Dreamsongs (Unabridged Selections)

By: George R.R. Martin

Narrated by: George R. R. Martin, Claudia Black, Mark Bramhall, Scott Brick, Roy Dotrice

Length: 51 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

BONUS: Each selection includes extensive commentary by author George R. R. Martin

Dubbed “the American Tolkien” by Time magazine, number-one New York Times best-selling author George R. R. Martin is a giant in the field of fantasy literature and one of the most exciting storytellers of our time. Now he delivers a rare treat for readers: a compendium of his shorter works, collected into two stunning volumes, that offers fascinating insight into his journey from young writer to award-winning master.

Audio Table of Contents:

Dreamsongs: Introduction by Gardner Dozois, read by Scott Brick

Section 1: A Four-Color Fanboy

• A Four-Color Fanboy Author Introduction, read by George R. R. Martin
• “Only Kids Are Afraid of the Dark,” read by Adrian Paul
• “The Fortress,” read by Mark Bramhall
• “And Death His Legacy,” read by Scott Brick

Section 2: The Filthy Pro

• The Filthy Pro Author Introduction, read by George R. R. Martin
• “The Hero,” read by Roy Dotrice
• “The Exit to San Breta,” read by Scott Brick
• “The Second Kind of Loneliness,” read by Mark Bramhall
• “With Morning Comes Mistfall,” read by Claudia Black

Section 3: The Light of Distant Stars

• The Light of Distant Stars Author Introduction, read by George R. R. Martin
• “A Song for Lya,” read by Mark Bramhall
• “This Tower of Ashes,” read by Kirby Heyborne
• “And Seven Times Never Kill Man,” read by Roy Dotrice
• “This Stone City,” read by Adrian Paul
• “Bitterblooms,” read by Kim Mai Guest
• “The Way of Cross and Dragon,” read by Roy Dotrice

Section 4: The Heirs of Turtle Castle

• The Heirs of Turtle Castle Author Introduction, read by George R. R. Martin
• “The Lonely Songs of Laren Dorr,” read by Kim Mai Guest
• “The Ice Dragon,” read by Emily Janice Card
• “In the Lost Lands,” read by Claudia Black

Section 5: Hybrids and Horrors

• Hybrids and Horrors Author Introduction, read by George R. R. Martin
• “Meathouse Man,” read by Kirby Heyborne
• “Remembering Melody,” read by Scott Brick
• “Sandkings,” read by Mark Bramhall
• “Nightflyers,” read by Adenrele Ojo
• “The Monkey Treatment,” read by Kirby Heyborne
• “The Pear-Shaped Man,” read by Roy Dotrice

Section 6: A Taste of Tuf

• A Taste of Tuf Author Introduction, read by George R. R. Martin
• “A Beast for Norn,” read by Roy Dotrice
• “Guardians,” read by Roy Dotrice

©2003 George R. R. Martin (P)2007 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Fans, genre historians, and aspiring writers alike will find this shelf-bending retrospective as impressive as it is intriguing." (Publishers Weekly)

Good collection, thoug they aren't ALL winners....

A decent collection of stories, from differing genres.... some better than others. Martin includes some of his very first stories that he wrote when he was little more than a teenage (they are good, foreshadowing what was to come). Apart from the Game of Thrones continuity story (A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which you can get as a novella separately with a second story). At the bookends, I loved The Skin Trade, though found that Wildcards apparently isn't my thing. Other good ones are there as well. And I found I really enjoyed Martin's intra-chapter narrations about his life and how he progressed in his career as a writer. Of note, this is the version you want to spend your credit on, as it incorporates all of the other smaller collections of the same name that you can order here on Audible. Overall, an enjoyable (and long!) collection of stories (even if I fast-forwarded through a couple of them...) and an interesting diversion for any fans of George RR Martin.

Best value audiobook by far

This audiobook is many stories for the price of one and contains varied stories from throughout Martin's career. The fact that most of them came from the same universe, gave them more value than they have as individual stories. The early works arent good, but were written by a teenager/young adult, so dont give up on the audiobook until you at least get passed them. Some of the stories were excellent and worthy of purchase individually. My favorite was "A Song for Lya". The stories of people from different worlds give a lot of interesting environments for the listener to explore. The commentary gives a look at what it is like to be a pro fantasy/sci fi writer and is interesting as well.

Really nice collection

This is a great collection of early GRRM works that is well presented.

The stories themselves are a fascinating peek into Martin's pre-fantasy work, focusing mostly on Sci-Fi and even some Stephen King-esque supernatural tales. Martin's own narration offers wonderful glimpses into his life during the time these stories were written, some of them intensely personal.

A number of the readings are underwhelming but most are quite good. As with the ASOIAF series, Roy Dotrice continues to be very hit and miss. His reading is fine but his voices are WAY off. Military commanders sound like sniveling whelps, young men and women sound like withered hags and one particular seasoned officer sounded so bloated and grumbling it was almost unintelligible. Personally, I would enjoy Dotrice's readings much more if he gave up on trying to do voices and simply read them straight. But Scott Brick is the standout reader here IMO.

A must read/listen for any George R.R. Martin fan.

No matter when you discovered G.R.R.M., whether it be early on in the pages of Analog and Galaxy or now as the mastermind behind Game of Thrones on HBO, this definitive collection showcases the stories that were the stepping stones that led from a young boy growing up in New Jersey to one of the most critically acclaimed authors in the world.

Separated into 9 thematic parts, each with its own introduction written and narrated by the man himself, you will find stories that tie into his Song of Ice and Fire series as well as Wild Cards and even his classic 1000 Worlds, all narrated by some of the best names in the business. Whether you are an avid G.R.R.M. reader or are looking to dive into his work for the first time, this collection will make him a staple of your audio library.

Extremely Satisfied

Normally I would skip introductions to get to the story, but they tell the tale of George R.R. Martin's journey to becoming the great author he is today. The stories themselves are very evocative and the variety of composition styles speaks to the decades it took for these stories to be written.
The voice performers are talented and entertaining and do a good job of capturing the spirit of the stories.
This was my first audio book written by Martin and it is done as well as I expected; a delight to hear.

Love, love, love this book

I admit my ignorance in not knowing the breadth of his work. GoT has competition.

Genius

GRRM is a true luminary, possibly the greatest writer on a few generations. His reflections on his life and inspirations are as well written and the stories they illuminate. As he so clearly enunciates in the last of these, the stories are always about the people and their relationships, and that's what connects us to the tale.

Masterful. Deserves far more recognition.

Martin's work on ASOIAF has undoubtedly overshadowed what would otherwise be considered some of the most creative SF short fiction that a reader could hope for.

Several of these stories could serve as the foundation for best-selling SF series.

Some narrators are better than others, but there's plenty to enjoy.

collection of short stories

struggled to finish, as it is a collection of short stories. I was looking for a longer story that I could get invested in the characters

Great Value

I didn't particularly enjoy the parts read by Martin, but many people might. the stories are quite good and more original than many collections of short stories I have read.