GRRM's Other Work

[the smiling weirwood]

Because this forum gets totally dominated by ASOIAF related threads, I wanted to throw this out there.

First, a query, has anyone read some of his more well known short stories? Tuf Voyaging, Sandkings, A Song for Lya etc.

Second, have you also read ASOIAF? Or perhaps his other novels? What were your thoughts? Did you find yourself constantly comparing them?

Discuss, please.

I greatly enjoyed his older work, especially the stories set in the alternative future of the Thousand Worlds. If he ever does finish ASOIAF I'd love for him to revisit that setting. I suggest GRRM: A Rretrospective, or Dreamsongs as it was published in the US.

 

[Koopa]

I read Windhaven

 

[Tansy]

I've read Fevre Dream.. It isn't the normal kind of thing I'd read but I did enjoy it.

I picked it up wanting to see if his style changed in books other than ASOFAI and yes it does

 

[Koopa]

I cant really remember what fevre dream is about, but i think i felt like fevre dream wasn't the kind of book i want to read, the topic wasn't for me or so. My memory is hazy/fuzzy though about it.

I did read the three short novels(?) about asoiaf -> the two dunk and egg stories, and the story about the ice dragon wich was pretty interesting.

 

[Tansy]

Vampires on a steam riverboat - Huck fin meets the lost boys

 

[Boaz]

Fevre Dream is the only other work by GRRM that I've read. The biggest difference to me was the style of writing and storytelling. FD is completely different than ASOIAF. FD is so well researched and planned out... Martin's style of writing is eerily similar to American authors of the nineteenth century. In the previous post, Tansy said, "Huck Finn meets the Lost Boys", and I agree not because it takes place on the Mississippi River, but because the language patterns, grammar, and sentence structures all felt to me like I was reading a gothic sequel to Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

If you think GRRM does a good job of storytelling in ASOIAF, then you need to check out Fevre Dream. He really shows off a plethora of writing skills. I really hate horror stories and I never read about Vampires, Werewolves, Zombies, etc, but I could not put this book down. The pages flew by. This is primarily due to the way that GRRM keeps tension in the story without resorting to a beehive of activity. He masterfully builds this awful feeling of suspense and then just lets the reader's emotions hang in the balance.

That being said, I never really identified with either Captain Marsh nor Joshua York (the two main characters). I love Tyrion, I identify in some ways with Jaime, I love despising Catelyn (probably because I identify too closely with her), and I just love hating Cersei, but I never loved not hated Marsh or York. I did despise Sour Billy Tipton, like everyone else does. Even though I never bonded with any of the characters in Fevre Dream and I hate the genre, I could not put the book down. How much higher praise can I give?!?! I did not like the source material nor the characters, yet the book was riveting! It was an excellent read!

I almost bought Armageddon Rag yesterday at Barnes & Noble.

 

[Werthead]

The Hedge Knight: Probably GRRM's best, contained work. A prequel to ASoIaF set 89 years before AGoT. Absolutely excellent.

The Sworn Sword: Less accomplished than THK, but still a fine addition to the ASoIaF mythos.

Fevre Dream: Excellent horror-historical crossover novel. Best depicition of vampires since Stoker

The Armageddon Rag: Very interesting novel. Very subtle supernatural horror elements, but for most of its length it's an investigative road trip novel. Cleverly written, with a wistful nostalgia that is extremely effective. Extremely readable.

Dying of the Light: GRRM's first novel, so a little bit rough around the edges. The extended first half is a bit bleak and slow-paced, but the second half is much better, far more menacing with a brilliantly ambiguous ending. Several characters in this book could be ASoIaF prototypes.

Dreamsongs: probably the finest single-writer short story collection I've ever read. The quality of writing here and the sheer variety of it is incredible.

Conclusion: ASoIaF is just the tip of the iceberg. GRRM has done some excellent work elsewhere as well.

 

[Bazza]

The Hedge Knight was indeed excellent. I highly recommend it for those who need something to sate their hunger while waiting for ADWD. It's very reminiscent of the Arya chapters when running through the Trident. You have the similar feel of Westeros but told through the perspective of a common hedge knight. None of the familiar faces are here, but you really get caught up with this older generation of characters. Even with the minimal amount of space, Martin was still able to weave nuggets of the overlying plot throughout the novella and wrap everything up beautifully at the end.

 

[the smiling weirwood]

The Armageddon Rag is the only work I haven't read...

Dying of the Light was one of my favorites. I thought it was unspeakably sad, but exquisite. Like a glass ornament with edges sharp enough to cut.

The characterization was the same I've come to expect from George, fully realized and a little unpredictable. Which is refreshing after so much hifi-trash they throw out on the shelves. Every time I read something awful and feel unclean all I have to do is open my Rretrospective and become rejuvenated. (I got Dreamsongs before there was Dreamsongs by ordering the previously printed English version. Behold the majesty of globalization.)

 

[vervain_ashe]

Fevre Dream is the only other work by GRRM that I've read. The biggest difference to me was the style of writing and storytelling. FD is completely different than ASOIAF. FD is so well researched and planned out... Martin's style of writing is eerily similar to American authors of the nineteenth century. In the previous post, Tansy said, "Huck Finn meets the Lost Boys", and I agree not because it takes place on the Mississippi River, but because the language patterns, grammar, and sentence structures all felt to me like I was reading a gothic sequel to Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

If you think GRRM does a good job of storytelling in ASOIAF, then you need to check out Fevre Dream. He really shows off a plethora of writing skills. I really hate horror stories and I never read about Vampires, Werewolves, Zombies, etc, but I could not put this book down. The pages flew by. This is primarily due to the way that GRRM keeps tension in the story without resorting to a beehive of activity. He masterfully builds this awful feeling of suspense and then just lets the reader's emotions hang in the balance.

That being said, I never really identified with either Captain Marsh nor Joshua York (the two main characters). I love Tyrion, I identify in some ways with Jaime, I love despising Catelyn (probably because I identify too closely with her), and I just love hating Cersei, but I never loved not hated Marsh or York. I did despise Sour Billy Tipton, like everyone else does. Even though I never bonded with any of the characters in Fevre Dream and I hate the genre, I could not put the book down. How much higher praise can I give?!?! I did not like the source material nor the characters, yet the book was riveting! It was an excellent read!

I almost bought Armageddon Rag yesterday at Barnes & Noble.

Boaz, I agree with you completely. I could not have said those things better myself. Fevre Dream is definitely worth the read, even though it is not even close to the writing style of ASOIAF.

I have, while waiting for ADWD, also picked up the Dreamsongs compilations. Quite intriguing. Here I'd gotten used to this epic-style of writing and what a treat to read his earlier works, many of which are really just short stories... novelettes. But, it does enable the reader to get through a few stories and actually put the book down without going insane for the next chapter! Just one more.... one more... one more then I'll stop .... four hours later, etc.!

I have not read Armageddon Rag yet, but it's next on my list.

 

[Connavar]

I have started reading Fevre Dream and i must say its very different writing wise compared to A Game of Thrones which was my only GRRM story before this.

Sure i dont like to read epic series like ASoIaF but Fevre Dream seems to be written by a better writer than that one.

If i keep liking it, i will check out his other SFF works. I saw he won awards for SF stories early in his career.

 

[Boaz]

Conn, I'd love to get your full reaction to Fevre Dream once you've finished. To reiterate my opnion of FD... I strongly dislike horror and I did not sympathize with the protagonists at all, yet I was enthralled with the setting and feel of the Mississippi. I highly recommend this book. Fevre Dream is what Henry James, Edgar Allan Poe and Mark Twain should have written.

 

[Connavar]

Conn, I'd love to get your full reaction to Fevre Dream once you've finished. To reiterate my opnion of FD... I strongly dislike horror and I did not sympathize with the protagonists at all, yet I was enthralled with the setting and feel of the Mississippi. I highly recommend this book. Fevre Dream is what Henry James, Edgar Allan Poe and Mark Twain should have written.

Im the opposite of you i read with delight authors like Edgar Allan Poe,any other good horror writer. I did love reading for example I Am Legend by Richard Matheson. Another famous vampire horror book.

Thats why i got Fevre Dream. I will let you know what i think about it when i have finished reading.

 

[Boaz]

I like Poe. I especially like his concepts. It's been twenty years since I've read The Raven, The Tell-tale Heart, The Masque of the Red Death, etc. so my memory may be wrong. The Cask of Amantillado is genius. The Fall of the House of Usher is very creepy. But to me, Poe is not horror... not in the sense of recent fiction. Horror nowadays deals with psychopaths, demons, or rapacious undead.

Contemporary villains tend to spill blood for the sake of killing, itself. They won't desist until they are killed. In contrast, Poe's villains have all made some rational (and sometimes seemingly justifiable) decisions to commit their crimes, but once vengeance is achieved his characters go back to their normal lives. His villains also often have some of the Greek tragedy about them... eg. they know their faults and yet are undone by them.

I've read some Stephen King... the stuff that's not too scary. I'm a big pussy cat... Tiggers don't like the dark. Hearts in Atlantis, The Green Mile, Different Seasons, and The Eyes of the Dragon are the books that I could actually read. The Low Men in Hearts and Flagg in Eyes made it hard for me to sleep.

Upon King's recommendation, I read Richard Matheson's I Am Legend. I didn't find it that scary either. Perhaps I just misunderstand the Horror genre.

It was only after reading Matheson and needing to read something else by Martin that I finally picked up Fevre Dream. It hearkens back to Poe and James in the way that the horror is in the suspense created by the storytelling. I like tension created by ethical decisions or dangerous situations that characters are forced to go through. Their horror is not in blood and guts. Their horror is not in killing sprees.

 

[Connavar]

I like Poe. I especially like his concepts. It's been twenty years since I've read The Raven, The Tell-tale Heart, The Masque of the Red Death, etc. so my memory may be wrong. The Cask of Amantillado is genius. The Fall of the House of Usher is very creepy. But to me, Poe is not horror... not in the sense of recent fiction. Horror nowadays deals with psychopaths, demons, or rapacious undead.

Contemporary villains tend to spill blood for the sake of killing, itself. They won't desist until they are killed. In contrast, Poe's villains have all made some rational (and sometimes seemingly justifiable) decisions to commit their crimes, but once vengeance is achieved his characters go back to their normal lives. His villains also often have some of the Greek tragedy about them... eg. they know their faults and yet are undone by them.

I've read some Stephen King... the stuff that's not too scary. I'm a big pussy cat... Tiggers don't like the dark. Hearts in Atlantis, The Green Mile, Different Seasons, and The Eyes of the Dragon are the books that I could actually read. The Low Men in Hearts and Flagg in Eyes made it hard for me to sleep.

Upon King's recommendation, I read Richard Matheson's I Am Legend. I didn't find it that scary either. Perhaps I just misunderstand the Horror genre.

It was only after reading Matheson and needing to read something else by Martin that I finally picked up Fevre Dream. It hearkens back to Poe and James in the way that the horror is in the suspense created by the storytelling. I like tension created by ethical decisions or dangerous situations that characters are forced to go through. Their horror is not in blood and guts. Their horror is not in killing sprees.

Many of the greats in the horror genre are famous for being able to build atmosphere. Its not about blood,gory,slashing. Thats modern hollywood films.
Recent fiction has nothing to do with deciding if Poe is horror or not. HPL is known as one of the most influential horror writers of last century. I bet he isnt what horror is for you either.

For me Legend was more horrofic than many so called horror movies with alot blood,gore.

The way you describe Fevre Dream is the only kind of horror i like and read. I dont watch horror movies. Usually they are lame,cant build suspense. Saw isnt horror to me. Its slasher ****.

 

[GOLLUM]

FD is a wonderful work no doubt about it.

I have all of GRRM's published works except Wildcards, which didn't tickle my fancy.

Werthead summed things up GRRM pretty well and DreamSongs is a fantastic retrospective of a seriously talented storyteller.

Cheers....

 

[Bazza]

I noticed Ice Dragon wasn't on here. Maybe it's not considered a "literary work" since it is a kids' book. I enjoyed it however, it's about a farmer's daughter, about Arya's age, born on the coldest winter in memory. She befriends an ice dragon who arrives when it gets cold, or is it the ice dragon that brings the cold? Sound familiar? I always wondered if it took place during Old Valyria when dragonriders were common. Do those who have read it think it has any relevance to Westeros? Do you think there is there a giant ice dragon causing the long winters? Was she going to become an Other?

 

[the smiling weirwood]

Its not in the same setting.

Actually, the original short story was definitely *not* for children. I've read both versions, and I can attest that George had to do quite a bit of editing.