Dying of the Light

The glossary / explanatory notes at the back of this novel are amazing! George R.R. Martin has done a fantastic job creating a very intricate universe for this story. After all of the work and incredible imagination that went into the appendix, I assumed that the author would go on to write a whole series of novels. Instead, we only have this one novel set in this universe - a tragedy of the first order! In fact, this is R.R.'s only science fiction novel.

All of his Martin's earlier output, including a wide range of material (many assembled in the wonderful collections Dreamsongs I and II) was in stories - both fantasy and science fiction. He did not get into novels in a big way until his much later Game ofThrones, and it's all fantasy.

I should perhaps explain why I would only give the novel 2 1/2 stars, and then rave about the author and certain aspects of the book. The rating comes about because I gave the novel a "B-" when I read it five years ago. If A+ equals 5 stars and we drop a half star with each step, then B- equals 2 1/2 stars, (and a C- would equal 1 star, leaving D, E, F, etc. equalling 1/2 stars).

My rating system: I begin with one star being equivalent to a rating of "C -". Progressing upwards, I add ½ star for each step, up to the maximum 5 stars, which is equivalent to a rating of "A"+. I reserve ½ star for BOMBS, there being no option of zero or negative stars.