Martin, George R.R. Books - Page 3

A Game of Thrones: D20-Based Open Gaming RPG

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A review by a gamer for gamers 5 out of 5 stars.
50 of 53 people found this review helpful.

This book is a remarkable achievement in d20. It offers several innovations, and also pares away some of the more ridiculous aspects of the system as we have known it. But even more impressively, this publication is distinguished in its tastefulness, outclassing any other d20 game with its maturity of style and imagination. This is gaming for grownups.
This 495 full-color hardback is a comprehensive rulebook and campaign setting. If you didn't already own the core rulebooks, you wouldn't need to get them, because it's all here--handbook, DMG, and bestiary rolled into one. The bestiary, of course, is very small, because this is a low-fantasy (almost historical) setting. You won't find a catalog of abberations, walking funguses and extraplanar half-whosywhatsits. You won't find dozens of ridiculous, superheroic, micro-niche prestige classes. And you won't find elves, or gnomes ... or any such breeds. Who needs them? Magic and mosters are gone . . . except for a few surprises here and there, which are really special.
What do you find? The heart of the game is human drama. You have Realpolitik, war, alliances and betrayals, intrigue, spying and struggle. In order to cultivate this kind of gaming experience, they draw on the work of one of the greatest living writers of science fiction and fantasy, George R. R. Martin. (Read the novels, if you haven't already.) But the game also contributes a promising innovation with the rules for Reputation and Influence. These mechanics are to the social and political what the Base Attack Bonus is to combat. Influence points are a way of measuring a character's power in the social sphere, and of adjudicating a character's efforts to get others to do what he wants.
In standard d20 games, a character with a high Diplomacy skill may be effective in getting people to have a friendly disposition towards him, but how do you determine what a friendly disposition actually gets you. Now there is a mechanic for determining that. An Influence check is used to call in a debt, command, persuade or otherwise coerce someone to actually do what you want (whether they like you or not).
Reputation is a way of defining how you are perceived by others, in terms of specific characteristics. For example, a character may get several reputation points as a Ruthless Brute, which will come in handy when he wants to Intimidate and hinder him when he wants to gain trust.
There will be combat, of course, though perhaps not as frequently. (Wounds take time to heal when you don't have potions and spells ready at hand.) In place of lightning bolts and acid arrows, they have added more options and possibilities in hand-to-hand combat. First of all, armor gives you DR rather than an AC bonus. (Shields are different). Armor classes will tend to be not quite as high as we are used to, but on the other hand damage will be smaller too. However, if you want to deal more damage, you can opt for one of several types of called shots, which allow you to customize your attack strategy based on your opponents defences. There are also some good rules for becoming fatigued due to the encumbrance of armor. Only playtesting can tell, but it seems to me that combat strategy may be more interesting in this game. More deadly? You'll have fewer hitpoints. On the other hand, there's the Shock Value feature, which makes it a lot more likely that you'll be temporarily incapacitated long before your hitpoints are gone. Characters at first level will have about the same number of hitpoints as comparable D&D characters, but as your character advances, you'll gain fewer hitpoints. I think the reason for this is that average damage dealt by a hit will not increase as much either. It might turn out that first-level is more survivable and higher levels are more dangerous than in D&D.
Perhaps my only complaint about this game is that it may be more difficult for the Gamemaster. The setting is not nearly as static as something like the Forgotten Realms. Things change in this world, and fast! So, if the GM has any intention of staying true to the novels, he will have to think carefully about the timeline and know what's going on in the story. And Martin hasn't finished writing novels yet! If the future is being determined in the imagination of George R. R. Martin, then there are some limitations on how much the players (or the GM) can change).
Another challenge for the GM will be that without monsters and abundant treasure, he will have to keep things interesting in the story arc, or the game will fall flat.
On the up side, players should be able to plug into the drama of politics and war fairly easily. There should be less of a problem coming up with motivations for your character to "go adventuring" (Ugh!) You won't need artificial motivations, because by the nature of the game your character will have loyalties and enemies, not to mention the task of keeping his corpse from being eaten by crows!

Aces Abroad (Wild Cards, Book 4)

George R.R. Martin

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

An International Wild Card Novel 4 out of 5 stars.
6 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Aces Abroad is exactly what the title says - American Aces going outside of the US. A delegation of Aces, Jokers, and Nats( all in a Boeing 747 names The Stacked Deck), goes abroad to see the situation of aces outside the US. They go to South America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe - in short, a 'round the world' tour. After three books that focused on the US, the much needed international perspective to the story was finally given. Perhaps the highlight of the books was the return of Greg Hartmann, masterfully written by Stephen Leigh. I really liked Leigh's Strings in the first Wild Card book, and his story here, is every bit as well written, and if it isn't as tense, that's a fault of the narration, not opf the author - but wait, we'll get there. Other things worth mentioning - for the first time we get a Joker perpective. Both the continous Journal of Xavier Desmond, and John Miller's story, have an Joker narrater(Des and chrytalis, respectively). We also get answers to several nagging questions - about the Huge Ape with the passion for Blonds, about Tachyon's past, and best of all - a little more information about the Envoy. Priceless. The average level of story telling was rather high. I thought there were only 1 stincker in that pack - Down in Dreamtime, a terrible story about Jack the Aligator Man's niece. I must admit I forgot her name. Ok, but what's wrong witht he books? The greatest complain is the lack of real plot. We get basically adventures. The Stacked Deck arrives at a country, bad stuff happends. then it arrives at a new country, and a new aqdvanture starts. There's little feeling of a continuous story, despite some attempts there. Especially bothering is the fact that at the end, all the stories seem to be about Terrorists. That was somewhat of an overkill. Tachyon, for one, becomes annoying. I won't spoil anything, but he turns out more and more annoying. Snodgrass writes a nice story about him, but I don't like the direction they're taking the character. A Final complaint is that George R R Martin doesn't write a story for the book, but only the journal of Desmond, which isn't good enough for a Martin fan like me. Overall, this is a strong volume. Not as strong as ACES HIGH, maybe, but stronger then JOKERS WILD and then WILD CARDS. If you like the wild Card series, this is a good addition.

Editorial Review:

What would our world be like if superhuman heroes and villains had been real flesh-and-blood men and women who lived through the 20th century's most turbulent history? In Wild Cards 4: Aces Abroad, a fact-finding mission seeks the truth about how Wild Cards are treated in other nations. From the jungles of Haiti to the Great Wall of China and behind the Iron Curtain, the Wild Cards team investigates the fate of their fellow Aces and Jokers everywhere.

Down and Dirty (Wild Cards, Book 5)

George R.R. Martin

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

The very best Wild Card, so far 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Down and Dirty is, in my humble opinion and only so far, the best WILD CARDS book. To start with, it has the most impressive cast list: Pat Cadigan, Stephen Leigh, Melinda Snodgras, Walter Williams, the acclaimed Roger Zelazny AND my personal favorite, George R. R. Martin.

Mind you, not all is swell. We get an undesired cameback from Leanne Harper and edward Bryant. Any reasonable person who has read the series must learn to dread those two. Atleast we got rid of Lewis Shiner for this one, although I far prefer his Fortunato to the dreadful Bagabond and to Rosemarry and her straight out of a bad movie mobster friends.

So what did they have in plan for us? Well, the bad stories include newcomer's Cover tale of Leo Barnett or whatever his name is, the priest whose name in ACES ABROAD raised as many cries of outrage as McDonalds would in a French restaurant. The story is quite bad, and Barnett is an annoying type who is not the material of great villians. Harper's story isn't quite as bad as some of her other stuff, and Bryant resorrects Buddy Holly - yeah, that one. I'm a moderate Holly fun, and a big Rock fun, so I survived that story.

OK, now for the good stuff. A quarter of the book takes place between the end of Wild Cards 3: Jokers Wild, and the end of WC4: Aces High. While Tachy and company are abroad, the main plot line is of the gang war between Kien's bunch and Rosemary's mobsters.

One of the reasons this is such a great story is that it completely devided to stories: no less then 5 authors(Martin, Snodgras, Miller, Harper, and even, to my great surprise, Zelazny) - half of the contributers - devide their stories into sections.

The first quarter sees Rosemary's secret revealed (who cares?), and gives us great new insight to Croyd, the Sleeper. If the first Croyd story was tragic, and the second, Ashes to Ashes, comic - then this is about the dangerous side of Croyd Cressen, or as the the Aces Jingle( isn't that a cool idea?) goes: "sleeper waking, food taking/ sleeper speeding, people bleeding" We also see cameo appearences by Demise, Bludgeon( I thought he was dead), and later Golden boy( I wish he was dead).

In the second quarter, the aces return from their around the world trip, and we get some cute stories. Cadigan and Leigh follow stories from Aces Abraod. Cadigan tells us another tale fo Water Lily, focusing on Hiram Worchester, while Leigh continues the adventures of Kahina and puppetman. Leigh is one of my favorite WILD CARD authors, and if his piece here isn't as good as his previous one, its because he can't really push too much. The story involves Chrysalis discovering Puppetman's true identity, while he's running for presidancy.

In the last half, occuring all during one month, we see new plot line, introduced briefly earlier: a new version of the Wild Card virus. This allows for some of Snodgras's best story telling, as she writes her best story since Degredation Rites. Some plotlines I though were drearly, namely Tachyon's grandchild - seem to flurish under her capeable hand.

I still miss the enigma of Tachyon when he has been first introduced. I fear he has become too well known, lost his mystery. I would have liked some of the excitment back.

The two plotlines ar resolved in a rather nice, subdued fashion, that tells us that there will be consequences.

But let us not forget George R. R. Martin's All The Kings Horses. We have a return to the Great and Powerful Turtle - a return of sorts, at least, as Tuds goes through somewhat of a mid life crises. The turtle is an enormously difficult character to write for ( which is probably why Martin only wrote three stories abouthim so far) and Martin uses him to exploar realities of life - as well as the question 'What is it really like to be a superhero?'

Editorial Review:

WILD CARDS V: DOWN AND DIRTY

George R.R. Martin, ed.

The fifth volume in the Wild Cards alternate universe saga is set in the New York City of 1986. The simmering streets of Jokertown have erupted, as gang war breaks out between ruthless rivals: the Shadow Fists and the Mafia. As the violence rages out of control, even the metahuman Aces and Jokers alike are forced to go underground and wage their own war against the powers of the netherworld!

• The fifth volume of the reissued "shared world" superhero series created by current New York Times bestselling author George R.R. Martin.

• First trade paperback edition!

• Features stories by ROGER ZELAZNY, MELINDA M. SNODGRASS, GEORGE R.R. MARTIN, and ARTHUR BYRON COVER.

• Cover art by internationally acclaimed artist BRIAN BOLLAND.

Jokers Wild (Wild Cards, Book 3)

George R.R. Martin

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Fans of GRRM need not apply 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

My reason for writing this review is the others have missed the mark by a mile. They are all fans of George R.R. Martain's other more fantasy oriented work. This series is wildly removed from them. Of the entire line the 1st three are the absolute best. Only the 3rd book is realy one compleat story. The 1st 2 books are a collection of short stories. This simple fact seems to have escaped all the other reviewers. After words the series slowly degrades, as they all do, but there are still gems. It never gets bad just average at worst. If you are a fan of comic book heros and want to see a very well executed, realistic look at them this is the place to be. Now if they would just relase some new ones and get Allen Moore to write a story.

Editorial Review:

The streets of New York have erupted in celebration of Wild Card Day--the annual event held every September 15th to remember the dead and cherish the living. With each passing year, the festivities become larger and more fevered. And this year--1986, the fortieth anniversary--promises to be the biggest and best Wild Card Day ever. The media and tourists have discovered the celebration, and taverns and restaurants expect record-setting business. But lurking in the background is a twisted genius who cares nothing for fun and festivity. The Astronomer has only one concern: destruction...

Card Sharks (Wild Cards: New Cycle, Book 1)

George R.R. Martin

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A very nice continuation of the series 4 out of 5 stars.
26 of 27 people found this review helpful.

This is actually the first book at a new publisher; there was another 12 novels released by another publisher. This is a pretty good Wild Cards novel. Just in case you've never read a Wild Cards novel, they are science fiction based on the earth where a virus was released back in the '50s. This virus killed 90% of the people infected, 9% of the people got a Joker (deformity with or without some sort of super-power) and 1% got an Ace (a super-power of some sort). This novel focuses on a search for a conspiracy against Jokers, a group that wants to eliminate all Jokers. Rather than several stories that are loosely or not related, this novel follows the recent pattern of a single plot tied together by several inter-related short stories. The novel includes several of my favorite characters: Croyd "Sleeper" Crenson and Jay "Poppinjay" Ackroyd. Several new characters are also introduced and add to the universe nicely. Of course, the story makes more sense by knowing some of the background from the previous novels, but they are not necessary. Especially with the ending which left me saying "Oh no" to myself.

Editorial Review:

Someone is trying to wipe out the jokers--those shadowy behind-the-scenes global players--and they must fight back before they are completely destroyed.

George R.R. Martin's Wild Card Universe: Death Draws Five

John J. Miller

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

An original novel set in the widely popular Wild Cards world created by science fiction scion George R.R. Martin. Edited by Hugo award winning and New York times bestselling author, George R.R. Martin. It's really quite simple. Mr. Nobody wants to do his job. The Midnight Angel wants to serve her Lord. Billy Ray, dying from boredom, wants some action. John Nighthawk wants to uncover the awful secret behind his mysterious power. Fortunato wants to rescue his son from the clutches of a cryptic Vatican office. John Fortune just wants to catch Siegfried and Ralph's famous Vegas review. The problem is that all roads, whether they start in Turin, Italy, Las Vegas, Hokkaido, Japan, Jokertown, Snake Hill, the Short Cut, or Yazoo City, Mississippi, lead to Leo Barnett's Peaceable Kingdon where the difference between the Apocalypse and Peace on Earth is as thin as a razor's edge and where Death himself awaits the final terrible turn of the card. Wild Cards: Death Draws Five is an original novel set in this shared world utilizing characters from other Wild Card adventures. John J. Miller Splitting his life between the Empire State and The Land of Enchantment, John J. Miller currently resides in Albuquerque, NM, with his wife Gail, five cats, two dogs, two goldfish, and too many books to count, approximately ten of which he's written. He's contemplating getting more goldfish, and, probably, books. George R. R. Martin was born in 1948 in Bayonne, NJ. Four-time winner of the Hugo Award, two-time winner of the Nebula and editor of over two dozen novels and anthologies, and the writer of numerous short stories. His New York Times bestselling novel, A Storm of Swords (the third volume in his epic fantasy series "A Song of Ice and Fire" (was published in 2000. Martin lives in Sante Fe, New Mexico.

Windhaven

George R.R. Martin, Lisa Tuttle

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 32 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

George R. R. Martin has thrilled a generation of readers with his epic works of the imagination, most recently the critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling saga told in the novels A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, and A Storm of Swords. Lisa Tuttle has won acclaim from fans of science fiction, horror, and fantasy alike— most recently for her haunting novel The Pillow Friend. Now together they gift readers with this classic tale of a brilliantly rendered world of ironbound tradition, where a rebellious soul seeks to prove the power of a dream.

The planet of Windhaven was not originally a home to humans, but it became one following the crash of a colony starship. It is a world of small islands, harsh weather, and monster-infested seas. Communication among the scattered settlements was virtually impossible until the discovery that, thanks to light gravity and a dense atmosphere, humans were able to fly with the aid of metal wings made of bits of the cannibalized spaceship.

Many generations later, among the scattered islands that make up the water world of Windhaven, no one holds more prestige than the silver-winged flyers, who bring news, gossip, songs, and stories. They are romantic figures crossing treacherous oceans, braving shifting winds and sudden storms that could easily dash them from the sky to instant death. They are also members of an increasingly elite caste, for the wings—always in limited quantity—are growing gradually rarer as their bearers perish.

With such elitism comes arrogance and a rigid adherence to hidebound tradition. And for the flyers, allowing just anyone to join their cadre is an idea that borders on heresy. Wings are meant only for the offspring of flyers—now the new nobility of Windhaven. Except that sometimes life is not quite so neat.

Maris of Amberly, a fisherman's daughter, was raised by a flyer and wants nothing more than to soar on the currents high above Windhaven. By tradition, however, the wings must go to her stepbrother, Coll, the flyer's legitimate son. But Coll wants only to be a singer, traveling the world by sea. So Maris challenges tradition, demanding that flyers be chosen on the basis of merit rather than inheritance. And when she wins that bitter battle, she discovers that her troubles are only beginning.

For not all flyers are willing to accept the world's new structure, and as Maris battles to teach those who yearn to fly, she finds herself likewise fighting to preserve the integrity of a society she so longed to join—not to mention the very fabric that holds her culture together.

The Hedge Knight

George R. R. Martin, Ben Avery, Mike S. Miller

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

This is NOT a novel!!!! 1 out of 5 stars.
16 of 61 people found this review helpful.

This is a COMIC BOOK. For those RR Martin fans please understand that this is a graphic novel. . aka comic book.

Excellent Tale of Chivalry 5 out of 5 stars.
12 of 12 people found this review helpful.

To begin with, I have enjoyed the Song of Fire and Ice from the beginning, and I have been itching for the new book for some time. When I heard there was a graphic novel, I was both interested and disappointed. The first because it was another tale in a very interesting setting. The second because A Feast of Crows had been running late and would rather have had the book instead of the graphic novel. Upon reading the graphic novel, I found all of my fears allayed and that the book does more than just add to the setting of the Song of Fire and Ice.

I was pleased to find that the novel used figures that had been mentioned in previous book. It allowed me not just to hear about them through other character's accounts and histories, but I was able to 'see' them for myself. The book added further depth to the already expansive world.

I also discovered that the novel was based on a short story previously published in an anthology in LEGENDS, edited by Robert Silverburg. The story had been adapted to the comic book format later. Knowledge that the novel was based on a previously published story allayed any frustration I was feeling about Feast.

Most importantly though, beyond my obsession with the Song of Fire and Ice, the story was an excellent display of chivalry and character. How the virtues of knighthood of protecting the innocent and poor combat with the corruption that grows among the nobility who make up this same order. The character is taught as a Hedge Knight he is the truest form of a knight, with no other allegiance than to his vows.

I highly recommend this book not just for fantasy enthusiasts, but it is also a good moral tale, which is not necessarily straight forward.

Editorial Review:

Contains an all new exclusive short story by George R. R. Martin! An adaptation of Martin's hit novel, bringing the world of A Song of Ice and Fire to life in comic book form. Night falls over the life of one noble knight and brings the dawn of his squire's knighthood. Dubbing himself "Ser Duncan the Tall," "The Hedge Knight" sets forth to the tourney at Ashford Meadow in search of fame and glory and the honor of upholding his oath as a knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Unfortunately for him, the world isn't ready for a knight who keeps his oaths, and his chivalrous methods could be the very cause of his demise.

Wild Cards, Volume 16: Deuces Down (Wild Cards Vol XVI)

George R.R. Martin

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

The Return of a Great Series 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Browsing in a bookstore circa 1986 I came upon the first Wild Cards book. Curious, I bought it . .. and devoured it in a night.That set a patern I would follow with the release of all the subsequent books. The premise, the shared milieu, the contributions of the various writers, the twists, turns, and thrills, it was just so much fun. Like other fans, I was sorry when the series seemed to end, but I understood that the death of Roger Zelazny might want to make the others involved retire the concept. What cause for celebration then to see the Wild Cards resurrected! So, okay, this is not the most exciting entry in the series, dealing as it does with deuces, wild carders who powers seem to be useless. Not so, of course, the authors are quite ingenious at making those useless powers pivotal. There are cameos by some old favorite characters, and the last story, involving a frantic search for a specific top hat, is quite entertaining. But this book does differ from its predecessors in that it does not begin, suspensefully continue, or slam-bang conclude a story arc. I miss that Saturday serial kind of anticipatory excitement, and uneasily wonder if that means the series will not be continued any time soon. If not, too bad. I always left the Wild Cards world wanting more. I always hoped for a story about the Harlem Hammer, or the Troll, and like most fans, wondered whatever happened next to the Radical. C'mon, George R. R. Martin and co., don't leave us hanging!

Editorial Review:

An alien biological weapon was accidentally detonated over New York City, killing countless numbers of people. Those who survived, soon began to wish they had died once they discovered that they had been forever mutated by the virus unleashed in the blast. In this all-new collection of Wild Cards stories, the spotlight is on the most unusual Wild Cards of them all--the Deuces. Their role in the Wild Cards Universe is just as important as that of the Aces and the Jokers. In fact, their actions have affected the course of Wild Cards history.

Howard Who?: Stories (Peapod Classics)

Howard Waldrop

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

An American Iconoclast 4 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Howard Who? is a short story collection by Howard Waldrop with an introduction by George R. R. Martin.

It consists of the following stories.

The Ugly Chickens
This story won the Nebula and the World Fantasy awards as well as being nominated for a Hugo.
It puts forth the question What if the Dodo hadn't been wiped out.

Der Untergang des Abendlandesmenschen
I have no idea what this story was about, but I was never the less tremendously entertained by it.

Ike at the Mike
Did you ever wonder how the world would be different if Eisenhower and Patton had been in a band with Louis Armstrong rather than leading the allies in Europe? Well Me neither, but Howard did, and its a wonderful story.

Dr. Hudson's Secret Gorilla
Classic old school horror movie plot. Or old school bugs bunny cartoon either way .

. . . the World, as we Know't
I don't see the word Phlogiston used enough anymore. This story is a cautionary tale of a science experiment gone bad. Really, Really, horribly bad.

Green Brother
This is the first of two Native American centered stories. I much preferred the next one.

Mary Margaret Road Grader
Or Mad Max meets the county fair. This is a post apocalyptic story where Native American again rule the plains of the US, and they engage in tractor pulls.

"Save A Place in the Lifeboat for Me
Abbot and Costello, Laurel and Hardy, and others are sent to prevent "The day the music died." This was also one of my favorites perhaps because I've been to the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake IA many times.

Horror, We Got
You've got to love a time travel tale crossed with a Zionist conspiracy don't you? I loved this story.

Man-Mountain Gentian
Zen Sumo. 'nuff said.

God's Hooks
Izaak Walton goes fishing for a nightmare.

Heirs of the Perisphere
Another post apocalyptic tale. This time Mickey, Goofy, and Donald are the only survivors and they are trying to figure out why no one is coming to Disneyland.

I enjoyed this collection, but I've found I have a hard time getting into reading short fiction. I have a zone I get into in a book I really like, and short stories are over before I ever get to that point. Its much more of a chore to read short fiction for me. But taking that into account the writing itself is very good. Waldrop is very eclectic, and is certainly a master of the short story.

8 out of 10

Editorial Review:

"If this is your first taste of Howard, I envy you."-George R.R. Martin

The first paperback (and twentieth anniversary) edition of a landmark debut collection. Howard Waldrop's encyclopedic knowledge of superheroes, baseball players, world wars, long-dead film stars, Mexican wrestlers, pulp serials, fairy tales, and extinct species is put to good use in these sophisticated re-combinations of our pop-culture dreams.