Question =D

[Kitera]

Hi,

My name is Kitera and I’m new to this forum.

I just have a question to ask. Which George R.R Martin’s book should I read first? I haven’t read any of them yet, and he has so many books. Which do you suggest I should read first?

Kitera

 

[the smiling weirwood]

I suggest you read "A Game of Thrones" first. And then the rest of that series. If you like it, he has many other non-related things.

 

[Boaz]

Welcome Kit.

<Boaz stands up>

Hello my name is Boaz... and I'm a, uh, well, a Westeroholic. That is to say that I can't get enough of GRRM's series that takes place primarily in the fantasy island/continent of Westeros. I've been clean for a week, I swear it. Sure I post every day here, but I have not opened an ASOIAF book in seven days!

<Cheers and jeers>

I have only read Martin's A Song Of Ice And Fire series, so I could not tell you anything about his other works. BUT, I love ASOIAF... I was hooked by the first book A Game Of Thrones.

The best equivalent would be Shogun <Aegon takes off a shoe> by James Clavell... err, Aegon quit hitting me!!! <Aegon beats Boaz with his shoe> Ouch!!! Stop it!!! Okay, okay, I'll be quiet... sheesh! <Aegon puts his shoe back on> I hate group therapy.

<Boaz sulkily slouches in his chair>

 

[Kitera]

*Laughs* Thanks for the welcome Boaz, I think you have convinced me to grab a copy and indulge myself.

Thanks also to you Smiling Weirwood. Have any of you read Robin Hobb's trigilogies? I was wondering if George R.R Martin has a similar style to that of Hobb's.

Kitera

 

[Funky Cthulu]

*Laughs* Thanks for the welcome Boaz, I think you have convinced me to grab a copy and indulge myself.

Thanks also to you Smiling Weirwood. Have any of you read Robin Hobb's trigilogies? I was wondering if George R.R Martin has a similar style to that of Hobb's.

Kitera

Hi Kitera,
Welcome. I've read her Mad Ship series, and I find them to be quite different, although equally good.
Martin uses exclusively Point of View chapters - you see thru the characters eyes, and hear their thoughts and memories. So there is no 'one' narrator. Hobb's style is much more static, although she did have moments where she used P.O.V style writing in the trilogy I read - IIRC, it's been 2 years since I read them. GRRM is pretty hard on his characters too - probably harsher and grittier than Robb, I would suggest.
A warning - when I started reading, I neglected everything else in favour of the books! I even read them when I was talking on the phone

 

[TK-421]

Ohhh! Another virgin. My friends, we are fleecing the world one geek at a time. I mean, it's cool to be a geek isn't it?

FC has it right, once you start it's like crack in book format and depending on how long it takes you to get through the series, the next book might just be coming out. By the way, this is the order you need to follow for this particular series (but I'm sure you knew this already):
A Game of Thrones
A Clash of Kings
A Storm of Swords
A Feast for Crows
(and soon to be released in 2007) A Dance with Dragons

 

[Aegon the Unworthy]

Welcome Kit.

<Boaz stands up>

Hello my name is Boaz... and I'm a, uh, well, a Westeroholic. That is to say that I can't get enough of GRRM's series that takes place primarily in the fantasy island/continent of Westeros. I've been clean for a week, I swear it. Sure I post every day here, but I have not opened an ASOIAF book in seven days!

<Cheers and jeers>

I have only read Martin's A Song Of Ice And Fire series, so I could not tell you anything about his other works. BUT, I love ASOIAF... I was hooked by the first book A Game Of Thrones.

The best equivalent would be Shogun <Aegon takes off a shoe> by James Clavell... err, Aegon quit hitting me!!! <Aegon beats Boaz with his shoe> Ouch!!! Stop it!!! Okay, okay, I'll be quiet... sheesh! <Aegon puts his shoe back on> I hate group therapy.

<Boaz sulkily slouches in his chair>

Bahaha......

Terry Goodkind called....he would like the rights to this "Shoe of Truth" you just invented. Your call.....it could be very lucrative for you, but you would have to live with the knowledge you inflicted the Shoe of Truth on the fantasy genre.

Seriously though Kit, welcome to the world of GRRM. I'll be your cruise director, Julie....Obviously this is not the place to get an unbiased opinion about the author so I wont even pretend.....Martin is the greatest author Ive ever read in this genre. Its mind-boggling the number of times Ive reread his various books....


Good luck and welcome to the boards

Its good to be a geek

 

[Boaz]

<Boaz chuckles>

Julie!

<snicker>

 

[Centurion]

Welcome Kitera, to the board

I'm a veteran of the world of fantasy.
I started of with LOTR, which for the best part of 5 years i've been hooked on, i'm an oldbie on the (Minas Tirith) forum.
Since then, i've dabbled and very much enjoyed the writings of primarily David Gemmell, and Raymond Feist. They are both great writers, but i have to say GRRM eclipses them both. He has the great characters Gemmell's known for, but also the humour and endearing-factor i attribute to Feist.

I've read Robin Hobb's Tawny man trilogy, and i've enjoyed it very much, but GRRM is on a level of his own. And i have no doubt after reading them you shall wholeheartedly agree with us.

 

[Wiggum]

Geroge RR Martin is what Willis was talking about.

 

[Snagas Tender Blades]

Welcome Kitera, to the board

Since then, i've dabbled and very much enjoyed the writings of primarily David Gemmell,

I have to say that while Gemmell is my favourite author by far, aSoIaF is my favourite series.


And since when were we geeks?

 

[Aegon the Unworthy]

The first stage is denial Snagas.....

then anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance...

Fortunately for all involved I am an enlightened individual and just drank my way through Stage 4....

 

[Werthead]

Welcome to the board! There's a Bibliography thread at the top of the topic which lists most of the things that George has written, but a quick summary would be:

Dying of the Light (1978)
George's debut novel is an epic SF tale set in the distant future. Bleak and emotionally intense, like much of his work, with some serious foreshadowing for ASoIaF.

Windhaven (1981)
George's second novel is another SF one, cowritten with Lisa Tuttle. I haven't read it, but it's apparently pretty good.

Fevre Dream (1983)
George's masterpiece (until such time as ASoIaF is complete), an unbelievably atmospheric story of something prowling the banks of the Mississippi and its tributaries in the years following the Civil War, and of Abner Marsh and his dream to build the ultimate steam paddle ship, the Fevre Dream. 'Astonishing' doesn't even begin to cover it.

The Armageddon Rag (1984)
George's rock 'n' roll novel about a (fictional) 1960s rock band known as the Nazgul. I haven't read it, but it's supposed to be great, especially if you're a rock 'n' roll fan.

Dreamsongs: A RRetrospective (2003/2006)
The ultimate collection of George's short fiction, including two TV scripts and over thirty short stories, including the multi-award-winning 'Sandkings', 'A Song for Lya', 'The Way of Cross and Dragon' and 'The Skin Trade'. An immense book (more than 1200 pages) but well worth it.

A Song of Ice and Fire (1996-??)
His seven-book epic fantasy series and his best-known work.

The Hedge Knight (1998/2004)
A graphic novel adaption of his 1998 short story (included in Dreamsongs), also a prequel to A Song of Ice and Fire set ninety years earlier. An extremely well-written, nay, a classic short story which captures the spirit of the Seven Kingdoms in 100 pages as well as A Game of Thrones does in over 700.

The Sworn Sword (2003/2007)
The sequel to The Hedge Knight, continuing the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire, Egg, who is more than he seems. This second installment (of a projected nine: the third will be out next year) takes Dunk and Egg to the Reach, where they become embroiled in a feud between two neighbouring holdfasts in the midst of a burning drought.

 

[Boaz]

So Wert, are you Martin's publicist, brother, college roomie, or just a sincere fan?

 

[Aegon the Unworthy]

Woot....ill-begotten love-child....

 

[Boaz]

I thought you were gonna stop posting when you were slobbering drunk!

 

[Kitera]

Hmmm my reply didn't come out because I used too many smilies =/ All that hard typing!

Thanks for all the warm welcome everyone and the introduction to GRRM's work.

Seriously though Kit, welcome to the world of GRRM. I'll be your cruise director, Julie....Obviously this is not the place to get an unbiased opinion about the author so I wont even pretend.....Martin is the greatest author Ive ever read in this genre. Its mind-boggling the number of times Ive reread his various books....

Hi Julie,

I'll take your word for it and I don't doubt them. Heck GRRM is also on Robin Hobb's fav author list =D

Hi Kitera,
Welcome. I've read her Mad Ship series, and I find them to be quite different, although equally good.
Martin uses exclusively Point of View chapters - you see thru the characters eyes, and hear their thoughts and memories. So there is no 'one' narrator. Hobb's style is much more static, although she did have moments where she used P.O.V style writing in the trilogy I read - IIRC, it's been 2 years since I read them. GRRM is pretty hard on his characters too - probably harsher and grittier than Robb, I would suggest.
A warning - when I started reading, I neglected everything else in favour of the books! I even read them when I was talking on the phone

*Laughs* Sometimes what a thing a book can do is almost magical. Hmm Have you also read her Faseer and Tawny Man's Trigs? If you liked the Liveship Traders then I'll gurantee you'll like her other trigs too.

I went to the book store today and I saw GRRM's books on the shelf. But I have to finish this other series I'm reading first before I start on GRRM. Hope you guys don't mind if it takes me a while to get around to GRRM's books, but he's on my 'must read' list.

Thanks again for the warm welcome everyone.

 

[Werthead]

So Wert, are you Martin's publicist, brother, college roomie, or just a sincere fan?

I'm a mod on another GRRM forum and have to answer this question about three times a week, so have a copy and paste answer standing by

 

[TK-421]

Ha! Sounds like the work of a bureaucrat, all done in triplicate

 

[Werthead]

I have others, relating to the whole "Is Benjen Coldhands?" and "R+L=J" queries.