Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Dying of the Light

3.55 of 5 stars 3.55 · rating details · 1,253 ratings · 110 reviews

In this unforgettable space opera, #1 New York Times bestselling author George R. R. Martin presents a chilling vision of eternal night—a volatile world where cultures clash, codes of honor do not exist, and the hunter and the hunted are often interchangeable.

A whisperjewel has summoned Dirk t’Larien to Worlorn, and a love he thinks he lost. But Worlorn isn’t the world Di...more

Paperback, 288 pages

Published September 28th 2004 by Bantam (first published 1977)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Books I wish I had never read

141st out of 565 books — 605 voters

Those of My Blood by Jacqueline Lichtenberg

LIST OF FICTIONAL SUB GENUS HOMO SPECIES AND ALIEN HUMANOID SPECIES

8th out of 107 books — 12 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 2,624)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Feb 24, 2013 La Stamberga dei Lettori rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: daniele

Dici G. R. R. Martin e pensi subito a “Le cronache del ghiaccio e del fuoco”. Purtroppo, però, gli intrighi, le battaglie, gli amori e le lotte per il trono di spade hanno bisogno di molto tempo per poter essere gustate, soprattutto dal pubblico italiano. Cosa fare tra un capitolo e l’altro? Guardare la serie tv potrebbe essere una soluzione, ma se sapete già recitare tutte le battute a memoria e la vostra suoneria del cellulare è “Rains of Castamere”, una buona soluzione può essere quella di r...more

like · see review

Feb 14, 2013 Carrotkhan rated it 2 of 5 stars

It was pretty good. I started reading it because Mr. Martin was talking about it on his blog. I thought I'd give it a try. It reminds me of the classic sci-fi. Or, rather, the sci-fi I started reading when I was young, all written in the 70's. It had that 70's feel to it. I don't know that I ever understood the main character. Both he and the female lead seemed so wishy-washy in how they'd oscillate between standing their ground and being talked out of their supposed firm conviction. The Princes...more

like · see review

Dec 10, 2012 Andrew rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I went back this month to re-read some of Martin's early SF. This was his first published novel, I believe -- he already had a short-fiction Hugo and a couple of nominations in his pocket.

Like nearly all of Martin's SF, this book is set in the Thousand Worlds: a loose far-future history spanning millennia of time and a range of narrative styles. The planet Worlorn is wonderfully named and wonderfully gothic: a rogue planet which happened to drift into the multiple star system called the Hellcrow...more I went back this month to re-read some of Martin's early SF. This was his first published novel, I believe -- he already had a short-fiction Hugo and a couple of nominations in his pocket.

Like nearly all of Martin's SF, this book is set in the Thousand Worlds: a loose far-future history spanning millennia of time and a range of narrative styles. The planet Worlorn is wonderfully named and wonderfully gothic: a rogue planet which happened to drift into the multiple star system called the Hellcrown, beyond the Tempter's Veil. The nearby stellar nations jumped on the opportunity for potlatch, and spent years terraforming and building temporary cities for a decade-long planetary Festival. And now the Festival is over, the tourists are gone, and empty Worlorn is drifting back into the interstellar night.

Tell me that isn't the best SF setting ever.

Dirk t'Larien is haunting some backwater of the Thousand Worlds when he gets a message from Worlorn: a psi-jewel etched with memories of his ex-lover, Gwen Delvano. They once traded promises to come, either to the other, if so summoned. So off he goes. It turns out that Gwen is studying the ecology of the dying planet, and is married... sort of.

The story centers on the society she has married into. The world of High Kavalaan has a history which will be familiar to Bujold fans: loss of spaceflight in a great interregnum, invasion by aliens, nuclear and biological assault, mutation, near-extinction -- and thus a societal swing to xenophobia, obsessive genetic purity, and over-the-top patriarchal wingnuttitude.

Unlike Barrayar, High Kavalaan isn't so much obsessed with honor as with face. Kavalars go armed and ready to duel for called insult. Their women are legally property, which brings us back to the storyline, of course. Jaan, Gwen's lover/husband/owner, is a cosmopolitan guy -- they met on the high-tech world of Avalon -- and their relationship wasn't a problem until he brought her home to meet the family. Specifically, to Jaan's shieldbrother/lover/husband Garse, who is, well, more progressive than Kavalar average but still a shock to Gwen.

The societal clash has pushed the trio out to Worlorn, nominally for ecological research, actually to get away from it all. Inevitably, they brought it with them. Plus there are *other* Kavalars on Worlorn, for their own not-so-progressive reasons. That's where Dirk walks in -- blind to the whole mess and still carrying a torch for the young Gwen. Tragedy encued.

This is unquestionably a novel about relationships, and unquestionably *not* a romance; I don't think Martin writes romance, ever. Don't go into this looking for hot OT3. All the relationships are broken, and the characters are trying to feel out new ones. The science-fictionality is that Gwen's position -- emotionally abused, caught between at least four men who all care for her and are hurting her in different ways -- is nonetheless a privileged one; most women on High Kavalaan are rape-fodder locked in basements. I think the point is to knock over the cultural norms and focus on the brokenness. (Readers may disagree about this. But it's safe to say that Martin *never* implies that Gwen should be grateful for what she's got, and at the end of the book she's created something better.)

Bujold, of course, spends books and years trying to draw what's admirable about Barrayar out from the mountain of blood and pain it rests on. Martin asks the same question about a tougher target. I think he's somewhat clumsy about it -- seriously, rape-fodder in basements, and people hunting humans for sport. We're supposed to believe that most of High Kavalaan has modernized, and is building starships and so on instead of fighting world-wars, but we don't get any sense of social change on this human level -- only Jaan's personal rebellion, and the varying attitudes of the other Kavalars. I think the story would have been stronger for a little more display of Kavalar society and its layers.

(Also, every other planet we might contrast it with is a total cipher. Dirk's viewpoint might as well be 1977-Earth-normal, and the other major society represented in the plot -- Kimdiss, home of another ecologist -- is pacifist cardboard.) (Although, to be fair, Bujold has the same problem in _Shards of Honor_. We really see nothing of Beta Colony, except as a "sane" foil to "mad" Barrayar, until that brief scene late in the book.)

Nonetheless, and after all that, Dirk *does* (and we do) get a sense of what High Kavalaan has that is valuable. It may not be much, it may not be what he was hoping for, and it may cost him -- the epilogue makes that clear. But it's better than clinging to a relationship that died seven years ago.
(less)

like · see review

Nov 27, 2012 Terry Barker rated it 4 of 5 stars

Take Game of Thrones and move it to outer space, and you've got this novel. Not that Martin can only write only one type of novel--it works very well, and Mr. Game does a very nice job of writing in a completely different genre. The world that we're taken to is in another solar system, where this particular planet (Worlorn) has such an extreme elliptical orbit that it has seasons that are decades long.

In the story, the planet is headed into Fall, and because of the coming harsh winter, most peop...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 05, 2012 Ste80 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sono un'appassionata lettrice delle "Cronache del ghiaccio e del fuoco", straordinaria saga fantasy scritta da George R.R. Martin. E' con molta curiosità che mi sono immersa nella lettura di "In fondo il buio", romanzo di fantascienza scritto da Martin nel 1977 e ripubblicato da Gargoyle.

Se fosse il pianeta Terra, un giorno, a finire la sua luce e a sprofondare per sempre nel buio intergalattico?

Un giorno Dirk’t Larien riceve una gemma dell'anima, una pietra in cui è racchiuso il ricordo di tut...more Sono un'appassionata lettrice delle "Cronache del ghiaccio e del fuoco", straordinaria saga fantasy scritta da George R.R. Martin. E' con molta curiosità che mi sono immersa nella lettura di "In fondo il buio", romanzo di fantascienza scritto da Martin nel 1977 e ripubblicato da Gargoyle.

Se fosse il pianeta Terra, un giorno, a finire la sua luce e a sprofondare per sempre nel buio intergalattico?

Un giorno Dirk’t Larien riceve una gemma dell'anima, una pietra in cui è racchiuso il ricordo di tutti i sentimenti che provava per Gwen, il suo grande e perduto amore. La pietra è una promessa e un messaggio che dice "Vieni da me, perchè ho bisogno di te". La pietra è il suo grande amore, che gli chiede di andare da lei a Worlorn. Dirk parte, animato dalla speranza di una seconda possibilità. Ma quando ritrova Gwen scopre che il suo amore è realmente perduto, perchè lei è legata inesoralbimente e in modo servile a due ambigui personaggi: Jaan Vikary e al suo “teyn” Garse. Entrambe provengono da Alto Kavalan, un pianeta primitivo dove la popolazione vive ancora in clan e dove la legge è violenta e sanguinaria. Gwen è "sposata" con Jaan, ma per le leggi di Alto Kavalan deve legare la sua vita anche a Garse. Questa situazione di rapporti ambigui e poco sostenibili, porterà alla nascita di scontri all'ultimo sangue.

La storia è improntata sul triangolo amoroso Dirk-Gwen-Jaan, ma attorno a loro ruotano dei personaggi secondari, interessanti e ben descritti. Una delle doti migliori di Martin è proprio la capacità di creare personaggi verosimili e descritti in modo completo. Ognuno di loro ha una personalità complessa, ben definita e credibile. Lo scrittore crea un mondo dominato da 14 popolazioni e di tutte da un affresco ben preciso attraverso la descrizione delle città da loro costruite. Ampio spazio viene dedicato alla popolazione proveniente da Alto Kavalan. Lo scrittore crea una nuova popolazione di cui definisce leggi, usi e costumi in modo dettagliato e creativo.Gente ostile e sanguinaria, ha delle leggi che i più possono trovare disturbanti e altamente barbare. Chi come me è abituato alla scrittura di Martin, sa che per lui violenza, rabbia e morte fanno parte della scrittura, perchè sono reali nella vita. .

"Un vagabondo, un viaggiatore senza meta, una scoria della creazione; questo era il pianeta."

Il mondo creato dallo scrittore è malinconico, ma nella sua profonda tristezza diviene poetico e bellissimo. Worlorn è un pianeta che vaga solitario per la galassia, condannato ad un ultimo ed inesorabile viaggio verso la sua fine. Lontano dal sole, porta su di se distruzione e bellezza allo stesso tempo. Tutto ormai è abbandonato, ma sotto la scorza di degrado ci sono ancora schegge dell'antico splendore che per lungo tempo lo ha abitato. Le descrizioni delle vecchie città costruite dalle popolazioni sono precise. Tutte possiedono un "loro fascino ed una macabra bellezza".

Le strade di Musquel erano come serpenti dalla schiena spezzata, tortuosi viali acciotolati su cui si affacciavano torri di mattoni multicolori. Era una città di mattoni. Azzurri, rossi, gialli, verdi, arancioni, dipinti a strisce e a pois, mattoni cementati di malta nera come l’ossidiana o rossa come Satana nel cielo, assemblati in pazzesche forme contrastanti.

La storia è scritta con uno stile scorrevole. Contrariamente a molti altri scrittori, Martin non perde tempo a descrivere in modo ossessivo ambienti o sentimenti dei suoi personaggi. Con le parole giuste riesce a dare al lettore l'indicazione affinchè possa creare da solo la visione di ciò che sta leggendo. Lo scrittore delinea una trama che è sì complessa, ma che si snoda in modo fluido e senza mai annoiare. Non da mai un'opinione sui personaggi: ognuno è il "buono" ed ognuno può diventare il "cattivo" e fino alla fine non si intuisce "chi farà che cosa".

Consiglio davvero questo libro a tutti gli amanti del genere: rappresenta un'opera di grandiosa immaginazione, che narra una storia potente, vissuta da protagonisti forti e che resteranno nella vostra memoria.(less)

like · see review

Nov 09, 2011 Nigel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An interesting, complex debut novel from George RR Martin, Dying Of The Light is an old-school planetary romance that reminded me quite strongly of both Cordwainer Smith and CJ Cherryh, oddly enough, though the setting is pure Jack Vance. Worlorn is a wandering world that enjoyed a brief heydey when, passing near a specatcular star system, it was transformed into a festival world where all the primary centres of human civilisation built cities to house thousands and even millions of inhabitants...more An interesting, complex debut novel from George RR Martin, Dying Of The Light is an old-school planetary romance that reminded me quite strongly of both Cordwainer Smith and CJ Cherryh, oddly enough, though the setting is pure Jack Vance. Worlorn is a wandering world that enjoyed a brief heydey when, passing near a specatcular star system, it was transformed into a festival world where all the primary centres of human civilisation built cities to house thousands and even millions of inhabitants in an extravagant display of wealth and technology. Now the planet is drifting back into the dark and the cold is closing in and only a few last remnants of the festival throngs remain.

One of those remnants, a former lover, summons Dirk t'Larien to Worlorn. Gwen is caught in an odd marriage to a Kavalar, a marriage that in the eyes of Kavalar society, reduces her to the status of property. Furthermore, a particular faction of a die-hard conservative Kavalar holdfast are on Worlorn hoping to revive a forbidden tradition: the hunting of humans for sport. Caught between his love for Gwen, his growing respect for her husband, who is on Worlorn to thwart the hunters and his troubled search for his own sense of self, Dirk becomes enmeshed in the struggle and the divided loyalties and the battle between the old and the new, haunted by the spectre of death on a dying planet.

Martin's strengths as a world-builder and a story-teller are on full display here. The universe he creates is far bigger, richer and deeper than the planet of Worlorn, though nearly all the action takes place there. Did he ever revisit it, I wonder? Did he intend to? His facility for conjuring history and romance and mystery out of a few brief asides and suggestive comments and names is part of what makes him such a pleasure to read. His frank examination of a martial culture, bound by codes of honour and formal bonds and the attraction it holds for both the romantically inclined and the aimless and the lost prefigures the proud medieval chivalric culture of the Seven Kingdoms, as does his unflinching study of its dark side: the horrifying misogyny and the violence inflicted on those deemed unworthy or outside that culture.

The books ends oddly: after a frantic, edge-of-the-seat hunt, there is a period of waiting and then an anti-climax, followed by a coda that ends without a resolution, though not without resolve. It fits the setting and the theme perfectly, though, and speaks to Martin's integrity as a writer and fidelity to his vision. I hope that once the Song is finished he might consider a return to science fiction. It's clearly his first love.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 11, 2011 Jan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, speculative, z-2011

All right, I’m writing the first half of this review while I haven’t finished the book, but I’m having too much frustrated thoughts without an internet connection to put them into status updates, so I thought I’d write everything up into this preemptive review, and then later paste it all together into Goodreads.

Seriously, I’m having massively mixed feelings about this book. In one hand there’s the hero who just doesn’t learn and the heroine who’s just so stupid and insensitive. But in the othe...more All right, I’m writing the first half of this review while I haven’t finished the book, but I’m having too much frustrated thoughts without an internet connection to put them into status updates, so I thought I’d write everything up into this preemptive review, and then later paste it all together into Goodreads.

Seriously, I’m having massively mixed feelings about this book. In one hand there’s the hero who just doesn’t learn and the heroine who’s just so stupid and insensitive. But in the other hand there’s the huge history (with wars, colonization and independence stuff), and incredible culture building, with both mythical and plausible cultural footings. There so much here that is made of pure awesomesauce, but unfortunately we’re forced to see it all through the eyes of an arrogant dimwit.

Needless to say, I didn’t really like Dirk.

I’m still not entirely sure what kind of book this is, even after I peeked to see the ending (it didn’t make anything clearer alas). It’s an adventure novel at the surface, but it’s so much more, only all the rest is only touched at the surface as well. I’m just not sure. It’s so different from all other books I’ve read by Martin. It’s not bad, I’m just not sure how to exactly wrap my head around it. I think at heart, even though Martin didn’t intend it that way, this is a Science Fiction Romance… Only, the hero of the romance is not the hero of the story. The hero of the story isn’t really a hero at all, even if he comes around a bit at the end.

Everybody just has their own truth in this story, and most of these truths are based on entirely different cultures and ways of viewing the World. Strangely enough I had more sympathy for the the two anti-heroes who were part of one of the most mysogynist societies I’ve encountered in fiction, than for the main character who fought against their culture, only for all the wrong reasons.

This book is as much a conflict between old and new lovers as it is a culture clash, and it is filled with so much lies, half lies and misunderstandings it makes me sad. These people are stuck on a dieing World, and I’m pretty sure they’ll die there as well, and I don’t really care, because most of them have used up my sadness by now, and Dirk, he’s still just a bit too stupid and easily manipulated and superficial for me to really care. If he had acted like he was acting now from the beginning I might have sympathized, but by now, I feel I’m definitely in the anti-hero camp of things, and I just want the book to be over, because I want a happy ending for him, and Dirk made that accidentally impossible, and I’m just tired.

***

Now that it’s finished, I’m surprised how spot on I was. The only thing I didn’t catch half way down, is how tragic it all was. I also didn’t expect the ending to be as open ended as it was (which is something I dislike in general, and Martin better not do this for the ASOIAF books). But, as is usual for Martin, a lot of people die, even some of the ones you expect to survive. Some die in a very sad and tragic way. And the way everyone has been manipulated just made me feel tired, because it was such a waste of people and their happiness. If not for the meddling this book didn’t have to happen, and everyone could have been spared their lot. I guess it still works as a happy ending in the romance area of the book, but I’m not entirely sure, and well, It’s only two thirds the way I wanted it to be. It isn't an Unhappy Ever After, so I'll have to give it some credit.

All in all, I’m not satisfied by this book. It did evoke emotions, but never without me being annoyed. I just think this story could have been more if it had been told by someone different. Or at least by multiple POVs. And while it has a lot of the things that make Martin one of my favorite authors, it never really hit the spot for me, so I’m a bit disappointed.
(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Jun 23, 2010 Aaron rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Science Fiction Fans

A strong planetary romance in the tradition of that genre, with a constant element of suspense. This is a book about life and death which lives and dies by its science-fiction premises, more than by its characters' own confrontations with its life and death motifs. For the most part, this is simply because its characters aren't all they could be, and their relationships are in many cases not at all well fleshed out. Some resolution is offered in its final ten pages, but this is really all that i...more

1 like · like · see review

May 29, 2013 Fantasy Literature rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-by-kat

3.5 stars
In the outer fringe of the inhabited universe, the rogue planet Worlorn falls darkly through space. But years ago it circled the Wheel of Fire, the brilliant wheel-shaped star system that is worshipped by many in the outworlds. Worlorn, the Wheel of Fire’s only planet, was lit for fifty years before it wandered off again. During that half-century, the outworlds held a cultural diversity festival on Worlorn, with each world trying to outdo the others when building their extravagant tempo...more

like · see review

Apr 28, 2009 David rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

Worlorn is an asteroid that is floating through space and, for the first time, a solar system that will allow it to sustain life (for the 50 years it will be in the solar system). In honor of this, it is being used as a festival planet, with each culture of the 13 other planets creating a city on it. But by the time Dirk finds himself drawn there by a former lover, Worlorn is dying. Leaving the system, it is getting colder and darker by the day, and Dirk finds himself in danger from the world's...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 29, 2013 Youssef rated it 1 of 5 stars

George R.R. Martin created an incredibly rich universe where human civilisation is rebuilding itself after war and collapse, then, in its midst, placed an ephemeral planet in advanced decay. Used, then discarded by civilisation, it's being slowly engulfed by cold and darkness.
But then, he chose to put against this backdrop the sorriest characters in that universe. Dumb, fickle, inconsiderate, cowardly and thoroughly uninteresting. The result is a tedious story where you grow frustrated by the v...more

like · see review

Nov 01, 2012 Liontinx rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Me lo encontré por casualidad en la biblioteca y, dado lo que me encantan los libros de canción de hielo y fuego, lo cogí a ver que tal estaba.

La ambientación es PRECIOSA, el autor no sólo a creado un mundo con una historia apasionante y emotiva, sino que a lo largo del libro se mencionan rápidamente otros planetas, culturas y razas que se merecerían un libro en sí mismas. El aura de decadencia que rodea toda la trama es estremecedora y algunos detalles simplemente maravillosos. También hay disc...more

like · see review

Apr 16, 2008 Annaliese rated it 4 of 5 stars

I only have one more Martin (plus his graphic novel) left after this, so I doled this one out over my second week of vacation. Fantastic. I love the way Martin writes characters that are mostly well meaning but still have real conflicts. This book delves into issues around morality, what anchors us, and promises. I think I'll recommend this one to my dad. Moving, sad, and a fantastically rich setting.

1 like · like · see review

Jan 20, 2010 Aaron Delay rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book is hard to quantify because of a few things. One is that George RR Martin is a seriously impressive author. Legend is one of the words that would be use to describe him. His Throne Of Kings series blows the door, walls and roof off anything that tries to compete.

And therein lies the trouble. This book is a short novel and is not a three or four book volume series where details and stories can be slowly marinated over a warm fire. The ideas and backstory is avalanched down on the reader...more

like · see review

Apr 06, 2013 Scot Eaton rated it 5 of 5 stars

I only gave it a 5 because I couldn't give it a 6. This is truly one of the best books ever written. Martin truly creates a culture that jumps right off the page, and before you even get to appreciate the beauty of it, he throws it into conflict with a culture modeled after 20th century America. The planet Worlorn itself is also very believable. But the characters... my gosh, the characters! You will not find a single character in this novel that is not fully formed. There is a depth of writing...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 15, 2012 James rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, edminster-group

This is the first novel by George R. R. Martin that I have read and I was not sure what to expect since he has become so successful in the last decade with the Game of Thrones series. Dying of the Light was George RR Martin's first novel, published in 1977. It is set in his SF 'Thousand World's' milieu. The edition I read included a glossary that was helpful to some extent, but I found some terms that were annoyingly not included in the glossary. As a first novel it exhibits some of the typical...more This is the first novel by George R. R. Martin that I have read and I was not sure what to expect since he has become so successful in the last decade with the Game of Thrones series. Dying of the Light was George RR Martin's first novel, published in 1977. It is set in his SF 'Thousand World's' milieu. The edition I read included a glossary that was helpful to some extent, but I found some terms that were annoyingly not included in the glossary. As a first novel it exhibits some of the typical weaknesses of the genre, especially as regards to pacing. The first half of the novel is terribly drawn out. There are some moments when Worlorn, the dying planet on which the action of the novel takes place, and its flora , fauna, and dying cities are beautifully described. However, I felt that the plot meandered around without a purpose for a while. In the second half, the book's various story lines coalesced into a much more driven narrative and the pacing ramps up to an ambiguous finale.

The action takes place on Worlorn, a world without a sun, ejected from its home system by a supernova millions of years ago and now hurtling out of the Galaxy. For a few years as it passed the colossal red super-giant star, Fat Satan, and Worlon became a Festival Planet, with millions flocking from the outer worlds to spend a decade partying before it passed beyond the edge of the Galaxy. Now the Festival is over, most of its inhabitants departed, leaving behind a remainder determined to stay as long as possible before the planet freezes and becomes cloaked in eternal night. The story begins when the protagonist, Dirk t'Larien, is summoned to Worlorn by his former lover, Gwen Delvano, for a reason she will not identify. On Worlorn Dirk finds that Gwen is the lover and bonded partner of Jaantony Riv Wolf high-Ironjade Vikary, a visionary leader from the barbarous world of High Kavalaan. And, as he learns more about the Kavalar he becomes convinced that Gwen is ensnared in an unwanted situation. However, as Worlon passes into the night, greater stakes are raised and Dirk becomes caught in a desperate struggle for survival. This abridged version of the plot only hints at the surprising complexity that is encompassed in a novel of less than two hundred fifty pages.
The main characters are well-drawn. However the relationship between Dirk and Gwen seems a slight basis for such an elaborate setting. The Kavalar species have complex codes of honor that seem to alternately control the story and get in its way. The plot also relies too much on coincidence. For example, during a critical passage for Dirk when he is in extreme danger he just 'happens' upon another person who has been killed, thus allowing him to appropriate a weapon that is critical for his continued survival. Without giving anything away I must comment that the ending is weak as well. Overall I was disappointed in Martin's first foray into the Science Fiction novel. The pacing in the first half of the book has a tendency to drag somewhat and I was particularly disappointed at the lack of depth in the narrative given the elaborate nature of the setting. His more recent work has received the imprimatur of popularity and that suggests that he may have improved as a writer.(less)

like · see review

Apr 18, 2012 Michael rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

This is George RR Martin first novel and even early in his career, readers can see the world building and realistic character development of his future novels and series.

Dying of the Light is one of the many stories GRRM has written in his intricate futuristic universe. The whole story takes place on the dying planet of Worlon. The planet will shortly move out of its orbit and no longer be able to sustain life.

Dirk t'Larien received a whisperjewel from his former lover Gwen Delvano and keeping...more This is George RR Martin first novel and even early in his career, readers can see the world building and realistic character development of his future novels and series.

Dying of the Light is one of the many stories GRRM has written in his intricate futuristic universe. The whole story takes place on the dying planet of Worlon. The planet will shortly move out of its orbit and no longer be able to sustain life.

Dirk t'Larien received a whisperjewel from his former lover Gwen Delvano and keeping true to his promise he arrives to Worlon to find out what Gwen called him after seven years.Gwen is an ecologist studying the planet and the effects of the slow death of the planet. She is here with her betheyn Jaan Vikary and his teryn Garse Janacek, along with her friend Arkin Ruark.

Everyone is on the planet for their own motives and Dirk is caught in a deadly triangle with Jaan and Gwen. Everything is not as simple as it initial seems as there are other forces at work. A veil of secrecy with it hard to distinguish friends from enemies on a world with no rules, laws, or honor. The only code on the planet is those that each character brings with them.

There are many characters that has similar traits to other characters from Martin's other novels. Which leads me to believe that these characters could easily be based off of many real people from GRRM life. I could identify with the characters and can understand what the characters are going through. I believe anyone that has experienced the joys and sorrows of life can relate to GRRM novels.

The ending leads a bit of an opening and it can be viewed in many different ways. However, I feel the endings was a great ending for a story that takes place on a dying planet. The characters learn that some things just can't be fixed and are dead and they need to move on. That life is not what one dreams of and that life hardly ever goes the way we plan. That we must make do with what we have and continue to live.

I would recommend the book to any fans of GRRM other works. As well as fans of science fiction. Martin does a wonderful job with creating a world and the cultures of many different people on many different planets. (less)

like · see review

Feb 10, 2013 Marnie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Mi è piaciuto. Questo è solo l'inizio della grandiosità creativa di George R.R Martin. Un pianeta morente dove due ex amanti si incontrano dopo tanti anni. Una richiesta di aiuto che un uomo ferito sceglie di accettare. Non trova quel che sperava che trovare e come succede spesso nelle sue storie, si scivola in un vortice di perdizione da cui non si torna indietro. E tornano i nomi complicati (Ironjade, Alto Kavalar, Braith, cro-betheyn...). Non riesce ancora a non farti annoiare quando racconta...more

like · see review

Dec 31, 2010 Bill rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this as a child. I can't remember much of the book except that it left me in a very strange and new mood as a young boy that many adults will eventually feel often. A feeling of treasured moments lost forever in the realization that what made them precious perhaps never was at all.

As I remember it, this was a book of lost love. And I actually only remember two moments of the book, that moment at the beginning when he is alone on a big wide river and his long lost love calls to him throug...more

like · see review

Jul 23, 2012 Marc Strozyk rated it 3 of 5 stars

It was good. I did expect it to be better since it was written by George RR Martin. It was however his first novel. My biggest grip was with the naming of the characters, ie Jaantony Riv Rolf High-Ironjade Vikary. Sometimes he goes by Vikary, sometimes by Jaan, sometimes by Jaantony, sometimes High Ironjade etc. When you got more than a dozen characters with this naming convention it gets a bit confusing as to who is who. Regardless, I did find it entertaining. Neat to see where George started a...more

like · see review

Jun 12, 2013 BaiLing rated it 2 of 5 stars

Apparently, Game of Thrones is much much better.

全是為了Game of Thrones。

雖然科幻小說一直不是我容易喜歡的範疇，但是Game of Thrones不一樣，應該說，HBO拍的電視劇讓我覺得奇幻小說原來也可以這麼複雜精彩，所以，為了看電視時不要「預知後事」，還忍耐不看原著小說。既然這書是Game of Thrones作者的處女成名作，應該可以從中領略一下奇幻/科幻的新世界。

故事是從德克收到七年前分手情人寄來的信物，跟隨召喚前往見到葛雯說起。但其實人事已非，葛雯已經成為卡瓦蘭人傑恩的「配儕」(妻子)，但卡瓦蘭人的風俗是每個男人/武士，都會有個共生死的「悌儕」。傑恩的「悌儕」叫嘉思，他不但和傑恩共赴決鬥，也和傑恩共享「配儕」。

作者花很多力氣在描述他所創造出來的卡瓦蘭人民族風俗、歷史、文化。德克的角色看似是主角，其實是目睹在孤星上殘存人類部落的衰亡及相互殘殺的見證者。德克和葛雯的愛情只是楔子，從來不是重心所在，反而是男人之間的情誼，類似同性之愛，才是故事中大書特書的部分。

到末了，德克陷入如同獵物被人欻殺的狀態，整個過程讓我彷彿讀著Hu...more

like · see review

Apr 10, 2012 Joe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: older-sci-fi

A little harder to get into initially than much of Martin's sci-fi work, Dying of the Light is still completely worth finishing.
While the beginning laboured much with the laying down of information and character backgrounds (I admit I left the book for a week or so after reading the first few dozen pages)once i found myself past this section I was engrossed in the story. A story of a complex alien culture interwined with the sadness of a one-sided human relationship. All this on a near-uninhabit...more

like · see review

Mar 04, 2013 Susy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian, bleak-and-depressing, gut-wrenching, stayed-up-all-night, memorable-villain, science-fiction

It took me ~125pp to get into Dying of the Light, but I am glad that I stayed with it as I really appreciated the second half of the novel. I can definitely see this being an early effort for Martin: neither Dirk nor Gwen were very well-drawn and the most compelling characters were Jaantony and Garse, who we were supposed to dislike as the POV was Dirk. I understand that we couldn't know Gwen very well since Dirk really didn't understand her, but nevertheless, I failed to see why he was putting...more

like · see review

Nov 06, 2011 Noora rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not a happy book, and not particularly well-written, but at times thought-provoking.

The story is set in an absorbing science fiction universe, on a melancholy dying planet which is nobody's home world and where everyone lives by their own code. Topics like loyalty, violence and honour are explored through a people from a planed called High Kavalaan, who not only clash with outsiders, but also between the more traditional and liberal factions of their own culture.

The plot is hard to judge. At fir...more

like · see review

Nov 27, 2012 Jill rated it 3 of 5 stars

If you're a fan of the Song of Ice and Fire novels (Game of Thrones), this first novel by George R.R. Martin might entertain you while you wait for the next installment. But it's far from perfect. After a breathtakingly lovely prologue--both beautifully written and philosophically interesting--the rest of the rather long story stumbles around a bit. You can see Martin working out how to tell a story about love and loyalty as they try to reach across cultural and language differences, but it isn'...more

like · see review

Nov 01, 2012 Kat Hooper rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook

3.5 stars http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...

In the outer fringe of the inhabited universe, the rogue planet Worlorn falls darkly through space. But years ago it circled the Wheel of Fire, the brilliant wheel-shaped star system that is worshipped by many in the outworlds. Worlorn, the Wheel of Fire’s only planet, was lit for fifty years before it wandered off again. During that half-century, the outworlds held a cultural diversity festival on Worlorn, with each world trying to outdo the oth...more 3.5 stars http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...

In the outer fringe of the inhabited universe, the rogue planet Worlorn falls darkly through space. But years ago it circled the Wheel of Fire, the brilliant wheel-shaped star system that is worshipped by many in the outworlds. Worlorn, the Wheel of Fire’s only planet, was lit for fifty years before it wandered off again. During that half-century, the outworlds held a cultural diversity festival on Worlorn, with each world trying to outdo the others when building their extravagant temporary cities on a planet they knew they’d only inhabit for a few decades.

Now that Worlorn is fading into darkness again, the cities are almost completely abandoned, but there are a few people left on the planet. When Dirk t’Larien is summoned there by Gwen, the ex-girlfriend he still loves, he discovers that Worlorn is no longer a festival planet. Now it’s dark and dangerous. Worse, though, is that Gwen is now mated to Jaantony Riv Wolf high-Ironjade Vikary, a leader of the Kavalar race which, in order to protect its few women and children, has developed some barbaric customs and codes. Most notably, men form high-bonds with a male partner and may have a wife as a shared piece of property. Jaantony, both a warrior and an academic, is eager for his peoples’ culture to become more liberal towards women, but his is a minority opinion. The man he is bonded to, Garse Janacek, does not agree. And the larger faction of the Kavalar race, including some who are hunting non-Kavalar humans on Worlorn, is happy to find any reason to pick a fight with Jaantony Ironjade. When Dirk gets to Worlorn, he unwittingly walks right into the middle of a tense situation and only makes it worse.

Dying of the Light, first published in 1977, is George R.R. Martin’s debut novel and it’s impressive. The setting is wonderful: a dying planet getting farther and farther away from its sun; abandoned cities; jungles with strange and deadly life forms; fascinating cultures. My favorite feature was the city of Challenge which is a 500-story building housing thousands of apartments and lots of cool amenities. Because it’s run by machines, much of Challenge is still operative though only a handful of people still live there. The most exciting action in Dying of the Light occurs in Challenge — I loved this part of the story.

The clashing cultures that Martin creates are also imaginative and fascinating and he hints at plenty of history and backstory that he never gives us but that make this world feel real. I wish he’d write more about it. I’d love to read about the fifty sunny years on Worlorn, for example.

Unfortunately, none of George R.R. Martin’s characters are likable. Dirk is passive and Gwen is flighty and indecisive. It was hard to root for them as a couple, especially when Jaantony Ironjade was more interesting than Dirk. I’d classify Dying of the Light as a science fiction romantic tragedy (in fact, Dirk, who calls Gwen “Jenny,” likens their situation to the disastrous love triangle in the Arthurian legend) but the romance and the tragedy would have been more effective if Dirk and Gwen had been admirable characters. As it was, I didn’t really care what happened to them in the end.

Overall, Dying of the Light is impressive and surprisingly sophisticated for the first novel of a young author. If you’re a fan of GRRM, it’s a must-read. Dying of the Light was initially serialized in Analog Science Fact/Science Fiction with the name After the Festival in 1977. The novel was nominated for the Hugo and the British Fantasy Award. I read Subterranean Press’s recent publication which has wonderful artwork by Tom Kidd (both glossy color sheets and black and white drawings). I also tried Dying of the Light in audio (recently produced by Random House Audio) and was pleased with Iain Glen’s narration.(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Dec 25, 2011 Teresa Ingram Basye rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, sci-fi

I'm glad I read this debut GRRM novel, though I found it absolutely depressing (as a novel set on a dying planet should be.) The characters lack depth and failed to invoke my sympathy but I found many major themes and political intrigue that are definite trade marks of GRRM's later works. To read a novel by a giant in fantasy literature before he actually finds his stride and signature style is enlightening for an aspiring writer. And, it's so short! I couldn't help comparing and contrasting it...more

like · see review

Feb 01, 2013 April rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc

Dying of the Light is George R.R. Martin's first published novel. Originally released in 1977, it shows Martin as a rising star in worldbuilding. As a debut effort, it's outstanding, but not without flaws.

Worlorn is a rogue planet, cold and lifeless. As it approaches the great black sea, a vast empty area of space, it is terraformed and made into a place of celebration for a few short years before continuing on into the void. The nearby "Fringe" planets each build a city on Worlorn and celebrat...more Dying of the Light is George R.R. Martin's first published novel. Originally released in 1977, it shows Martin as a rising star in worldbuilding. As a debut effort, it's outstanding, but not without flaws.

Worlorn is a rogue planet, cold and lifeless. As it approaches the great black sea, a vast empty area of space, it is terraformed and made into a place of celebration for a few short years before continuing on into the void. The nearby "Fringe" planets each build a city on Worlorn and celebrate the festival for ten years. Now, the planet is moving on away from the suns that temporarily gave it life, but before the terraforming fails, there is unfinished business to be conducted on a world with no codes and no laws. We follow Dirk as he comes to the aid of his ex-lover, Gwen, who is ostensibly on the planet to study the results of mixing ecologies from different worlds in one place. Dirk has no idea what he's getting himself into, of course.

As many fans will attest, Martin has a way with complex characters and complicated relationships. Each member of this cast is fully realized. The biggest flaw in characterization here is with Dirk, the main character. Not enough of his thoughts and feelings are available to the reader, so it feels as though he is only a partially known quantity, despite being the focus of the story. In a way, though, it provides some interesting entertainment - occasionally Dirk does something surprising, so his actions are not all clichéd and predictable.

There is a line between subtle, clever surprises that are within character and those that an author - especially an inexperienced one - places in just for shock value. For the most part, Dirk's actions fit what we know of him, and it's hard to pinpoint what is off about him. It is just that there is a jagged edge to the journey he takes to know and like himself better: his actions and thoughts don't always line up perfectly within that framework. What's great about his character, though, is the way he can be generous and selfish at the same time. He wants to do what's right for those he loves and cares for, even when it hurts him; he also tries to get what he wants out of a given situation, and that's something most people can relate to.

The other characters and their relationships, as well as their relationships to Dirk, are fascinating as a study of human nature. Through these relationships, Martin attacks definitions: what is love? What is slavery? or brotherhood? While it is true that Dirk's (and others') growth of character is subtle, readers will find that there is definitely an arc of philosophical bent present in the story, and it adds to what is otherwise a borderline generic plotline.

The strongest aspect of this novel is the setting and worldbuilding. The concept behind the story is very - dare I use the word? - original and exciting. Building on the idea of a mixture of cultures that come together for the festival, the setting itself can almost be seen as character. Each city is an avatar of the people who built it - people who have gone home now that the festival is over. The cities, man's way of shaping meaning to the chaos, provide contrast to the mashed ecological diversity of Worlorn. This relationship between city and wilderness mirrors mankind's struggle to conquer animalistic instincts, a consideration deeply explored in the novel.

Martin's debut novel has a fantastic concept, enchanting environments, and some great, flawed characters. In any debut, there will be some lack of polish, but there's little enough in this offering that I would recommend it to any Martin fan, as well as any science fantasy fan.(less)

like · see review

Apr 10, 2012 Theresa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: review

the dying of the world, the dying of the love they shared two lovers are traped on the planets as it slowly melts into oblivion ...wow a powerful piece, this story talks about love, and grief, memories, and obligations. lost loves and cultural beliefs, fire the drama and suspense of the story, and shows that the individual is reactive to the world through all the ties that bind. A wonderful story to read and learn the depth and obligation of true heartfelt love.
wow a powerful piece, this story...more

like · see review

Jun 03, 2011 Trayana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, sci-fi, eng

От началото на годината насам поддържам строг читателски режим опитвайки се да наваксам с по-стари фантастични романи. Образователна политика: Разреждане на ърбън фентъзи романите със „сериозни четива”. За съжаление нито една от прочетените тази година фантастики не достигна почетната позиция „мой тип книга” т.е. „книга за препрочитане”. Доволна съм, че в средата на година попаднах на такава и съвсем не съм изненадана, че авторът ѝ се оказа Джордж Мартин, който е толкова талантлив и толкова муде...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 87 88 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
La Stamberga dei ...: La luce morente di G.R.R. Martin	1	5	Feb 24, 2013 08:30am
Description in incorrect language	1	5	Nov 11, 2012 06:24am
FantasyItaliano: In fondo il buio	1	6	Oct 02, 2012 01:18am
Why are everyone talking about Wild Cards?	3	23	Jun 10, 2011 10:16am

combine
Other Editions (28)

More editions...

Genres

Science Fiction

79 users

Fantasy

33 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

5 users

Romance

4 users

Science Fiction > Dying Earth

4 users

Science Fiction > Space Opera

4 users

Literature > American

2 users

Speculative Fiction

2 users

Adventure

2 users

Book Club

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About George R.R. Martin

George R. R. Martin was born September 20, 1948, in Bayonne, New Jersey. His father was Raymond Collins Martin, a longshoreman, and his mother was Margaret Brady Martin. He has two sisters, Darleen Martin Lapinski and Janet Martin Patten.

Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children for pennies,...more George R. R. Martin was born September 20, 1948, in Bayonne, New Jersey. His father was Raymond Collins Martin, a longshoreman, and his mother was Margaret Brady Martin. He has two sisters, Darleen Martin Lapinski and Janet Martin Patten.

Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children for pennies, dramatic readings included. Later he became a comic book fan and collector in high school, and began to write fiction for comic fanzines (amateur fan magazines). Martin's first professional sale was made in 1970 at age 21: "The Hero," sold to Galaxy, published in February, 1971 issue. Other sales followed.

In 1970 Martin received a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, graduating summa cum laude. He went on to complete a M.S. in Journalism in 1971, also from Northwestern.

As a conscientious objector, Martin did alternative service 1972-1974 with VISTA, attached to Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation. He also directed chess tournaments for the Continental Chess Association from 1973-1976, and was a Journalism instructor at Clarke College, Dubuque, Iowa, from 1976-1978. He wrote part-time throughout the 1970s while working as a VISTA Volunteer, chess director, and teacher.

In 1975 he married Gale Burnick. They divorced in 1979, with no children. Martin became a full-time writer in 1979. He was writer-in-residence at Clarke College from 1978-79.

Moving on to Hollywood, Martin signed on as a story editor for Twilight Zone at CBS Television in 1986. In 1987 Martin became an Executive Story Consultant for Beauty and the Beast at CBS. In 1988 he became a Producer for Beauty and the Beast, then in 1989 moved up to Co-Supervising Producer. He was Executive Producer for Doorways, a pilot which he wrote for Columbia Pictures Television, which was filmed during 1992-93.

Martin's present home is Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (he was South-Central Regional Director 1977-1979, and Vice President 1996-1998), and of Writers' Guild of America, West.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/george...(less)

More about George R.R. Martin...

Books by George R.R. Martin

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)

A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, #2)

A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, #3)

A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire, #4)

A Dance With Dragons (A Song of Ice and Fire, #5)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Dying of the Light

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Dying of the Light

“Give a thing a name and it will somehow come to be.” — 13 people liked it

“Can they love without a word for it?” — 4 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Dying of the Light
avg rating	preview: Dying of the Light Goodreads rating: 3.55 (1253 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/67956.Dying_of_the_Light?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1350000440l/67956.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/67956.Dying_of_the_Light?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Dying of the Light by George R.R. Martin[/url]

Dying of the Light

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website