Beyond Westeros: Exploring the other works of George R.R. Martin
By Daniel Roman
Although he’s easily best known for A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin HAS written other things. Let’s look at some.
Back when I used to work at the local Barnes & Noble, I’d often talk to people who read and loved A Song of Ice and Fire…and had no idea what books to dig into afterward. They loved the political intrigue, the fantastical world and deeply relatable characters, the twists that left your head spinning. But what stories, they would ask, could possibly follow up George R.R. Martin’s masterpieces?
Gather ‘round, fair readers, and I’ll tell you a secret…
George R.R. Martin has other books. Yes, you read that right! Other stories for you to fall in love with, made by the same masterful hand that crafted A Song of Ice and Fire.
While you won’t find warring medieval houses or dragons in any most of these other works, many of the thematic elements and ideas which made ASOIAF so popular are present. Dark, morally complex characters and situations? Check. Worldbuilding so rich that you might want to invest in a tourist’s guide before visiting? You betchya. Plot twists that will catch you totally flat-footed and leave you aimlessly wandering the grocery store in a numb haze of disbelief?
Well, that last one is a bit of a personal example…but these stories can bring it on! Trust me.
So strap in and prepare for a ride through the library of one of the greatest literary minds of our time.