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A Song for Lya
Two telepaths investigate the newly discovered world of Shkea, where every native inhabitant, and an increasing number of human colonists, worships a mysterious and deadly parasite. Winner of the 1975 Hugo Award for Best Novella.
134 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 1974
66 people are currently reading
1605 people want to read
About the author
George R.R. Martin
1,506 books118k followersGeorge Raymond Richard "R.R." Martin was born September 20, 1948, in Bayonne, New Jersey. His father was Raymond Collins Martin, a longshoreman, and his mother was Margaret Brady Martin. He has two sisters, Darleen Martin Lapinski and Janet Martin Patten.
Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children for pennies, dramatic readings included. Later he became a comic book fan and collector in high school, and began to write fiction for comic fanzines (amateur fan magazines). Martin's first professional sale was made in 1970 at age 21: The Hero, sold to Galaxy, published in February, 1971 issue. Other sales followed.
In 1970 Martin received a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, graduating summa cum laude. He went on to complete a M.S. in Journalism in 1971, also from Northwestern.
As a conscientious objector, Martin did alternative service 1972-1974 with VISTA, attached to Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation. He also directed chess tournaments for the Continental Chess Association from 1973-1976, and was a Journalism instructor at Clarke College, Dubuque, Iowa, from 1976-1978. He wrote part-time throughout the 1970s while working as a VISTA Volunteer, chess director, and teacher.
In 1975 he married Gale Burnick. They divorced in 1979, with no children. Martin became a full-time writer in 1979. He was writer-in-residence at Clarke College from 1978-79.
Moving on to Hollywood, Martin signed on as a story editor for Twilight Zone at CBS Television in 1986. In 1987 Martin became an Executive Story Consultant for Beauty and the Beast at CBS. In 1988 he became a Producer for Beauty and the Beast, then in 1989 moved up to Co-Supervising Producer. He was Executive Producer for Doorways, a pilot which he wrote for Columbia Pictures Television, which was filmed during 1992-93.
Martin's present home is Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (he was South-Central Regional Director 1977-1979, and Vice President 1996-1998), and of Writers' Guild of America, West.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/george...
Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children for pennies, dramatic readings included. Later he became a comic book fan and collector in high school, and began to write fiction for comic fanzines (amateur fan magazines). Martin's first professional sale was made in 1970 at age 21: The Hero, sold to Galaxy, published in February, 1971 issue. Other sales followed.
In 1970 Martin received a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, graduating summa cum laude. He went on to complete a M.S. in Journalism in 1971, also from Northwestern.
As a conscientious objector, Martin did alternative service 1972-1974 with VISTA, attached to Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation. He also directed chess tournaments for the Continental Chess Association from 1973-1976, and was a Journalism instructor at Clarke College, Dubuque, Iowa, from 1976-1978. He wrote part-time throughout the 1970s while working as a VISTA Volunteer, chess director, and teacher.
In 1975 he married Gale Burnick. They divorced in 1979, with no children. Martin became a full-time writer in 1979. He was writer-in-residence at Clarke College from 1978-79.
Moving on to Hollywood, Martin signed on as a story editor for Twilight Zone at CBS Television in 1986. In 1987 Martin became an Executive Story Consultant for Beauty and the Beast at CBS. In 1988 he became a Producer for Beauty and the Beast, then in 1989 moved up to Co-Supervising Producer. He was Executive Producer for Doorways, a pilot which he wrote for Columbia Pictures Television, which was filmed during 1992-93.
Martin's present home is Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (he was South-Central Regional Director 1977-1979, and Vice President 1996-1998), and of Writers' Guild of America, West.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/george...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
March 8, 2022
One of the first stories that my little George club read, it set a high bar for everything that followed...
A Song For Lya is powerfully crafted; a masterclass example of the ideal short-form story.
A very prettily written and emotionally chewy novella, Lya explores what happens when two Telepaths are asked to help analyze the native inhabitants on the world of Shkea and the parasite that they worship. This parasite, the Greeshka, has recently been attracting human adherents, and the final stage of Greeshka worship is full-on consumption by the parasite itself.
Lya is ultimately a story in symbolism. It deeply questions and explores our need for love, connection, and true belonging. By juxtaposing human relationships, Telepath relationships, and joining with the Greeshka, it questions whether we can ever truly know how anybody else thinks or feels...and if we would want to, if we could.
Technically, the presentation feels nearly flawless. Personally, I found each layer of this storytelling to be compelling and thought provoking. For what is ultimately an emotionally dismal tale, it winds up feeling hopeful, in a depressingly pragmatic sort of way, which suited me quite well.
A fairly early offering of Martin's, this has a 'new writer' earnestness to it and is fully engaging. Not only one of my favourites of George's, but one of my favourite novellas all around.
A Song For Lya is powerfully crafted; a masterclass example of the ideal short-form story.
A very prettily written and emotionally chewy novella, Lya explores what happens when two Telepaths are asked to help analyze the native inhabitants on the world of Shkea and the parasite that they worship. This parasite, the Greeshka, has recently been attracting human adherents, and the final stage of Greeshka worship is full-on consumption by the parasite itself.
Lya is ultimately a story in symbolism. It deeply questions and explores our need for love, connection, and true belonging. By juxtaposing human relationships, Telepath relationships, and joining with the Greeshka, it questions whether we can ever truly know how anybody else thinks or feels...and if we would want to, if we could.
Technically, the presentation feels nearly flawless. Personally, I found each layer of this storytelling to be compelling and thought provoking. For what is ultimately an emotionally dismal tale, it winds up feeling hopeful, in a depressingly pragmatic sort of way, which suited me quite well.
A fairly early offering of Martin's, this has a 'new writer' earnestness to it and is fully engaging. Not only one of my favourites of George's, but one of my favourite novellas all around.
October 3, 2022
I've been on a Martin kick lately and this was recommended by a friend. I don't think Martin is religious himself, but it's stories like these that astound me as to his grasp on how people function whether they are religious or not. This novella deals with an ancient, alien religion that is suddenly finding human converts and you wouldn't think that too bad until you find out the members don't live too long.
Martin just knows people and that, I think, is why is writing is so good every single time. He gets why anyone makes decisions whether he agrees with them or not. How they function, and what makes them tick and feel so real when they're only fiction.
This story is interesting, not only for the characterizations, but because it is a science fiction story where the humans are actually more advanced than the aliens. The humans found the aliens and not vice-versa.
I want to talk about the ending, so spoilers a'comin':
In the end, it's worth your time. Of course, it's Martin, you probably already thought that when you read the author of this story. Now's the time to get on it then.
4.5 out of 5 Stars.
Martin just knows people and that, I think, is why is writing is so good every single time. He gets why anyone makes decisions whether he agrees with them or not. How they function, and what makes them tick and feel so real when they're only fiction.
This story is interesting, not only for the characterizations, but because it is a science fiction story where the humans are actually more advanced than the aliens. The humans found the aliens and not vice-versa.
I want to talk about the ending, so spoilers a'comin':
In the end, it's worth your time. Of course, it's Martin, you probably already thought that when you read the author of this story. Now's the time to get on it then.
4.5 out of 5 Stars.
February 24, 2024
جميلة جدا و أسلوبها جذاب
May 28, 2021
Appraised as one of GRRM's best works besides ASOIAF, this short story literally sums up Martin's ideas and themes that he kept on writing about for over 40 years in different novels; 1)The ultimate human desire for deeper connections and love versus the existentialist fear of loneliness and death & 2)The idea of a hive mind or collective consciousness (which Martin is utterly obsessed with, just like his obsession with red heads xD). Although this short story can be summed up in a couple of sentences, I find it poses a few existential questions worth pondering: How deep should our connections be to be able to say we truly know and love another person? Would absolute honesty and complete sharing suffice to make two individuals not feel, but truly BE one person? What if there were always more layers to be discovered in each other and never reaching a feeling of true unity, do we then consider ourselves alone?
These quotes pretty much sum up the dilemma that the story's main characters Robb and Lyanna face; Are they truly in love or is it still superficial no matter how much they share together?:
“But how much can human beings know each other? Aren't all of them cut off, really? Each alone in a big, dark, empty universe? We only trick ourselves when we think that someone else is there. In the end, in the cold lonely end, it's only us, by ourselves, in the blackness. Are you there, Robb? How do I know? Will you die with me, Robb? Will we be together then? Are we together now?......... It's not enough anymore. I'm scared. Suddenly I'm scared.”
"The Normals have only a touch and a voice, then back to their darkness. They can barely find each other. They're alone. Always. Groping. Trying, over and over, to climb out of their isolation booths, and failing, over and over."
This is a beautiful short story and I would recommend it to anyone. You don't even have to be a sci-fi fan to like this story, the sci-fi here (like the fantasy in ASOIAF) is just the spices on top of a well cooked meal, a material mould for presenting abstract concepts, it doesn't come off as bizarre or imposing at all.
All that being said, I think everyone who wants to read GRRM's epic ASOIAF (aka Game of Thrones), should first give this short story a read, as it truly shows Martin's motives behind some of the eccentric fantasy elements like the children of the forest (like the shkeen, an ancient civilization that got "stuck" and advanced no further than primal men yet were joyful), the old gods and the weirwood trees and the dreams that Bloodraven sent Bran(hive-mind), human settlers mistaking the children's "religion" as one requiring sacrifices, R'hllor's followers' famous catchphrase "the night is dark and full of terrors" (like the darkling plain that Lya mentions), and his recurring use of the word 'song' to mean a collective concsience. As a fan of ASOIAF myself, after reading this short story I won't be able to look at the series the same way again, which will make a reread much more fun (or so I hope).
These quotes pretty much sum up the dilemma that the story's main characters Robb and Lyanna face; Are they truly in love or is it still superficial no matter how much they share together?:
“But how much can human beings know each other? Aren't all of them cut off, really? Each alone in a big, dark, empty universe? We only trick ourselves when we think that someone else is there. In the end, in the cold lonely end, it's only us, by ourselves, in the blackness. Are you there, Robb? How do I know? Will you die with me, Robb? Will we be together then? Are we together now?......... It's not enough anymore. I'm scared. Suddenly I'm scared.”
"The Normals have only a touch and a voice, then back to their darkness. They can barely find each other. They're alone. Always. Groping. Trying, over and over, to climb out of their isolation booths, and failing, over and over."
This is a beautiful short story and I would recommend it to anyone. You don't even have to be a sci-fi fan to like this story, the sci-fi here (like the fantasy in ASOIAF) is just the spices on top of a well cooked meal, a material mould for presenting abstract concepts, it doesn't come off as bizarre or imposing at all.
All that being said, I think everyone who wants to read GRRM's epic ASOIAF (aka Game of Thrones), should first give this short story a read, as it truly shows Martin's motives behind some of the eccentric fantasy elements like the children of the forest (like the shkeen, an ancient civilization that got "stuck" and advanced no further than primal men yet were joyful), the old gods and the weirwood trees and the dreams that Bloodraven sent Bran(hive-mind), human settlers mistaking the children's "religion" as one requiring sacrifices, R'hllor's followers' famous catchphrase "the night is dark and full of terrors" (like the darkling plain that Lya mentions), and his recurring use of the word 'song' to mean a collective concsience. As a fan of ASOIAF myself, after reading this short story I won't be able to look at the series the same way again, which will make a reread much more fun (or so I hope).
November 29, 2024
ما أروع ابداع جورج مارتن في أولى أغنياته التي حمستني أكثر ما أنا للبدء في قراءة أغنية الجليد والنار. قصة قصيرة كأنها مكتوبة على أنغام مليئة بالحب والحيرة، نابعة من كوكب في المستقبل، يعيش فيه الإشكين وأنضم إليهم مجموعة من البشر، طرح فيه مارتن أسئلة معقدة عن الحب والانتماء والدين. 🤍
March 27, 2019
Venturing into my old SF books I discovered this classic 70s short story collection from what's described on the back as 'a new breed of science fiction writer' - though, of course, George R. R. Martin would really make his name in the field of fantasy.
There are some excellent stories here. Some are pure mood pieces, notably the opener 'With Morning Comes Mistfall' which is rather like a Somerset Maugham short story, set on a distant planet. Others have the classic twist in the tail, such as the short short 'fta' that gives a kick to the gut for that SF classic concept, hyperspace. Although the collection has very much a feel of the period - nuclear war hovers in the distant past in 'Dark, Dark Were the Tunnels', for example, and two separate stories reference Simon and Garfunkel songs - there's nothing here that doesn't hold up very well, other than a lack of female main characters. Only the closing title story, which won a Hugo Award, the wistfully thoughtful 'A Song for Lya', has a female main character, and she is not the narrator.
It says a lot for Martin's writing skills that even 'Run to Starlight', which despite being written in 1974 has the most 50s feeling characters of any story here, and centres on American football - a topic in which I have zero interest - manages to be entertaining, with the nice thought of a future Earth in contact with several intelligent alien species having to deal with the difficulties that arise from an alien team wanting to join an American football league.
All in all, a collection that has stood the passage of 40 years remarkably well.
There are some excellent stories here. Some are pure mood pieces, notably the opener 'With Morning Comes Mistfall' which is rather like a Somerset Maugham short story, set on a distant planet. Others have the classic twist in the tail, such as the short short 'fta' that gives a kick to the gut for that SF classic concept, hyperspace. Although the collection has very much a feel of the period - nuclear war hovers in the distant past in 'Dark, Dark Were the Tunnels', for example, and two separate stories reference Simon and Garfunkel songs - there's nothing here that doesn't hold up very well, other than a lack of female main characters. Only the closing title story, which won a Hugo Award, the wistfully thoughtful 'A Song for Lya', has a female main character, and she is not the narrator.
It says a lot for Martin's writing skills that even 'Run to Starlight', which despite being written in 1974 has the most 50s feeling characters of any story here, and centres on American football - a topic in which I have zero interest - manages to be entertaining, with the nice thought of a future Earth in contact with several intelligent alien species having to deal with the difficulties that arise from an alien team wanting to join an American football league.
All in all, a collection that has stood the passage of 40 years remarkably well.
March 16, 2018
Having gotten to a point where I spend excessive amounts of time reading fan theories on what might happen in the final season of Game of Thrones, I started to get my own ideas on how I might get more insight - by reading pieces written by George Martin. The name of this novella - A Song for Lya, felt very reminiscent of Lyanna, which I wasn't very far off on. However, my expectations might not have been as accurate.
Had I not known I was reading a work of G. R. R. Martin's, I would never have guessed.
The story is written in a completely different style, somehow with a very different vibe to that of ASOIAF. Martin forces us to reflect on the ever-lasting struggles of understanding ourselves in relation to love and god, something I do not feel is as prominent in his most recent, highly popular series. Moreover, unlike in the ASOIAF series, Martin does more to point us in the direction of what he wants us to think about, which is one of the main traits I adore in the famous series.
That said, the story was in no means bad. I found that I felt inclined to think about the ideas proposed (which doesn't mean that I haven't considered these concepts before). I find that any piece that brings upon reflection is worth the read, however, the main reason I would urge others to read it is to get an idea of Martin's complexity and general growth through the years.
Had I not known I was reading a work of G. R. R. Martin's, I would never have guessed.
The story is written in a completely different style, somehow with a very different vibe to that of ASOIAF. Martin forces us to reflect on the ever-lasting struggles of understanding ourselves in relation to love and god, something I do not feel is as prominent in his most recent, highly popular series. Moreover, unlike in the ASOIAF series, Martin does more to point us in the direction of what he wants us to think about, which is one of the main traits I adore in the famous series.
That said, the story was in no means bad. I found that I felt inclined to think about the ideas proposed (which doesn't mean that I haven't considered these concepts before). I find that any piece that brings upon reflection is worth the read, however, the main reason I would urge others to read it is to get an idea of Martin's complexity and general growth through the years.
April 28, 2020
I've heard about this story before and knew it talked about a hive-minded alien, but the plot is actually about human relationships and our incapacity to communicate our feelings to others. Not in the usual way though, it's deeper than that. It's about communicating who we really are to people we love, and to love them completely for who they really are, for that essence that not even they know it exists, for the person that remains after all their barriers have been brought down.
And the alien plot was actually pretty disturbing. It leaves the door open for all of it to be an elaborate trap set up by the alien. It was imaginative and kind of scary.
And the alien plot was actually pretty disturbing. It leaves the door open for all of it to be an elaborate trap set up by the alien. It was imaginative and kind of scary.
July 31, 2024
مدهش قلم جورج أر أر مارتن، فعلى الرغم من أن هذه الرواية الخيالية تنتمي إلى بدايته في عالم الكتابة إلا إنها تنم عن عمق وفلسفة ناضجة ناضحة في النص..
كون تعيش في كواكبه مخلوقات مختلفة، ومن تلكم الكواكب واحد تدور في خضمه أحداث القصة عن زوجين من البشر لهما قدرات استثنائية في فهم أو قراءة شعور الآخرين يقصدان ذلك الكوكب لكشف غموض مسألة أن سكانه يقدمون أنفسهم ضحايا لكائن غريب نوعا من الديانة التي يعتنقونها، والغريب أن الأمر تجاوز سكان الكوكب الأصليين ليصل البشر المقيمين فيعتنقوا هذه الديانة ويضحوا بأنفسهم حبا فما هي الأسباب؟
الرواية رائعة وجودية عن الحب والكون والخلق وفكرة الإله تستحق القراءة بكل تأكيد..
التقييم: ٩/١٠
كون تعيش في كواكبه مخلوقات مختلفة، ومن تلكم الكواكب واحد تدور في خضمه أحداث القصة عن زوجين من البشر لهما قدرات استثنائية في فهم أو قراءة شعور الآخرين يقصدان ذلك الكوكب لكشف غموض مسألة أن سكانه يقدمون أنفسهم ضحايا لكائن غريب نوعا من الديانة التي يعتنقونها، والغريب أن الأمر تجاوز سكان الكوكب الأصليين ليصل البشر المقيمين فيعتنقوا هذه الديانة ويضحوا بأنفسهم حبا فما هي الأسباب؟
الرواية رائعة وجودية عن الحب والكون والخلق وفكرة الإله تستحق القراءة بكل تأكيد..
التقييم: ٩/١٠
October 1, 2025
I liked this one a lot. This is more early George RR Martin, one of his first major works. It’s partially a meat and potatoes sci-fi story about a couple of telepaths tasked with investigating an alien religion that’s recently started seeing human converts, but at its heart it’s a meditation on love, connection, and the question of how well any of us can actually know each other.
The alien religion side of things is great. No real surprises here, as soon as Martin lays out what the deal is with this religion it’s pretty obvious where things are headed, but it’s still a good time getting there. And the question of “what would religious ritual look like to an outside observer?” is fun to play with, even if Martin isn’t really committed to unpacking that question in depth and is mostly just using religion as a means to get his two lead characters where he wants them so he can hash out the meat of the story.
You can certainly criticize the writing here, it’s often clumsy and over the top and that’s especially felt during the two most important scenes in the story. In his intro for this one in Dreamsongs Martin mentioned that he wrote A Song For Lya immediately after his first serious girlfriend broke up with him and yeah there’s a lot of that here if you’re looking for it. But I feel like the ideas that Martin talks about in this story were big enough that I didn’t mind the language he uses being overwrought. The gist of what he’s doing here still worked for me, despite its execution.
The alien religion side of things is great. No real surprises here, as soon as Martin lays out what the deal is with this religion it’s pretty obvious where things are headed, but it’s still a good time getting there. And the question of “what would religious ritual look like to an outside observer?” is fun to play with, even if Martin isn’t really committed to unpacking that question in depth and is mostly just using religion as a means to get his two lead characters where he wants them so he can hash out the meat of the story.
You can certainly criticize the writing here, it’s often clumsy and over the top and that’s especially felt during the two most important scenes in the story. In his intro for this one in Dreamsongs Martin mentioned that he wrote A Song For Lya immediately after his first serious girlfriend broke up with him and yeah there’s a lot of that here if you’re looking for it. But I feel like the ideas that Martin talks about in this story were big enough that I didn’t mind the language he uses being overwrought. The gist of what he’s doing here still worked for me, despite its execution.
June 15, 2020
A Song for Lya is one of George RR Martin's earliest published works. It is set on a planet called Shkea where the inhabitants worship and are consumed by a parasite. Two telepaths arrive on Shkea to investigate what is going on.
GRRM jumps right into the story, and this meant that for the first 20% I was slightly confused as to what was going on, as well as a little bored. However, when the story picks up, it really picks up and becomes an intriguing read.
Despite it's short length, themes such as love and loneliness are covered quite well. However, his writing style feels very YA, and its nowhere near as good as his later novels. For the page length, characters were given adequate development, but, understandably, it is far less complex than ASOIAF.
GRRM jumps right into the story, and this meant that for the first 20% I was slightly confused as to what was going on, as well as a little bored. However, when the story picks up, it really picks up and becomes an intriguing read.
Despite it's short length, themes such as love and loneliness are covered quite well. However, his writing style feels very YA, and its nowhere near as good as his later novels. For the page length, characters were given adequate development, but, understandably, it is far less complex than ASOIAF.
August 11, 2023
Since Lya (aka Lyanna Stark) is a central, if off-scene, character in A Song of Ice and Fire, I was really expecting a bit of fantasy detailing how her history lead to Robert's Rebellion and the fall of the Targaryens. But this is a different Lya, and a novella written by a much younger George R.R. Martin.
The story deals with a classical science fiction conundrum. Humans have arrived on the planet Shkea, on which the natives are living in an everlasting bronze age. Nearly all Shkeen, when they reach a certain age, accept a parasite that slowly consumes them. After a time of group travel, they join in the "final union" with a giant version of that Greeshka parasite. After a number of humans go through the same ritual, the planetary administration calls for two freelance telepaths to help them understand what's going on. The novella is centred on these two, Lya, and Robb, who are no only co-workers but a couple. After some exploration, Lya understands the attraction of the Greeshka, but at a cost. Robb resists the temptation and leaves the planet.
As an SF story, this explores an interesting idea. And while GRMM suggests that the Greeshka offers a very attractive proposition, strictly speaking the end is open - the more naturalistic explanation forwarded by the planetary administrator also fits the observed evidence. For my taste, the love story is a bit too sentimental, and the end a bit abrupt. But on the other hand, most of the writing is excellent. The descriptions of Shkea are vivid, and really bring the place to live before my inner eye (and I normally just scan such scenery, looking for the next piece of real action). Overall, a worthwhile read. 3.5 stars or a bit more, rounded up. Very interesting for people who want to experience the early GRRM - he was about 26, when the story was published.
The story deals with a classical science fiction conundrum. Humans have arrived on the planet Shkea, on which the natives are living in an everlasting bronze age. Nearly all Shkeen, when they reach a certain age, accept a parasite that slowly consumes them. After a time of group travel, they join in the "final union" with a giant version of that Greeshka parasite. After a number of humans go through the same ritual, the planetary administration calls for two freelance telepaths to help them understand what's going on. The novella is centred on these two, Lya, and Robb, who are no only co-workers but a couple. After some exploration, Lya understands the attraction of the Greeshka, but at a cost. Robb resists the temptation and leaves the planet.
As an SF story, this explores an interesting idea. And while GRMM suggests that the Greeshka offers a very attractive proposition, strictly speaking the end is open - the more naturalistic explanation forwarded by the planetary administrator also fits the observed evidence. For my taste, the love story is a bit too sentimental, and the end a bit abrupt. But on the other hand, most of the writing is excellent. The descriptions of Shkea are vivid, and really bring the place to live before my inner eye (and I normally just scan such scenery, looking for the next piece of real action). Overall, a worthwhile read. 3.5 stars or a bit more, rounded up. Very interesting for people who want to experience the early GRRM - he was about 26, when the story was published.
May 24, 2015
A short, quick, but deep reading. The emphasis is more on psychology (soul-searching, love, loneliness) than on sci-fi.
Highly recommended.
There are some well placed references to Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold:
Just a fun/fan fact :) Martin reused the names of the main characters (Robb and Lyanna) in GoT.
Highly recommended.
There are some well placed references to Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold:
Ah, love, let us be true
To one another! for the world, which seems
To lie before us like a land of dreams,
So various, so beautiful, so new,
Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light,
Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain;
And we are here as on a darkling plain
Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,
Where ignorant armies clash by night.
Just a fun/fan fact :) Martin reused the names of the main characters (Robb and Lyanna) in GoT.
September 3, 2017
Omg, I was never a big fan of Sci-Fi, even in books, but this novel has completely taken me into these futuristic, alien world, and left me wishing for more! The master in George R. R. Martin keeps surprizing me further and further. This "mini-romance" is a fiction masterpiece concerning a topic which has been unanswered forever - faith.
May 30, 2019
Best work
Best thing Martin has written. Yes I know about that other thing. This is it, the pinnacle of George RR Martin. As much as I love Ice and Fire, I’m not sure if Winds and Dream have a chance of topping this one.
Best thing Martin has written. Yes I know about that other thing. This is it, the pinnacle of George RR Martin. As much as I love Ice and Fire, I’m not sure if Winds and Dream have a chance of topping this one.
March 13, 2019
This book changed the way I see the world. Seriously one of the deepest explorations of what it means to be alive and what it means to know someone and love someone. I thoroughly enjoyed the enjoy.
May 19, 2024
4.5/5 stars
قصة مختلفة جدا عن كل ما قرأته لمارتن، قصة تسائلنا عن ماهية الإنسان، ماهية الدين، ماهية السعادة، ماهية الحب بأسلوب سلس جدا وترجمة أكثر من رائعة !
أغنية جميلة وحزينة وشجية وتترك فيك أثرا لا يزول.
قصة مختلفة جدا عن كل ما قرأته لمارتن، قصة تسائلنا عن ماهية الإنسان، ماهية الدين، ماهية السعادة، ماهية الحب بأسلوب سلس جدا وترجمة أكثر من رائعة !
أغنية جميلة وحزينة وشجية وتترك فيك أثرا لا يزول.
October 26, 2024
خفيفه الوزن ثقيلة المحتوى رائعه
June 11, 2025
اول مره ادري ان جورج آر آر مارتن عنده مؤلفات غير الشهيره مثل صراع العروش وانصدمت كيف اسلوبه مختلف تمامًا هنا
الروايه هاديه عميقه وتحسها تمشي على وتيره بطيئه لكنها ملياااانه جدًا من الداخل
هي غريبه بس بطريقه تخليك تفكر كثير
مو من نوع القصص اللي تعتمد على الاحداث هي اقرب لتجربه روحيه وفكريه
اكثر شي شدني هو كيف الكاتب قدر يطرح اسئله عن الحب والانتماء بدون ما يعطي اجابات واضحه
حلمت بالشخصيات من كثر ما اشغلت بالي 😂 تجربه رائعه
الروايه هاديه عميقه وتحسها تمشي على وتيره بطيئه لكنها ملياااانه جدًا من الداخل
هي غريبه بس بطريقه تخليك تفكر كثير
مو من نوع القصص اللي تعتمد على الاحداث هي اقرب لتجربه روحيه وفكريه
اكثر شي شدني هو كيف الكاتب قدر يطرح اسئله عن الحب والانتماء بدون ما يعطي اجابات واضحه
حلمت بالشخصيات من كثر ما اشغلت بالي 😂 تجربه رائعه
July 22, 2018
This is the first work of Martin's I've read which wasn't from his ASoIaF world. Even though it's technically more of a short story than a novella, and it was written ~2 decades before his most well-known work, and it's solidly sci-fi rather than fantasy, you can still clearly see his fingerprint here.
Perhaps because of the time it was written, the premise and setting aren't terribly groundbreaking. The ending is predictable and anti-climactic in the extreme, but Martin's writing style and ability to simply tell a story just push right past any other failings to make this a fun and compelling read. His characters here are caricatures compared to ASoIaF, and representations of female characters feel a bit cringey. But Martin still has a way of rooting them in some sort of reality, whether it's the way they speak, their simple everyday concerns, or the unremarkable way these characters interact with their environment.
This story reads a bit like some of the better-written, more sophisticated episodes of older sci-fi shows like Star Trek, The X Files, or The Twilight Zone; the episodes that know the most impactful way to explore big ideas is to ground the characters in a confused, relatable sense of their own humanity. Faithful readers of sci-fi might not find anything special here, but for those who enjoy dipping their toes into the genre, this is an oddly simple, fun read in the same way those old TV shows could challenge and thrill.
Perhaps because of the time it was written, the premise and setting aren't terribly groundbreaking. The ending is predictable and anti-climactic in the extreme, but Martin's writing style and ability to simply tell a story just push right past any other failings to make this a fun and compelling read. His characters here are caricatures compared to ASoIaF, and representations of female characters feel a bit cringey. But Martin still has a way of rooting them in some sort of reality, whether it's the way they speak, their simple everyday concerns, or the unremarkable way these characters interact with their environment.
This story reads a bit like some of the better-written, more sophisticated episodes of older sci-fi shows like Star Trek, The X Files, or The Twilight Zone; the episodes that know the most impactful way to explore big ideas is to ground the characters in a confused, relatable sense of their own humanity. Faithful readers of sci-fi might not find anything special here, but for those who enjoy dipping their toes into the genre, this is an oddly simple, fun read in the same way those old TV shows could challenge and thrill.
March 19, 2018
Loved this novella by the masterful Martin. This is the first story I've read by him in the first person POV and I was pleasantly surprised by it. I wonder if he has any more in this POV.
this is a perfect example of how to world build, make you care about characters, and move plot forward sufficiently in a short amount of pages.
In this story, two psychic "Talents" are contracted to an alien planet to read the thoughts and emotions of humans that are converting to the planets suicidal religion.
I really liked the parasitic organism which are the means for these alien people to commit suicide. The image of these things growing on heads and backs was creepy and unsettling.
I think I'll try another Martin novella. I've been liking his shorter stuff. I'd recommend this for sci-fi fans, though I'm more of a fantasy guy and I enjoyed it very much.
this is a perfect example of how to world build, make you care about characters, and move plot forward sufficiently in a short amount of pages.
In this story, two psychic "Talents" are contracted to an alien planet to read the thoughts and emotions of humans that are converting to the planets suicidal religion.
I really liked the parasitic organism which are the means for these alien people to commit suicide. The image of these things growing on heads and backs was creepy and unsettling.
I think I'll try another Martin novella. I've been liking his shorter stuff. I'd recommend this for sci-fi fans, though I'm more of a fantasy guy and I enjoyed it very much.
March 10, 2022
Martin first gained acclaim with A Song for Lya and it remains one of his most beloved works. It is easy to see why. The writing is terse but heartfelt. Its themes of death, religion, love, sex, and loneliness are dealt with a maturity rarely seen in science fiction or young men at age 27. Yet, it is still surprising how good it is. Not much happens plot wise, and the characters, while well realized, are not deep. Rather it is the mood, setting, ideas, and its powerful conclusion that distinguish it. I might venture to call it more a philosophical novella than anything else. It is certainly heartbreaking and thoughtful, and with just enough mystery to make one wonder what exactly are the Greeshka.
March 31, 2017
Good story that takes those interesting questions about love, fear, death, connection and loneliness and adds another layer of complexity to consider due to the telepathic abilities of its main characters. ("'That's victory, isn't it?'" Valcarenghi said. 'If you bury your hurts so deep that no one can tell you have them?'")
There's a good allusion to 'Dover Beach' throughout that works nicely. Sometimes - especially towards the end - it seems like GRRM is kind of beating you over the head with the message he's trying to convey, but it feels honest, and it works well.
There's a good allusion to 'Dover Beach' throughout that works nicely. Sometimes - especially towards the end - it seems like GRRM is kind of beating you over the head with the message he's trying to convey, but it feels honest, and it works well.
January 11, 2018
Lya sounds like my drunken ass questioning human existence:
"But how much can human beings know each other? Aren't all of them cut off, really? Each alone in a big dark empty universe? We only trick ourselves when we think that someone else is there. In the end, in the cold lonely end, it's only us, by ourselves, in the blackness."
I love Martin's ability to reflect on human emotions and to put them into words perfectly. I recommend listening to the song "Heartbeats" after finishing this story.
"But how much can human beings know each other? Aren't all of them cut off, really? Each alone in a big dark empty universe? We only trick ourselves when we think that someone else is there. In the end, in the cold lonely end, it's only us, by ourselves, in the blackness."
I love Martin's ability to reflect on human emotions and to put them into words perfectly. I recommend listening to the song "Heartbeats" after finishing this story.
February 2, 2025
الوحدة والحب والانا ...
لطالما شعر الانسان بوحدة عميقة وجارفة ولا يخففها الا الحب والذي هو في معناه الاتحاد مع شىء اخر سواء اتحاد جسدي او عاطفي لكن هذا الاتحاد سطحي ولحظي لا يدوم ولا يلمس معني الحب الا في سطحه ولا يخفف الوحدة الا للحظات عابرة .
وفي هذه القصة يحاول جورج ان يقدم لنا جنس فضائي تجاوز هذه الوحدة واتحد مع كائن طفيلي يوصله لهذا الاتحاد والثمن هو انسلخاه من الجسد الفاني الا اننا كبشر تسيطر علينا الانا ولا نتقبل هذه الطريقة الغريبة او هذا ما يريد ايصاله جورج
علي العموم قصة ممتعة وجميلة .
لطالما شعر الانسان بوحدة عميقة وجارفة ولا يخففها الا الحب والذي هو في معناه الاتحاد مع شىء اخر سواء اتحاد جسدي او عاطفي لكن هذا الاتحاد سطحي ولحظي لا يدوم ولا يلمس معني الحب الا في سطحه ولا يخفف الوحدة الا للحظات عابرة .
وفي هذه القصة يحاول جورج ان يقدم لنا جنس فضائي تجاوز هذه الوحدة واتحد مع كائن طفيلي يوصله لهذا الاتحاد والثمن هو انسلخاه من الجسد الفاني الا اننا كبشر تسيطر علينا الانا ولا نتقبل هذه الطريقة الغريبة او هذا ما يريد ايصاله جورج
علي العموم قصة ممتعة وجميلة .
November 16, 2019
Inventive, intense, and thought-provoking, A Song for Lya is a deep meditation on loneliness, an essential part of the human condition. It's that anxiety which burns in our hearts when we are left alone in a quiet, empty room. I call it the Inner Void, or the Great Silence. After finishing this novella, Nietzsche's famous words lingered in my mind: "To live is to suffer, to survive is to find meaning in the suffering."
August 1, 2016
A song for lya is no doubt the best novella from GRRM. It's exciting, filled with charismatic people, wonderful sexual depictions, sensible plot, and a very blue ending. Reading it now in 2016 seems a bit cliche as similar plots have been around for a while, nonetheless, it deserves the 5 stars.
December 10, 2015
This was so #deep. 100% -ign
March 12, 2022
A Song for Lya was a story that took a little while for me to get into it, but I was invested once it started moving. There were some parts of this one that I would have liked to have seen expanded a lot more, yet it did make for easy quick reading. A mixture of weird and thoughtful, it was one that left me curious.
While not my favourite George R.R. Martin short story, it was certainly one that kept me engaged throughout.
While not my favourite George R.R. Martin short story, it was certainly one that kept me engaged throughout.
September 26, 2015
-“Una canción para Lya”:
Una canción para Lya es el primero de los relatos, que da nombre al libro, y se centra en una pareja de telépatas que viaja a un mundo donde se convive con una raza cuya religión los lleva al suicidio, al que acuden gustosamente. Es sin duda nos muestra desde diferentes puntos de vista a las religiones extremistas que llevan al individuo a sacrificar su supervivencia en nombre de un pretendido bien común. Observamos que la búsqueda de la felicidad es a veces más importante o superior al propio anhelo de vida física. 3/5
-“Las brumas se ponen por la mañana”:
En el Planeta de los Fantasmas, los terrícolas van en masa principalmente a intentar descubrir a las apariciones que supuestamente se ocultan en las nieblas que recubren casi toda su superficie, y un periodista se dirige allí para escribir un reportaje sobre el tema. Paralelamente, un grupo de investigadores aterriza con la misma intención pero con la clara intención de “desmontar " el misterio.
Este relato, incide en la magia de los misterios y en el empeño de algunos humanos en descubrir hasta el último de ellos, extirpando de la conciencia humana todo suceso inexplicable, borrando con ello gran parte de nuestro poso imaginativo. 2/5
-“La segunda clase de soledad”:
En una estación orbital mantenida por una sola persona, el trabajo se hace cada vez más rutinario, y su salud mental comienza a deteriorarse.
El relato es corto y el desarrollo bastante monótono, pero su final interesante le salva. Es fácil comprender al astronauta y su deterioro mental, por otro lado no demasiado original. 2/5
-“Desobediencia”:
El trabajo en Grotto es duro y no es rentable realizarlo con seres humanos, así que la ciencia ha ingeniado una especie de control mental que aprovecha a los cadáveres. El cuerpo es mantenido en óptimas condiciones, mientras que la mente, que tras la muerte tan solo es capaz de realizar unas pocas funciones básicas carentes de precisión, es controlada por un operador. Cada uno de ellos puede controlar a un máximo de cadáveres al mismo tiempo.
El relato es bastante insulso aunque está bien narrado; no es un dechado de originalidad, y no despierta demasiado interés. 1/5
-“Oscuros, oscuros eran los túneles”:
Tras un conflicto nuclear a escala global, la Tierra se convierte en inhabitable para la raza humana, y unos pocos miles se exilian en su único satélite: la luna. Pasados varios siglos, una misión parte de allí para inspeccionar el subsuelo de la Tierra en busca de supervivientes. La endogamia y la falta de iniciativa comienzan a hacer mella en la única colonia humana en la Luna, y la esperanza radica en el planeta mater.
El tema del relato está muy trillado, pero el desarrollo está muy bien narrado y merece la pena pararse en su lectura. La contraposición entre dos formas de ver la vida, una que busca conservar su modus vivendi y otra eminentemente adaptativa, queda patente en este escrito de Martin. Cuando la raza humana, con rasgos tan comunes entre sus miembros, se separan en el tiempo y en el espacio, y evolucionan bajo condiciones distintas, se separan hasta tal punto que en ocasiones resulta muy dificil el entendimiento. 3/5
-“El héroe”:
¿Qué buscan los gobiernos de sus soldados o de las guerras que emprenden? Un héroe de guerra solicita permiso para licenciarse y volver a la Tierra tras una vida entera al servicio del ejército en medio universo. Este relato antibelicista nos muestra en pocas páginas la soledad del combatiente y la futilidad del valor desmedido en ocasiones. 2/5
-“FTL”:
Un científico busca financiación de la Fundación FTL para construir una máquina que permita acceder al hiperespacio. En este relato, el más corto, apenas tres páginas, George R.R. Martin pretende hacer una crítica a los científicos y un canto a la racionalidad en la investigación. 1/5
-“Carrera hacia la luz estelar”:
Un equipo de alienígenas quiere apuntarse a un torneo de fútbol americano con el fin de competir de igual a igual con los humanos. Sus sorprendentes y aplastantes victorias despiertan animosidad entre sus contrincantes, y el peligro de un conflicto internacional entre ambas civilizaciones es cada vez mayor.
Martin utiliza en este curioso relato el deporte como modo de competición y solución de los problemas surgidos entre pueblos distintos. Es un canto poco ortodoxo al entendimiento, casi siempre posible entre seres racionales. 2/5
-“La salida para San Breta”:
Poco original relato de apariciones en carretera típicamente estadounidense, poco más hay que decir. Su ambientación, en un entorno futurista en el que aún se mantienen ciertas autopistas terrestres pese a que la mayor parte de los desplazamientos se realizan por aire, es el único punto de ciencia ficción presente en el relato. No es precisamente muy reseñable. 1/5
-“Pase de diapositivas”:
Sin duda el relato más pobre de todos, centrado en el conflicto entre los avances tecnológicos y las necesidades vitales de los seres humanos, entre los viajes espaciales y la comida y el calzado para los más necesitados. Como en nuestro mundo, se destinan grandes presupuestos a obras faraónicas y gran parte de la población está en la pobreza o sobrevive con rentas bajas. 1/5
Una canción para Lya es el primero de los relatos, que da nombre al libro, y se centra en una pareja de telépatas que viaja a un mundo donde se convive con una raza cuya religión los lleva al suicidio, al que acuden gustosamente. Es sin duda nos muestra desde diferentes puntos de vista a las religiones extremistas que llevan al individuo a sacrificar su supervivencia en nombre de un pretendido bien común. Observamos que la búsqueda de la felicidad es a veces más importante o superior al propio anhelo de vida física. 3/5
-“Las brumas se ponen por la mañana”:
En el Planeta de los Fantasmas, los terrícolas van en masa principalmente a intentar descubrir a las apariciones que supuestamente se ocultan en las nieblas que recubren casi toda su superficie, y un periodista se dirige allí para escribir un reportaje sobre el tema. Paralelamente, un grupo de investigadores aterriza con la misma intención pero con la clara intención de “desmontar " el misterio.
Este relato, incide en la magia de los misterios y en el empeño de algunos humanos en descubrir hasta el último de ellos, extirpando de la conciencia humana todo suceso inexplicable, borrando con ello gran parte de nuestro poso imaginativo. 2/5
-“La segunda clase de soledad”:
En una estación orbital mantenida por una sola persona, el trabajo se hace cada vez más rutinario, y su salud mental comienza a deteriorarse.
El relato es corto y el desarrollo bastante monótono, pero su final interesante le salva. Es fácil comprender al astronauta y su deterioro mental, por otro lado no demasiado original. 2/5
-“Desobediencia”:
El trabajo en Grotto es duro y no es rentable realizarlo con seres humanos, así que la ciencia ha ingeniado una especie de control mental que aprovecha a los cadáveres. El cuerpo es mantenido en óptimas condiciones, mientras que la mente, que tras la muerte tan solo es capaz de realizar unas pocas funciones básicas carentes de precisión, es controlada por un operador. Cada uno de ellos puede controlar a un máximo de cadáveres al mismo tiempo.
El relato es bastante insulso aunque está bien narrado; no es un dechado de originalidad, y no despierta demasiado interés. 1/5
-“Oscuros, oscuros eran los túneles”:
Tras un conflicto nuclear a escala global, la Tierra se convierte en inhabitable para la raza humana, y unos pocos miles se exilian en su único satélite: la luna. Pasados varios siglos, una misión parte de allí para inspeccionar el subsuelo de la Tierra en busca de supervivientes. La endogamia y la falta de iniciativa comienzan a hacer mella en la única colonia humana en la Luna, y la esperanza radica en el planeta mater.
El tema del relato está muy trillado, pero el desarrollo está muy bien narrado y merece la pena pararse en su lectura. La contraposición entre dos formas de ver la vida, una que busca conservar su modus vivendi y otra eminentemente adaptativa, queda patente en este escrito de Martin. Cuando la raza humana, con rasgos tan comunes entre sus miembros, se separan en el tiempo y en el espacio, y evolucionan bajo condiciones distintas, se separan hasta tal punto que en ocasiones resulta muy dificil el entendimiento. 3/5
-“El héroe”:
¿Qué buscan los gobiernos de sus soldados o de las guerras que emprenden? Un héroe de guerra solicita permiso para licenciarse y volver a la Tierra tras una vida entera al servicio del ejército en medio universo. Este relato antibelicista nos muestra en pocas páginas la soledad del combatiente y la futilidad del valor desmedido en ocasiones. 2/5
-“FTL”:
Un científico busca financiación de la Fundación FTL para construir una máquina que permita acceder al hiperespacio. En este relato, el más corto, apenas tres páginas, George R.R. Martin pretende hacer una crítica a los científicos y un canto a la racionalidad en la investigación. 1/5
-“Carrera hacia la luz estelar”:
Un equipo de alienígenas quiere apuntarse a un torneo de fútbol americano con el fin de competir de igual a igual con los humanos. Sus sorprendentes y aplastantes victorias despiertan animosidad entre sus contrincantes, y el peligro de un conflicto internacional entre ambas civilizaciones es cada vez mayor.
Martin utiliza en este curioso relato el deporte como modo de competición y solución de los problemas surgidos entre pueblos distintos. Es un canto poco ortodoxo al entendimiento, casi siempre posible entre seres racionales. 2/5
-“La salida para San Breta”:
Poco original relato de apariciones en carretera típicamente estadounidense, poco más hay que decir. Su ambientación, en un entorno futurista en el que aún se mantienen ciertas autopistas terrestres pese a que la mayor parte de los desplazamientos se realizan por aire, es el único punto de ciencia ficción presente en el relato. No es precisamente muy reseñable. 1/5
-“Pase de diapositivas”:
Sin duda el relato más pobre de todos, centrado en el conflicto entre los avances tecnológicos y las necesidades vitales de los seres humanos, entre los viajes espaciales y la comida y el calzado para los más necesitados. Como en nuestro mundo, se destinan grandes presupuestos a obras faraónicas y gran parte de la población está en la pobreza o sobrevive con rentas bajas. 1/5
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