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A Song of Ice and Fire / Other Topics / G.R.R.M.'s Other Writings

Next 20 Messages Newest Messages

Ran
User ID: 0867924 Apr 13th 4:42 PM
This topic is dedicated to discussing GRRM's other works, from short stories to novels. What follows at first will be my moving disparate threads to this venue. So, it'll be a bit sequential, but it should be useable.

Ran
User ID: 0867924 Apr 13th 4:45 PM
The Skin Trade thread follows:

steveo posted:

I think The Skin Trade would make an excellent movie. It's been a while since I read it (will read it again today) Think of Demi Moore as the main character and Brian Dennehy(?) as the police chief...

If anyone knows George's agent or how to contact George, I'd love to try to get the rights to it.

Steven O'Connell
DOWN-THE-SHORE PICTURES/
Bottom Rung Productions

KAH posted:

You could try mailing him.
IIRC, his address is [email protected].

Sphinx posted:

The Skin Trade is oustanding. Unlike Vampire novels, of which there are quite a few notable classics, werewolves have not generally received such good literary treatment, until GRRM, that is. It was the story that got me into his stuff (I followed up by reading Fevre Dream, which is even better, IMHO)

Omer posted:

Skin Trade is briliiant, and Willie was hillarious! I loved it!

One thing, though, if you've read it - who summoned the Skinners?

Sphinx - I agree, Fevre Dream is marginally better

[End of the Skin Trade thread]

Ran
User ID: 0867924 Apr 13th 4:49 PM
The Sandkings thread follows:

Transmetallix posted:

Has anybody ever read Martin's short story "Sandkings?" I read it before I got to aGoT, adn I loved it.

Ser Benjen posted:

I read it about 4 or 5 months ago. It's a good story, creepy as hell though. I think they adapted it for the New Twilight Zone or Outer Limits on TV a few years ago.

Ami posted:

Y'know, I have completely forgotten that story and had completely forgotten who wrote it. WOW! I loved that story! I agree, it is really creepy!
Yeah, Ser Benjen, they did, I can't remember which show it was either, but of course, as usual the TV thing can never hold up the written story.

Which reminds me, has anyone heard anything new about "Fevre Dream"? I think someone once told me that it was going to be a made for TV movie (blah) but I was hoping for big screen.

Omer posted:

I've read Sandkings in an anthology of stories turned into films called 'The Reel Stuff'

I have to confess. I coul;dn't finish it. The story scared me, and I had to leave it alone and come back during day time. WOW... nothing has ever affected me that way. EVER.

I've read 5 short stories and three novels by GrrM, and I think 7 of those where Classics. not good, not cool, not great, CLASSICS.

haaruk posted:

Martin won a deserved Nebula for 'Sandkings'.

Sphinx posted:

I'm sure I heard big screen.

[End of the Sandkings thread]

Ran
User ID: 0867924 Apr 13th 4:59 PM
The A Song for Lya thread follows:

Rhoe posted:

I happened by a webpage for Babbage's Press that is printing a GRRM book called "A Song For Lya".

Does anyone know what this is about? Is it set in Westeros? When is it coming out? etc...

Ser Benjen posted:

A Song for Lya is a Sci-fi short story. The main characters are named Robb and Lya, they are empaths sent to a colonized planet to investigate human conversion to an alien religion. It actually gets kind of deep, I liked it. Other than the names, I didn't see any references that brought aSoIaF to mind. I think GRRM won a Nebula award for it, though. I got it in the Nightflyers movie-adaption paperback, along w/ some other stuff.

The Ice Dragon is the most similar thing to aSoIaF I've read in his short stories. It's good stuff too. I think that one is in the Sandkings compilation. Another really good one is called The Wasted Land which, IIRC, is in Sandkings, or maybe it's in Portraits of his Children. Really good story.

I got these from GRRM on ebay or from his books for sale site, which is at

http://www.mandala.net/grrmartin/

some interesting stuff to pass the time waiting for SOS.

haaruk posted:

A Song For Lya is my favorite Martin short story. Less precise and polished than Sandkings yet more personal and compelling. A quiet dance of yearnings and choices. Anticlimatic and perhaps primitive it involves the reader quite deeply.

Rebecca posted:

"The Ice Dragon" is in _Portraits of his Children_. Great story.
And I agree with Benjen, it's the most like ASOIAF that I've read. I think "The Wastelands" is in _Sandkings_ (just because the title doesn't sound familiar and that's the one story collection I haven't read).

[End of the A Song for Lya thread]

Ran
User ID: 0867924 Apr 13th 5:02 PM
The Tuf Voyaging thread begins:

Aurora Sinclair posted:

Loved Tuf Voyaging, Game of Thrones, Clash of Kings.

Where can I get more?

Street Prophet posted:

What's Tuf Voyaging?

Relic posted:

Isnt that when you... oh wait thats muff not tuff. Sorry.

haaruk posted:

Tuf Voyaging is one of the early Martin novels. Flawed yet strikingly original it was for its time quite unique. Its hero is a corpulent misanthropist who by the most unseemly of circumstances embarks on a career as a bioengineer. I have previously registered an opinion that Tuf is the template for Samwell Tarley. Also Martin's ecological and environmental
philosophy can be traced to this novel.

Jeff posted:

Nice line, Relic.

[The Tuf Voyaging thread ends]

Rhiannon
User ID: 1153984 Apr 15th 7:11 PM
How are Martin's other works? I haven't read any of them and after reading through Jordan's Fallon books (which were pure crap), I'm a bit hesitant to try GRRM's lesser known novels.

Omer
User ID: 9551723 Apr 26th 3:49 PM
Martin's other works are generally almost as good or as good as his ASoIaF stuff. I'd recommand Fevre Dream, a horror.historic novel, Sandkings( A horror- SF hybrid), The marvelous Wild Cards Sequence, and pretty much everything you can find by him - quite hard, that.

I just read his hugo award story The Way of Cross and Dragon. Brilliant. Its also interesting 'coz its a kind of a philosopjical story, and a first person narrated story, 2 things Martin rarely does.

I, Claudius
User ID: 0505634 Apr 27th 4:47 PM
What do you think of "Dying of the Light"?. In my opinion it's one of Martin's greatest works.

Boris
User ID: 2246984 May 5th 9:27 AM
I reread Skin Trade today after nearly 20 years (I brought me to GRRM) and thought it could be perfectly rewritten to fit into ASOIAF?? What do you think?

Green Gerg
User ID: 7830843 May 5th 12:25 PM
Besides "Lya" and "Sandkings," which are justifiably famous, two of GRRM's other short works that I absolutely adore are "In the House of the Worm" (haunting, mysterious, and wonderfully different), and "Seven Times Never Kill Man" (the first thing I ever read by him, back in "Analog" in 1974).
One thing I always found fascinating---and really enjoyed---was how many of Martin's short stories (and some of the novels, IIRC, definitely "Tuf" and "Dying" too I think) take place in the same "Post-Imperial" Universe. The interstellar political/historical events (reminiscent of "Dune" and "Hyperion"), names of the planets and systems, and names and characteristics of alien races...all are shared by disparate stories with no other commonality. Great stuff. Love the Hrangans especially.

Kristin
User ID: 7761613 May 5th 7:48 PM
Well, I finally got to read Sandkings--found it in an anthology of Nebula winners. I really enjoyed it.

Omer
User ID: 9551723 May 6th 4:18 AM
It spooked the living hell out of me. I read it at night and I actually had to stop and start reading it again during day time. It was THAT bad :-)

Omer
User ID: 9014973 May 14th 1:42 PM
Here's a notion... how about we collect non spoiler reviews about Martin's other works and put them on one of the web sites... just so that GrrM fans will be able to find what of his stuff we'd like to read.

Omer
User ID: 9014973 May 22nd 7:19 AM
I found some more Martin stories... in an anthology called "Isaac Asimov's Fantasy" there is a story by him called Closing Time. More importantly, in an anthology called something like "The Infinate Soldier" or something alike there exist his first published story THE HERO. and I have it. I'm gonna read it on the plane back to Brussels, next sunday... I don't have high expectations, but I'm really curious

gill
User ID: 1223124 May 22nd 7:32 AM
Anyone know how the UK editions of the short story collections match up with the US ones? I have collections called Sandkings and Songs The Dead Men Sing. I think one of these is the same as the US 'Portraits Of His Children', but I'm not sure if it's an exact match. And I've no idea which stories are in A Song For Lya

haaruk May 28th 6:07 PM
I have just finished rereading 'A Song For Lya'. Lyanna in ASOIF and Lya in 'A Song For Lya' are spiritually the same person. Impetuous, Searching, Tragic. Perhaps someone in Martin's past needs to be resurrected or remembered. Eddard's name for Lyanna is even the same. "I promise Lya. I promise."

Lya's search for meaning incites a psychic bond with an alien force that causes a 'hideous' physical metamorphosis. Lyanna's search for love and meaning may have drawn her into Rhaegar's embrace. Which leads to her death. They both made tragic choices, yet on their own terms. Neither settling for what society considered appropriate.

For Lya/Lyanna Martin seeks solace in some form of immortality. To sustain her essence and image in his heart. A way perhaps for him to understand and seek his own truth.

-GANDOR-
User ID: 0038914 Jun 13th 3:28 PM
My first exposure to George R.R. Martins work was his contribution to the "Wild Cards" novels. I found these quite late into the series' life (Volume 10), and read through all of them in about 4 weeks. I continued reading them until the last one (*sob*), and when i saw an ad for "A Game Of Thrones", my initial thought was "Yay- A New Wild Cards Book". I was severely disapointed when AGoT came out and it wasn't a Wild Cards novel, so I never picked it up. One day I was in the bookstore looking for a book to take on vacation with me when i stumbled upon the paperback of AGoT. I bought it, read it, and was never so happy to be wrong in my life.

Kristin
User ID: 0422394 Jun 13th 8:17 PM
Well, I just finished Armageddon Rag. Wow, what a great book. I want my own copy now.

Omer
User ID: 9551723 Jun 13th 9:09 PM
Gandor - I really want to start an email list for WILD CARDS. I've only read the first 6 so far, but I like them alot. answer here or email me at [email protected] if you're itnerested.

this is true for all others, of course.

-GANDOR-
User ID: 0038914 Jun 19th 10:58 AM
Omer- Do yourself a favor and get the rest of the Wild Cards books! The series only gets better. Sadly, it seems like there will be no more in the series. The last part of the series (Card Sharks Trilogy) was very good, but there are still a lot of loose ends.

Next 20 Messages Newest Messages

Ran User ID: 0867924	Apr 13th 4:42 PM This topic is dedicated to discussing GRRM's other works, from short stories to novels. What follows at first will be my moving disparate threads to this venue. So, it'll be a bit sequential, but it should be useable.
Ran User ID: 0867924	Apr 13th 4:45 PM The Skin Trade thread follows: steveo posted: I think The Skin Trade would make an excellent movie. It's been a while since I read it (will read it again today) Think of Demi Moore as the main character and Brian Dennehy(?) as the police chief... If anyone knows George's agent or how to contact George, I'd love to try to get the rights to it. Steven O'Connell DOWN-THE-SHORE PICTURES/ Bottom Rung Productions KAH posted: You could try mailing him. IIRC, his address is [email protected]. Sphinx posted: The Skin Trade is oustanding. Unlike Vampire novels, of which there are quite a few notable classics, werewolves have not generally received such good literary treatment, until GRRM, that is. It was the story that got me into his stuff (I followed up by reading Fevre Dream, which is even better, IMHO) Omer posted: Skin Trade is briliiant, and Willie was hillarious! I loved it! One thing, though, if you've read it - who summoned the Skinners? Sphinx - I agree, Fevre Dream is marginally better [End of the Skin Trade thread]
Ran User ID: 0867924	Apr 13th 4:49 PM The Sandkings thread follows: Transmetallix posted: Has anybody ever read Martin's short story "Sandkings?" I read it before I got to aGoT, adn I loved it. Ser Benjen posted: I read it about 4 or 5 months ago. It's a good story, creepy as hell though. I think they adapted it for the New Twilight Zone or Outer Limits on TV a few years ago. Ami posted: Y'know, I have completely forgotten that story and had completely forgotten who wrote it. WOW! I loved that story! I agree, it is really creepy! Yeah, Ser Benjen, they did, I can't remember which show it was either, but of course, as usual the TV thing can never hold up the written story. Which reminds me, has anyone heard anything new about "Fevre Dream"? I think someone once told me that it was going to be a made for TV movie (blah) but I was hoping for big screen. Omer posted: I've read Sandkings in an anthology of stories turned into films called 'The Reel Stuff' I have to confess. I coul;dn't finish it. The story scared me, and I had to leave it alone and come back during day time. WOW... nothing has ever affected me that way. EVER. I've read 5 short stories and three novels by GrrM, and I think 7 of those where Classics. not good, not cool, not great, CLASSICS. haaruk posted: Martin won a deserved Nebula for 'Sandkings'. Sphinx posted: I'm sure I heard big screen. [End of the Sandkings thread]
Ran User ID: 0867924	Apr 13th 4:59 PM The A Song for Lya thread follows: Rhoe posted: I happened by a webpage for Babbage's Press that is printing a GRRM book called "A Song For Lya". Does anyone know what this is about? Is it set in Westeros? When is it coming out? etc... Ser Benjen posted: A Song for Lya is a Sci-fi short story. The main characters are named Robb and Lya, they are empaths sent to a colonized planet to investigate human conversion to an alien religion. It actually gets kind of deep, I liked it. Other than the names, I didn't see any references that brought aSoIaF to mind. I think GRRM won a Nebula award for it, though. I got it in the Nightflyers movie-adaption paperback, along w/ some other stuff. The Ice Dragon is the most similar thing to aSoIaF I've read in his short stories. It's good stuff too. I think that one is in the Sandkings compilation. Another really good one is called The Wasted Land which, IIRC, is in Sandkings, or maybe it's in Portraits of his Children. Really good story. I got these from GRRM on ebay or from his books for sale site, which is at http://www.mandala.net/grrmartin/ some interesting stuff to pass the time waiting for SOS. haaruk posted: A Song For Lya is my favorite Martin short story. Less precise and polished than Sandkings yet more personal and compelling. A quiet dance of yearnings and choices. Anticlimatic and perhaps primitive it involves the reader quite deeply. Rebecca posted: "The Ice Dragon" is in _Portraits of his Children_. Great story. And I agree with Benjen, it's the most like ASOIAF that I've read. I think "The Wastelands" is in _Sandkings_ (just because the title doesn't sound familiar and that's the one story collection I haven't read). [End of the A Song for Lya thread]
Ran User ID: 0867924	Apr 13th 5:02 PM The Tuf Voyaging thread begins: Aurora Sinclair posted: Loved Tuf Voyaging, Game of Thrones, Clash of Kings. Where can I get more? Street Prophet posted: What's Tuf Voyaging? Relic posted: Isnt that when you... oh wait thats muff not tuff. Sorry. haaruk posted: Tuf Voyaging is one of the early Martin novels. Flawed yet strikingly original it was for its time quite unique. Its hero is a corpulent misanthropist who by the most unseemly of circumstances embarks on a career as a bioengineer. I have previously registered an opinion that Tuf is the template for Samwell Tarley. Also Martin's ecological and environmental philosophy can be traced to this novel. Jeff posted: Nice line, Relic. [The Tuf Voyaging thread ends]
Rhiannon User ID: 1153984	Apr 15th 7:11 PM How are Martin's other works? I haven't read any of them and after reading through Jordan's Fallon books (which were pure crap), I'm a bit hesitant to try GRRM's lesser known novels.
Omer User ID: 9551723	Apr 26th 3:49 PM Martin's other works are generally almost as good or as good as his ASoIaF stuff. I'd recommand Fevre Dream, a horror.historic novel, Sandkings( A horror- SF hybrid), The marvelous Wild Cards Sequence, and pretty much everything you can find by him - quite hard, that. I just read his hugo award story The Way of Cross and Dragon. Brilliant. Its also interesting 'coz its a kind of a philosopjical story, and a first person narrated story, 2 things Martin rarely does.
I, Claudius User ID: 0505634	Apr 27th 4:47 PM What do you think of "Dying of the Light"?. In my opinion it's one of Martin's greatest works.
Boris User ID: 2246984	May 5th 9:27 AM I reread Skin Trade today after nearly 20 years (I brought me to GRRM) and thought it could be perfectly rewritten to fit into ASOIAF?? What do you think?
Green Gerg User ID: 7830843	May 5th 12:25 PM Besides "Lya" and "Sandkings," which are justifiably famous, two of GRRM's other short works that I absolutely adore are "In the House of the Worm" (haunting, mysterious, and wonderfully different), and "Seven Times Never Kill Man" (the first thing I ever read by him, back in "Analog" in 1974). One thing I always found fascinating---and really enjoyed---was how many of Martin's short stories (and some of the novels, IIRC, definitely "Tuf" and "Dying" too I think) take place in the same "Post-Imperial" Universe. The interstellar political/historical events (reminiscent of "Dune" and "Hyperion"), names of the planets and systems, and names and characteristics of alien races...all are shared by disparate stories with no other commonality. Great stuff. Love the Hrangans especially.
Kristin User ID: 7761613	May 5th 7:48 PM Well, I finally got to read Sandkings--found it in an anthology of Nebula winners. I really enjoyed it.
Omer User ID: 9551723	May 6th 4:18 AM It spooked the living hell out of me. I read it at night and I actually had to stop and start reading it again during day time. It was THAT bad :-)
Omer User ID: 9014973	May 14th 1:42 PM Here's a notion... how about we collect non spoiler reviews about Martin's other works and put them on one of the web sites... just so that GrrM fans will be able to find what of his stuff we'd like to read.
Omer User ID: 9014973	May 22nd 7:19 AM I found some more Martin stories... in an anthology called "Isaac Asimov's Fantasy" there is a story by him called Closing Time. More importantly, in an anthology called something like "The Infinate Soldier" or something alike there exist his first published story THE HERO. and I have it. I'm gonna read it on the plane back to Brussels, next sunday... I don't have high expectations, but I'm really curious
gill User ID: 1223124	May 22nd 7:32 AM Anyone know how the UK editions of the short story collections match up with the US ones? I have collections called Sandkings and Songs The Dead Men Sing. I think one of these is the same as the US 'Portraits Of His Children', but I'm not sure if it's an exact match. And I've no idea which stories are in A Song For Lya
haaruk	May 28th 6:07 PM I have just finished rereading 'A Song For Lya'. Lyanna in ASOIF and Lya in 'A Song For Lya' are spiritually the same person. Impetuous, Searching, Tragic. Perhaps someone in Martin's past needs to be resurrected or remembered. Eddard's name for Lyanna is even the same. "I promise Lya. I promise." Lya's search for meaning incites a psychic bond with an alien force that causes a 'hideous' physical metamorphosis. Lyanna's search for love and meaning may have drawn her into Rhaegar's embrace. Which leads to her death. They both made tragic choices, yet on their own terms. Neither settling for what society considered appropriate. For Lya/Lyanna Martin seeks solace in some form of immortality. To sustain her essence and image in his heart. A way perhaps for him to understand and seek his own truth.
-GANDOR- User ID: 0038914	Jun 13th 3:28 PM My first exposure to George R.R. Martins work was his contribution to the "Wild Cards" novels. I found these quite late into the series' life (Volume 10), and read through all of them in about 4 weeks. I continued reading them until the last one (sob), and when i saw an ad for "A Game Of Thrones", my initial thought was "Yay- A New Wild Cards Book". I was severely disapointed when AGoT came out and it wasn't a Wild Cards novel, so I never picked it up. One day I was in the bookstore looking for a book to take on vacation with me when i stumbled upon the paperback of AGoT. I bought it, read it, and was never so happy to be wrong in my life.
Kristin User ID: 0422394	Jun 13th 8:17 PM Well, I just finished Armageddon Rag. Wow, what a great book. I want my own copy now.
Omer User ID: 9551723	Jun 13th 9:09 PM Gandor - I really want to start an email list for WILD CARDS. I've only read the first 6 so far, but I like them alot. answer here or email me at [email protected] if you're itnerested. this is true for all others, of course.
-GANDOR- User ID: 0038914	Jun 19th 10:58 AM Omer- Do yourself a favor and get the rest of the Wild Cards books! The series only gets better. Sadly, it seems like there will be no more in the series. The last part of the series (Card Sharks Trilogy) was very good, but there are still a lot of loose ends.