Summary
A Song of Ice & Fire, the series HBO’sGame of Thronesis based on, but the author has been publishing works of fiction since the 1970s.A Song of Ice & Fireis widely perceived as Martin’s Magnum Opus, as it’s expanded from a series of novels to a vast multimedia franchise with beloved television shows, games, and millions of fans around the world. It’s commonly regarded to be one of the greatest fantasy book series ever written, even rivaling J.R.R. Tolkien’sThe Lord of the Rings.
The most recent main-series novel inA Song of Ice & Firewas 2011’sA Dance with Dragons, and readers have been waiting over a decade for the next installment:The Winds of Winter.George R.R. Martin’s comments onThe Winds of Winterhave ranged over time in their promise to complete the book and eventually finish the series, but luckily,the author has decades of written work to explore prior to his main fantasy series. Martin has written science fiction, beautiful short stories, and even a gothic horror novel that are well worth exploring.
10The Armageddon Rag
A Trippy Mystery With A Classic Rock Aesthetic & Fantastical Elements
1983’sThe Armageddon Ragis infamous for nearly destroying Martin’s career, as it was a commercial disaster upon its release. However, with Martin no longer having to worry about financial lulls as an author, it’s easier to reflect on the book as one of his most unique and exciting. As much as the American author loves fantasy and sci-fi, he’s also expressed an enduring passion for the rock music of the 1960s, andThe Armageddon Ragexplores a mystery surrounding the music industry and the fall of the era’s hippy culture.
for those who see themselves as the common denominator between Martin fans and classic rock lovers, it’s a must-read.
WhileThe Armageddon Ragmay seem like a rather grounded story for the author ofA Game of Thrones, the book isn’t without its fantastical elements. Some of the most alluring aspects of the novel are the oftensurreal, mystical qualities surrounding the central mystery that play out through wild dream sequences and a riveting climax. The book only has a 3.57 rating on GoodReads, but for those who see themselves as the common denominator between Martin fans and classic rock lovers, it’s a must-read.
9Tuf Voyaging
Martin’s Best Extended Work In The Sci-Fi Genre
1986’sTuf Voyagingis a fix-up novel similar to Isaac Asimov’sFoundationorI, Robot, as the works included in it were originally published as short stories in the late 1970s and 1980s. Before Martin was widely recognized as a master of fantasy, he was known best for his work in the sci-fi genre. Like Asimov, who’s regarded as one of the most influential sci-fi writers ever, Martin had his own science fiction universe, including his debut novel in 1977,Dying of the Light,along withTuf Voyaging.
Tuf Voyagingitself is an underappreciated sci-fi masterwork, mixing Martin’s affinity for short-form narratives with his skill for overarching character design. Each short storyoffers an exciting ride through some of the most imaginative worlds in the genre, and when combined together, the protagonist, Tuf, becomes one of Martin’s best leads. The book has a 4.11 score on GoodReads, making it one of his highest-rated titles not included in theA Song of Ice & Fireseries.
8Dreamsongs
The Best Anthology Of Martin’s Short Stories & Novellas
As previously mentioned, George R.R. Martin is an exceptional short story writer, and the two volumes ofDreamsongsare the best books to brush up on all of his material. As any short story collection does,Dreamsongs’contents range in quality, but different narratives will appeal to different readers, making ita fail-safe option for anyone looking to explore his other work without diving into an entire novel. The short stories and novellas range from sci-fi to children’s fantasy to horror to more.
Some of Martin’smost iconic short works are contained inDreamsongs, includingSandkings,Nightflyers,The Ice Dragon, andA Song for Lya. It’s hard to compare a set of shorts to completed novels, but some of the writing inDreamsongsis so quintessentially Martin that it’d be impossible to ignore it. It’s a terrific anthology set with something for any audience to enjoy.
7A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms
A Collection Of ASOIAF Prequel Novellas
TV fans may recognize the titleA Knight of the Seven Kingdomsas it’s one of the manyupcomingGame of Thronesspinoffs, set to be released in early 2025. The book is anotheranthology collection featuring three novellas in the world ofA Song of Ice & Fire, set decades beforeA Game of Thrones. While they’re not quite as compelling as the main series, the novellas can be perfect either as a more accessible entry point to Martin’s fantasy universe or as a lighter follow-up/breaking point to the main saga.
undoubtedly beloved supplementary material to theA Song of Ice & Firesaga
A Knight of the Seven Kingdomsisn’t without its violence and challenging themes, butit’s a far less demanding read than the main series, allowing the reader to focus primarily on the two lead characters: Dunk & Egg. The novella set has a solid 4.23 rating on GoodReads, and they’re undoubtedly beloved supplementary material to theA Song of Ice & Firesaga. For a first-time reader who loves theGame of ThronesorHouse of the DragonTV series but isn’t prepared for a massive novel series, it can be a fun trial book.
Feast Is Missing Some Of ASOIAF’s Best Characters, But It Highlights Compelling New Ones
The fourth novel inA Song of Ice & Fire,A Feast for Crows,is an outstanding fantasy book, but its position suffers for two significant reasons.Feasthas the impossible task of following upA Storm of Swords, which is widely considered the best in the series. Secondly, withoutThe Winds of Winter,it’s difficult not to look atFeastas a derailment from the saga’s overarching narrative. When the final installments are released, it may be easier to reflect on book four for the variables it established rather than the characters it left out.
Characters like Cersei and Brienne are given their first POV chapters, allowing them to shine in new ways, while brand-new POV characters in Dorne and the Iron Islands continue to expand the saga as an ever-growing, multi-faceted political web.
A Feast for Crowsis without Jon Snow, Daenerys, and Tyrion, which is particularly harrowing after Tyrion’s cliffhanger ending inA Storm of Swords. Still, there are notable virtues to the novel that earn it a 4.16 on GoodReads, despite possible reader frustrations. Characters like Cersei and Brienne are given their first POV chapters, allowing them to shine in new ways, while brand-new POV characters in Dorne and the Iron Islands continue to expand the saga as an ever-growing, multi-faceted political web.
5Fevre Dream
Martin’s Best Standalone Novel Is A Vampire Masterpiece
The 1982 bookFevre Dreamis Martin’s best standalone novel and another of his oeuvre’s most individual installments. The novel has been described as “Bram Stoker meets Mark Twain,” a description that adequately encapsulatesFevre Dream’saesthetic but doesn’t quite cover just how fascinating its narrative is. George R.R. Martin uses many of the talents prominently featured inA Song of Ice & Fireto createa world of vampire mythology that’s endlessly captivating, with characters like Joshua York, the Pale King, among his best.
Martin proved his worth as a horror writer with his genre-blended sci-fi stories, butFevre Dreamchannels an entirely different aspect of his writing talent.The 19th-century setting allows for rich social commentary to support his vampire narrative, adding to the visceral horror at play. It’s another excellent entry point to Martin’s work, as it’s far shorter than hisA Song of Ice & Firenovels while offering a similar appeal.
4A Dance With Dragons
Dance Doesn’t Push The ASOIAF Narrative Forward Very Much, But There’s Still A Lot To Enjoy
2011’sA Dance with Dragonsoften suffers from many of the same criticisms asA Feast for Crows, though itbenefits from the return of Jon, Danaerys, and Tyrion. The book also follows in its predecessor’s footsteps by following new, exciting characters like Young Griff, immediately adding layers of complexity to the political landscape.Dancewill likely also benefit from the release ofThe Winds of Winter, but until then, it’s on the lower end of the pack forA Song of Ice & Firenovels.
A Dance with Dragonsis the largest book in the series, and while quantity doesn’t mean quality, there’s a ton there for readers to sink their teeth into.It doesn’t push the overarching narrative forward as crucially as the first three novels, but its expansions have given readers a plethora of material to analyze, earning it a still impressive 4.34 rating on GoodReads. There’s a ton of fascinating material that expands Martin’s world, butDanceultimately hurts from feeling like an establishing block forWinds.
Every Upcoming A Song Of Ice & Fire Book That George R.R. Martin Has Planned
The Winds of Winter has been famously delayed for over a decade, but it’s not the only A Song of Ice & Fire George R.R. Martin has planned.
3A Game Of Thrones
AGoT Changed The Fantasy Genre Forever
book 1 of Martin’s saga covers ground at a swift pace that rarely ever bores the reader with non-essential detail
In retrospect, it’s no wonder thatA Game of Throneswas adapted into one ofthe best TV shows of all time. The enormous page count of theA Song of Ice & Firenovels may turn off some potential readers, but once one familiarizes themselves with his world and characters,A Game of Thronesis a breeze of riveting, unforgettable dialogue. While many famous fantasy works follow characters slugging through the woods on quests, book 1 of Martin’s saga covers ground at a swift pace that rarely ever bores the reader with non-essential detail.
The 1996 fantasy masterwork may not be the best in its series, but it deserves all the credit possible for laying the foundation for the groundbreaking saga.A Game of Thronesalmost immediately changed fantasy with its subversion, contrasting Tolkien’s standards and creating a world where no one is truly good or eviland where no one is safe. The book’s 4.44 GoodReads rating summarizes the near-unanimous acclaim for this fantasy triumph.
2A Clash Of Kings
ACoK Elevates The Material Of ASOIAF
The second volume inA Song of Ice & Fireis a toss-up with the first.A Clash of Kingsarguably doesn’t have a moment to rival the sheer shock and dread of Ned Stark’s death, but one could argue that it elevates the material all around. After Robert Baratheon’s death, war and havoc have broken out across the Seven Kingdoms, andthe more spread-out POV characters allow readers to experience Westeros from a wider lens for the first time.
The loss of a protagonist of Ned Stark’s quality could have damaged most series, butthe increased volume of Tyrion chapters allows the series to maintain momentum while the younger cast of Stark children and Daenerys continue to come into their own.A Game of Throneslays the foundation perfectly, andA Clash of Kingsdemonstrates the possibilities for complex character-building in this world. The addition of Theon as a POV character and new characters like Stannis and Davos widely complement the ensemble.
Why The Winds Of Winter Is Taking So Long: 6th A Song Of Ice & Fire Book Delay Explained
The wait for The Winds of Winter continues well after Game of Thrones ended, but there are clear reasons why George R.R. Martin has taken so long.
1A Storm Of Swords
ASoS Is Arguably The Greatest Fantasy Novel Of All Time
A Storm of Swordsis not only George R.R. Martin’s best book, it’s arguably the greatest fantasy novel ever written. The third volume ofA Song of Ice & Fireisso expansive and jam-packed with climactic events, fulfilling many of the arcs established by the first two volumes in shocking, gut-wrenching ways that only Martin could pull off. Events like the Red Wedding and Tyrion’s trial by combat define the series, and Storm has them in abundance.
AnyGame of Thronesfan knows the book’s most celebrated moments, but experiencing the merciless onslaught of the third volume is a literary experience in and of itself.
Book 3 has the series' highest rating on GoodReads, with a near-perfect 4.54, proving the merits of the epic.A Storm of Swordsis the golden standard for modern fantasy and the novel that solidified Martin as one of the great writers of his generation. AnyGame of Thronesfan knows the book’s most celebrated moments, but experiencing the merciless onslaught of the third volume is a literary experience in and of itself.
Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones is a multimedia franchise created by George R.R. Martin. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire is the basis for the award-winning HBO series Game of Thrones, which lasted for eight seasons. After the incredibly divisive final season of Game of Thrones, the series was followed up by the prequel series House of the Dragon, which also received critical acclaim.
