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In the Lost Lands
Short story.
About the author
George R.R. Martin
1,453 books113k followersGeorge Raymond Richard "R.R." Martin was born September 20, 1948, in Bayonne, New Jersey. His father was Raymond Collins Martin, a longshoreman, and his mother was Margaret Brady Martin. He has two sisters, Darleen Martin Lapinski and Janet Martin Patten.
Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children for pennies, dramatic readings included. Later he became a comic book fan and collector in high school, and began to write fiction for comic fanzines (amateur fan magazines). Martin's first professional sale was made in 1970 at age 21: The Hero, sold to Galaxy, published in February, 1971 issue. Other sales followed.
In 1970 Martin received a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, graduating summa cum laude. He went on to complete a M.S. in Journalism in 1971, also from Northwestern.
As a conscientious objector, Martin did alternative service 1972-1974 with VISTA, attached to Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation. He also directed chess tournaments for the Continental Chess Association from 1973-1976, and was a Journalism instructor at Clarke College, Dubuque, Iowa, from 1976-1978. He wrote part-time throughout the 1970s while working as a VISTA Volunteer, chess director, and teacher.
In 1975 he married Gale Burnick. They divorced in 1979, with no children. Martin became a full-time writer in 1979. He was writer-in-residence at Clarke College from 1978-79.
Moving on to Hollywood, Martin signed on as a story editor for Twilight Zone at CBS Television in 1986. In 1987 Martin became an Executive Story Consultant for Beauty and the Beast at CBS. In 1988 he became a Producer for Beauty and the Beast, then in 1989 moved up to Co-Supervising Producer. He was Executive Producer for Doorways, a pilot which he wrote for Columbia Pictures Television, which was filmed during 1992-93.
Martin's present home is Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (he was South-Central Regional Director 1977-1979, and Vice President 1996-1998), and of Writers' Guild of America, West.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/george...
Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children for pennies, dramatic readings included. Later he became a comic book fan and collector in high school, and began to write fiction for comic fanzines (amateur fan magazines). Martin's first professional sale was made in 1970 at age 21: The Hero, sold to Galaxy, published in February, 1971 issue. Other sales followed.
In 1970 Martin received a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, graduating summa cum laude. He went on to complete a M.S. in Journalism in 1971, also from Northwestern.
As a conscientious objector, Martin did alternative service 1972-1974 with VISTA, attached to Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation. He also directed chess tournaments for the Continental Chess Association from 1973-1976, and was a Journalism instructor at Clarke College, Dubuque, Iowa, from 1976-1978. He wrote part-time throughout the 1970s while working as a VISTA Volunteer, chess director, and teacher.
In 1975 he married Gale Burnick. They divorced in 1979, with no children. Martin became a full-time writer in 1979. He was writer-in-residence at Clarke College from 1978-79.
Moving on to Hollywood, Martin signed on as a story editor for Twilight Zone at CBS Television in 1986. In 1987 Martin became an Executive Story Consultant for Beauty and the Beast at CBS. In 1988 he became a Producer for Beauty and the Beast, then in 1989 moved up to Co-Supervising Producer. He was Executive Producer for Doorways, a pilot which he wrote for Columbia Pictures Television, which was filmed during 1992-93.
Martin's present home is Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (he was South-Central Regional Director 1977-1979, and Vice President 1996-1998), and of Writers' Guild of America, West.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/george...
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 8, 2022
Yet another George short...
This was a fun GRRM short that came close to missing its mark with an almost-too-subtle last twist.
A notable thing about this take on the old 'be careful what you wish for' cautionary tale is the POV it is related from. Generally we follow the poor unfortunate fresh from their encounter with the: mischievous genie, mysterious merchant, inscrutable mystic, greedy leprechauns, etc. In the Lost Lands, it is Gray Alys who knows what people desire, and she denies no request on her. It is from Alys' eyes that we see this story unfold, and that's a bold authorial choice. There are plenty of reasons to avoid using an enigma-shrouded, all-knowing figure as a main character...it's too easy to ruin the mystery, maybe; too tempting to try and reveal motivations. Or, on the flip side, it becomes frustrating for the reader to slog through the false tensions created by a 'protagonist' who knows everything but doesn't share it with the audience until it is convenient. Perhaps it is a function of the constraint of a short story, but Martin really pulls it off in In the Lost Lands.
Gray Alys is doubly tasked by the knight Jerais: the beautiful queen Melange wants the ability to shapeshift – to roam free and wild as a wolf in the nighttime – and Jerais himself wants badly for Alys to fail in giving the Queen what she most desires. As Alys refuses no one, it is this seemingly impossible undertaking that we watch unfold.
Martin, as always, manages to sneak in a great sense of place as he weaves this smart tale. And it is so very clever. I nearly came away disappointed, though, as the final bit of the wish granting was almost too offhand to catch. I originally thought that maybe it was just me, but when I sheepishly confessed my 'a-ha!' moment to my buddy-readers, it turned out that it wasn't apparent to them, either. It was this 'a-ha!' that elevated this short from good to great for me.
This ranks pretty highly in my estimation of Martin's short stories, and in general. Worth a read for most fantasy fans.
This was a fun GRRM short that came close to missing its mark with an almost-too-subtle last twist.
A notable thing about this take on the old 'be careful what you wish for' cautionary tale is the POV it is related from. Generally we follow the poor unfortunate fresh from their encounter with the: mischievous genie, mysterious merchant, inscrutable mystic, greedy leprechauns, etc. In the Lost Lands, it is Gray Alys who knows what people desire, and she denies no request on her. It is from Alys' eyes that we see this story unfold, and that's a bold authorial choice. There are plenty of reasons to avoid using an enigma-shrouded, all-knowing figure as a main character...it's too easy to ruin the mystery, maybe; too tempting to try and reveal motivations. Or, on the flip side, it becomes frustrating for the reader to slog through the false tensions created by a 'protagonist' who knows everything but doesn't share it with the audience until it is convenient. Perhaps it is a function of the constraint of a short story, but Martin really pulls it off in In the Lost Lands.
Gray Alys is doubly tasked by the knight Jerais: the beautiful queen Melange wants the ability to shapeshift – to roam free and wild as a wolf in the nighttime – and Jerais himself wants badly for Alys to fail in giving the Queen what she most desires. As Alys refuses no one, it is this seemingly impossible undertaking that we watch unfold.
Martin, as always, manages to sneak in a great sense of place as he weaves this smart tale. And it is so very clever. I nearly came away disappointed, though, as the final bit of the wish granting was almost too offhand to catch. I originally thought that maybe it was just me, but when I sheepishly confessed my 'a-ha!' moment to my buddy-readers, it turned out that it wasn't apparent to them, either. It was this 'a-ha!' that elevated this short from good to great for me.
This ranks pretty highly in my estimation of Martin's short stories, and in general. Worth a read for most fantasy fans.
June 19, 2020
This was a good story. I saw several elements that seeped into A Song of Ice and Fire.
When Blue Jerais came to Gray Alys I thought of Maggy the Frog and Brienne the Blue of King Renly's Rainbow Guard. Blue Jerais is of Lady Melange's coloured guard.
The way that Alys shapeshifts is similar to what the Boltons used to do to the Starks that they capture. They flayed them and wore their skins as cloaks. In this way Gray Alys seems to absorb the power of the creature whose skin is being worn.
Poor Boyce. He seemed like a villain but then became a victim and a very tragic and tormented character - physically tormented by the end.
Gray Alys does not have to do what she does so I wonder why she does it when it causes her unhappiness. She says that she never refuses. Perhaps she should. I suppose she is an enabler and is fine with that role, no matter the costs.
It was a friend who figure it out. Lady Melange was Boyce's lover and that's why she wanted to become a wolf. Ironically, her request and Jerais' request killed Boyce. Lady Melange becoming a wolf would give her the chance to be with her lover, Boyce. When she got her pelt she lost Boyce but she got her wish from Gray Alys. Jerais got his Lady but he ended up married to a mad woman who he feared. Understanding this made the story better so I had to give it one more star. Before this, I really wondered why Lady Melange wanted to be a wolf.
When Blue Jerais came to Gray Alys I thought of Maggy the Frog and Brienne the Blue of King Renly's Rainbow Guard. Blue Jerais is of Lady Melange's coloured guard.
The way that Alys shapeshifts is similar to what the Boltons used to do to the Starks that they capture. They flayed them and wore their skins as cloaks. In this way Gray Alys seems to absorb the power of the creature whose skin is being worn.
Poor Boyce. He seemed like a villain but then became a victim and a very tragic and tormented character - physically tormented by the end.
Gray Alys does not have to do what she does so I wonder why she does it when it causes her unhappiness. She says that she never refuses. Perhaps she should. I suppose she is an enabler and is fine with that role, no matter the costs.
It was a friend who figure it out. Lady Melange was Boyce's lover and that's why she wanted to become a wolf. Ironically, her request and Jerais' request killed Boyce. Lady Melange becoming a wolf would give her the chance to be with her lover, Boyce. When she got her pelt she lost Boyce but she got her wish from Gray Alys. Jerais got his Lady but he ended up married to a mad woman who he feared. Understanding this made the story better so I had to give it one more star. Before this, I really wondered why Lady Melange wanted to be a wolf.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 19, 2021
"You can buy anything you might desire from Gray Alys. But it is better not to."
For this opening alone, i'd give 5 stars. It's like a story wrapped into a 1.5 sentence.
As mysterious, creepy, omniscient witches are my cupp, I found the main charecter more than appealing. The ending itself was so-so, but the premise, and what was left unwritten but insinuated - is simply great.
For this opening alone, i'd give 5 stars. It's like a story wrapped into a 1.5 sentence.
As mysterious, creepy, omniscient witches are my cupp, I found the main charecter more than appealing. The ending itself was so-so, but the premise, and what was left unwritten but insinuated - is simply great.
February 11, 2022
In the Lost Lands was a story that I didn’t quite reach my expectations. At first, I was super intrigued by the elements introduced. As the story progressed, though, I felt some of the tension in it slipped away. It was certainly an interesting tale, yet it never quite wowed me in the way I had hoped.
Many love this more than I did, though, so it is probably one of those cases where it just wasn’t for me.
Many love this more than I did, though, so it is probably one of those cases where it just wasn’t for me.
December 12, 2020
Not George's best work. Interesting but nothing more than that.
6/10
6/10
December 17, 2023
"You can buy anything you might desire from Gray Alys. But it is better not to."
I was not expecting to like this short story as much i did. George has the ability to make you care about characters with very few lines. I loved Gray aly. I hear there is a tv adaptation in works. Excited about that.
I was not expecting to like this short story as much i did. George has the ability to make you care about characters with very few lines. I loved Gray aly. I hear there is a tv adaptation in works. Excited about that.
January 27, 2024
The way Alys' cloak of feathers and claws are described immediately made me think of a design for a piece of clothing in Elden Ring! The Raptor's Black Feathers, while comprised of a half-cape amount of black feathers over a typical black cloak, has the item description "A ritual implement for transforming into a Deathbird, it only by imitation." This connection may be miniscule but knowing GRRM helped write the backstory for the world, maybe Miyazaki and the team at FromSoft did a deep dive of his work beforehand?
This is a lovely, morbid folktale regardless.
This is a lovely, morbid folktale regardless.
April 9, 2024
Amazing. I simply #love George Martin!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews