Book excerpt: The epic saga that inspired HBO’s Game of Thrones made George R. R. Martin an international phenomenon, but there’s much more to this versatile, prolific, and original author. In addition to the book that kicks off A Song of Ice of Fire, this eBook bundle includes Dreamsongs: Volume I, which showcases Martin’s early writings; Fevre Dream, the acclaimed author’s reinvention of the vampire novel; and The Armageddon Rag, a thrilling story of psychedelic—and apocalyptic—rock. Spanning genres of fantasy, science fiction, horror, and suspense, Martin’s virtuosic talents will surprise and delight even his most devoted fans. A GAME OF THRONES “The only fantasy series I’d put on a level with J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings . . . It’s a fantasy series for hip, smart people, even those who don’t read fantasy.”—Chicago Tribune In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. As sinister forces mass beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall, the king’s powers are failing—his most trusted adviser is dead and his enemies are emerging from the shadows of the throne. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the frozen land they were born to. Now Lord Eddard Stark is reluctantly summoned to serve as the king’s new Hand, an appointment that threatens to sunder not only his family but the kingdom itself. DREAMSONGS: VOLUME I “The ideal way to discover . . . a master of science fiction, fantasy and horror. . . . Martin is a writer like no other.”—The Guardian (U.K.) Gathered here are the very best of Martin’s early works, including his Hugo, Nebula, and Bram Stoker award–winning stories, cool fan pieces, and the original novella The Ice Dragon, from which his New York Times bestselling children’s book of the same title originated. With extensive author commentary, Dreamsongs: Volume I is a rare treat, offering fascinating insights into Martin’s journey from young writer to award-winning master. FEVRE DREAM “An adventure into the heart of darkness that transcends even the most inventive vampire novels.”—Los Angeles Herald Examiner Abner Marsh, a struggling riverboat captain, suspects that something’s amiss when he is approached by a wealthy aristocrat with a lucrative offer. The hauntingly pale, steely-eyed Joshua York doesn’t care that the icy winter of 1857 has wiped out all but one of Marsh’s dilapidated fleet. Not until the maiden voyage of Fevre Dream does Marsh realize that he has joined a mission both more sinister, and perhaps more noble, than his most fantastic nightmare—and humankind’s most impossible dream. THE ARMAGEDDON RAG “The best novel concerning the American pop music culture of the sixties I’ve ever read.”—Stephen King Onetime underground journalist Sandy Blair has come a long way from his radical roots in the sixties—until he’s drawn back by the bizarre and brutal murder of a rock promoter who made millions with a band called the Nazgûl. As Sandy investigates the crime, he finds himself drawn back into his own past. For a new messiah has resurrected the Nazgûl along with a requiem of demonism, mind control, and death, whose apocalyptic tune only Sandy may be able to change.