Beyond Westeros: Exploring the other works of George R.R. Martin
By Daniel Roman
3. Fevre Dream (1982)
If vampires are more your bag, then look no further than this. Set in steamboat-era Mississippi, Fevre Dream is GRRM’s take on creatures of the night. It follows the journey of a gruff, down-on-his-luck steamboat captain named Abner Marsh who receives an offer that is too good to refuse from an aristocrat named Joshua York. York is a strange sort who only comes out at night, has pale skin and mesmerizing eyes and…well, you can figure out the rest.
Though Windhaven is more a personal favorite, Fevre Dream is in my opinion the best novel that George R.R. Martin has written outside of Westeros. It has some absolutely brutal Red Wedding-level twists, and its characters are some of the best developed and most memorable from any of Martin’s works.
For a 300-ish page novel, it also has an incredibly fulfilling arc that feels right at home among longer, more epic stories. The story follows Abner over a span of 15 years, so the passage of time really hits home in an impactful way.
This is also Martin’s deepest foray into horror (in novel form, at least). If you found yourself watching Game of Thrones for the White Walkers, then this book is absolutely worth the read. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that of all GRRM’s novels outside of Westeros, this one should be required reading for any fan. It really is that good.