What do you think?
Rate this book
Dreamsongs #2
Dreamsongs. Volume II
Even before the enormous success of A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin had secured his reputation as one of the most exciting storytellers of our time. The second of two thrilling collections, Volume II continues the story of his amazing journey from a young writer to a #1 New York Times bestselling force of nature. Whether writing about werewolves, wizards, or outer space, George R. R. Martin is renowned for his versatility and expansive talent, as demonstrated in this dazzling collection. Volume II contains acclaimed stories such as the World Fantasy Award winner “The Skin Trade,” as well as the first novella in the Ice and Fire universe, The Hedge Knight—plus two early screenplays. Featuring extensive author commentary, Volume II is an invaluable chronicle of a writer at the height of his creativity—and an unforgettable reading experience for fans old and new. “Science fiction, fantasy and horror fans alike will be blown away by the diversity and quality of stories. . . . This extraordinary collection is one to cherish.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Dreamsongs is the ideal way to discover . . . a master of science fiction, fantasy and horror. . . . Martin is a writer like no other.”—The Guardian (U.K.) PRAISE FOR GEORGE R. R. MARTIN “Of those who work in the grand epic-fantasy tradition, Martin is by far the best. In fact . . . this is as good a time as any to proclaim him the American Tolkien.”—Time “Long live George Martin . . . a literary dervish, enthralled by complicated characters and vivid language, and bursting with the wild vision of the very best tale tellers.”—The New York Times “I always expect the best from George R. R. Martin, and he always delivers.”—Robert Jordan
770 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2003
196 people are currently reading
3655 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...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 180 reviews
August 12, 2017
"The American Tolkien?" No. I think not.
George R. R Martin writes excellent fantasy novels. I can’t dispute that. I wouldn’t want to, A Song of Ice and Fire is what got me into reading in the first place. However, to be called the American Tolkien implies that he writes like Tolkien, which, of course, he does not.
The world building, writing styles and plot tropes couldn’t be further apart. Not a bad thing for sure. It’s a rather absurd comparison because there is absolutely nothing to compare. It’s like calling Robin Hobb “The American J.K Rowling.” There’s no substance to such a label. Both are great writers, but they are nothing alike. It makes no sense whatsoever. I really don’t know why this label has stuck to Martin. Certainly, you could call it a compliment though most writers would prefer to be remembered for who they are and not who they are supposed to resemble.
I find the label so moronic and annoying. If anyone can be given the label it’s Robert Jorden. He copied Tolkien at the start of his series. He used Tolkien as a foundation, as so many other fantasy novelists have done, and then eventually he broke free with his own original ideas. But then there’s the phrase on the front cover of this book staring me in the face and making me not want to read it. Sounds silly, but there it is. Calling George R.R Martin the American Tolkien is a slant against the man’s creative powers. He was inspired by Tolkien, but he didn’t need him for this. Most of the stuff in here’s science fiction anyway.
So what about this book?
Simply put, the selection of stories in here is just not as good as those in the first volume. The inclusion of The Hedge Knight felt like filler material, it’s easily available in its own editions elsewhere. As is Tuf Voyaging. The Wild Card entries were boring. Brandon Sanderson made superheroes cool and interesting, giving them new life, in his Reckoners series. The Wild Card stories brought nothing new to the table, shame considering there was so many of them in here. The Twilight Zone also felt like plain bad writing, such a drag.
I recommend reading the first volume, but not this one. The stories were more varied and enjoyable. In here there was perhaps two I liked. This is not enough to merit a positive rating. There were too many stories I’d already read that had been grabbed from other editions. If you’ve read lots of his shorter works, then you are likely to see the same stuff here again. The first volume contained the bits from early on in his career. So that was new to me, all in all, it was just a better book.
George R. R Martin writes excellent fantasy novels. I can’t dispute that. I wouldn’t want to, A Song of Ice and Fire is what got me into reading in the first place. However, to be called the American Tolkien implies that he writes like Tolkien, which, of course, he does not.
The world building, writing styles and plot tropes couldn’t be further apart. Not a bad thing for sure. It’s a rather absurd comparison because there is absolutely nothing to compare. It’s like calling Robin Hobb “The American J.K Rowling.” There’s no substance to such a label. Both are great writers, but they are nothing alike. It makes no sense whatsoever. I really don’t know why this label has stuck to Martin. Certainly, you could call it a compliment though most writers would prefer to be remembered for who they are and not who they are supposed to resemble.
I find the label so moronic and annoying. If anyone can be given the label it’s Robert Jorden. He copied Tolkien at the start of his series. He used Tolkien as a foundation, as so many other fantasy novelists have done, and then eventually he broke free with his own original ideas. But then there’s the phrase on the front cover of this book staring me in the face and making me not want to read it. Sounds silly, but there it is. Calling George R.R Martin the American Tolkien is a slant against the man’s creative powers. He was inspired by Tolkien, but he didn’t need him for this. Most of the stuff in here’s science fiction anyway.
So what about this book?
Simply put, the selection of stories in here is just not as good as those in the first volume. The inclusion of The Hedge Knight felt like filler material, it’s easily available in its own editions elsewhere. As is Tuf Voyaging. The Wild Card entries were boring. Brandon Sanderson made superheroes cool and interesting, giving them new life, in his Reckoners series. The Wild Card stories brought nothing new to the table, shame considering there was so many of them in here. The Twilight Zone also felt like plain bad writing, such a drag.
I recommend reading the first volume, but not this one. The stories were more varied and enjoyable. In here there was perhaps two I liked. This is not enough to merit a positive rating. There were too many stories I’d already read that had been grabbed from other editions. If you’ve read lots of his shorter works, then you are likely to see the same stuff here again. The first volume contained the bits from early on in his career. So that was new to me, all in all, it was just a better book.
November 25, 2013
I decided to write a small text about each of the short stories as I read them. I'm not going to hide the review, but beware of spoilers.
A Beast for Norn - Funny and entertaining! A little bit like a fable, or a tale too. For the first story of the Tuf series, it left me with a good impression.
Guardians - I was so hooked that I read it really fast, to know what was gonna happen, how he was going to solve the problem. I love the cat names (Foolishness, Ingratitude and Doubt) and how Tuf talks to them, referring to them and himself as "us" and ignoring all other people. The mud pots seemed to be a reference to the beings from A Song for Lya, though, from their way of thinking connected to each other. I'm excited to read the other Tuf stories that aren't in this book, but were published in Tuf Voyaging.
The Road Less Traveled - this was written for a Twilight Zone episode, but it wasn't aired the way it was originally filmed; it was cut. The cut version must be really truncated, because I found the original script short already. I like the introduction of the ghost story ideas, like the marks of the wheelchair on the carpet, although they couldn't see the man yet. The plot as a whole was great, but it didn't seem very original to me. But maybe it was, when it was first written. Maybe too many similar things were done on tv afterwards. Or not, I can't know. Anyway, I found it nice, and by the way I cried a tear when the vet looks at the picture of the girl.
Doorways - It was very interesting to know about the backstory of this one. I had never heard about this project. Now that I know that Martin spent two years developing it, I'd like to know what was gonna happen, since it has no end... Because he must have had lots of ideas in his head, even though they weren't written on script. There were two things I found weird. First, Tom accepted that Cat came from another dimension to easily. Second, Thane showing Wolverine claws. I mean, did they really wanted to show that on TV and not expect people to think it was a x-men copy? Besides that I liked the story a lot and I was sorry that it has no end, but not too sorry that I wished he hadn't turned to ASOIAF instead.
Shell Games - This story is part of the Wild Cards series, but I didn't understand from which book. It doesn't seem to be the first story, since I couldn't understand some concepts of its world from the beginning. I was also a little bit confused at first by Tom and Tach - I thought they were the same person in different times or something. Anyway, as I read I could put the pieces together. It was fine. I felt all the time that some parts were missing from what I understood of the character development, but at the end these missing bits were shown not to be missing so much after all. I wish Tach luck =)
From the Journal of Xavier Desmond - It was described as a story from a Wild Cards book that linked the other stories in it. Well, I might have missed something, since I haven't read those other stories, but I could recognize some characters and concepts from Shell Games (it happens years later). There's a fantastic description of the political situation of several places in the world. That was incredibly well done. Everything seems so real that it catches the eye. The parallel between our political history of those decades and what happened in a world with wild cards, as well as how the jokers treat themselves/are treated by others compared to the blacks in America... All that was just beautifully done. I do understand, however, why some people that I heard of didn't like Wild Cards: they are just used to young adult fiction and were expecting some level of it. I, on the other hand, intend on start reading this series at some time in the future.
Under Siege - I had already read it in the Portuguese anthology and hated it. Now I didn't. I like the time traveling idea and the plot, which was definitely original and interesting, but the characters are average.
Skin Trade - I had already read it, so this time I just skimmed through it. I enjoyed it a lot. I liked Wilie. He's so not the typical main werewolf character, he's a normal guy with asthma, and maybe that's a plus to the story. I remember an exciting feeling of slowly learning of what had happened and of who the characters really were. Now I know this was supposed to have some kind of continuation, but it never did.
Unsound Variations - I was completely bored through most of it. All these chess descriptions I didn't care about and the plot was just average too. I liked how the ending was sorted out though. By the way, the idea that they were all trapped in a house in a very high place, playing a game, somehow reminded me of The Shining. No?
The Glass Flower - This one bored me to the bone. It must certainly have been a pain to write, since it's all complex and philosophical, but… I'm sorry, just boring.
Hedge Knight - I didn't read it again. But I loved the first time that I read it.
Portraits of His Children - I was blown away! Best story in the book, without discussion. It was a pleasurable read from the beginning and it had me making faces and talking to my e-reader (what I don't normally do). I was shocked and disgusted. Thrilled and excited. The end is a bit tricky, or at least it seemed so to me at first: I had to read it again and think for a couple of minutes to decide if I had gotten it right. Superbly written.
A Beast for Norn - Funny and entertaining! A little bit like a fable, or a tale too. For the first story of the Tuf series, it left me with a good impression.
Guardians - I was so hooked that I read it really fast, to know what was gonna happen, how he was going to solve the problem. I love the cat names (Foolishness, Ingratitude and Doubt) and how Tuf talks to them, referring to them and himself as "us" and ignoring all other people. The mud pots seemed to be a reference to the beings from A Song for Lya, though, from their way of thinking connected to each other. I'm excited to read the other Tuf stories that aren't in this book, but were published in Tuf Voyaging.
The Road Less Traveled - this was written for a Twilight Zone episode, but it wasn't aired the way it was originally filmed; it was cut. The cut version must be really truncated, because I found the original script short already. I like the introduction of the ghost story ideas, like the marks of the wheelchair on the carpet, although they couldn't see the man yet. The plot as a whole was great, but it didn't seem very original to me. But maybe it was, when it was first written. Maybe too many similar things were done on tv afterwards. Or not, I can't know. Anyway, I found it nice, and by the way I cried a tear when the vet looks at the picture of the girl.
Doorways - It was very interesting to know about the backstory of this one. I had never heard about this project. Now that I know that Martin spent two years developing it, I'd like to know what was gonna happen, since it has no end... Because he must have had lots of ideas in his head, even though they weren't written on script. There were two things I found weird. First, Tom accepted that Cat came from another dimension to easily. Second, Thane showing Wolverine claws. I mean, did they really wanted to show that on TV and not expect people to think it was a x-men copy? Besides that I liked the story a lot and I was sorry that it has no end, but not too sorry that I wished he hadn't turned to ASOIAF instead.
Shell Games - This story is part of the Wild Cards series, but I didn't understand from which book. It doesn't seem to be the first story, since I couldn't understand some concepts of its world from the beginning. I was also a little bit confused at first by Tom and Tach - I thought they were the same person in different times or something. Anyway, as I read I could put the pieces together. It was fine. I felt all the time that some parts were missing from what I understood of the character development, but at the end these missing bits were shown not to be missing so much after all. I wish Tach luck =)
From the Journal of Xavier Desmond - It was described as a story from a Wild Cards book that linked the other stories in it. Well, I might have missed something, since I haven't read those other stories, but I could recognize some characters and concepts from Shell Games (it happens years later). There's a fantastic description of the political situation of several places in the world. That was incredibly well done. Everything seems so real that it catches the eye. The parallel between our political history of those decades and what happened in a world with wild cards, as well as how the jokers treat themselves/are treated by others compared to the blacks in America... All that was just beautifully done. I do understand, however, why some people that I heard of didn't like Wild Cards: they are just used to young adult fiction and were expecting some level of it. I, on the other hand, intend on start reading this series at some time in the future.
Under Siege - I had already read it in the Portuguese anthology and hated it. Now I didn't. I like the time traveling idea and the plot, which was definitely original and interesting, but the characters are average.
Skin Trade - I had already read it, so this time I just skimmed through it. I enjoyed it a lot. I liked Wilie. He's so not the typical main werewolf character, he's a normal guy with asthma, and maybe that's a plus to the story. I remember an exciting feeling of slowly learning of what had happened and of who the characters really were. Now I know this was supposed to have some kind of continuation, but it never did.
Unsound Variations - I was completely bored through most of it. All these chess descriptions I didn't care about and the plot was just average too. I liked how the ending was sorted out though. By the way, the idea that they were all trapped in a house in a very high place, playing a game, somehow reminded me of The Shining. No?
The Glass Flower - This one bored me to the bone. It must certainly have been a pain to write, since it's all complex and philosophical, but… I'm sorry, just boring.
Hedge Knight - I didn't read it again. But I loved the first time that I read it.
Portraits of His Children - I was blown away! Best story in the book, without discussion. It was a pleasurable read from the beginning and it had me making faces and talking to my e-reader (what I don't normally do). I was shocked and disgusted. Thrilled and excited. The end is a bit tricky, or at least it seemed so to me at first: I had to read it again and think for a couple of minutes to decide if I had gotten it right. Superbly written.
February 6, 2014
I picked up Volume Two of Martin's Dreamsongs with high hopes, still in the literary equivalent to post-orgasmic throes after concluding Volume One. The book began with stories of Tuf, which further heightened my expectations for the rest of the book. Tuf is a wonderful character, and the stories were great.
But from there... Hollywood happened.
Martin obviously tried too hard to appease Hollywood bigwigs... I suppose anyone would do the same to get ahead in their career, and Martin expected his career to settle in film-making and screenwriting etc... as is apparent in his biographical notes. But it seriously blunted his writing.
The screenplay was tedious and boring. The ensuing stories began to accumulate clichés upon cliché and that rapid-fire way of going about a story that Hollywood is obsessed with. I took way longer reading this book than finishing A Dance with Dragons. AND!! How he twisted and changed The "Lonely Songs of Laren Dor" infuriated me!!! The original story was lush with surrealism and magic and love, but he mauled it and gutted it and disemboweled it and stitched it together with copper wires to produce the Hollywood-friendly atrocity that is inanely dubbed "Doorways". I understand he was eager to rocket-propel himself ahead in his new found choice of employment, but he could have worked on something new... "Lonely Songs of Laren Dor" being a story told to the soul, it was a heartless thing to do.
I only began forgiving Martin when I reached the "Hedge Night". Prior to that, "Under Siege" and "The Glass Flower" mellowed me out a bit.
So by the end I was feeling better and decided to give this book four stars, but I am still offended by "Doorways". I will forever be offended by "Doorways".
But from there... Hollywood happened.
Martin obviously tried too hard to appease Hollywood bigwigs... I suppose anyone would do the same to get ahead in their career, and Martin expected his career to settle in film-making and screenwriting etc... as is apparent in his biographical notes. But it seriously blunted his writing.
The screenplay was tedious and boring. The ensuing stories began to accumulate clichés upon cliché and that rapid-fire way of going about a story that Hollywood is obsessed with. I took way longer reading this book than finishing A Dance with Dragons. AND!! How he twisted and changed The "Lonely Songs of Laren Dor" infuriated me!!! The original story was lush with surrealism and magic and love, but he mauled it and gutted it and disemboweled it and stitched it together with copper wires to produce the Hollywood-friendly atrocity that is inanely dubbed "Doorways". I understand he was eager to rocket-propel himself ahead in his new found choice of employment, but he could have worked on something new... "Lonely Songs of Laren Dor" being a story told to the soul, it was a heartless thing to do.
I only began forgiving Martin when I reached the "Hedge Night". Prior to that, "Under Siege" and "The Glass Flower" mellowed me out a bit.
So by the end I was feeling better and decided to give this book four stars, but I am still offended by "Doorways". I will forever be offended by "Doorways".
October 10, 2008
3.5 stars. Part Two of this great collection of George R. R. Martin's short story work. Includes two Haviland Tuf stories, the Skin Trade, the excellent "The Hedge Knight" and more.
April 15, 2022
The second volume of Dreamsongs contains a smaller number of stories than the prior volume, but with most of these being on the longer side the book is about the same length. While there were some stories in this I did not enjoy, I found most stories in this volume to be more enjoyable than the first.
A Beast for Norn is the first story that follows Haviland Tuf. The final version found in Tuf Voyaging differs to the original, and it was great to see how things were originally imagined. As a fan of Tuf (I know he is not for everyone), I enjoyed getting this look into how his story had originally been imagined, returning me to his world. A three-star rating for me.
Guardians is another tale that follows Haviland Tuf and is perfect for those who want more of his character. With this short story, George R.R. Martin shows why Tuf is a love-or-hate character for readers. It’s a story that is not packed with intensity, Tuf seems to just stroll through, yet it is great to see the way everything comes together. A three-star rating for me.
The Twilight Zone: 'The Road Less Traveled' is not a story I would usually read. After all, it’s the unabridged script for the reboot of The Twilight Zone. It’s not my usual reading at all, and yet I found myself hooked. It was a strange little read (as you would expect from The Twilight Zone), yet it managed to pack a punch. It sucked me in deeper than expected, and certainly left me curious about other scripts from George R.R. Martin. A three-star rating for me.
Doorways is another script that found I was hooked on. Although this was not a story that stood out in terms of originality – I can easily image it as a late-night film for when you do not need to focus all your attention on what is happening – it was an enjoyable read. It moved quickly, kept me turning the pages, and I liked watching things comes together. Sure, I would have liked more depth. However, that was not enough to lessen my enjoyment. A three-star rating for me.
Shell Games was my introduction to the Wild Cards world, and it was not the best place to start. I’m sure for fans of the series this works well as an original story for one character and a redemption style story for another, yet as an introduction to the world it was not enough. I felt like I was missing pieces (to the point where I’m unsure if I’ve correctly labelled the redemption part of the story correctly) and didn’t quite fall for it in the way I had hoped. It certainly picked up as the story progressed, yet it was never enough to win me over. A two-star rating for me.
From the Journal of Xavier Desmond was my second read in the Wild Cards world, and this one left me more confused. In many ways, I feel this is a story that can only really be loved when you know about the characters and the world. As it was, there were lots of details that had me curious, yet I never connected to any of them. I was left with more confusion than satisfaction with this one, with far too many unanswered questions. This, however, I believe reflects my lack of knowledge about the Wild Cards world. A two-star rating for me.
Under Siege is a story that took a prior story – The Fortress – and changes it up through adding a science-fiction element. At first, I honestly thought I was reading the same story again. When the science-fiction element was introduced, I did find myself slightly more invested. Not much, but some. In fact, the science-fiction elements were the only details I cared about, and I really would have liked more of the future we were shown. As it was, this made The Fortress more interesting but did not win me over. A two-star rating for me.
The Skin Trade was a story that had some three-star moments, but I found myself unable to round my rating up in the end. It was certainly an interesting take on werewolves that had me curious to see how the pieces would come together, yet there were elements of this one that were never answered in as much detail as I had liked. A two-star rating for me.
Unsound Variations was a story I wanted to enjoy, one I can see why many people did enjoy it, yet I found myself unable to become invested in it. There were lots of interesting elements throughout, details I wanted more of, but I found myself annoyed by the characters instead of invested in the story. A one-star rating for me.
The Glass Flower was a story that can easily cause confusion due to the somewhat strange and abstract nature of the tale, yet it was one I enjoyed. It hooked me with ease and had me curious about how things would develop, eagerly turning the pages to see how the specifics would play out. Although there were some elements in this one that I feel were not as resolved as I would have liked, I did enjoy the story. A three-star rating for me.
The Hedge Knight was a story that I thought I’d be giving a three-star rating. When the story started, I wasn’t as pulled in as I had hope to be. In fact, it took a while before the story pulled me under. However, once things started to move, I found I was quickly won over. In fact, I went from strolling along to powering my way through to see how the end played out. Much like A Song of Ice and Fire, I went from ‘this is okay’ to ‘I am rather addicted’. It grabs you without you realising, pulling you in deep. A four-star rating for me.
Portraits of His Children was a story that left me conflicted. While I enjoyed the strange elements included in this story, I was never quite as invested in it as I had hoped. I was certainly curious to see the pieces come together, but there was something missing that stopped it from wowing me entirely. A two-star rating for me.
All in all, while I did not love all of these – I do favour Martin’s full-length novels – I certainly saw the appeal in most. If nothing else, it is worth reading if you’re a Martin fan.
A Beast for Norn is the first story that follows Haviland Tuf. The final version found in Tuf Voyaging differs to the original, and it was great to see how things were originally imagined. As a fan of Tuf (I know he is not for everyone), I enjoyed getting this look into how his story had originally been imagined, returning me to his world. A three-star rating for me.
Guardians is another tale that follows Haviland Tuf and is perfect for those who want more of his character. With this short story, George R.R. Martin shows why Tuf is a love-or-hate character for readers. It’s a story that is not packed with intensity, Tuf seems to just stroll through, yet it is great to see the way everything comes together. A three-star rating for me.
The Twilight Zone: 'The Road Less Traveled' is not a story I would usually read. After all, it’s the unabridged script for the reboot of The Twilight Zone. It’s not my usual reading at all, and yet I found myself hooked. It was a strange little read (as you would expect from The Twilight Zone), yet it managed to pack a punch. It sucked me in deeper than expected, and certainly left me curious about other scripts from George R.R. Martin. A three-star rating for me.
Doorways is another script that found I was hooked on. Although this was not a story that stood out in terms of originality – I can easily image it as a late-night film for when you do not need to focus all your attention on what is happening – it was an enjoyable read. It moved quickly, kept me turning the pages, and I liked watching things comes together. Sure, I would have liked more depth. However, that was not enough to lessen my enjoyment. A three-star rating for me.
Shell Games was my introduction to the Wild Cards world, and it was not the best place to start. I’m sure for fans of the series this works well as an original story for one character and a redemption style story for another, yet as an introduction to the world it was not enough. I felt like I was missing pieces (to the point where I’m unsure if I’ve correctly labelled the redemption part of the story correctly) and didn’t quite fall for it in the way I had hoped. It certainly picked up as the story progressed, yet it was never enough to win me over. A two-star rating for me.
From the Journal of Xavier Desmond was my second read in the Wild Cards world, and this one left me more confused. In many ways, I feel this is a story that can only really be loved when you know about the characters and the world. As it was, there were lots of details that had me curious, yet I never connected to any of them. I was left with more confusion than satisfaction with this one, with far too many unanswered questions. This, however, I believe reflects my lack of knowledge about the Wild Cards world. A two-star rating for me.
Under Siege is a story that took a prior story – The Fortress – and changes it up through adding a science-fiction element. At first, I honestly thought I was reading the same story again. When the science-fiction element was introduced, I did find myself slightly more invested. Not much, but some. In fact, the science-fiction elements were the only details I cared about, and I really would have liked more of the future we were shown. As it was, this made The Fortress more interesting but did not win me over. A two-star rating for me.
The Skin Trade was a story that had some three-star moments, but I found myself unable to round my rating up in the end. It was certainly an interesting take on werewolves that had me curious to see how the pieces would come together, yet there were elements of this one that were never answered in as much detail as I had liked. A two-star rating for me.
Unsound Variations was a story I wanted to enjoy, one I can see why many people did enjoy it, yet I found myself unable to become invested in it. There were lots of interesting elements throughout, details I wanted more of, but I found myself annoyed by the characters instead of invested in the story. A one-star rating for me.
The Glass Flower was a story that can easily cause confusion due to the somewhat strange and abstract nature of the tale, yet it was one I enjoyed. It hooked me with ease and had me curious about how things would develop, eagerly turning the pages to see how the specifics would play out. Although there were some elements in this one that I feel were not as resolved as I would have liked, I did enjoy the story. A three-star rating for me.
The Hedge Knight was a story that I thought I’d be giving a three-star rating. When the story started, I wasn’t as pulled in as I had hope to be. In fact, it took a while before the story pulled me under. However, once things started to move, I found I was quickly won over. In fact, I went from strolling along to powering my way through to see how the end played out. Much like A Song of Ice and Fire, I went from ‘this is okay’ to ‘I am rather addicted’. It grabs you without you realising, pulling you in deep. A four-star rating for me.
Portraits of His Children was a story that left me conflicted. While I enjoyed the strange elements included in this story, I was never quite as invested in it as I had hoped. I was certainly curious to see the pieces come together, but there was something missing that stopped it from wowing me entirely. A two-star rating for me.
All in all, while I did not love all of these – I do favour Martin’s full-length novels – I certainly saw the appeal in most. If nothing else, it is worth reading if you’re a Martin fan.
August 19, 2012
(Review of both Book One and Book Two)
Got both of these anthologies from the library. Together, they're a great retrospective of Martin's career.
They're worth reading, for any Martin fan, even completists who've already read nearly everything in them, as Martin introduces and arranges the contents. His commentary on the stories is worth the price of admission alone.
It starts off with a hilarious (and, admittedly, hilariously bad) fantasy story first published in an independent fanzine when Martin was a teen... and quickly moves into his excellent sci-fi and horror stories, includes some TV scripts, and more recent short fiction. Nearly all of it is 5-star material, with, (in my opinion) the exception of the 'Wild Cards' material... but that's just me; I'm just not a fan of the superhero genre, even when it's well-done, socially relevant and gritty as hell. I just can't force myself to love it.
That's OK, though, because I love everything else here - and that's a lot to love - this collection is two big, thick books. Go read.
Got both of these anthologies from the library. Together, they're a great retrospective of Martin's career.
They're worth reading, for any Martin fan, even completists who've already read nearly everything in them, as Martin introduces and arranges the contents. His commentary on the stories is worth the price of admission alone.
It starts off with a hilarious (and, admittedly, hilariously bad) fantasy story first published in an independent fanzine when Martin was a teen... and quickly moves into his excellent sci-fi and horror stories, includes some TV scripts, and more recent short fiction. Nearly all of it is 5-star material, with, (in my opinion) the exception of the 'Wild Cards' material... but that's just me; I'm just not a fan of the superhero genre, even when it's well-done, socially relevant and gritty as hell. I just can't force myself to love it.
That's OK, though, because I love everything else here - and that's a lot to love - this collection is two big, thick books. Go read.
November 3, 2021
There were some great stories in this collection. It was interesting to read some of Martin’s insight into his writing, once you get past how awesome he thinks he is lol.
April 7, 2017
I'm often not a fan of short stories, but George R. R. Martin is a brilliant writer and this was an enjoyable collection. It also elucidates why the last book in the Song of Ice and Fire is taking so long . .
October 31, 2021
Please do not read this
Tuf Voyaging is good but it is not worth ruining your entire faith in GRRM as an author by reading his cringe TV pilot and cringe contemporary police procedural made to be a TV pilot as well (the latter being nominated for a Hugo/Nebula/whatever makes those awards seem like a real circlejerk back in the day. Well, I hope just back in the day).
I am still trying to reconcile Doorways with ASOIAF existing and also trying to comprehend how he still thinks the TV pilot would've been amazing if it hadn't been scrapped. The dialogue is the stuff of nightmares.
(Toe. Mas)
Alright, well, to look at this analytically, George seems to find a literary inspiration and then emulate it for whichever genre he's writing in. I agree that story matters more than the trappings of genre, but the way he writes in fantasy is markedly different from the way he writes sci-fi and as you can tell I violently recoil at how he writes contemporary fiction. His TV work is riddled with clichés, but I guess that's what the network execs like to see, and that's what your boss expects in the writers room when you're writing for a show that already has a style set. I still find his sci fi work beautiful and we can all just be thankful it exists (except The Glass Flower, what the hell kind of pretentious nonsensical hellscape was that)
Tuf Voyaging is good but it is not worth ruining your entire faith in GRRM as an author by reading his cringe TV pilot and cringe contemporary police procedural made to be a TV pilot as well (the latter being nominated for a Hugo/Nebula/whatever makes those awards seem like a real circlejerk back in the day. Well, I hope just back in the day).
I am still trying to reconcile Doorways with ASOIAF existing and also trying to comprehend how he still thinks the TV pilot would've been amazing if it hadn't been scrapped. The dialogue is the stuff of nightmares.
(Toe. Mas)
Alright, well, to look at this analytically, George seems to find a literary inspiration and then emulate it for whichever genre he's writing in. I agree that story matters more than the trappings of genre, but the way he writes in fantasy is markedly different from the way he writes sci-fi and as you can tell I violently recoil at how he writes contemporary fiction. His TV work is riddled with clichés, but I guess that's what the network execs like to see, and that's what your boss expects in the writers room when you're writing for a show that already has a style set. I still find his sci fi work beautiful and we can all just be thankful it exists (except The Glass Flower, what the hell kind of pretentious nonsensical hellscape was that)
November 4, 2016
Very very mixed-bag.
First Haviland Tuf story is great, the second is really boring. Glass Flower is just a clusterfuck, there I said it!
Under Sieg reads almost like an Outer Limits episode, and then the actual Twilight Zone episode he wrote for real puts me to sleep
The Skin Trade involved modern city and werewolves and is great! .. but some of the "cuts" between scenes were pure television. Perfect ending too - fades out to black in just the right moment
Unsound Variations - another not-quite TimeTravel, but is. Again, reads like something have seen before (maybe this "bitter timetravel out of spite" is a SciFi trope now?), but is good still
the BEST part are these intros GRRM added before every section of stories. Especially the writeup on SciFi/Fantasy/Horror difference
and yes, I only picked this up for The Hedge Knight which was, not gonna lie, good times!
First Haviland Tuf story is great, the second is really boring. Glass Flower is just a clusterfuck, there I said it!
Under Sieg reads almost like an Outer Limits episode, and then the actual Twilight Zone episode he wrote for real puts me to sleep
The Skin Trade involved modern city and werewolves and is great! .. but some of the "cuts" between scenes were pure television. Perfect ending too - fades out to black in just the right moment
Unsound Variations - another not-quite TimeTravel, but is. Again, reads like something have seen before (maybe this "bitter timetravel out of spite" is a SciFi trope now?), but is good still
the BEST part are these intros GRRM added before every section of stories. Especially the writeup on SciFi/Fantasy/Horror difference
and yes, I only picked this up for The Hedge Knight which was, not gonna lie, good times!
January 17, 2024
A difficult book to rate because so much of it was redundant (for me at least).
Part 1 contains 2 Haviland Tuf stories – but there are more of these compiled in a book altogether that I want to read in the future, so I skipped them.
Part 2 contains 2 scripts from GRRMs time in Hollywood that I had no interest in reading, so I skipped that too.
Part 3 has 2 Wild Cards stories that I’ve already read – ‘Shell Games’ and ‘From The Journal of Xavier Desmond’. And while I remember liking them, I didn’t care to re-read them, so skipped.
Part 4 contained 6 stories, some of them novellas and novelettes, though 1 of these was ‘The Hedge Knight’ which I’ve also read previously. Of the remanning 5 I did really enjoy 4. The fifth was ‘Portraits of His Children’ which I can’t say I enjoyed exactly, as discomforting and disturbing as it was, but even it was effective at generating an emotional reaction in me and I found the slow boiling tension hard to put down.
‘Under Siege’ and ‘Unsound Variations’ were both time travel stories where characters contemplate sending their consciousness back in time to effect changes in their lives and the world. Aside from providing interesting food for thought when it comes to Bran’s story in ASOIAF, I liked that they both grappled with the ethics of such a decision and focused on the character’s motivations and not the mechanics.
‘The Skin Trade’ was a werewolf detective novella that was entertaining and also had some interesting similarities to ASOIAF when it comes to Warging/Skin changing, the Facelessmen (and wearing another human’s skin), and the handling of genetics/blood purity and it’s relationship to magical abilities. ‘The Glass Flower’ was very different in the sense that it was a far future science fiction tale but also grappled with similar ideas of consciousness transfer between bodies, immortality, and the personal motivations characters have for such a concept and their accompanying moral views.
I liked a higher percentage of what I read in this Volume than Volume 1, but I read a much lower percentage of the book overall (though some of the stuff I skipped I did enjoy when I read it before). A middling score I guess - 3 stars.
Part 1 contains 2 Haviland Tuf stories – but there are more of these compiled in a book altogether that I want to read in the future, so I skipped them.
Part 2 contains 2 scripts from GRRMs time in Hollywood that I had no interest in reading, so I skipped that too.
Part 3 has 2 Wild Cards stories that I’ve already read – ‘Shell Games’ and ‘From The Journal of Xavier Desmond’. And while I remember liking them, I didn’t care to re-read them, so skipped.
Part 4 contained 6 stories, some of them novellas and novelettes, though 1 of these was ‘The Hedge Knight’ which I’ve also read previously. Of the remanning 5 I did really enjoy 4. The fifth was ‘Portraits of His Children’ which I can’t say I enjoyed exactly, as discomforting and disturbing as it was, but even it was effective at generating an emotional reaction in me and I found the slow boiling tension hard to put down.
‘Under Siege’ and ‘Unsound Variations’ were both time travel stories where characters contemplate sending their consciousness back in time to effect changes in their lives and the world. Aside from providing interesting food for thought when it comes to Bran’s story in ASOIAF, I liked that they both grappled with the ethics of such a decision and focused on the character’s motivations and not the mechanics.
‘The Skin Trade’ was a werewolf detective novella that was entertaining and also had some interesting similarities to ASOIAF when it comes to Warging/Skin changing, the Facelessmen (and wearing another human’s skin), and the handling of genetics/blood purity and it’s relationship to magical abilities. ‘The Glass Flower’ was very different in the sense that it was a far future science fiction tale but also grappled with similar ideas of consciousness transfer between bodies, immortality, and the personal motivations characters have for such a concept and their accompanying moral views.
I liked a higher percentage of what I read in this Volume than Volume 1, but I read a much lower percentage of the book overall (though some of the stuff I skipped I did enjoy when I read it before). A middling score I guess - 3 stars.
February 28, 2015
Have you ever just walked outside in the middle of the night looked at the stars and our endless universe and simply wondered? You feel a certain high, a high of imagination and serialism. But there is a darker lining, have you ever sat down on your couch and watched the news? Seen all the war, the shootings, the mundane monotony of our selfmade situations and the devastation, the complete and utter sadness of it all? That whole range of emotion is experienced when you read the Dreamsong books. More specifically Dreamsong Vol 2 A George R.R. Martin anthology.
In the first volume you experience George R. R. Martins more youthful works. Works where, as a young man, he wrote stories from his “Thousand Human Worlds” series, a truly realistic and living world where humans have colonized much of our galaxy and encountered a plethora of exotic and alien species.This encompasses most of his early works as an author. Some of his other works that are included in volume 1. are Hugo winners“A Song for Lya”,”Night Flyers” and Hugo and Nebula award winner “Sandkings”. I would Highly recommend the first volume of this wonderful anthology but the main part of this review will be over volume 2.
Where the first volume surprised me with its life, the second volume surprised me with death. It didn't have that same sense of joy and enthusiasm but a more cold, dark, and gloomy demeanor.However that sense of wonder was left, it was a hollow, joyless wonder but it still made you think about the possibilities within life but in a more realistic and grounded in reality way about it. It seems that with age George R. R. Martin's writing style shifted from the high points of life to simple realism.
The first real highlight is a story about a planet that is primarily water where sea monsters have attacked the local populace. Despite all attempts to rid the oceans of the monsters, the monsters just adapt to overcome any challenge the human population throws at them. Here Martin introduces one of his most iconic characters. One Tuf Haviland a ecological engineer with a wealth of knowledge in the fields of cloning. He arrives on the scene a eccentric hermit who promises to rid their planet of these creatures, for a price. He is a character that is so utterly realistic that you can't help but admire him whether you like him or dislike him.
George R. R. Martin's writing prowess I believe is really tested when he wrote in the wild card mosaic novel. The wild card series is a collection of stories that tells of a large cast of superheroes. The two characters that are within the pages of Dreamsongs are Xavier Desmond, a businessman in New York City, and the more comical of the two The Great and Powerful Turtle, a college student that is graced with telekinetic powers. In Xaviers story he is a going on one last trip after he finds out he has cancer and less than 2 years to live. The story of The Great and Powerful Turtle however is slightly grimmer. You follow him as he tries to recruit a hero given in to alcoholism, to help take on a group of crooked cops in the joker section of New York City. These stories unlike most superhero stories is more based in reality, their alter egos aren't the president and a playboy millionaire, they are college students and businessmen that live real lives not globe hopping Millionaires. Thats what makes these stories so good, the emotion is genuine and the humor is real.
The next entry of significance is the shockley dark story Skin Trade, a story where the hunters are the hunted. A thriving pack of werewolf in a small industrial town in ohio come under fires as they one by one are found brutally murdered. The main protagonist is Willie a kind hearted debt collector by day a werewolf by night. He’s anything but your classic macho man werewolf who is cool and mysterious though. He’s just an thin homely businessman with asma who occasionally indulges in transforming into a wolf and has never once harmed a human (as a wolf). When a friend of his is skinned alive in her own home late one evening he turns to friend and onetime colleague, private eye Randi Wade, a woman whose father had been murdered in the same grizzly way years before.
Having read a lot of george R. R. Martins works I have noticed that after his career as a scriptwriter in hollywood he lost a lot of the personality that is exhibited in his previous works.His works just didn't have the same soul. Then he started an entirely new chapter in his career as an author. He started his A Song of Ice and Fire series, these books brought forth a whole new sense of life to his career. This new life is exhibited in his A Song of Ice and Fire prequel The Hedge Knight.
Many stories have knights in them, rich lordly knights, good looking prince charming types. Many stories dont however have poor wandering knights and thats exactly what a hedge knights is. In westeros any knight can make a knight so a lot of knights end up without holdings or lords to serve. The Protagonist of the Hedge Knight is Ser. Duncan the tall, 19 years of age and eager to prove his worth. As a squire, him and his master Ser. Arlan of penny tree were traveling to ashford fields for a large tournament. When they get caught in a storm Ser Arlan catches a cold and succunbs to the sickness, shortly before dying he knights Ser Duncan. After Burying his master he decides to carry on and prove his worth at ashford meadows. He gets himself in a little bit of a pinch and has to decide to keep his head down or be a chivalrous and true knight.
I'm a straight forward person, when I read I don't necessarily catch the finer points. This time I couldn't help but admire the truly extraordinarily complex lessons and emotions exhibited in this anthology. Some themes were pretty simple like pride comes the fall or darkness versus light. Some however were more complex than that, they are tales of individuals and the events that lead them to destruction, redemption, self doubt, and self discovery. Every story is different in their intent and lessons they tell.
Something that I observed after reading both of the Dreamsong anthologies is, no matter the location, the time, the circumstances, that the worlds that George R. R. Martin paints with words are as real as the world we live in. When you read his works you can't help but get attached to the locations and characters that he creates. All of his characters, even the most overlooked characters, are believable, as real as you and I, flesh and blood in their own way. I think that if you are a George R.R. Martin fan you will love these anthologies, if you haven't read any of his other works however I wouldn't necessarily recommend it. I was attracted to this book because of my love for some of George R. R. Martins other novels. It may still be a good read for you if you are an avid reader, but for the casual reader I would recommend one of Martin's novels rather that this anthology. All in all as a fan I would give this anthology a well deserved 4 stars.
In the first volume you experience George R. R. Martins more youthful works. Works where, as a young man, he wrote stories from his “Thousand Human Worlds” series, a truly realistic and living world where humans have colonized much of our galaxy and encountered a plethora of exotic and alien species.This encompasses most of his early works as an author. Some of his other works that are included in volume 1. are Hugo winners“A Song for Lya”,”Night Flyers” and Hugo and Nebula award winner “Sandkings”. I would Highly recommend the first volume of this wonderful anthology but the main part of this review will be over volume 2.
Where the first volume surprised me with its life, the second volume surprised me with death. It didn't have that same sense of joy and enthusiasm but a more cold, dark, and gloomy demeanor.However that sense of wonder was left, it was a hollow, joyless wonder but it still made you think about the possibilities within life but in a more realistic and grounded in reality way about it. It seems that with age George R. R. Martin's writing style shifted from the high points of life to simple realism.
The first real highlight is a story about a planet that is primarily water where sea monsters have attacked the local populace. Despite all attempts to rid the oceans of the monsters, the monsters just adapt to overcome any challenge the human population throws at them. Here Martin introduces one of his most iconic characters. One Tuf Haviland a ecological engineer with a wealth of knowledge in the fields of cloning. He arrives on the scene a eccentric hermit who promises to rid their planet of these creatures, for a price. He is a character that is so utterly realistic that you can't help but admire him whether you like him or dislike him.
George R. R. Martin's writing prowess I believe is really tested when he wrote in the wild card mosaic novel. The wild card series is a collection of stories that tells of a large cast of superheroes. The two characters that are within the pages of Dreamsongs are Xavier Desmond, a businessman in New York City, and the more comical of the two The Great and Powerful Turtle, a college student that is graced with telekinetic powers. In Xaviers story he is a going on one last trip after he finds out he has cancer and less than 2 years to live. The story of The Great and Powerful Turtle however is slightly grimmer. You follow him as he tries to recruit a hero given in to alcoholism, to help take on a group of crooked cops in the joker section of New York City. These stories unlike most superhero stories is more based in reality, their alter egos aren't the president and a playboy millionaire, they are college students and businessmen that live real lives not globe hopping Millionaires. Thats what makes these stories so good, the emotion is genuine and the humor is real.
The next entry of significance is the shockley dark story Skin Trade, a story where the hunters are the hunted. A thriving pack of werewolf in a small industrial town in ohio come under fires as they one by one are found brutally murdered. The main protagonist is Willie a kind hearted debt collector by day a werewolf by night. He’s anything but your classic macho man werewolf who is cool and mysterious though. He’s just an thin homely businessman with asma who occasionally indulges in transforming into a wolf and has never once harmed a human (as a wolf). When a friend of his is skinned alive in her own home late one evening he turns to friend and onetime colleague, private eye Randi Wade, a woman whose father had been murdered in the same grizzly way years before.
Having read a lot of george R. R. Martins works I have noticed that after his career as a scriptwriter in hollywood he lost a lot of the personality that is exhibited in his previous works.His works just didn't have the same soul. Then he started an entirely new chapter in his career as an author. He started his A Song of Ice and Fire series, these books brought forth a whole new sense of life to his career. This new life is exhibited in his A Song of Ice and Fire prequel The Hedge Knight.
Many stories have knights in them, rich lordly knights, good looking prince charming types. Many stories dont however have poor wandering knights and thats exactly what a hedge knights is. In westeros any knight can make a knight so a lot of knights end up without holdings or lords to serve. The Protagonist of the Hedge Knight is Ser. Duncan the tall, 19 years of age and eager to prove his worth. As a squire, him and his master Ser. Arlan of penny tree were traveling to ashford fields for a large tournament. When they get caught in a storm Ser Arlan catches a cold and succunbs to the sickness, shortly before dying he knights Ser Duncan. After Burying his master he decides to carry on and prove his worth at ashford meadows. He gets himself in a little bit of a pinch and has to decide to keep his head down or be a chivalrous and true knight.
I'm a straight forward person, when I read I don't necessarily catch the finer points. This time I couldn't help but admire the truly extraordinarily complex lessons and emotions exhibited in this anthology. Some themes were pretty simple like pride comes the fall or darkness versus light. Some however were more complex than that, they are tales of individuals and the events that lead them to destruction, redemption, self doubt, and self discovery. Every story is different in their intent and lessons they tell.
Something that I observed after reading both of the Dreamsong anthologies is, no matter the location, the time, the circumstances, that the worlds that George R. R. Martin paints with words are as real as the world we live in. When you read his works you can't help but get attached to the locations and characters that he creates. All of his characters, even the most overlooked characters, are believable, as real as you and I, flesh and blood in their own way. I think that if you are a George R.R. Martin fan you will love these anthologies, if you haven't read any of his other works however I wouldn't necessarily recommend it. I was attracted to this book because of my love for some of George R. R. Martins other novels. It may still be a good read for you if you are an avid reader, but for the casual reader I would recommend one of Martin's novels rather that this anthology. All in all as a fan I would give this anthology a well deserved 4 stars.
April 12, 2024
In comparison to volume one, I flew through this. I didn't cherish as many of the stories, though. That being said, I did enjoy all of them more or less, which was not the case with the first volume. The biographical bits between sections are enlightening and fun to read. In general, I just get so fed up when I read Martin and remember how good he is.
General Thoughts:
Tuf: There are two Tuf stories. I "liked" both of them, but I would not want to read a larger collection or novel. I could see a successful TV series. The vibe, for me, was a bit like The Mandalorian.
The scripts: I truly enjoyed reading both TV scripts in the collection. I'm used to reading plays. TV scripts read a LOT better. "The Twilight Zone" one is great, and the "Doorways" script is pretty dynamic. It's a shame neither got their due.
From the "Journal of Xavier Desmond" was my favorite of the Wild Card stories. I liked the travel. I liked the mission work. I liked the perspective. I generally felt more comfortable in the world than I did in "Shell Games".
"Under Siege" was the one I followed the least well. The concept is cool, and I got it at a base level, but its connection to "The Fortress" wasn't very compelling for me. "The Skin Trade" is great. It's rough. It's gruesome. It's got a fun werewolf premise (he's a debt collector with asthma). I really liked it. I LOVED "Unsound Variations," though. I was so skeptical of the chess story, and it ended up being my favorite by far. It's tense.
"The Glass Flower" is fine. It's got some very disturbing imagery, but I felt a lot like I did with "Under Siege." "The Hedge Knight" is lovely. I'm not surprised. I will be reading more about Dunk and Egg. "Portraits of His Children" is pretty good. I don't know what to think of the ending, though.
A pretty good collection overall. Top three ended up being: "Unsound Variations," "The Hedge Knight," and "The Skin Trade".
General Thoughts:
Tuf: There are two Tuf stories. I "liked" both of them, but I would not want to read a larger collection or novel. I could see a successful TV series. The vibe, for me, was a bit like The Mandalorian.
The scripts: I truly enjoyed reading both TV scripts in the collection. I'm used to reading plays. TV scripts read a LOT better. "The Twilight Zone" one is great, and the "Doorways" script is pretty dynamic. It's a shame neither got their due.
From the "Journal of Xavier Desmond" was my favorite of the Wild Card stories. I liked the travel. I liked the mission work. I liked the perspective. I generally felt more comfortable in the world than I did in "Shell Games".
"Under Siege" was the one I followed the least well. The concept is cool, and I got it at a base level, but its connection to "The Fortress" wasn't very compelling for me. "The Skin Trade" is great. It's rough. It's gruesome. It's got a fun werewolf premise (he's a debt collector with asthma). I really liked it. I LOVED "Unsound Variations," though. I was so skeptical of the chess story, and it ended up being my favorite by far. It's tense.
"The Glass Flower" is fine. It's got some very disturbing imagery, but I felt a lot like I did with "Under Siege." "The Hedge Knight" is lovely. I'm not surprised. I will be reading more about Dunk and Egg. "Portraits of His Children" is pretty good. I don't know what to think of the ending, though.
A pretty good collection overall. Top three ended up being: "Unsound Variations," "The Hedge Knight," and "The Skin Trade".
August 25, 2017
An anthology of various works by Martin over the years. This includes things like horror, science fiction and even screenplays for episodes of the Twilight Zone that he wrote. It showcases his versatility and his mastery over the human condition.
Along the way he writes about writing and his story. In one instance he talks about how he got rejected from a science fiction journal because his stories were not 'hard' enough. Then he goes on to lament about how the substrate does not matter (horror or science fiction or fantasy), all of which have a bearing only on whether you are talking about werewolfs or space-ships or dragons. The real deal is the human story. And I concur whole heartedly :).
If you enjoyed Game of Thrones, you will love the Hedge Knight for sure. Some of the Tuf stories are great as are the screenplays. Lots to admire here.
Recommended.
Along the way he writes about writing and his story. In one instance he talks about how he got rejected from a science fiction journal because his stories were not 'hard' enough. Then he goes on to lament about how the substrate does not matter (horror or science fiction or fantasy), all of which have a bearing only on whether you are talking about werewolfs or space-ships or dragons. The real deal is the human story. And I concur whole heartedly :).
If you enjoyed Game of Thrones, you will love the Hedge Knight for sure. Some of the Tuf stories are great as are the screenplays. Lots to admire here.
Recommended.
May 4, 2021
Hajlajtom pre mňa bola novela Skleněná květina, to je naozaj fantastika par excellence a dosť možno najlepšia poviedka GRRM vôbec, ktorá sa v mnohom ponáša na kúsky, zaraďované do novších, modernejších ročníkov a ročeniek z cien Hugo a Locus. Nemenej pôsobivé však boli aj Z deníku Xaviera Desmonda zo zdieľaného sveta divokých kariet (takí Martinovi X-Meni) a naozaj príjemne ma prekvapili poviedky o Tufovi, ktoré sú svojou ľahkosťou a príjemným humorom doslova osviežujúce a ja som vôbec nečakal, že sa mi budú páčiť.
April 2, 2019
Some gems in there
August 13, 2017
Well, it took forever to finish but I've done it. As always, GRRM's stories are simultaneously out of this world and totally realistic. I'm looking forward to read more if his works.
August 13, 2017
I wanted to find out the rest of his tales, the many creations in his different periods as a writer, and here I am with the heart full of stories and mostly satisfied for the ride. George is a helluva writer, getting to capture several aspects of very different types of stories, which you can see now as a reflection of his growth as a writer in the different moments of his life.
I said this because of the Hollywood era, which I found so different than the rest of his tales that I asked myself a few times if I was reading to the same guy who wrote Sandkings and Fevre Dream (aside from the fact that they were screenplays).
But I can't complain because you get the first Tuf stories and some Wildcard tales and -of course- The Hedge Knight, which drives you deeply in the ASoIaF world from which you don't want to go back (although you have to for a final short story). I mean, you cannot dislike a volume with such gems.
You get several formats, different writing styles and a bunch of worlds you want to know more about. All of this with the guidance of Martin himself in the introductions to the volume's several parts, which gives the book a more personal touch.
I loved it, it was a great experience I totally recommend to anybody. Now I wonder what's left for me to read from him because I want more!
I said this because of the Hollywood era, which I found so different than the rest of his tales that I asked myself a few times if I was reading to the same guy who wrote Sandkings and Fevre Dream (aside from the fact that they were screenplays).
But I can't complain because you get the first Tuf stories and some Wildcard tales and -of course- The Hedge Knight, which drives you deeply in the ASoIaF world from which you don't want to go back (although you have to for a final short story). I mean, you cannot dislike a volume with such gems.
You get several formats, different writing styles and a bunch of worlds you want to know more about. All of this with the guidance of Martin himself in the introductions to the volume's several parts, which gives the book a more personal touch.
I loved it, it was a great experience I totally recommend to anybody. Now I wonder what's left for me to read from him because I want more!
January 29, 2011
I came to this collection having never actually read any George R. R. Martin before. I've heard of A Song of Ice and Fire but have never read it, but I had read good reviews of this retrospective (or Rretrospective as the book itself puts it) and wasn't disappointed. This volume contained fewer but longer stories than its predecessor but held the same format of grouping stories by theme, each with an introduction by the author. The first and third sections are single universes where Martin wrote several stories, the first being the Haviland Tuf series and the other being the WildCards superhero series. I enjoyed both of these and would certainly like to read more. Luckily for me, this is possible since the Tuf stories are collected in Tuf Voyaging and there are many books in the WildCards shared universe, which, we learn in this book, Martin created with a group of friends while roleplaying.
The book also contains a couple of screenplays that Martin has written during his Hollywood years, the first being a Twilight Zone episode that got mangled and the second being a pilot for a Sliders-esque series that never really went anywhere.
The final section is possibly the most interesting, Martin admitting that there's no real 'theme' to them, and they're just stories that he likes. They include the Song of Ice and Fire prequel The Hedge Knight and the eerie Portraits of his Children which rounds off the collection in a suitably weird and somewhat creepy way. This section contains stories that don't follow any particular pattern, from the fantasy/imagined history of The Hedge Knight to the hard SF of The Glass Flower to the werewolf/detective story The Skin Trade.
A good collection to get a flavour of the later part of Martin's career and should certainly be read in conjunction with Volume 1. If you only know of Martin through Ice and Fire, this will show that he's done so much more than that.
The book also contains a couple of screenplays that Martin has written during his Hollywood years, the first being a Twilight Zone episode that got mangled and the second being a pilot for a Sliders-esque series that never really went anywhere.
The final section is possibly the most interesting, Martin admitting that there's no real 'theme' to them, and they're just stories that he likes. They include the Song of Ice and Fire prequel The Hedge Knight and the eerie Portraits of his Children which rounds off the collection in a suitably weird and somewhat creepy way. This section contains stories that don't follow any particular pattern, from the fantasy/imagined history of The Hedge Knight to the hard SF of The Glass Flower to the werewolf/detective story The Skin Trade.
A good collection to get a flavour of the later part of Martin's career and should certainly be read in conjunction with Volume 1. If you only know of Martin through Ice and Fire, this will show that he's done so much more than that.
September 30, 2022
A continuation of the ‘Dreamsongs’ short story anthologies. I’ve written my general feeling of this work in the review of volume 1, so I feel the same way about part two. However, this half contains two of probably the most unique characters and sci-fi stories and that is saying something coming from the mind of G.R.R Martin. Ok maybe not, there was that whole necro-brothel thing…yeah moving on. There are two of my favorites right off the bat.
‘A Beast for ‘Norn’
This might be my favorite story in the whole of Dreamsongs. This and the ‘Guardians.’
I really like this character of Haviland Tuft who is described as bald, pale, gentle giant but he’s softspoken and highly intelligent, who has a bunch of cats and pilots a gigantic starship containing the DNA of probably every alien animal specimen ever. I love big, ambitious, wild ideas like these, this was written well before Xenogears and Xenoblade games but it reminds me of something along that level and scale. This idea is brilliant, a space biologist/animal caretaker in this craft so big and isolated it’s like miles long, but so advanced it can contain and generate all these life forms. I want a whole series based on his life and Tuft’s voyages.
‘A Beast for Norn’ is Haviland dealing with the noble houses on this planet whose royalty will pay him money to breed basically alien beasts for them, which they force them to fight in a coliseum against the beasts of rival houses. When one House wins, the losing houses essentially go to Tuft to have him breed more superior animals than the next, and they keep one upping each other, promising Tuft to pay him greater sums than his last offer.
The ending I think is that one of the species becomes invasive changing the entire ecosystem of the planet, and an end is put to the coliseum fighting because bigger problems are at hand. And Tuft demands he still gets paid. Awesome.
5/5
‘Guardians’
Continues the adventures of Tuft the bioengineer/ecologist/zookeeper with his many pet cats. This time an ocean planet, or ocean facility that is important to the human residents of the planet, gets attacked by these alien sea creatures. Tufts help is required, which he is reluctant to do at first, but eventually succumbs for the payment of a large sum. He claims he will help the problem but will solve it his way.
Eventually after some time, his employers grow impatient with him, questioning why he hasn’t solved the problem. He tries by engineering some creatures as predators to the sea monsters, but that doesn’t work. He tries to release other forms of predators into the ecosystem, but they don’t work either.
The problem is found the reason for the sea monsters acting the way they do, which I won’t spoil, but it’s overall a very cool story.
5/5
‘From the Journal of Xavier Desmond’
One of ‘Martin’s’ Wildcard stories. Honestly, I don’t remember, superhero stories generally don’t have any interest for me. I think deals with letters from one of the hero’s as he experiences historic events firsthand.
No rating
‘The Road Less Traveled’
The Vietnam vet ghost parallel dimension story. Not bad, I like the imagery of the wheelchair man like specter haunting the house. If I remember it has a good moral of how you should be grateful, and not guilty about your life.
4/5
‘Doorways’
Was this the Twilight Zone episode that Martin pitched I can’t remember. Has a character from a story in Dreamsongs volume 1, the woman who travels in a thousand worlds, ends up in Earth I guess, meets a man, and all I remember is that they are on the run from I guess Time Agents? They remind me of the villains from Superman II. One of them sits upon a giant floating throne, but they all end up getting blown up by a tank laser or something, and our heroes get warped to a different mysterious place and time in a cliff hanger to setup their next adventure.
3/5
‘Shell Games’
Was this the story of the aspiring superhero that floats around in like this giant turtle shell made from car parts in a junkyard? That’s all I remember of it. I found it boring.
1/5
‘Under Siege’
My favorite Steven Seagal flick. Ha. That’s all I can remember.
No rating
‘Skin Trade’
A werewolf story where the main character lives in an abandoned brewery and is super horny and can’t stop thinking about fucking this lady investigator/cop he knows who friend zones him every step of the way. She has demons, her father’s killer was left a mystery, but we assume it was a werewolf.
The man, Winston? is a werewolf himself, who was bitten a while back so he’s experienced, meets with another powerful werewolf in his mansion that can only be visited via a tramcar, who suspects his son to be the one responsible for all the killings going on, but it turns out to be father. Eh, I lost interests in it, there’s some cool action like a character diving into a police car as a snapping werewolf tries to get at her through the door. Then there’s like a mirror room later.
2/5
‘Unsound Variations’
I just briefly looked it up to remember what this one was about. Oh yes, the chess story.
I know G.R.R Martin was an avid chess player early on in his life, so I can assume I know what he’s talking about when he’s describing the chess strategies that take place even though I was completely clueless. But even if you’re a chess beginner or don’t know the game at all, it’s still a compelling strange story.
Basically, there was this chess team that existed in college long ago full of different personality types. One of them ended up playing as a backup against a player that he was guaranteed to win against. Is left that day to become a loser.
Years later the friends have gone their separate ways, their own lives, but all get invited to the mansion of the guy who lost the tournament to them. In a turn of events, he’s become a rich success, and the other three or four friends all failures.
The friend once a loser, now gloats to them about his wealth and fame. He holds a grudge on his friends for many reasons. One of them mocked him endlessly and cruelly. Another, the team captain, he blames for mismanaging the team making him responsible for the loss. His revenge is to mock them and show how much better he is. They end up getting pissed and infuriated they can’t leave, but eventually make a deal, they’ll replay the chess scenario that lost them the game years ago to see if they can find a winning move to show that it could have been done.
And there’s a time travel element that I won’t spoil how its used. Awesome and memorable.
5/5
‘The Glass Flowers’
This is a strange story about transfer of consciousness into various bodies and a woman who rules in a castle with her weird alien council meets an android with the memories of a dead hero and wants to experience the consciousness of it. The ruler is currently in the body of an adolescent girl but had been previously in many alien life forms before that. They have discussions of how it feels and what it would mean to transfer the being, have a circle where they all join and take part in the consciousness swapping. I don’t know what the story or the glass flower was supposed to be about. I liked the cool imagery, but it seemed like ramblings of what it would be like or what it would feel like. Eh.
2/5
‘The Hedge Knight’
Really like the Dunk and Egg stories. I read this one many years back, so I skipped over it in Dreamsongs. Dunk the Lunk, a slow witted, naïve, but very large and honorable and loyal knight. I can remember the scene of Dunk burying his knight at the tree, meets Egg the boy who may or may not be a Targaryen lord, meeting a puppeteer girl who gets abused, by a spoiled young knight who is a Targaryen lord, who he challenges in a joust, were talking a huge joust with like twelve combatants or something, six on six, then it is revealed there is a dragon egg as well and a plot to snatch it? Maybe I’m confusing my Dunk and Egg stories, there are a few of them. But I like this. Dunk also gets his own coat of arms on his shield; I think of an oak tree on green. Faster flowing, more accessible and focused than the later main Fire and Ice Novels.
5/5
‘Portraits of His Children’
The reads like the non-science fiction story of the bunch. It still has fantasy elements. A writer who abuses the characters in the stories he wrote, a James Dean like smoking rebel I think he kills off, a female character that he constantly fantasizes about, his real-life daughter that he’s neglected or even seriously abused I think at one point it might have been implied. She paints him portraits of each one of his characters and they come to life and torment him.
A dark story to end on the book on but shows that G.R.R Martin can write straight drama or fiction that is set in the real world if he wanted to.
4/5
February 29, 2008
Pretty good, not as interesting as the first book. In this one his style has seemed to firm up, not nearly as much variance as in the earlier volume. Also, the personal interstitials, the best part, for me, of the first book, become more of a "this is where I was in my, life this is what I was working on" kind of rote listing, as opposed to the earlier's, "this is where I got my inspiration from" or, "after failing in this I decided to try things this way" kind of narrative. And then his last entry "A Conflict of Heart" would probably come off as hackneyed and condescending if you took it independently and divorced it from the sort of person Martin is and the audience he thinks he's writing to.
The short stories, novellas, and screenplays, however, are constantly improving over his earlier work. While Martin is never really brilliant in his writing, he is very very good, and he obtains a sort of Michner of Fantasy sort of feel. Which is all anyone could really ever ask for.
The short stories, novellas, and screenplays, however, are constantly improving over his earlier work. While Martin is never really brilliant in his writing, he is very very good, and he obtains a sort of Michner of Fantasy sort of feel. Which is all anyone could really ever ask for.
May 12, 2014
Quite close to a 5 star.
There are plenty of good storytelling here. Many of them I will remember for a very, very long time (which it is unusual in my case). And this is a clear indication that the book itself is a remarkable one.
The thing that makes that even so it is that it is a collection of short stories, following Martin's work from the early ones into the well developed professional writer and screenplayer he is today. You cannot say that there is any bad one here. All of them are really good and in some cases exceeds what I was expecting: Skin trade, Hedge Knight (even it was a re-read) just to mention two, but I would have had to write them all here to make them the honour they deserve.
Brilliant.
There are plenty of good storytelling here. Many of them I will remember for a very, very long time (which it is unusual in my case). And this is a clear indication that the book itself is a remarkable one.
The thing that makes that even so it is that it is a collection of short stories, following Martin's work from the early ones into the well developed professional writer and screenplayer he is today. You cannot say that there is any bad one here. All of them are really good and in some cases exceeds what I was expecting: Skin trade, Hedge Knight (even it was a re-read) just to mention two, but I would have had to write them all here to make them the honour they deserve.
Brilliant.
December 31, 2007
Martin may be the greatest storyteller I've ever had the pleasure of reading. I know I'm prone to hyperbole, but this time I mean it. As evidenced by these collections, I'll read anything by him: fantasy, sci-fi, horror, crazy amalgams of these, anything. It's the characters who matter, and Martin creates the best characters I've ever been around. He is also a master of the show-not-tell school of storytelling: a must with me.
My favorite story in this volume was definitely "The Hedge Knight." I'm actually contemplating rereading the entire Song of Ice and Fire cycle (as it now stands) because, man, I miss the Seven Kingdoms. So much love.
My favorite story in this volume was definitely "The Hedge Knight." I'm actually contemplating rereading the entire Song of Ice and Fire cycle (as it now stands) because, man, I miss the Seven Kingdoms. So much love.
February 20, 2014
It's a credit to Martin's brilliance that I can't figure out what type of story he writes best (commercial success notwithstanding). My three favorite pieces in this collection ("The Skin Trade," "The Hedge Knight," and "Portraits of his Children") differ in genre and scope, but not in quality.
The rating takes a hit for not quite being on the same level as Dreamsongs, Vol. I, but there's still plenty to like.
The rating takes a hit for not quite being on the same level as Dreamsongs, Vol. I, but there's still plenty to like.
January 23, 2014
Just that : Liked It, because I
Didn't Like
All of it. I've read all of George R R Martin, and the latest and greatest, most recent heavy stuff (past few years) makes me want to revisit the really old stuff.
Didn't Like
All of it. I've read all of George R R Martin, and the latest and greatest, most recent heavy stuff (past few years) makes me want to revisit the really old stuff.
December 22, 2013
Fantastic compilation, my personal favorites were A Beast for Norn, Guardians, From the Journal of Xavier Desmond, The Skin Trade, and The Hedge Knight (though I liked The Skin Trade best).
August 11, 2016
You know what? I'm gonna count Dreamsongs as two books. It's long enough, I think. 2 volumes, 2 books worth for my reading challenge!
February 8, 2018
This is the second half of a retrospective spanning the entirety of George R.R. Martin's career. (Both volumes 1 & 2 were originally published in a single limited edition hardcover). It samples his Tuf and Wild Cards series, his Hollywood screenplays, and his stories that blur genre boundaries. The stories are extremely imaginative and well-crafted, although on the whole not quite as satisfying as the first volume.
The individual stories are reviewed below:
"A Beast for Norn" and "Guardians" -- A pair of dark comic stories featuring the series character Haviland Tuf, who travels the universe in an antiquated seedship selling exotic animals and plants which usually have unforeseen consequences on local ecosystems. The first story contains the original published text, not the revised and expanded version that was eventually incorporated into the novel Tuf Voyaging.
The Road Less Travelled -- A maudlin Twilight Zone episode. A college professor who feels guilty about avoiding the draft by fleeing to Canada one day encounters another version of himself from an alternate timeline. His alt-self lost both legs in the Vietnam Conflict and lost the love of his life in a motorcycle crash.
Doorways--The pilot script for an hour-long science fiction drama about two characters with the ability to traverse alternate universes. The pilot was filmed, but the show never got picked up. The story is engaging but seems too episodic, with little in the way of a sophisticated story arc. Note: This was the first draft, which had a much different ending than the final version. (The final shooting script was also adapted as a graphic novel in 2012.)
"Shell Games" and "From the Journal of Xavier Desmond"--A pair of stories from the long-running shared universe anthology series Wild Cards. The first tells the origin story of the Great and Powerful Turtle, a timid man who can use telekinetic powers but only when he feels safe in his "shell", an armor-plated Volkswagon bug. The second story is an epistolary tale that originally formed the interstitial sections connecting and introducing each story in the fourth volume, Aces Abroad. I love the alternate history and the intriguing heroes (aces) and mutants (jokers) that populate this world. I like the concept of such a rich milieu being explored in detail by several authors over a 22-book series. Unfortunately, both these stories are really slow and boring. These are essentially comic book tales, but the dark, adult-oriented prose has lost the frenetic pace and gee-whiz elements of surprise that make comic books fun. Reading these stories actually gave me more appreciation for the novels of James Maxey, who does a terrific job translating a comic book universe into prose.
"Under Siege"--Martin returns to the subject of the Siege of Sveaborg in 1808. Using the same characters and scenes from "The Fortress" (included in Dreamsongs Vol. I), he retells the story through the prism of a time travel plot. I enjoyed the original historical version better.
"The Skin Trade"--An excellent noir murder mystery set in a world of werewolves. Martin does a superb job of world-building at a shorter-than-usual length. Won a World Fantasy Award.
"Unsound Variations"--Ten years after a devastating defeat in the national championship tournament, four former college chess teammates reunite to replay the critical match they lost. Bitter feelings and regrets over lost opportunities surface, even as one of the group reveals he has been manipulating their lives through time travel. I found this to be my favorite story in Vol. II, a great blending of science fiction and chess strategy.
"The Glass Flower"--The game of mind requires three voluntary players, three slaves, and one painlord. The contestants endure a barrage of pure pain that kills them, then they battle in a place beyond space-time and death to gain mastery over each other's bodies and a chance at a new life. This is a science fiction story that reads like high fantasy, but it drags on a tad too long and gets bogged down in too much metaphorical mumbo-jumbo.
"The Hedge Knight"--The first of three novellas about the hedge knight Dunk and his young squire Egg, set 100 years before the events of The Game of Thrones. The Targaryons still sit on the Iron Throne, but their powerbase is starting to splinter since the last dragon died. Across the kingdom, the façade of chivalry is beginning to strain. Dunk is a true believer in knighthood, but his faith is tested in this tale of battle, rebellion, and courtly intrigue. His faithful 10-year old squire harbors a secret that could get them both killed.
"Portraits of His Children"--A middle-aged writer is visited by characters from his books, whom he often favored over his real family during most of his life. This could be read as a fantasy, or as a tale of a man descending into madness. Won a Nebula Award.
The individual stories are reviewed below:
"A Beast for Norn" and "Guardians" -- A pair of dark comic stories featuring the series character Haviland Tuf, who travels the universe in an antiquated seedship selling exotic animals and plants which usually have unforeseen consequences on local ecosystems. The first story contains the original published text, not the revised and expanded version that was eventually incorporated into the novel Tuf Voyaging.
The Road Less Travelled -- A maudlin Twilight Zone episode. A college professor who feels guilty about avoiding the draft by fleeing to Canada one day encounters another version of himself from an alternate timeline. His alt-self lost both legs in the Vietnam Conflict and lost the love of his life in a motorcycle crash.
Doorways--The pilot script for an hour-long science fiction drama about two characters with the ability to traverse alternate universes. The pilot was filmed, but the show never got picked up. The story is engaging but seems too episodic, with little in the way of a sophisticated story arc. Note: This was the first draft, which had a much different ending than the final version. (The final shooting script was also adapted as a graphic novel in 2012.)
"Shell Games" and "From the Journal of Xavier Desmond"--A pair of stories from the long-running shared universe anthology series Wild Cards. The first tells the origin story of the Great and Powerful Turtle, a timid man who can use telekinetic powers but only when he feels safe in his "shell", an armor-plated Volkswagon bug. The second story is an epistolary tale that originally formed the interstitial sections connecting and introducing each story in the fourth volume, Aces Abroad. I love the alternate history and the intriguing heroes (aces) and mutants (jokers) that populate this world. I like the concept of such a rich milieu being explored in detail by several authors over a 22-book series. Unfortunately, both these stories are really slow and boring. These are essentially comic book tales, but the dark, adult-oriented prose has lost the frenetic pace and gee-whiz elements of surprise that make comic books fun. Reading these stories actually gave me more appreciation for the novels of James Maxey, who does a terrific job translating a comic book universe into prose.
"Under Siege"--Martin returns to the subject of the Siege of Sveaborg in 1808. Using the same characters and scenes from "The Fortress" (included in Dreamsongs Vol. I), he retells the story through the prism of a time travel plot. I enjoyed the original historical version better.
"The Skin Trade"--An excellent noir murder mystery set in a world of werewolves. Martin does a superb job of world-building at a shorter-than-usual length. Won a World Fantasy Award.
"Unsound Variations"--Ten years after a devastating defeat in the national championship tournament, four former college chess teammates reunite to replay the critical match they lost. Bitter feelings and regrets over lost opportunities surface, even as one of the group reveals he has been manipulating their lives through time travel. I found this to be my favorite story in Vol. II, a great blending of science fiction and chess strategy.
"The Glass Flower"--The game of mind requires three voluntary players, three slaves, and one painlord. The contestants endure a barrage of pure pain that kills them, then they battle in a place beyond space-time and death to gain mastery over each other's bodies and a chance at a new life. This is a science fiction story that reads like high fantasy, but it drags on a tad too long and gets bogged down in too much metaphorical mumbo-jumbo.
"The Hedge Knight"--The first of three novellas about the hedge knight Dunk and his young squire Egg, set 100 years before the events of The Game of Thrones. The Targaryons still sit on the Iron Throne, but their powerbase is starting to splinter since the last dragon died. Across the kingdom, the façade of chivalry is beginning to strain. Dunk is a true believer in knighthood, but his faith is tested in this tale of battle, rebellion, and courtly intrigue. His faithful 10-year old squire harbors a secret that could get them both killed.
"Portraits of His Children"--A middle-aged writer is visited by characters from his books, whom he often favored over his real family during most of his life. This could be read as a fantasy, or as a tale of a man descending into madness. Won a Nebula Award.
September 2, 2023
Libby told me that it was going to be a short wait for The Silence of the Lambs to become available, so I figured I'd download this to hold me over for the day I thought it would take for Lambs to become available. Well, Lambs still isn't available, and this turned out to be 770 pages long. Which is my fault, I thought this collection was going to be of comparable length to one of Ted Chiang's collections. I should have checked beforehand, and known better.
Having read the GoT series, and now this collection, it is abundantly clear that George has to create a rich world/universe for every story he writes. His imagination does not permit him otherwise. As a result, the stories have a slower pace, which isn't a bad thing, just be aware of it if you're interested in reading any of his work. For the most part, the stories in this collection are excellent, with complex characters, rich settings, and snappy dialogue.
The ones I would give 5 stars: The Hedge Knight, the first part of his GoT spinoff that makes you understand why the world of Westeros is probably the best thing he's created. It made me realize how much I missed it.
Unsound Variations A story revolving almost entirely around chess with some of the best dialogue George has written. I can imagine what he describes perfectly. I would love to see this adapted to TV.
Stories I would give 4.5 stars: From the Journal of Xavier Desmond From the Wild Card series that George has edited and contributed to for the last 30 years. The world that he helped created lends itself to great exploration. I may dive into this series at some point.
Stories I would give 4 stars: Shell Games Another entry in the Wild Card universe. I read this one before Journal of Xavier, so I didn't have a full grasp on what was happening.
The Skin Trade A throwback to morally dubious detective stories, featuring werewolves, of course. The two lead characters weren't my favorite, but the writing and plot were great.
A Beast for Norn and Guardians (not on Goodreads). Two stories featuring Tuf, a space trader who captains a ship that can create any monster from scratch. Another great premise, but Tuf isn't the most engaging character.
Two Teleplays, one for an episode of the 80s Twilight Zone Revival and another for a series called Doorways, about parallel universe. I can imagine the Twilight Zone episode perfectly, and Doorways had promise. I found the male lead obnoxious, but hey, it was supposed to be TV in the 90s.
Stories I would give 3 stars:Under Siege A "change the fate of the present" narrative, with characters that can't keep it afloat.
Portraits of His Children So dark and sad. Three stars probably isn't fair because I think I was fatigued from reading the book, but it's how I feel.
Did not Finish: The Glass Flower So abstract that it felt like a parody of sci-fi. The names of everything are ridiculous, and I didn't care about what was going on.
Having read the GoT series, and now this collection, it is abundantly clear that George has to create a rich world/universe for every story he writes. His imagination does not permit him otherwise. As a result, the stories have a slower pace, which isn't a bad thing, just be aware of it if you're interested in reading any of his work. For the most part, the stories in this collection are excellent, with complex characters, rich settings, and snappy dialogue.
The ones I would give 5 stars: The Hedge Knight, the first part of his GoT spinoff that makes you understand why the world of Westeros is probably the best thing he's created. It made me realize how much I missed it.
Unsound Variations A story revolving almost entirely around chess with some of the best dialogue George has written. I can imagine what he describes perfectly. I would love to see this adapted to TV.
Stories I would give 4.5 stars: From the Journal of Xavier Desmond From the Wild Card series that George has edited and contributed to for the last 30 years. The world that he helped created lends itself to great exploration. I may dive into this series at some point.
Stories I would give 4 stars: Shell Games Another entry in the Wild Card universe. I read this one before Journal of Xavier, so I didn't have a full grasp on what was happening.
The Skin Trade A throwback to morally dubious detective stories, featuring werewolves, of course. The two lead characters weren't my favorite, but the writing and plot were great.
A Beast for Norn and Guardians (not on Goodreads). Two stories featuring Tuf, a space trader who captains a ship that can create any monster from scratch. Another great premise, but Tuf isn't the most engaging character.
Two Teleplays, one for an episode of the 80s Twilight Zone Revival and another for a series called Doorways, about parallel universe. I can imagine the Twilight Zone episode perfectly, and Doorways had promise. I found the male lead obnoxious, but hey, it was supposed to be TV in the 90s.
Stories I would give 3 stars:Under Siege A "change the fate of the present" narrative, with characters that can't keep it afloat.
Portraits of His Children So dark and sad. Three stars probably isn't fair because I think I was fatigued from reading the book, but it's how I feel.
Did not Finish: The Glass Flower So abstract that it felt like a parody of sci-fi. The names of everything are ridiculous, and I didn't care about what was going on.
February 26, 2018
The second volume of GRRM's dreamsongs. This massive work is a collection of short stories from various genres that GRRM has written in.
I rated each story below (1-5) and then averaged the total to come up with an overall rating of 3.29 for this volume and including my previous rating of 3.39 for volume 1, I rate the entire collection a 3.36. Overall, though, I have to round up to 4. This indeed an awesome book even though I didn't like all the stories.
Individual story reviews;
Six; A Taste of Tuf
3/5
GRRM tells of his successes and failures at getting his story of Tuf published throughout the decades. What follows are those stories complete.
A Beast for Norn (Expanded)
3/5
Tuf is an ecological engineer who specializes in genetics and animal breeding. He has the best beasts in the land and sells them to a variety of houses in the kingdom. These houses then do battle for honor in the stadium gladiator-style. Tuf uses this position of influence to milk a lot of money from a few houses leading to the utter demise of one. The story was interesting, but a bit bland.
Guardians
5/5
Tuf is hired by a planet to fix the ecology so that three sea species stop killing people and taking over islands. He starts his work, but the head of the Guardians rushes him for a solution and the ecology is destroyed even more. He does, however, come up with a solution in the end using a telepathic species to stop the three deadly sea creatures.
Seven; The Siren Song of Hollywood
4/5
GRRM describes his work in Hollywood including his role as a writer on The Twilight Zone.
The Twilight Zone; The Road Less Traveled
5/5
A man’s daughter has bad nightmares of a man in a wheelchair who is in her room. The man turns out to be real and is the daughter’s father from an alternate timeline wherein the father went to Vietnam and witnessed all the atrocities thereof. The actual father meets his alternate self and they combine into one. A very interesting and apropos Twilight Zone episode.
Doorways
3/5
A story of an interdimensional traveling girl who is trying to escape from the Dark Lords through portals called Doorways. She stumbles into the present where she meets a doctor. They have an adventure. An interesting story, but not terrific.
Eight; Doing the Wild Card Shuffle
3/5
GRRM describes his love of comic books and how he got into role playing games and eventually into writing a comic series with his friends.
Shell Games
3/5
A story of a few mutants from a series GRRM did with some other authors. The mutants live in their own underground society and rules.
From the Journal of Xavier Desmond
1/5
A journal from one of the aforementioned mutants...very boring.
Nine; The Heart in Conflict
3/5
GRRM describes the later part of his career where he starts to win awards.
Under Siege
1/5
Very confusing story about a future nobility playing chess to resolve an ancient (1800s eta) war in Scandinavia...
The Skin Trade
3/5
A private detective is trying to figure out a murder that has circumstances familiarly close to those of her father's death. It turns out there is an underground society of lycantropes that eat people. The story is a bit too long for what it was, but it was pretty good.
Unsound Variations
5/5
A group of former collegiate chess players gather at a reunion. One of them, the host, is a millionaire and has a grudge that he’s was habitually bullied by the others. He has already gotten his revenge in a very awesome sci-fi way and the reunion is the final part of his grand plot to share how he has slighted every man there.
The Glass Flower
2/5
A very confusing story of what seems to be an intergalactic being that is able to live for millennia and take the form of any human and does so when the body of its current host wears out. She plays something called the mind game which changes the essence of another being...very weird. Boring and queer.
The Hedge Knight
5/5
Set 100 years before Game of Thrones, Dunk is a tall Hedge Knight who is trying to participate in the Ashford tourney. He meets Egg who wants to squire for him, but little does he know that Egg is really Prince Aegon Targaryan. They make quite the duo and the story is very interesting.
Portraits of His Children
2/5
A father who is a writer and definitely a lunatic takes the story of his daughters rape and writes it into a fiction story without her consent. This short story details his daughters finding out about the book, his divorce with his wife, and his daughters disowning him. A sad story and really doesn’t have too much substance.
George R. R. Martin; A RRetrospective Fiction Checklist
5/5
A checklist of most of GRRM’s works
I rated each story below (1-5) and then averaged the total to come up with an overall rating of 3.29 for this volume and including my previous rating of 3.39 for volume 1, I rate the entire collection a 3.36. Overall, though, I have to round up to 4. This indeed an awesome book even though I didn't like all the stories.
Individual story reviews;
Six; A Taste of Tuf
3/5
GRRM tells of his successes and failures at getting his story of Tuf published throughout the decades. What follows are those stories complete.
A Beast for Norn (Expanded)
3/5
Tuf is an ecological engineer who specializes in genetics and animal breeding. He has the best beasts in the land and sells them to a variety of houses in the kingdom. These houses then do battle for honor in the stadium gladiator-style. Tuf uses this position of influence to milk a lot of money from a few houses leading to the utter demise of one. The story was interesting, but a bit bland.
Guardians
5/5
Tuf is hired by a planet to fix the ecology so that three sea species stop killing people and taking over islands. He starts his work, but the head of the Guardians rushes him for a solution and the ecology is destroyed even more. He does, however, come up with a solution in the end using a telepathic species to stop the three deadly sea creatures.
Seven; The Siren Song of Hollywood
4/5
GRRM describes his work in Hollywood including his role as a writer on The Twilight Zone.
The Twilight Zone; The Road Less Traveled
5/5
A man’s daughter has bad nightmares of a man in a wheelchair who is in her room. The man turns out to be real and is the daughter’s father from an alternate timeline wherein the father went to Vietnam and witnessed all the atrocities thereof. The actual father meets his alternate self and they combine into one. A very interesting and apropos Twilight Zone episode.
Doorways
3/5
A story of an interdimensional traveling girl who is trying to escape from the Dark Lords through portals called Doorways. She stumbles into the present where she meets a doctor. They have an adventure. An interesting story, but not terrific.
Eight; Doing the Wild Card Shuffle
3/5
GRRM describes his love of comic books and how he got into role playing games and eventually into writing a comic series with his friends.
Shell Games
3/5
A story of a few mutants from a series GRRM did with some other authors. The mutants live in their own underground society and rules.
From the Journal of Xavier Desmond
1/5
A journal from one of the aforementioned mutants...very boring.
Nine; The Heart in Conflict
3/5
GRRM describes the later part of his career where he starts to win awards.
Under Siege
1/5
Very confusing story about a future nobility playing chess to resolve an ancient (1800s eta) war in Scandinavia...
The Skin Trade
3/5
A private detective is trying to figure out a murder that has circumstances familiarly close to those of her father's death. It turns out there is an underground society of lycantropes that eat people. The story is a bit too long for what it was, but it was pretty good.
Unsound Variations
5/5
A group of former collegiate chess players gather at a reunion. One of them, the host, is a millionaire and has a grudge that he’s was habitually bullied by the others. He has already gotten his revenge in a very awesome sci-fi way and the reunion is the final part of his grand plot to share how he has slighted every man there.
The Glass Flower
2/5
A very confusing story of what seems to be an intergalactic being that is able to live for millennia and take the form of any human and does so when the body of its current host wears out. She plays something called the mind game which changes the essence of another being...very weird. Boring and queer.
The Hedge Knight
5/5
Set 100 years before Game of Thrones, Dunk is a tall Hedge Knight who is trying to participate in the Ashford tourney. He meets Egg who wants to squire for him, but little does he know that Egg is really Prince Aegon Targaryan. They make quite the duo and the story is very interesting.
Portraits of His Children
2/5
A father who is a writer and definitely a lunatic takes the story of his daughters rape and writes it into a fiction story without her consent. This short story details his daughters finding out about the book, his divorce with his wife, and his daughters disowning him. A sad story and really doesn’t have too much substance.
George R. R. Martin; A RRetrospective Fiction Checklist
5/5
A checklist of most of GRRM’s works
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 180 reviews