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Songs of Stars and Shadows

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A feast of legends to savor - some with a shudder, some with a smile - Deadly spiders big as pumpkins consume victims who scream with joy...The saga of a man who lives alone on his own planet...Adrian Colmer, Master Probe, takes on a client who claims to be the subject of telepathic torment...An all-too-possible revolution in the United States, post-1984...How Jupiter got its thirteenth moon...And other astonishing tales.

17 • This Tower of Ashes - (1976)
37 • Patrick Henry, Jupiter, and the Little Red Brick Spaceship - (1976)
55 • Men of Greywater Station - (1976) - w/ Howard Waldrop
93 • The Lonely Songs of Laren Dorr - (1976)
114 • Night of the Vampyres - (1975)
147 • The Runners - (1975)
154 • Night Shift - (1973)
173 • "... For a Single Yesterday" - (1975)
200 • And Seven Times Never Kill Man - (1975)

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

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About the author

George R.R. Martin

1,506 books118k followers
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...

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5 stars
50 (25%)
4 stars
87 (43%)
3 stars
55 (27%)
2 stars
7 (3%)
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1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
Profile Image for Julio Bernad.
485 reviews194 followers
December 19, 2022
Con cada nueva antología que leo de nuestro tan querido como odiado Papa Noel de Poniente, más me arrepiento de que haya dado la espalda a la ciencia ficción por la fantasía. O habría que decir el silencio, dado al limbo en que vive Vientos de invierno. Esta colección, sin embargo, no contiene los mejores relatos de los tres que he leído, y si bien son igual de variados y se disfrutan igual de bien, prefiero recomendar antes la lectura de los cuentos contenidos en Una canción para Lya y Los reyes de la arena, especialmente esta última.

Aprovecho para preguntar, si alguien de los presentes tiene en su poder las otras tres antologías publicadas por Gigamesh, por qué hay relatos que se repiten de una antología a otra. Me consta, por ejemplo, que Una canción para Lya y Siete veces di: al hombre no matarás aparecen en, al menos, dos colecciones ¿Es que acaso son versiones con contenidos o extensión distintos? ¿O directamente Gigamesh no tenía suficiente material para hacer seis antologías completas y han decidido rellenar los vacíos repitiendo los mejores relatos? Si alguien tiene alguna de las otras tres, por favor, le agradecería enormemente que me iluminara, al menos para saber si me merece la pena comprar las que me faltan.
Profile Image for Sandra.
126 reviews13 followers
June 9, 2024
En este segundo libro de la colección hay recopilados 9 relatos de ciencia ficción que GRRM escribió en los '70 y que son de lo mejorcito que he leído hasta ahora.
Algunos transcurren dentro del mismo universo con personajes y tramas diferentes.
Solo digo que si os gusta la Ci-fi os lo recomiendo un montón porque todo lo que escribe este hombre es pura maravilla.
Profile Image for Joel J. Molder.
133 reviews2 followers
June 5, 2024
Average rating: 3.6/5 stars. A slightly-hotter-than-lukewarm score for this one.

Before the blockbuster series that would become an international phenomenon, A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin wrote short science fiction stories centered around love, loneliness, and giant dream-spiders.

I wasn’t blown away by this collection like I wanted to. I was left wanting more.

Perhaps what was most surprising to me is that Martin’s ideas aren’t unique or reality-shifting. He’s become so famous, but his writing is merely competent and never awe-inducing.

But Martin succeeds at characters and building emotion. The best stories in this collection are ones where Martin leans on those strengths, strengths that would later make him a household name. Stories like ”The Lonely Songs of Laren Dorr” and ”…For A Single Yesterday” rocket above the others by relying on a small cast of strong characters with strong philosophical differences. This creates a natural tension that sings.

Perhaps—and this is just conjecture—Martin was still feeling out his style here and that’s why some of these tales feel so uneven alongside each other. Or maybe this is how he is. This was my first full collection or book of his, so I’ll be interested to know as my adventures take me onward!

”This Tower of Ashes” - 4/5

Pretty solid start to the anthology. After a man’s ex-wife and her lover go to the bury the hatchet between them, the man takes them into the dangerous forest of their alien planet. Full of jealousy, angst, and dread, the story explores the idea of getting over the hurt of love lost.

I especially appreciated the mature turn of the main character. Even in the ambiguity of the ending, I loved how by the end he stands strong despite it all. Where the idea isn’t mind-blowing, it’s the way Martin writes characters that makes this story far above average.

”Patrick Henry, Jupiter, and the Little Red Brick Spaceship” - 3.75/5

I loved the way Martin framed this story: space salvagers discover a broken-down ship orbiting the Earth and the story of the ship slowly revealed. Not philosophically mind-blowing, teeming with rich ideas, or led by great characters, this story is function over form. A decent little idea that never overstates its simple premise.

”Men of Greywater Station” with Howard Waldrop - 2.5/5

This was far too long for what it was. And that’s saying something for a 38 page story. Whereas the idea of a fungal zombie attack on an alien research station. The characters were meh. The twist was meh. The execution was meh.

Mind you, it wasn’t bad. Just very wishy-washy, middle of the road, lame—whatever word tickles your fancy.

”The Lonely Songs of Laren Dorr” - 5/5

I loved this story. While so simple of a vignette, there was something so captivating about this fantastic world and these two leads. Star-crossed romance with a dark brooding male lead, while the female lead is a sleek, world-hopping woman desperate to find her one true love.

I am a sucker for fantastic/science fiction romance, so I was the target market for this story.

And just like a good short story, it had me yearning for more. I’ve been wondering what the wide appeal of Martin is. This story showed me.

”Night of the Vampyres” - 2/5

Now to a type of story I’m not the target market of. While the idea of a near-futures political thriller about racial tensions sounds plausible and interesting and intriguing, Martin’s focus lacks the oomph it would need to be truly great. I usually find dogfights to be too unwieldy to grasp—the action sequences often too quick and the tension too short. I found this story was no different than the norm.

I will admit that the political unrest, the ambiguity of the attack being a false flag attack, and the realism of political pundits saved this story from being one-dimensional and a 1/5.

Also—what a lame bait and switch! The “vampyres” are the names of the jets that are being flown. Here I was hoping for actual GRRM Vampyres.

”The Runners” - 4.5/5

Short, sweet, and to the point! This one felt like a classic 60s-70s short story: a simple idea, a quick presentation, and a nice twist to make you rethink it. Wish more of Martin’s stories were like this!

”Night Shift” - 2/5

This might be it. The worst story of the collection. Martin mentioned in the introduction—and yes, I am a nerd who reads introductions—that this was his earliest story in the collection. . .

Boy, can you tell. This story is inane and far too long for what it is, which is just showing the difference in the romance of spaceflight and the reality of spaceflight. Cut this story in half and you might just have a better story. But even then, it’s a very shallow concept of a story.


” ‘…For A Single Yesterday’” - 5/5

A solemn tale about rebuilding after losing it all. Framed after the apocalypse, a commune survives on the edge of the world. One of the big players of this commune is a guitarist who “timetrips” using a drug that lets him relive memories.

I loved the moral quandary of the drug. Should the guitarist be allowed to timetrip when the drug could be used to benefit the community better? Or should he be allowed to “visit” his love? Is it better to move on from hurt, or does that endanger your humanity?

Some very good questions and solid writing. Perhaps the best story of the collection.

”And Seven Times Never Kill Man” - 4/5

Not a bad way to end!

This final story was a bit long—40 pages—and at first dragged. But once it got going, it really went off.

The idea of some aggressive colonizer religion versus a peaceful native religion has been done before ad nauseam. That being said, Martin ends the story with a lesson: that these beliefs will turn inward and eat away at the aggressors themselves, turning on themselves.

I think this story could’ve been tightened up, but it still was well-done. Wish he’d have named the bitter speaker—or better yet told us how she did elsewhere in the galaxy.

But I guess that’s a sign of a good short story. You want more.
Profile Image for Ian.
41 reviews
April 6, 2024
these are absolute beasts every story is brilliant and fantastically written!
Profile Image for Lean.
2 reviews1 follower
October 21, 2019
Great compilation of short stories. The ones I found most interested are:
- The Tower of Ashes: in dreams we can be the heroes and we can make choices that in reality are more difficult to perform
- The Lonely Songs of Laren Dorr: Absolute loneliness can be unbearable to all of us. We, as human beings, need to connect with one another.
- Night of the Vampires: interesting political action based story.
-...For a Single Yesterday: my favorite one. We can't live in the past but we also, can't forget it too. This one tells the tale of a men who couldn't adapt to his current tragic situation and chose to live in the past.
1,110 reviews9 followers
November 16, 2021
Die besten Stories kannte ich schon, die restlichen fand ich jetzt nicht soo gut.
Ein wiederkehrendes Motiv, das mir auffiel, war die Konfrontation zwischen Gefühlsmenschen und Verstandesmenschen. Letzendlich setzen sich die Verstandesmenschen durch, doch in den Stories schwingt ein Bedauern darüber mit.
Profile Image for Nocte.
157 reviews48 followers
September 5, 2024
"Son pocos los acontecimientos que marcan la muerte del tiempo".

(3,5 realmente). De momento es el segundo recopilatorio de relatos de Martin que leo y, si no recuerdo mal, me gustó más el anterior -Una canción para Lya, también editado por Gigamesh-. Este conjunto está compuesto por nueve relatos, principalmente de ciencia ficción, con bastante diversidad de temas y ambientaciones, van desde lo melancólico a lo apocalíptico, pasando por diferentes distopías a través de un variado abanico de naturalezas humanas, y no tan humanas.

Diría que los que más me han gustado son: Las canciones solitarias de Laren Dorr; Esta torre de cenizas; Por un solo ayer; Los fugitivos y Los hombres de la estación Aguagrís. Los que menos, hasta el punto de resultarme largos incluso siendo relatos, sin duda alguna son: La noche de los vampiros (es que hasta desentona en el conjunto) y Turno de noche.

A pesar de flojear en algunos, lo recomiendo, pues George tiene una gran capacidad para lanzarte a través de mundos y momentos en los que aterrizas y, con muy poco, ya consigue hacerte partícipe de la situación. También me gusta que algunos de ellos tienen ciertos tintes emocionales muy bien llevados, sean o no el tema principal, y hace que se agarren un poco más. De hecho, diría que mi favorito es el más emocional del conjunto, Las canciones solitarias de Laren Dorr, un juglar sin memoria atrapado en un planeta completamente vacío y dejando ir a la única persona que lleva siglos esperando, es que por favor.

"Intentaré cualquier cosa que me pidas. Pero no me pidas que crea que va a salir bien. - Dejó escapar un suspiro -. Te esperan incontables mundos, Sharra, y no veo tu final. Pero sé que no está aquí. De estoy seguro. Puede que sea lo mejor. Yo ya no sé nada, si es que alguna vez supe algo. Recuerdo vagamente qué era el amor, creo que soy capaz de rememorar cómo era, y lo que recuerdo es que no dura para siempre".
Profile Image for David Cuen.
Author 1 book18 followers
October 2, 2022
Verdict: A really enjoyable journey through the early stories of George R.R. Martin.
Read it if: You like science fiction and fantasy short stories.
Watch out for: A more complex story in "And Seven Times Never Kill Man".
Favourite quote: “Sure, but have you ever known anybody to die at the right time? No, don't happen that way. Some guys fall over before their lives have properly gotten started, some right in the middle of the best part. Others kinda linger on after everything is really over."

I am so glad I found this book from 1976 (it includes cigarette ads halfway through 😂) in Borderlands in San Francisco. I loved "The Tower of Ashes", "Patrick Henry, Jupiter, and the Little Red Brick Spaceship", "The Lonely Songs of Laren Dorr" and "The Runners".
448 reviews2 followers
October 19, 2020
J'ai lu ce recueille de nouvelle parce que mon copain me l'a demandé (je n'aime pas beaucoup ce format habituellement) et j'ai été agréablement surprise par ma lecture. Le recueille se lit rapidement et les thèmes abordés sont très intéressants. Cependant on peut vraiment sentir le fait que ces nouvelles ont été écrites dans les années 70. Outre le fait qu'il n'y a que deux personnages féminins nommés dans tout le recueille la technologie imaginée et assez représentative de l'imaginaire du temps (des laser absolument partout et un système de télécommunication moins efficace que celui actuel). Au finale c'est toujours aussi drôle de lire une nouvelle de science-fiction situé en 1990!
368 reviews1 follower
March 12, 2016
short stories from genre sci-fi, fantasy and with a bit of horror , most are enjoyable, best is : For a single yesterday ( Bradburysque and "time travelling drugs" in apocalyptic world ), And the seven time never kill a man ( different religion question and sub-races evolving on this schemes ), Men of grey water station ( awaited end, but misplaced way of it ). Night shift is fine story, but I awaited a horror of cornflakes ( didn´t happen ) and Night of The Vampyres is not horror but political and warfare crisis due to nuclear attack.
Profile Image for Theresa.
8,278 reviews135 followers
July 26, 2011
a collection of stories written in the early 70's speaking of love, labor and loss. moving pieces of love in the romatic, love in the paturnal, and the hatered that man can possess when things dont come to frutition
Profile Image for Luca.
113 reviews
October 10, 2015
La valutazione è riferita a "... for a single yesterday" ("... per un altro ieri"), che giudico uno dei migliori racconti sul dopobomba, lirico e amaro come pochi, in grado di toccare corde che vibrano a lungo.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews

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