Dreamsongs: Volume I

Dreamsongs Vol. I is the greatest book of short stories I've ever read. George R.R. Martin is a truly great writer, a master of world building, dialogue and pacing. I would actually like to point out that I wasn't the hugest fan of the Game of Thrones book series. I respected the writing but it was too long and drawn out for me. When I discovered that Martin was also a short story writer I was intrigued. I was really curious about what else he was capable of. I was not disappointed.The stories are advertised as being in the horror, science fiction and fantasy genres. That is true. But science fiction is the most heavily represented here. The fantasy and horror stories usually have a lot of sci-fi in them as well. Martin actually explains in the book that sci-fi was by far the most popular genre in the early days of his career. Fantasy was niche and not very lucrative so he aspired to be a sci-fi writer. Lucky for us because his sci-fi is masterful. Each story takes you to a new, amazing world. Most stories take place in the 1000 World Universe. Every new place is beautifully imagined, with interesting character and species.There is a lot of Twilight Zone in his stories as well. Every story becomes a page-turner because you can feel them building up to something. A lot of them have a twist or a big pay off at the end. It was so hard to put this book down. As soon as you finish a story you want to start a new one and see what the next world will be like. There is a deep sense of melancholy to all his stories as well. It just add to the richness to this beautiful universe he has created.There are five sections to this book split up by Amateur, Early Pro, Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror. In between each section is about 10-20 pages of biography and background. These pages were just as fascinating as the stories. He explains how he started and what his inspirations was for the stories were. It is extremely interesting and invaluable to peer inside the mind of such a talented writer.One word of note. The first story is really the only weak one in the whole book. He wrote it while he was in high school. Its nice to have for aspiring writers to see that even great writers had to start somewhere. Don't give up on it. The book really gets moving once you hit the pro stories and never slows down again. If only this book didn't have to end. On to Vol. II.

This is the first 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 spans early stories, science fiction, fantasy, and horror. The stories are extremely imaginative and well-crafted. There might be few missteps along the way, but these are overshadowed by some of the best speculative fiction written over the last 40 years.Martin also provides autobiographical introductions for each section which tend to be too much of a good thing; they are rather long-winded and only occasionally illuminating.The individual stories are reviewed below:“Only Kids Are Afraid of the Dark” – An atmospheric horror story about a demon from another realm who battles a modern-day superhero. Written while Martin was still in high school and published in an amateur fanzine. Very Lovecraftian—overwrought and melodramatic, perhaps—but his talent is evident. “The Fortress” – While in college, Martin wrote this story about the surrender of the Sveaborg fortress in the Russo-Swedish war of 1808. I really enjoyed this true tale, especially since I have visited Sveaborg in person. This story, along with “Black and White and Red All Over”, showcase how successful Martin might have been as a writer of historical fiction rather than fantasy.“And Death His Legacy” – Another college story; this one is too obviously tied to the civil rights movements of the 1960’s and telegraphs Martin’s political leanings. Despite its shortcomings, the depiction of an ultra-conservative Prophet who panders to fear and racism is uncomfortably similar to politicians of today.“Hero” – An amateurish interstellar war story clearly modeled on the Vietnam Conflict.“The Exit to San Bretis” – An engaging ghost story set on the deserted highways of the future."A Second Kind of Loneliness" -- A socially inept man descends into madness in the void of space while guarding the entrance to a wormhole."With Morning Comes the Mistfall" -- A journalist visits a haunted world shrouded in mists. This story begins as an effective science fiction horror story, but it becomes instead an elegiac meditation on man's need to seek the truth (science) versus the need for romance and mystery. This reminded me of Kij Johnson's "The Man Who Bridged the Mists"."A Song for Lya" -- Two psychics travel to an world much older than earth to investigate why humans are being drawn towards an alien religion that always culminates in suicide. This is a strong story, with an outstanding premise built around two questions: "What is true love?" and "Does human individuality create an inherent sense of isolation?" My only complaint is that it drags on a bit too long with too much repetition. Won a 1974 Hugo Award."This Tower of Ashes"--A man struggling to get over his divorce leads his ex-wife and her new lover on a hunt through an alien forest where a sentient civilization may have once lived. This story has some narrative shortcomings--it is always a bad sign when I turn the page expecting another scene, only to find the story has already finished. However, I really liked the vivid descriptions of this world, its ecology and especially the dream-spiders."And Seven Times Never Kill Man"--An excellent portrait of two cultures at war with one another. One is a group of humanoid settlers who follow a militaristic form of Christianity warped by centuries of intergalactic conflict. The other is a primitive tribe that exalts art and pacifism. The author purposefully leaves many questions unanswered, but this story defies the easy answers and still has enough meat on the bone to satisfy."The Stone City"--Martin calls this an important story in his Thousand Worlds cycle. It introduces the basic geography of his universe as well as an inter-dimensional hub that facilitates faster-than-light travel. Unfortunately, the characters are vague and the plot meanders. It is a long, dull tale that I struggled to complete."Bitterblooms"--A woman caught in a snowstorm finds rescue in a spaceship. This is an attempt to blend science fiction and fantasy ,but neither the story nor the relationships between the central characters ever really gels."The Way of Cross and Dragon"--An imaginative, fun exploration of what the Catholic Church might become after man spreads out among the stars. Won a Hugo Award."The Lonely Songs of Laren Dorr"--Sharra is a woman who travels between worlds looking for a lost love; Laren Dorr has been exiled on his world for over 200,000 years because he angered the Seven gods. Their lives briefly touch in this excellent tale that hints at a rich, larger mythology."The Ice Dragon"--The adventures of a young girl and her dragon made of ice. I read this story back in 1999 and it did not make an impression on me. I appreciated it more this time around . An illustrated edition of this story was also published as a children's book."In the Lost Lands"--A well-executed fantasy/horror hybrid story. The opening line grabbed me: 'You can buy anything you might desire from Gray Alys. But it is better not to.'"Meathouse Man"--This story qualifies as horror because it features gruesome scenes of zombie rape, but the real darkness is its heart-wrenching message about all the many ways love can spoil and go wrong. This may be the truest, most effective story of failed relationships I have ever read."Remembering Melody"--A lawyer finds his comfortable life disrupted when Melody, a close college friend, shows up on his doorstep. A story that uses traditional horror elements to examine co-dependent relationships and unhealthy boundaries. Adapted for television by HBO."Sandkings"--A man raises a colony of sentient pets, but after he mistreats them, they run amok and nearly destroy his life. This is my favorite Martin story; it won both the Hugo and Nebula awards."Nightflyers"--A group of scientists are tracking the oldest known alien vessel through deep space. When they begin to die one by one, they blame their enigmatic captain. This is an outstanding character-driven piece with strong science fiction and horror elements. It was made into a forgettable 1980's movie; also currently in development as a television show."The Monkey Treatment"--Losing weight is difficult. The monkey treatment guarantees results, but at a horrific price. This reminded me of Stephen King's "Quitters, Inc." only funnier."The Pear-Shaped Man"--The author channels his inner Stephen King in this supernatural urban horror story. The writing and characterization are great. It is at times funny, sad, disturbing, and gross. The phallic image of cheese doodles will unfortunately take a long time to fade away. Won a Bram Stoker Award.

George R R Martin is riding the crest of a wave right now. A Song of Ice and Fire is one of the most successful works of written fantasy in the English language today. However, his earlier works are also worth reading. Dreamsongs is a collection of his short stories, written early in his carrier.A Song of Ice and Fire have spawned an industry of theorists, pundits, and reviewers on You Tube. These commentators attempt to predict the future of the plot. Some of the most thorough and more dedicated fans and reviewers have taken the time to read some of Martin's early works to see if they can glean the future through them. For that alone, it is worth your time to read "Dreamsongs Vol 1".Martin was more open about his personal life. In this collection of short stories, Martin will, from time to time, write about his personal life. If you are interested in the author, you simply must have this book.I would not say the short stories within will tell you how "A Song of Ice and Fire" will end. Martin will want to surprise his readers.Highly recommended.

My wife and I have been Game of Thrones fans for many years now. Having read all of the A Song of Ice and Fire books, we decided to dabble in some of George's other works. This book in particular, was not exactly what we were thinking it was, but that's my fault for not doing more research on the subject. This particular book is a collection of short stories that Martin wrote, along with a Game of Thrones. They deal with Westeros and go on in the same world of Westeros, however, this book and it's second version are not standalone stories. Still, if you like George R R Martin's work, you will love this book. We plan on buying everything he's ever written. Needless to say, we are huge fans.

Todo llegó bien, en tiempo y forma, procuren comprarlo cuando esté en descuento, fluctúa mucho el precio desde 180-300 pesos. Es bastante grande el libro en dimensiones.

If you only know George R R Martin for Game of Thrones, you really should check out his earlier work. I have never read anything of his that I haven't enjoyed and this collection of short stories, ones he wrote for science fiction and fantasy magazines back in the day, is no exception. What's great about this collection is Martin links the stories with a narrative about how he came to write them and what success they had, or not. My favourite was 'The Lonely Songs of Laren Dorr' with 'Nightflyers' a close second. An amazing retrospective of Martin's work. What a convoluted mind the man has.

Bastantes años antes de ser conocido casi exclusivamente por Juego de Tronos... George R. R. Martin era célebre por sus historias de ciencia ficción y terror. Ganador de múltiples premios, este grueso volúmen recopila algunas de sus historias mas emblemáticas de aquellos años.Muy recomendable. Edición en inglés.

Wie schon von anderen beschrieben, handelt es sich hier um eine Kurzgeschichtensammlung mit teils sehr ausführlichen Kommentaren vom Autor. Nimmt dadurch in der Tat starke autobiografische Züge an. Die Geschichten sind thematisch und chronologisch "sortiert" in 5 Kapiteln.Die ersten beiden enthalten vor allem frühe Werke und sind noch recht bunt gemischt. Eigentlich nur wegen Martins Kommentaren lesenwert, können eigentlich auch übersprungen werden, ohne dass man wesentliches verpasst.In "The light of distant stars" bekommt man einen Einblick in Martins "thausand worlds"-Universum, in welchem vieler seiner Geschichten spielen. Würde man im allgemeinen als Sci-Fi bezeichnen. Enthält viele Elemente, welche im "Lied von Eis und Feuer" wieder Verwendung fanden. "The heirs of turtle castle" sind Fantasygeschichten, allerdings haben diese nichts mit "Lied von Eis und Feuer" zu tun. Das letzte ist "hybrids and horrors" und beschreibt den Inhalt sehr gut.Die Geschichten "a song for lya", "meathouse man", "sandkings" und "nightflyers" sind auf ihre Weise extrem gut und sollten von jedem G. R. R. Martin Fan gelesen werden.CG

Husband was very happy with this as I purchased it as a gift. George R.R. Martin is one heck of a writer!