime's player too.

[Benjen]

Hi Mr Martin. Thanks for going to the lengths you do to make yourself so accessible to your fans.

OK the questions:

1. In interviews and statements to fans you have stated that you know where all the POV characters (by and large) are going to end up and how the plot is going to go as a whole. Given the "gardener" methodology that you use in your writing , have you found at times that your "ultimate destination" for characters or plotlines has changed over time?

2. You've stated that Brynden Rivers, aka Bloodraven, was sent to the Wall with maester Aemon and eventually became the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch (many years before the events in Game of Thrones). Can you tell us the circumstances of his death or have you not fleshed out the end of his story yet?

Thanks again for your time and the great work you do.

Message Edited by Benjen on 04-14-2008 08:12 AM

[PeterSchmidt]

Hello,

Well, my question is how you're planning the whole low-magic -> if not high magic, then at least a more magic world, transition.

I am intrigued by the impact of magic returning to the world, and what the effect will be on the powerbalance. With winter coming and everything thereof. Are the dragons magic the only one? You see several cases of deity specific magic, "normal" magic (here I am thinking maesters of old-town, the rope of magic etc.) - is it all one? Or are there in fact multiple sources of magic channeled into the world by the dragons? what about the others? This might be cutting too close to things to come in later books I realize.

Also, I hope you won't make all forms of magic omnipotent as some writers have a habit of doing. What with your including the wild cards heroes and everything

And a final comment, take your time about the books, I am sure all of us would rather have a late but seemingly perfect book instead of a bug-ridden one (sorry for taking the language of computer games here, as a non-native speaker I don't really know the proper words here for books instead).

Best regards
Peter

[Valyrian]

Hello Mr. Martin. I'm writing from Italy to say, first of all, a great "THANK YOU" for your work, your books, your characters.

If you'll be able to answer to all of us (I guess there will be an overwhelming amount of questions  , I hope you'll say something about these "A Song of Ice and Fire" questions of mine. Thank you very much.

1) Do you have a "complete" ASOAIF plot in your mind? Do you already know how the plot will end, more or less?

2) Will you close all the subplots of your books, even the least of them? I mean: for example, Hallis Mollen is missing from at least two books with Lord Stark's bones... This subplot could end without any other information (as in real life, he could have been killed and nobody will know it...) or with a "denouement", which is not necessary to the main plot but adds "flavor". Which will be your preferred choiche in situations such as this one?

3) Looking at the PDV list and hints for "A Dance with Dragons", it would appear that events in the Neck (where there are a lot of converging characters - I hope there will be also a little Stark... will not be described yet. Do we have to wait until "The Winds of Winter"? Can you give some anticipations about this location (not the events taking place, only IF it will be comprised in ADwD).

4) I'm fond of the Red Keep "King of the Kitchen" tomcat. Is it Balerion, Rhaenys' kitten? What a subplot would be...

Please take all the time needed for your next book! It would only be more beautiful!

Thanks again and pardon me for my English language.

Message Edited by Valyrian on 04-14-2008 02:59 PM

Message Edited by Valyrian on 04-14-2008 03:00 PM

[hdanniel]

Hola Mr. Martin!

I read your books in spanish (I'm from Peru). I want to know if you have any involvement in the translation of your works. As far as I know Tolkien had some directives for the translators to do their job. Do you have something similar? or are the translators free to do their best?

And now that the writers strike is over, any news about the HBO series?

Regards.

[feenix]

GRRM, I've read all Song of Ice and Fire and am working on some of your other works. I've primarily been a Fantasy reader, but branched out into other areas over the years, and I love what most just call, The Classics, among which Counte of Monte Cristo is one of my favorites.
I've got all but 1 of the 6 comics for the first Dunk and Egg graphic version, and am trying to hunt it down.
My question is of course directed at Song of Ice and Fire, and it is prompted in part by your April Fools Blog.
I enjoy the fact that you are merciless to your characters, even the ones who would seem to be a main character. However, as you stated, you have been pretty hard on the Starks, which in normal patterns of Fantasy is started out as the Main Family, or the Good Family, or something along those lines.
Are the Starks going to survive through the series?

Pretty simple question, and I'm not expecting secrets, and I know authors can't make promises about what will happen to whom, but I hope more than less of them survive. Of course Jon is included in "The Starks" of course.

Thanks!

[cybroleach]

Good-day Mr. Martin (congrats on your NY Gaints superbowl)

I love ASOIAF, it's my favourate series ever. One thing that always stands out to me while reading A Clash of Kings is in Davos' first chapter durring the burning of the sept he looks over the other bannermen Sunglass, Celtigar, Bar Emmon, Saan but when he comes to Lord Velaryon he notices all Monford is stare at King Stannis and does not betray any inclination of what he's thinking, Davos comments something like he'd give anything to know but Monford would never confide in him being of such greater bearth, later sadly Monford dies on the Blackwater and I assume we(and Davos) will never find out in the story what he was thinking. Which is ofcourse my question, it drives me crazy with wonder everytime I read that page, WHAT was Monford thinking?

In your story Remembering Melody which was included in Dreamsongs, I find myself at a little bit of a loss as to what actually happened. I narrowed it down to four posibilities that I can see: one, Ted whent crazy from the repressed guilt and knew all along Melody was dead? two, Melody's spirit is seeking revenge on the others for abandoning her driving them crazy? three, it's some sort of group histaria between the 3 friends that again links back to them having repressed guilt over what happened basically the same as one only it's not just Ted? four, their pact released some spiritual energy connecting the four after Melody's death and she doesn't really know what happened to her and is reaching out to the only 3 people she can still communicate with?

Looking forward to ADWD,

Murray

Message Edited by cybroleach on 04-14-2008 12:25 PM

[Koinosuke]

Good morning, Mr. Martin! I hope you're having a enjoyable day answering questions from your rabid fandom. It'd like to start this off by saying, as many others have before me, that your Song of Ice and Fire series is absolutely impeccable thus far, and currently sits well atop my list of favorite novels. Game of Thrones was my introduction to your writing, and since then I've gobbled up just about anything by you I can find. Like many, I was pleasantly surprised to find your writing versatile and engaging outside of your masterful fantasy series. Still, it seems the primary factor of your fans know you only from Ice and Fire. Though I'm sure our praise and excitement in relation to those books is very satisfying, I was wondering if it can ever be frustrating, in a strange sort of way, that so much of the current attention payed to you by us fans comes specifically from your fantasy outings? With decades of great sci-fi, horror, and hybrid writings made with sweat and metaphoric blood, do you ever sort of wish more fans would look at you for the whole of your writing instead of just your most popular works?

On a less personal note, I was a bit unsure if my second question should be addressed here or in the "writing for television" section...but here goes. I just finished reading the original version of the Doorways pilot presented in Dreamsongs, and found many of the concepts to be really interesting. Once done reading it, I found myself wondering about certain mysteries left unsolved and trying to imagine what might happen to Cat and Tom in their journeys across the multiverse. I realize the window for the creation of the tv show has long since closed, but I was wondering if you had given any serious thought to maybe expanding the concept into a novel at some point in the future? Still, I know it must drive you crazy thinking about other concepts when us fans keep clamoring for the continuation of Ice and Fire.

Well, Mr. Martin, thanks for always taking the time to get in touch with your fandom! If you actually end up replying to this it'd probably make my day, if not my week ^_^ Keep up the good work, and we'll keep ravenously eating up your books like our survival depended on it.
Noah Oskow

[Clairetron]

Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with your readers! We can be impatient and ungrateful, I know.

A few ASOIAF things...

1) Littlefinger. Does he believe half the crap that comes out of his mouth? Should we?

2) Will we ever get more detail on the curse of Harrenhal? The characters all keep referring to these gruesome tales of horror, and my interest is piqued.

3) I know you've said you've mostly plotted out the sequence of events in advance, but have you ended up with any characters you didn't expect, or did anyone's arc take an unexpected turn? For example, was baby-killer Jaime always going to be soiled-but-noble Jaime?

[Alaurian]

GRRM,

First, let me just say that I love ASOIAF.  I am eagerly awaiting the next book, but I fill my time with, amongst other things, re-reading each one so I pretty well have them memorized. 

I have a million questions, but the one that I really am most wanting to know is .... will Jon ever find out about  his parentage?  I have my theory on who, but is there anyone left to tell him?

Thank you so much!

[Jansan]

GRRM,

Thank you for writing a wonderful series that has captured the attention of many avid fantasy readers, myself included.  I have a couple of questions for you:

1) I love the fact that in your books, no one is safe. However, how do you decide who you will "kill off" and who remains around? It just seems to me that all of the most intriguing characters have been killed off, leaving many characters that are just not that interesting. Like I said, it is great that even the assumed protagonist of the story is not protected (something which George Lucas or Tolkien should have adopted), but why oh why did you kill the Red Viper? Ah well, wishful thinking...

2) Will there ever be a detailed story arc covering the final days before the deaths of Rhaegar and the other Targaryans? For example, the battle involving Eddard Stark and the Kingsguard, the Sword of the Morning, etc.? I would love to get a more in-depth description of this, especially of Lord Stark's fighting prowess and more about Arthur Dayne. What a great character and all we've gotten are snippets!

3) Will any other of the other ASOIF books be split like A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons? I may have seen this answered before, but I am not sure. Not to take anything away from your vision, but it has been frustrating waiting so long between Tyron/Jon POVs with nothing but the lesser Brienne etc chapters. I would hate to go through that again.

Thank you for writing this wonderful book series. Good luck with your writing. Judging from all the projects you are involved with at the moment, you do not get much rest. Your fans appreciate that you take some time out to correspond with us, but I hope it doesn't detract from your prose! Congrats to the Giants on a great season. I think they should shore up their offensive line some, but I guess we'll see shortly!

[Pepsimus]

Hello George Martin!

I am a big fan of your writings, most especially your epic Song of Ice and Fire (never could resist a nice, long epic!).

It has been a long while since your last book, so I was wondering if your new book will have a quick "summary of events" to catch us all up. Usually, I abhor these things, but honestly there's so much that has happened--and so much time that has passed--that some of the details are getting a bit fuzzy in the brain. :-)

My second question is one that I know you are getting tired of being asked, so I'll try to ask it in a manner that hasn't been tackled: About how many chapters of the latest novel would you say are "complete" "mostly done" and "still need to be written"? Estimates are fine and all--just trying to get an idea as to how much still needs to be done.

Thirdly--how much "larger" is the world past the map that we're given in the covers? I know that in fantasy novels it is often easier to concentrate on one specific "land," but is the rest of the world itself "mapped out" (either figuratively or literally) as to what is there?

Thanks for your time!

[dogg]

I originally bought the PaperBook editions of your books but I’ve run out of shelf-space so I’ve started collecting all my books in eBook format. There’s still a lot about eBook publishing I don’t understand. Why, for example, are your books published for some eBook reading devices and not for others? Why can’t eBook editions be downloaded at mid-night on release day? Well, behind all this is the question about what control you have over where and how your books are published?

I only found three of the SoIaF books at Fictionwise but I was able to buy them all from Sony CONNECT. Yet Fictionwise has some of your short stories like “Sandkings,”—another really great read—but until Dreamsongs came out Fictionwise was the only way to buy your short fiction in any format except “used.” So why doesn’t B&N, whose excellent WEB site proves they’ve gotten past the 19th Century, sell the eBook editions of your work for every device except maybe the Kindle?

I spend many hours every week walking my dog, so I have the Dreamsongs books in audio format, but I love to get your short stories separately for my Sony Reader. Sure they cost more that way but it’s easier to find the exact one you want. Is there any chance you’ll publish more short fiction individually?

[GeorgeRRMartin]

Thrawn wrote:
Dear Mr. Martin,

I'm tuning in from Germany to ask you four tiny little questions.


First will you ever visit your loyal fans in Germany? You have quiet a legion of fans here as you may see when you visit our website: http://www.eis-und-feuer.de/eisfeuer.html

I last visited Germany in 2000 for a con in Leipzig.  I also visited Berlin (great museums), checked out the Frankfurt Book Fair and the Essen Game Fair, went drinking with my fans in Dusseldorf and Cologne, and played the tourist along the Romantic Road.

I'm sure I'll be back one day, but offhand, I don't know when.

Every year there is the world's largest book mess in the world here in Germany in Frankfurt or you could visit us here at my University at the Jon F. Kennedy Institute in Berlin which is also one of the most important centers of American Literary Studies in Europe (my daydream), it would be great to see you there sometime or perhaps your German publisher can work something out. Guess it is not possible to squeeze Germany in your visit to Europe in July?

No, afraid not.  These days I book all my appearances three or more years in advance.


Now to my second and personal question. I am eagerly looking forward to the 'World of Ice & Fire'- Companion book you announced some while ago. It has been suspiciously quite on that front for awhile. I know its a hell of a lot of work to so such a tome but can we expect it to hit stores this year?

That's my hope.  See my reply uptopic.

Also, Ted Nasmith announced that he will be doing an illustrated edition of the Subterranean editions of Ice & Fire (I bought all of them till now - to the dismay of my bank account). Can you confirm this?

Yes, Ted Nasmith is supposed to illustrate one of the books for SubPress.  Tom Canty is doing A FEAST FOR CROWS and Marc Fishman will be illustrating A DANCE WITH DRAGONS, so Ted will likely be the artist on THE WINDS OF WINTER.

And last any news on the HBO series? Gods I really hope they won't turn it down for the hundreth adaptation of King Arthur.

In development.  Nothing new I can announce.

Thank you so much for your time (off to reread 'Storm' again...)

Marc-Antonius Kassner

[GeorgeRRMartin]

higgins wrote:
Hi Mr. Martin,

I'm a role player and ever since I've read A Song of Ice and Fire, I've been convinced that the novels are based on a game of yours. The multiple entwined storylines were hauntingly familiar to me despite never having met this kind of technique in literature before. In other words, the vast scope and huge depth of detail of A Song of Ice and Fire aside, this is exactly how we run our games.

To us, that also explains why Dragons are taking so long. In our experience, it takes much more time to play all those events than to write them down in a book -- and it's definetly all the more time consuming with the HUGE ensemble of the characters.

This has got to be true. But is it?

Sorry, no.  WILD CARDS was based on a role-playing game I ran back in the 80s, but A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE has no ties to any rpg.

Regards,
Henri

P.S.
Please also give my regards to the player of Tyrion (if he exists). I love his lines. And to Jaime's player too.

[GeorgeRRMartin]

hdanniel wrote:
Hola Mr. Martin!

I read your books in spanish (I'm from Peru). I want to know if you have any involvement in the translation of your works. As far as I know Tolkien had some directives for the translators to do their job. Do you have something similar? or are the translators free to do their best?

From time to time one of my translators writes me with a question, and I do my best to answer.  Other than that, I have no involvement.  I have met my Spanish, Polish, Croatian,  Dutch, and German (both of them) translators, and I almost met my Italian translator, except his train was cancelled.  With the others, our only contact has been by email.

And now that the writers strike is over, any news about the HBO series?

In development.  No news.

Regards.