‘Voyaging’ is a vivid reimagining of a classic George R.R. Martin story

Long before George R.R. Martin dreamed up Westeros, he made a name for himself with a number of fantasy and science fiction stories he wrote in the ’70s and ’80s. One of his classics is a novella named The Plague Star, which was one of seven stories about an intrepid space captain and his ship full of cats. These stories were eventually gathered in the collection Tuf Voyaging.

Tuf Voyaging hasn’t always been easy to find, which makes today’s newly released graphic novel from Martin and artist Raya Golden all the more exciting. Voyaging, Volume One: The Plague Star reimagines Martin’s work in a fresh way, replete with gorgeous artwork and sharp adaptation choices by Golden.

I’ve had a chance to sit down with Voyaging. While I’m going to discuss some details, I will keep this review as spoiler-free as possible.

Book review: VOYAGING, VOLUME ONE: THE PLAGUE STAR by George R.R. Martin, art and adaption by Raya Golden

Let’s get a few of the basics out of the way first, because whenever I bring up a new story from George R.R. Martin, it inevitably results in the same questions: why isn’t he working on The Winds of Winter? Is this new thing finished or do we have to wait on sequels?

To answer the second question first, The Plague Star is a full and complete story, and Voyaging, Volume One covers it in its entirety. It’s set in Martin’s “Thousand Worlds” universe where several of his stories take place, including his novel Dying of the Light as well as acclaimed shorter works like Sand Kings and Nightflyers. There are six other pieces of short fiction which follow The Plague Star chronologically, so if Voyaging does well there could be sequel graphic novels versions. But in the meantime, you can pick up Voyaging, Volume One without fear that it’s going to end on some cliffhanger.

As for whether this distracts Martin from working on The Winds of Winter, I wouldn’t worry. While the original Plague Star story was written by Martin back in 1986, the art and adaptation in Voyaging, Volume One was done by Raya Golden. Golden previously collaborated with Martin on a Hugo-nominated adaptation of his dark novelette Meathouse Man, as well as a Starport graphic novel based on an unfilmed TV pilot that Martin wrote years ago. She’s very familiar with his work and does a fantastic job with this adaptation of The Plague Star. And since The Plague Star is a full story rather than an unaired TV project like Starport or Martin’s other graphic novel Doorways, it’s a very satisfying read with a solid ending.

The Plague Star takes us aboard the Cornucopia Of Excellent Goods At Low Prices

The basic set up for Voyaging, Volume One: The Plague Star is that a group of shady characters hire an eccentric trader to ferry them out to the “plague star.” This mysterious celestial object is causing waves of disease to periodically sweep the world of H’ro Brana, taking a terrible toll on the sentient species living there.

The characters in the group are classic Martin; there’s a stuck-up anthropologist who hates cats, a military historian dreaming of reliving his glory days, a cutthroat blackmarket dealer, a cyborg who can hack into any system, and a mercenary who just wants to get paid. And of course there’s the captain they hire: Haviland Tuf, an androgynous trader who travels the galaxy in his starship, the Cornucopia Of Excellent Goods At Low Prices. Unlike the anthropologist he takes on board, Tuf loves cats. He has two who live on the ship with him: Havoc and Mushroom, the latter of which shares a name with the scandalous dwarf from Martin’s Fire & Blood.

Raya Golden’s artwork is vivid. Going back to the 1986 text version of The Plague Star after reading the new graphic novel, I was struck by how perfectly Golden’s illustrations matched Martin’s descriptions, not just literally but also in spirit. There are some outlandishly fun moments in the graphic novel. The art style is like an acid trip through ’80s science fiction, which feels just right.

When I first started reading The Plague Star I wondered if this might make Voyaging feel a bit too light, since Martin often leans into horror and pitch-black humor. But Golden strikes the balance in a way that meshes well with Martin’s world. Yes, there are silly moments, but also some that are gruesome or scary enough that they kept me on the edge of my seat. Some of the creatures in particular really leap off the page.

I was also very impressed with the adaptation choices Golden made, like changing some of Martin’s narration into dialogue, or slight tweaks to scenes to make them land better in a visual medium. Voyaging doesn’t change anything major, but all of those small quality-of-life upgrades help the graphic novel stand on its own merits.

Voyaging is an essential read for any George R.R. Martin fan

In fact, I’d go so far as to say that if you are a die-hard George R.R. Martin fan, Voyaging is a book you want on your shelf. This graphic novel is around 60 pages longer than Martin’s original Plague Star novella, and Golden makes good use of the slightly longer book to flesh out the story and add lots of stunning graphics. Having read both versions of the story in a short span of time, I can say with confidence that Voyaging, Volume One is an excellent way to experience the story of The Plague Star, whether you’re familiar with Tuf Voyaging or not.

And that story is good. This is a sharp, focused tale filled with unexpected twists and turns. The Plague Star may not be well known among Martin’s modern fans, but it should be, because it’s a great story with memorable characters and moments. I sincerely hope Golden gets the opportunity to do more volumes of Voyaging, because this adaptation of one of Martin’s early seminal works feels special.

Verdict

Voyaging, Volume One: The Plague Star is a fantastic reimagining of George R.R. Martin’s Plague Star novella, filled with almost two hundred pages of Raya Golden’s gorgeous artwork. While past graphic novels based on Martin’s works have been hit or miss, this is one that fans of the author will not want to miss. It modernizes a classic story from the pre-Westeros era of Martin’s career with love and care. Moreover, it might just be the rare example of a graphic novel adaptation that is an even more ideal way to experience the story.

Voyaging, Volume One: The Plague Star is out now from Ten Speed Press, wherever books are sold.

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