Masterworks Spotlight: Dying of the Light

An HBO television series has been garnering critical acclaim, racking up awards by the dozen and viewers by the millions, of late. Nothing unusual in that, of course; HBO is a byword for quality television. What’s notable about this series is that it’s adapted from a series of . . . *shudder* . . . Fantasy books. Hey! Maybe you’ve heard of it: it’s called Game of Thrones.

But we jest! Of course you’ve heard of Game of Thrones – who hasn’t?!  Based on the bestselling series A Song of Ice and Fire, it’s been the standout success of the last half decade, made millions of people realise that Fantasy can be a grown-up medium and made author George R. R. Martin a household name.

But what you might not know is that, before Game of Thrones made him the biggest name in 21st century Fantasy, George R. R. Martin wrote science fiction.

A whisperjewel from Gwen Delvano calls Dirk t’Larien across space and beyond the Tempter’s Veil to Worlorn, a dying Festival planet of rock and ice. Warlorn is slowly drifting through twilight to neverending night; as the planet sinks into darkness, so its inhabitants face annihilation.

Seven years ago, on Avalon, Gwen was Dirk’s lover, his Guenevere; now she wears the jade-and-silver bond of Jaantony Riv Wolf high-Ironjade Vikary, a barbarian visionary, an outcast from his own people for his acts of violence. And Garse Janacek, Jaan’s *teyn*, his shieldmate, is also bound to Gwen – in hatred. Dirk, a rogue and a wanderer, is called to be saviour of the three who are bonded together in love and hate.

But in breaking their triangle, he could lose all …

Dying of the Light is currently available as an SF Masterworks paperback. You can find more of George R. R. Martin’s work via his Author page on the SF Gateway website and read about him in his entry in The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction.