GRRM chose an interesting way to describe abolition. What amazes me is that he published this back in 1982, and kept that nugget until ASOS was released in 2000.
Side note: I've been wondering about ASOIAF characters and their relationship to the Byronic Hero for a while, so it's amazing to see how heavily he invokes Byron in Fevre Dream. It makes me want to tinfoil.
Posted Dec 31, 2015, 4:44 AM UTC
Nice catch OP. Would you recommend Fevre Dream?
Not op but I've read it and really enjoyed it. Very different from asoiaf, but still GRRM's style and beautiful writing!
Agreed. I absolutely loved it. Probably one of my favorite vamp novels of all time.
Here's why I'd recommend it: the book ends. Everything resolves. Ever curious to see what George's "bittersweet" ending is like? Read Fevre Dream and you'll have a better understanding of how bitter or how sweet his endings are. I assure you it's satisfying.
If the genre isn't too much of a put-off, I would. It's New-Orleans-Vampires meets Rugged-Steamboat-Frontiersmen set in the 1800s. Some of the writing isn't as well developed as ASOIAF, but he's more focused and meanders less.
It was published over thirty years ago so you can see how he was still finding his way in some aspects (there is a lack of subtlety at times), but at the same time it has his style all over it.
I actually never finished it. Just kind of dragged for me.
I agree. I'm like 3/4 of the way through and just can't be bothered to find out how it ends. The main character just didn't really interest me.
Yeah he was kind of an idiot.
I really enjoyed it. Imagine Tyrion as a 350 pound steam-boat captain....and Jamie as a vampire.
Good stuff.
You should check out The Armageddon Rag. That one's chock full of shades of ASOIAF. A Melisandre type soothsayer misinterpreting prophecy, lots of references to Fire and Blood, a magical albino. It's good stuff.
The same novel also has this:
"The nights are full of blood and terror, but the days are merciless."
It's fun reading GRRM's pre-ASOIAF stuff and finding unintentional stylistic foreshadowings like that.
Yes, just like he mentions the Land of Always Winter in The Ice Dragon. During my read I was always wondering whether this book is set in the same world... Maybe long after asoiaf events?
Edit: words
Hold on, gonna see if I can pay the Iron price for a copy.
Iron price? Don't get arrested!
The best idea I've heard about this is that The Ice Dragon is a story told in Westeros, that its the kind of tale that Old Nan would tell. A story within a story, like the tales about the Nights King and the Rat Cook and all of that.