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Title: Dreamsongs Vol. II
Author: George R.R. Martin
Genre: Science fiction/fantasy short story collection
Thingummies: 4
Synopsis: A collection of some of Martin's later, more mature works (as opposed to the mostly terrible Vol. I collection).
Thoughts: After the painfulness of most of the Volume I stories, this...starts out kind of painfully. I do not like Martin's Tuf stories--I find them to be a fantasy of mansplaining, in which a completely bland and unsympathetic protagonist proves yet again that he is Smarter Than Everyone (despite the fact that his only superiority is the fact he happens to own a fabulous ship that he lucked into).
This is followed up by two TV scripts that are...ok. Probably played better on the screen, but were not that great on the page. The Wild Card stories are intriguing, but a little confusing for someone unfamiliar with the series.
Why the relatively high rating? Because after that, the stories are fantastic. "The Skin Game" had me on the edge of my subway seat. "Portraits of His Children" is devastating. And "The Hedge Knight" is the Westeros story we were waiting for, in which kindness is dangerous and every victory has a price...but is somehow heartwarming anyway. Every story in the back half of the book is its own gem. Maybe you're better off just skipping straight there, but there's enough material worth reading to fill its own book.
Author: George R.R. Martin
Genre: Science fiction/fantasy short story collection
Thingummies: 4
Synopsis: A collection of some of Martin's later, more mature works (as opposed to the mostly terrible Vol. I collection).
Thoughts: After the painfulness of most of the Volume I stories, this...starts out kind of painfully. I do not like Martin's Tuf stories--I find them to be a fantasy of mansplaining, in which a completely bland and unsympathetic protagonist proves yet again that he is Smarter Than Everyone (despite the fact that his only superiority is the fact he happens to own a fabulous ship that he lucked into).
This is followed up by two TV scripts that are...ok. Probably played better on the screen, but were not that great on the page. The Wild Card stories are intriguing, but a little confusing for someone unfamiliar with the series.
Why the relatively high rating? Because after that, the stories are fantastic. "The Skin Game" had me on the edge of my subway seat. "Portraits of His Children" is devastating. And "The Hedge Knight" is the Westeros story we were waiting for, in which kindness is dangerous and every victory has a price...but is somehow heartwarming anyway. Every story in the back half of the book is its own gem. Maybe you're better off just skipping straight there, but there's enough material worth reading to fill its own book.
