Rating: 
Summary: A wonderful read.....
Review: If you're a Martin fan for his popular Fire and Ice series, it's difficult to compare his earliest work to his popular fantasy series. The one thing I love about Martin is how his writing is absolutely effortless. Scenery and dialogue are never forced, and his writing is always an absoulte pleasure to fall into. This book has such a meloncholy beauty to it in the way the alien world of Worlon is depicted.
One also has to remember that this is a short story, not a full length novel. As such the characters aren't as 3-D as you might expect from one of his other books. I still feel however, that there was huge character development in comparison to other sci-fi/fantasy short novel's I've read. The inner realizations of the characters are so poignant and subtle that, even given an abrupt ending, I put this book down with a general feeling of "wow, now that's writing."
Rating:
Summary: The welcome return of an old friend ...
Review: It must be more than 20 years since I first got this book from a library and since then I've been searching for a copy of my own. At the time I considered it to be the best book I had ever read and the poetic imagery and distinctive world that GRRM evokes has stayed in my mind ever since. When I received my secondhand copy from ... I must admit my initial reaction was disappointment - mainly because the picture on the front cover and the blurb on the back give the (misleading) impression of trashy sensationalism. However when I started to read the book I soon found myself as deeply involved as ever in the events set on the dying world of Worlorn (it was probably an added bonus that I had forgotten how most of the plot elements are resolved). In fact I found that as a more mature reader I appreciated the depth and poeticism of GRRM's writing even more than I did as a teenager. So - the best book I ever read? Not any more I'm afraid not because DOTL has declined but because I've read so much good stuff since, though it would be still in any top ten list I might compile in my mind. I still think the ending is the best I've ever read ...
Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece by the early George R. R. Martin
Review: Most people now know George R. R. Martin from his very succesfull Song of Ice and Fire books, which essentially is a fantasy series. This story is one of his first and very different.
It is set around a small group of characters against a magnificent background, the discarded party planet Worlorn. Descriptions of the story would not do justice to the book so I am not going to try it. What I liked about it, apart from the rich, melancholy, atmosphere, was that as the plot evolves you are forced to change your views of each of the main characters and this in a completely believable way. It has a literary quality quite rare in SF but therefore all the more welcome.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: One of my all-time favorites. Lost love, bitterness, jealousy, difficult choices, regret, redemption, altruism, and the idea that the easiest path is not always the best path. This book has that and more. I agree with the earlier review - it would make a good movie. It reminded me of Casa Blanca - the beauty of the story is in the lead character's decision to cast his lot with and for something larger than his own jealousy and bitterness. And, in the end, to stand rather than run.
Rating:
Summary: One of my favourite books
Review: Purely by accident, while looking for something else in the library, I stumbled on a couple of George R. R. Martin's books, a collection of short stories called "A Song for Lya" and one of his early novels, "Dying of the Light", both published in the 70s. Friends have been recommending his later fantasy writing to me for years, so I thought - what the heck, I'll give him a go.
My god. I had no idea!
The short stories were enough to leave me wanting more, but it was "Dying of the Light" that really took my breath away. The writing is completely engrossing; I found myself missing bus after bus and staying late at work because I couldn't drop the book even for the ten minutes it would take to get to the bus stop. It's one of those rare books where everything fits together perfectly: the characters, the atmosphere, the setting, the way the story is resolved.
The premise seems deceptively simple: a man is asked by his former lover to meet her on a strange planet that has no star, a dying world that has been all but abandoned. But when he gets there, he finds that his Gwen has found a new place for herself among the ruins, and what's more -- she is married. So why did she call him? And is she really as happy as she seems to be? I should mention that the man she's married belongs to an alien culture where the strong hunt the weak for sport. Oh, and he already has a husband. Things only become more complicated when we meet all the characters and find out more about their cultures.
And the cultures alone are spectacular. It would be grossly unfair to try to cover them all, and completely unnecessary in a review. Suffice it to say that the breadth of Martin's imagination is matched only by the iron grip he has on his world and the plot of the story. Part of the experience is the way the story unfolds, the way the writer cleverly feeds you bits of information -- but he always remains one step ahead.
One image that particularly touched me was a city where the buildings are constructed in such a way that when the wind blows across the rooftops, it plays a symphony -- a lament that is almost hypnotic. Much of the book is like this, hovering right on the thin line between tragic and uplifting.
I was surprised to see that this book got some rather negative reviews here. A few people said there wasn't enough action, or that you couldn't see where the story was going, or that the characters are too complicated to be interesting. I guess if someone was expecting a shoot-em-up with cardboard villains and shining golden heroes, this book would definitely disappoint: the characters are deeply flawed but intensely sympathetic (even the apparent villains), the action unfolds as much in the minds of the people as in the world they inhabit (although there are still shoot-em-ups and chases), and the conclusion of the story is an organic and plausible development for the protagonist. It's the answer to the question he doesn't know to ask when he first sets out to find his long-lost love.
It's just a beautiful, intricate, deeply human story.
Rating: 
Summary: Love is like war
Review: Regret can control your life. Dying of the light is a story of a lost love and an empire built in the lover's separation. The main way George R.R. Martin tells his story is through an amazing amount of symbolism. Symbolism exists in every story, but this tale clearly is referring to lost love. This story is incredibly descriptive and I couldn't see it any other way. Through his description of the planet and the shape the planet is in you can immediately connect the story of the lovers to the story of the planet. Another symbolic message is how the planet relates to all of love in general. The following paragraphs will further explain my reasoning.
Although love can be wonderful it is a fleeting feeling. And that is what Martin is trying to say. Worlorn is a symbol of the story of the lovers Dirk and Gwen. Like the lover's, Worlorn used to be a bright world where tourists would flock and enjoy themselves. Gwen and Dirk used to be in a bright world that their love ruled their lives much like the story of Worlorn. Despite the seemingly bright future of this land, it eventually turned dark little by little just like the lover's. The ancient traditions of the Kavalar became more and more prominent and that led to a new way in the entire world. And with the acceptance of Gwen into the Kavalar ways she lost all tradition of her life before.
Love is a battle field. You can relate war to love in many ways. The great wars of Worlorn are a prime example of Martin's symbolism. Worlorn is a rouge planet that belongs to no planetary system that is only habitable for a short time. Love is the same in many ways. Love can last for a short time even though it may seem to have a promising future. I believe all would agree with me when I say that love is a rogue planet. And the planet being unpopulated is saying that that love is a very rarely populated feeling.
Love and regret in my opinion come hand in hand and that's what I believe Martin was trying to show. He directly showed this through the lovers and indirectly through the story of the planet. Over all, this book had a good amount of symbolism but was lacking in interest for the reader.
Rating:
Summary: Love and war
Review: Regret can control your life. Dying of the light is a story of a lost love and an empire built in the lovers separation. The main way George R.R. Martin tells his story is through an amazing amount of symbolism. Symbolism exists in every story, but this tale clearly is referring to lost love. This story is incredibly descriptive and I couldn't see it any other way. Through his description of the planet and the shape the planet is in you can immediately connect the story of the lovers to the story of the planet. Another symbolic message is how the planet relates to all of love in general. The following paragraphs will further explain my reasoning.
Although love can be wonderful it is a fleeting feeling. And that is what Martin is trying to say. Worlorn is a symbol of the story of the lovers Dirk and Gwen. Worlorn used to be a bright world where tourists would flock and enjoy themselves. Gwen and Dirk used to be in a bright world that their love ruled their lives much like the story of Worlorn. Despite the seemingly bright future of this land, it eventually turned dark little by little just like the lovers fate. The ancient traditions of the Kavalar became more and more prominent and that led to a new way in the entire world. And with the acceptance of Gwen into the Kavalar ways she lost all tradition of her life before.
Love is a battle field. You can relate war to love in many ways. The great wars of Worlorn are a prime example of Martin's symbolism. Worlorn is a rouge planet that belongs to a planetary system that is only habitable for a short time. Love is the same in many ways. Love can last for a short time even though it may seem to have a promising future. All would agree with me when I say that love is a rogue planet. And the planet being unpopulated is saying that that love is a very rarely populated feeling.
Love and regret come hand in hand and that's what Martin was trying to show. He directly showed this through the lovers and indirectly through the story of the planet. Over all, this book had an excellent amount of symbolism but was lacking in interest for the reader.
Rating:
Summary: Love is like war
Review: Regret can control your life. Dying of the light is a story of a lost love and an empire built in the lover's separation. The main way George R.R. Martin tells his story is through an amazing amount of symbolism. Symbolism exists in every story, but this tale clearly is referring to lost love. This story is incredibly descriptive and I couldn't see it any other way. Through his description of the planet and the shape the planet is in you can immediately connect the story of the lovers to the story of the planet. Another symbolic message is how the planet relates to all of love in general. The following paragraphs will further explain my reasoning.
Although love can be wonderful it is a fleeting feeling. And that is what Martin is trying to say. Worlorn is a symbol of the story of the lovers Dirk and Gwen. Like the lover's, Worlorn used to be a bright world where tourists would flock and enjoy themselves. Gwen and Dirk used to be in a bright world that their love ruled their lives much like the story of Worlorn. Despite the seemingly bright future of this land, it eventually turned dark little by little just like the lover's. The ancient traditions of the Kavalar became more and more prominent and that led to a new way in the entire world. And with the acceptance of Gwen into the Kavalar ways she lost all tradition of her life before.
Love is a battle field. You can relate war to love in many ways. The great wars of Worlorn are a prime example of Martin's symbolism. Worlorn is a rouge planet that belongs to no planetary system that is only habitable for a short time. Love is the same in many ways. Love can last for a short time even though it may seem to have a promising future. I believe all would agree with me when I say that love is a rogue planet. And the planet being unpopulated is saying that that love is a very rarely populated feeling.
Love and regret in my opinion come hand in hand and that's what I believe Martin was trying to show. He directly showed this through the lovers and indirectly through the story of the planet. Over all, this book had a good amount of symbolism but was lacking in interest for the reader.
Rating:
Summary: Love and war
Review: Regret can control your life. Dying of the light is a story of a lost love and an empire built in the lovers separation. The main way George R.R. Martin tells his story is through an amazing amount of symbolism. Symbolism exists in every story, but this tale clearly is referring to lost love. This story is incredibly descriptive and I couldn't see it any other way. Through his description of the planet and the shape the planet is in you can immediately connect the story of the lovers to the story of the planet. Another symbolic message is how the planet relates to all of love in general. The following paragraphs will further explain my reasoning.
Although love can be wonderful it is a fleeting feeling. And that is what Martin is trying to say. Worlorn is a symbol of the story of the lovers Dirk and Gwen. Worlorn used to be a bright world where tourists would flock and enjoy themselves. Gwen and Dirk used to be in a bright world that their love ruled their lives much like the story of Worlorn. Despite the seemingly bright future of this land, it eventually turned dark little by little just like the lovers fate. The ancient traditions of the Kavalar became more and more prominent and that led to a new way in the entire world. And with the acceptance of Gwen into the Kavalar ways she lost all tradition of her life before.
Love is a battle field. You can relate war to love in many ways. The great wars of Worlorn are a prime example of Martin's symbolism. Worlorn is a rouge planet that belongs to a planetary system that is only habitable for a short time. Love is the same in many ways. Love can last for a short time even though it may seem to have a promising future. All would agree with me when I say that love is a rogue planet. And the planet being unpopulated is saying that that love is a very rarely populated feeling.
Love and regret come hand in hand and that's what Martin was trying to show. He directly showed this through the lovers and indirectly through the story of the planet. Over all, this book had an excellent amount of symbolism but was lacking in interest for the reader.
Rating: 
Summary: Not for me...
Review: The story of the lovers Dirk and Gwen is a sad tale and must mirror the authors feelings of some lost love. Everything Martin Writes is a tale touched in sorrow. The man is a warrior-poet to be sure. He is far and away my favorite author and I own every edition of every book he has ever published. (Yes this includes the Uk first edition Game of Thrones and all the ARC versions) Also, i own all the numbered Limited editions (Songs the Dead men sing, Armageddon Rag, RRetrospective etc)... the collection cost a fortune! That being said i have tried time and time again to enjoy this book. The imagery and symbolism are everywhere but at the end of the day i just cant care about these people. There are a few too many "made up" words and the science fiction aspect is lacking - just because events transpire on Worlorn and not Earth is not enough to make it science fiction. This is romance. Anyhow, I know this is a sad tale that is the predecessor of all of Martins other sad tales... But despite owning 8 copies of this book - it just doesn't reach me the way the rest of his do.
Please give it a read, there is magic here in this book even if I [unfortunately] cant see it...
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