- Shopping Bag ( 0 items )
Want a NOOK? Explore Now
Martin received his bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from Northwestern University. After graduation he served two years in VISTA, then worked as a teacher and chess tournament director in the Midwest, while continuing to craft award-winning short fiction. His first full-length novel, Dying of the Light, was published in 1977. A dark, lyrical sci-fi tone poem set on a doomed world without a sun, the book was nominated for a Hugo Award.
Throughout the 1980s, Martin worked in television, writing for science fiction- and fantasy-themed shows like The Twilight Zone and Beauty and the Beast. At this time he became involved with Wild Cards, a long-running anthology series composed of "mosaic stories" written by multiple authors and set in a shared universe. In addition to editing the series, Martin has contributed stories to the Wild Card books.
In 1996, Martin published A Game of Thrones, the first installment of his magnum opus, the epic fantasy series A Song of Fire and Ice. Set in the Seven Kingdoms, a realm resembling medieval Europe, the internationally bestselling series has provided the ultimate showcase for Martin's formidable world-building and characterization skills.
During the course of his long, prolific career, Martin has accrued every major literary prize for science fiction or fantasy writing, including the Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, Bram Stoker, Daedelus, and Locus awards. But what endears him especially to his readers is his extraordinary accessibility. A tireless participant in genre conventions and festivals, he maintains a cordial relationship with his fans through his website and blog. He is also a member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America.
As a conscientious objector, Martin did alternative service from 1972-1974 with VISTA, attached to Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation.
Martin was class valedictorian of his high school. In 1970, he graduated summa cum laude from Northwestern University.
In the mid-1970s, Martin supplemented his income by directing tournaments for the Continental Chess Association.
itsjulia
Posted August 10, 2011
These are great books. I hate putting them down! But I would recommend spending a little extra and buying each book separately, if you're reading them on a nook. This "box set" has all four books as one file, so you have 3500+ pages in your nook book. That makes navigating with the page number slider very imprecise. And there are so many details in these books that I often wanted to go back and find another chapter, but it was just too much hassle. Might be better read in paper format, but at least having each as a separate nook book would be a big help.
150 out of 158 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 27, 2011
Love the series!
Too bad that you can currently buy 4 books for 19.97 and ebooks are running 29.99. I begin to think my nook purchase was a mistake.
70 out of 86 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Maikataot4
Posted April 25, 2011
The basic outline of this series is good, but I got very tired of wading through all the unnecessary sex in order to get to the next part of the story. I can understand the use of some of it in order to make a point about the violent natures and "undesirability" of some of the characters, but it just went on and on and on, when I wanted to get on with what was happening with the characters and plot. I found myself skipping huge (and incredibly boring) scenes of brothels, molestations, etc, just to get the next real plot development. Wish I had checked it out from my local library instead of buying it. Don't know if I want to get the next installment of the story, because I don't think I want to waste my time mining for so little gold.
67 out of 151 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted March 27, 2012
Spend the extra $$$$ and buy each book seperately. I love the story, very well written but the ebook set is horrendous. You can't easily move to different books or parts of the same book. Sometimes it messes up and I can't even turn to the next proper page. Instead it jumps ahead or takes me to a completely different part of the book. Often I have to turn my nook off and back on to get it to work properly. Not pleased at all. I wish I could return it and purchase the books seperately to be honest.
54 out of 62 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.JDHelms1208
Posted May 1, 2011
I'm about halfway through this on my nook and I love it. It ranks up there with the original Dragonlance Chronicles and the Belgariad. Not read those? Add them to your list. Don't know how to say it any clearer. In depth characters, plots within subplots etc... but nicely laid out so the story doesn't trip over itself. Warning if you don't like complex characters with deep development and in depth descriptions you may not like this book. In a true sense of art though, the author keeps it moving and the pace is brisk. Hang on! In the game of thrones you either win or die.
51 out of 57 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.LunaSeaHB
Posted June 23, 2011
This is not your standard fantasy fare. No damsels in distress, pointy hat wearing magicians or the like. This series is a powerhouse of strong characters being hurdled along in a world dominated by politics. Perhaps my favorite aspect of Martin's writing is his ability to allow the characters to actually grow and change as the world affects them. By the time book four rolls around, the stunningly beautiful jerk that you wish someone would behead is starting to grow on you. You see where he's coming from and you see his growth as an individual. I guess what I'm trying to say is that Martin's characters aren't just cogs put in place to turn predictable literary devices. They're vibrant and interesting people that you just can't turn away from.
This is the fantasy series for people who love fantasy. This is the fantasy book for people who loathe fantasy. This is the fantasy book that breaks all the stereotypes of the genre. If I could choose one series of books to read for the rest of my life, this would be it.
47 out of 53 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.These are fantastic books, the books themselves get 5 stars but the copies in this boxed set get 1 star because they have been known to have missing pages. The copy of A Feast for Crows that came with my boxed set was missing pages 565 to 574, but other reviews that I've read have mentioned their copies missing a hundred pages or more. Luckily my local B&N took the set back without question. Even though this is cheaper skip on this boxed set and buy the books individually.
44 out of 55 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.theReader278
Posted June 29, 2011
I Also Recommend:
I am so excited! I love this set and am finished with the second book of the series. Those books have a story that keeps you entertained for hours.
42 out of 47 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Canuck72
Posted June 26, 2011
I got hooked on this because - I have to admit it - I watched the series on HBO... which by the way is INCREDIBLE!! I loved watching the show so much - I started watching the episodes ahead of time on HBOGO since I couldn't wait until the next Sunday... then I realized it was a BOOK... so I bought it on my nook - actually the series of four. And thank the gods I did that! I cannot put this series down - I devoured book one (correlates to series 1 on HBO) and I have to say - I am very VERY impressed by whoever wrote the Screenplay - it is so exacting to the book (so far) that I almost felt when reading the actual book that I was reading a script! Now that I am into book 2 I am enjoying the progress of the characters even more. I cannot wait to find out what happens to each and every one of them. Having the Chapters divided by the Character focus is brilliant - it just makes me want to keep on reading - it pains me to put the book down - and all I think about all day is when I can next start reading again... which reminds me...
33 out of 35 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Jennifer1580
Posted July 14, 2011
Wow, was going to buy... but not now! The profit margin is crazy on NOOKs now.
28 out of 58 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.stupid
Posted April 26, 2011
I Also Recommend:
The first book to the forth book I was totaly hooked!!! It may start dull but as it progrest it became amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
26 out of 34 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Kburritt
Posted September 12, 2011
No lend me feature coupled with having to buy the whole series equals fail! I want to buy your content so stop making it so hard to do so.
25 out of 44 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.8692164
Posted June 29, 2011
I wish the books were seperate entities in my library rather than just one. A disappointing implementation. I have these in paperback and find the plot twists and character deaths surprising. I sure hope George R. R. Martin works to finish the series soon.
18 out of 22 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted March 4, 2012
Let me count the ways that this is so very poor. The format is abysmal. I will NEVER buy another "series set" in nook format. In 2 yrs I have read over 200 books on my nook and this is the absolutely worst format I have come across. Can't move thru the books at all. You should be able to navigate thru each one. The cost of the books was ridiculously expensive considering other available options. But above and beyond nook or B&N issues, the books were boring. Entirely too wordy and long. I think Martin likes to hear himself think way too much. The general premise and boiled down story line isn't bad, but OMG get to the point. I rarely ever stop reading a book but was repeatedly temped to do so. I wish I had not bought the set, more because of the poor story structure, over abundance of words, and boring writing, than the nook issues. I will not be buying additional books.
17 out of 26 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.sdstoryteller
Posted August 31, 2011
This collection has the rare distinction of being one of only three books (or series of books) that I will never finish. I managed to slog through the first book and got through about 100 pages of the second before I gave up. It's not that Martin can't write. He can. His characters are very good, very clear, and very believable. His world is also believable. But that's where it ends. Whatever action is in these books is so cleverly disguised that you can easily miss it. And the fact that each chapter is focused on a particular character is not an issue until you're completely thrown out of one line of plot and into another that is so totally unrelated (at least at this point) that any sense of excitement or urgency is lost by the time you get back to the action. Also, you need rubber gloves and boots to get through some of the totally unnecessary sex in here as well. Particularly as some of it (all of it???) is VERY unsavory to most folks with decent sensibilities. In the end, I'm left wondering what is so wonderful here as a book, but can see it working for HBO (if you're into that sort of ick).
16 out of 31 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 28, 2011
I really wanted to like this book. My friends are all talking about it. I bought this set and admit I have paused (?stopped) in the middle of the first book. I am not really crazy about fantasy books to begin with. However, this author introduces about 4 to 6 new characters on most pages. Not only do we have all the characters with weird/similar sounding names but we get their entire geneology thrown in to boot. I am an avid reader and read an average of a book every day (or two) but I found this very tough to slog through... It just did not capture my interest. Wish I had saved the cash.
16 out of 26 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Ozzy12
Posted May 11, 2012
I Also Recommend:
Wonderful books with great characters and an amazing story. loved the book and the movie!
11 out of 17 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.gospeedy012
Posted May 14, 2012
I've been a little disappointed with this series of books. My expectations were probably unrealistically high after reading a number of reviews rating these books as among the very best of the fantasy genre. While they are entertaining and a worthwhile read, for me, they pale in comparison to The Sword of Truth and Wheel of Time series. Just one opinion...
7 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted March 16, 2012
I loved Games of the Thrones miniseries on TV so I bought the boxed set for my nook. It had great ratings; I love epic series so this seemed perfect. Book 1 was great, book 2 was okay then it went downhill. It became an endless, meandering tale that seems to go nowhere. The main characters all seem to be killed off just about the point you come to like them. So bad is the author killing off of main characters, as a reader I started not to want to like a character because they were going to die for sure. Good never seems to triumph and the situation continues to disintegrate into a dark depressing muck with no end in sight. This is not the Lord of the Rings, and the author does not write half as well as Tolkien. The style of the books is kind of intriguing at first but by book 3 it is tedious. If you want to read this series buy it 1 book at a time and see if it to your liking. Remember not all the books are on the NY Times best seller list, just something the author has done.
7 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.littleredDK
Posted June 25, 2011
It's been years since I read such a great series. Highly recommend, but be sure that you will have plenty of time to read because you won't be able to put these down!
7 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Overview