Sandkings

by George R.R. Martin

In the future a jaded dilettante purchases a few organisms of an alien species for entertainment, but when he fails to care for them properly they develop into a threat.

Genres: Science Fiction, Horror, Short Stories, Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Dark

48 pages, Comic

First published August 1, 1979

About the author

George 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...

Reviews

[Michelle F · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe be wary of spoilers. It's hard to capture the essence of this short without at least putting some labels on it, and that may be revealing a bit too much for some readers.

Who doesn't love the mysterious shop trope?

This is a disturbing comeuppance tale of big proportions, and it is highly entertaining. George writes us an outright detestable main character – not pathetic, not pitiable, not sadsack – just an unquestionably horrid man. Anticipating him getting what's coming to him is a genuine treat.

Looking for new sadistic entertainments for his equally asshat friends, Kress wanders into a mysterious shop and finds a curious colony of insects to replace his piranhas. Karma is a bitch in delightful ways, and things go terribly sideways for him, because he's a prat.

This is creepy and fun. A novella that would be a great introduction for those interested in trying out Martin's short fiction, it's got some fun worldbuilding, great character names, and good story movement. Though I am sad to report that I have yet to stumble across Jala Wo's shop in any of his other works. Missed opportunity, George.

[Jerry Jose · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beneath the remains of this Sepultura album cover, is a disturbingly dark story about one sick man, with a growing God complex. And he is raising a colony of some species of nope, in his home. Almost felt like a no-sleep twisted version of Programmer theory of God.

This Hugo and Nebula winner is an old school horror with an unconventional ending. Nor was it my type of horror, or a good idea for bed time story.

[Levent Pekcan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roman değil, kısa roman bile değil, sadece tek bir öykü. Lakin, çok güzel bir öyküymüş. Açıkçası daha önce George R.R. Martin okumamıştım, hele bilim kurgu yazdığını hiç bilmiyordum. Çok güzel ve yalın bir dili var, okuması hayli keyifli oldu. Bir kaç tane daha GRR öyküsü okumayı planlıyorum.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly horrible tale that you just know is going to end the way it does. Still, it's a quick, interesting read. The Asgard references are a bit much, not really needed. Perhaps they hint at another possibility, but it doesn't really work. Are we the result? Did our legends arise from a third step? Anyway, it's pretty good & well worth the time to read. You can find it free here:
https://forwearemany.files.wordpress....

[musarboijatra · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hugo, Nebula, and much more winning debut of GRR Martin. Unputdownable, enjoyable ride.

God complex develops in the sickly protagonist (living in some other world than earth) when he brings a new species home to pet, 'Sandkings', most interestingly who would start worshipping you at some point, make idole of you on their homes and war against each other in clans over his 'favors'. After the protagonist starts his sick experiments and play with them, the Sandkings' worship took a wrong turn on their god... pretty much unexpected ones.

Not a good choice for bedtime stories, but I've read it right before sleep anyway because I couldn't stop midway. Had good sleep though :3

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about George RR Martin by going through Dreamsongs, it’s that this guy loves to write stories about horrible weirdos. However even by George RR Martin standards Simon Kress, the main character/resident horrible weirdo of Sandkings, is an unbelievably awful sack of shit. Early on in this story Kress throws a house party attended by thirty people, a mixture of his closest friends and various exes. I am a guy who mostly reads books about wizards and space marines, and yet the idea that even one person, let alone thirty people, would want to spend one single minute around this man is the most unbelievable thing I have ever read in my life. Really had to wrestle with my suspension of disbelief for this one. I realize that Kress’s shittiness is kind of the point, and that his friends are all nearly as terrible as he is but still, how does this man have friends?

All that aside, this story is a blast. There’s not much to it beyond watching the most horrible guy you’ll ever see get his well deserved comeuppance, but that’s enough for Martin’s purposes here. This is really fun horror. There’s a constant sense of dread almost from the start, and it only intensifies as things go on. I listened to the audio book and eventually that dread got so bad that during the last half hour or so my skin was crawling nonstop. Just a constant feeling throughout those last thirty minutes of “oh my God just make this stop!” Uncomfortable and cringy, but in a way that’s really fun.

In his introduction to the story in Dreamsongs Martin mentions that Sandkings was far and away his most popular work prior to the publication of Song of Ice and Fire, and yeah I get it. This isn’t a terribly original story, Martin isn’t reinventing the wheel here or delivering a tale full of unexpected twists and turns. This thing is exactly what you think it’s going to be when you start it. The joy of it is in its execution, it’s wonderfully done.

[iSamwise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is like a scifi horror(?) story with a dash of American Psycho.

[Kaminsod · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember the moment when I heard about this short story for the first time. I just got into the adult fantasy and I was browsing the czech fantasy website - there was a list of best fantasy short stories based on user rankings and Sandkings were number 1, above much more mainstreamly known stories. So I thought "I must try that out very soon!"

And now, like seven years later, I finally did it. And I have to say, it lived up to my expectation. It is not my favorite fantasy short story I have ever read, but it could probably be in a conversation.

It has a clear and great message, it is thrilling from beggining to end and it is very short, so you can read it in one sitting.

I highly recommend this to just about anyone, not just fantasy fans.

[Siobhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sandkings was a story that pulled me in deeper and deeper with every detail that played out. From the start, I was curious and wanted to see how things played out. Once the story started to move, however, that curiosity quickly developed into an inability to put the story down. It’s one of those stories that can be approached from many different angles, with plenty of elements that will leave people talking. It’s creepy in a subtle way, creepier in making the skin-crawl way, and it guarantees the reader will think about it long after finishing.

While I have yet to read all of George R.R. Martin’s short work, this is certainly my favourite to date.

[Aadrita · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's amazing how much a short novella can make your skin crawl. That's just classic GRRM. The story is about a twisted man with twisted sense who decides to feed his demons for sheer entertainment, which doesn't go well for him.

[Amir Sheikhzadeh · Rating 4 out of 5]

نه بالاخره من ارباب و خداشون هستم. چرا باید منتظر تصمیم اونا باشم؟ اونا به اندازه‌ی کافی نجنگیدن، پس من وضعیت رو اصلاح کردم.


اکثرا جورج آر. آر. مارتین را با اثر فانتزی تاریک "نغمه یخ و آتش" می‌شناسند، مجموعه‌ای که با اینکه به اتمام نرسیده ولی همچنان جز آثار فاخری هست که با اضافه کردن المان‌های جذاب به کتاب‌هاش از زیر سایه تالکین رد شده و خود تبدیل به نویسندگان صاحب سبک و نام در ادبیات ژانری شد. (این مورد را منی می‌گم که عاشق تالکین هستم ولی فن چشم بازی هستم :دی )

شاهان شنی یک داستان کوتاه علمی-تخیلی و ترسناک هست که المان ترسناک را بنده کم حس کردم، شاید کتاب شب‌پره‌ها یا Nightflyers بیشتر جنبه ترسناک داشته باشد. از موضوع ژانر بگذریم می‌رسیم به اصل ماجرا، این کتاب در سال 1979 منتشر شده و داستان فردی به نام سایمون کِرِس در سیاره به دور از زمین رخ می‌دهد. سایمون یک بازرگان ثروتمند هست که علاقه وافری به موجودات خانگی عجیب و غریب دارد. همیشه در بازارها به‌دنبال موجودات عجیبی هست، چرا که اهل برگزاری مهمانی‌ها در منزل خود و فخر فروختن زیاد به دوستان و آشنایان دارد.

طبق یک ماموریت حیوانات خانگی سایمون تلف می‌شوند و وی به‌دنبال موجودات جدید و حیرت‌آور در مغازه‌های شهر می‌گردد. در این حین یک مغازه عجیب را می‌بیند و از این‌جا ماجرای اصلی و معرفی شاهان‌شنی نیز آغاز می‌گردد.

شدت و حدت فروشنده مبنی بر این‌که این موجودات که بسیار شبیه به حشره هستند، حشره نیستند، نکته قابل بحثی هست. شاهان‌شنی مثل برخی حشره‌ها (زنبور یا مورچه) در یک کلونی زندگی می‌کنند. یک شاه/ملکه، به‌نام ماو، هست که وظیفه زاد و ولد، آماده‌سازی غذا و دستورها به کلونی را برعهده دارد. این موجودات در یک محفظه بسته نگه‌داری می‌شوند و در یک محیط کنترل شده جوی باید زندگی کنند. سایمون می‌بایست به‌طور منظم به این موجودات رسیدگی کند تا روند رشد، ساخت قلعه و کلونی را شکل گیرد. در ابتدا همه‌چیز طبق روال پیش می‌رود ولی سایمون یک فرد مغرور و سادیسمی هست که شاکله آرامش را بر هم می‌زند.

طبق آشنایی که با مارتین داریم، چه در نغمه و یا شب‌پره‌ها، بخش‌هایی هست که فک مبارک بی‌افته زمین.

در مجموع این کتاب بسیار زیبا هست و توانایی تبدیل شدن به یک مجموعه را داشت، همان‌طور که مترجم‌ها در انتهای کتاب به این مهم اشاره کردند، مارتین می‌تواسنت برای بازرگانانی که به سایمون شاهان‌شنی را فروختند داستان‌های فراوانی بنویسد ولی نغمه و سنگینی آن مجموعه مانع این عمل شد.


صلح و آرامش ایجاد می‌کنم. اونا به معبود خودشون صدمه نمی‌زنن، نه تا وقتی که معبود اونا خوب و سخاوتمنده. من ظالم بودم. اونا رو گرسنگی دادم و الان باید جبران کنم، می‌بینی.

[Bookclub By Shoily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yikess 😬😬
Eerieeee!!!
My skin is crawling!!!!😬😬😬😬

[Sandro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sandkings is my first ever book by George R.R. Martin. Not a Song of Ice and Fire book, not a Wild Cards book, not even something like Windhaven.

Bearing this in mind, I can't compare the writing style when he wrote Sandkings with the one used on more recent books. What I can say is that I see a lot of ideas and details employed in this short story that no doubt can be easily identified as a "George idea".

For once, there's lots of gratuitous violence, a despicable character and yes, deaths, lots of them (i'm not even counting the poor Sandking's losses).

I enjoy the writing style. Even though the world and characters are well described, the sentences are well defined, short and direct.

While reading the first pages I couldn't shake the feeling that I was reading a book from someone that only then was writing it's first story and thus too focused in playing by the rules of what should be a good writing. The thing is, it works.

The writing being so simple and structured, the story becomes the main focus offering a pleasant and effortless reading.

This is a short book, so, as always when I write a review for one. I have no second thoughts when I recommend people to read it. Being short and addictive, there isn't a reason to not do so. (Plus the ending is really satisfying, even if it was predictable.)

My first foray into George R.R. Martin's imagination was great. Left me curious about his other books. Maybe Windhaven will be the next.

[Bar Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very good dark horror short story, about how war can mess things up. It also has gremlins all over it. We all have gremlins, that shouldn't be fed. This is a recurring theme in grrms writing.

[Dy Loveday · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this over and over again and every time I find more in the story. One of the best characters of all time.

[Carmo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Com este conto George RR Martin prova que quem escreve bem, fá-lo em qualquer registo e nem importa o tamanho.
Não o leiam antes de dormir. É arrepiante e "pesadélico".

[Cara Reeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

AHHH

[ella · Rating 3 out of 5]

He was absolutely not standing on business like if my alien bug creatures started acting up I'm hitting those little fuckers with some Raid

[Zachary Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

9.5/10

This was a highly engaging piece that really sucked me in. Not quite as thought provoking as A Song for Lya but still really well written. I was especially impressed by the last paragraph.

[Russell Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've loved every GRRM story I've read, but the ones set in the Thousand Worlds Universe are my favorites. This is one of those stories and it even won the Hugo, Locus, and Nebula awards for Best Novelette.

Simon Kress is a wealthy businessman with a penchant for collecting exotic pets. Not just any exotic pet, but the ones that are vicious and predatory. While searching for something new, he enters an establishment he's never seen. It's in this shop that he's introduced to sandkings, colonies of psionic ant-like creatures controlled by a single "maw" via telepathy.

If you've ever seen the Twilight Zone episode The Little People or even the Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episode The Genesis Tub, then you'll have an idea how the sandkings can develop as a miniature civilization.

GRRM knew a guy in college who owned piranhas and would throw goldfish into the tank while hosting horror movie nights. This was the inspiration for the story and you can imagine how such a character's personality would skew the development of a psychic alien ant farm into something horrifying.

A great story with a great ending. I've really enjoyed all of GRRM's horror stories.

[Andy Hickman · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Sandkings” (1979) by George Martin

Ghastly, arresting, intriguing sci-fi/horror tale with political overtones of military ambition. ****

“No,” Kress said. “I am their master and their god, after all. Why should I wait on their impulses? They did not war often enough to suit me. I corrected the situation.” …
… she [Wo] fixed him was a final disapproving stare. “Look to your faces, Simon Kress,” she warned him. “Look to your faces.”

George Martin has a female character named Lissandra who is described similarly to a later A Song of Ice and Fire character of his, Melissandra.

Word definitions:

Psionic = relating to or denoting the practical use of psychic powers or paranormal phenomena.

Piqued = arouse (interest or curiosity).

Xenologist = Xenology is the scientific study of extraterrestrial life. Derived from the Greek xenos, which as a substantive has the meaning "stranger, wanderer, refugee" and as an adjective "foreign, alien, strange, unusual."

Cordon sanitaire = a guarded line preventing anyone from leaving an area infected by a disease and thus spreading it.

Sentient = able to perceive or feel things.

[Liz Derrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly don't know that I'd say I enjoyed this, exactly--I can, however, say that my wife enjoyed watching me read it! Lots of cringing, silent screaming, horrified faces, all of it. That said, though, this is a piece that's masterfully crafted and clearly accomplishes everything it sets out to do. It's one of only two short horror pieces I can remember that has made me literally nauseated. I imagine I'll need/want to reread it to dig into how it does what it does--so I've got that to look forward to...

[Nathaniel Creed · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a more in-depth discussion and dissection of the book this will be featured on https://podcast.wordsaboutbooks.ninja/ on 7/25/21.

I love this story. I'm a sucker for the "tiny people" story. This goes from "cool sci-fi concept" to "horror movie" pretty quickly. Go read it. Then go listen to me talk about it. Then go read it again.

[Helena · Rating 4 out of 5]

The God That Failed! (served him right)

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the literary version of just desserts. Quick, fun read.

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I really liked the concept for this story, in typical Martin fashion, this is over the top violent and disgusting, and features a repulsively cruel man as the protagonist, so proceed at your own risk.

Also in typical Martin fashion, in order for the horrible little man to die his well-earned, horrible little death, the three female characters with a name die in various violent ways, and several animals, including two puppies, get fed alive to a group of insectoid carnivore animals. This is why I don't want to read GoT.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

ASOIAF is my favorite book series of all time, but it's a little annoying how it overshadows George's other works.
He has written some excellent sci-fi and horror stories in the past and Sandkings is just the perfect combination of both. It even won an Hugo and Nebula! :D

[Shahariar Ahammed · Rating 5 out of 5]

বাংলায় অনুবাদ পড়েছিলাম। অসাধারণ সায়েন্স ফিকশন। মাথা ঘুরিয়ে দেবার মতো।

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bugs.

[Mellie S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

So creepy and beyond dark…