George 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.
This novella is a fine example of dark fantasy. The imagery is rich and weird and disturbing. It's a mix of horror and adventure that's claustrophobic, atmospheric, and gross. The terror of being lost in darkness, inside an underground maze, with hundreds of hungry slimy creatures swarming all around is perfectly invoked.
Imagine H.R. Giger building the world for and illustrating a tabletop role-playing game source book.
Una gran bella novella di fantascienza apocalittica mascherata da fantasy. Angosciante, claustrofobica, decadente, a tratti lovecraftiana, si legge tutta d'un fiato... ed al confronto le pi霉 famose Cronache del Ghiaccio e del Fuoco di "Giorgione" Martin sembrano un cartone animato della Disney. Qualche pagina in pi霉 e questa recensione sarebbe stata da 5 stelle.
This is a short story by George Martin, a post-apocalyptic horror, with an atmosphere that recalls the style of Lovecraft, but also something of Michael Moorcock.
I read it in one breath and I appreciated it for the characteristics of a horror, rather than fantasy: the setting in the depths of the earth, the darkness present for most of the main character's journey, the monstrous creatures that threaten his survival.
I must say that I have learned to appreciate the Martin of horror stories over the years, often small jewels. This is also no exception. The only thing that keeps me from giving 5 stars is the ending is that it was sold off a bit quickly, with many questions left outstanding.
But, in the end, a nice short story, to be read and taken as a starting point for other similar works by George Martin.
This story is a weird one, but I enjoyed it, mostly. I read it as part of the 1000 Worlds Book Club on the Preston Jacobs channel on YouTube.
In the House of the Worm is a disturbing, claustrophobic, frightening, sickening and dark tale about two enemy underground societies on a dying planet who enjoy killing and dining on one another. Like much of Martin's work, it explores the futility of war and how we paint our enemy as a faceless, mindless other.
Much of this tale takes place in darkness, and Martin succeeds in conveying that feeling of helpless claustrophobia to his readers. If you've read the A Song of Ice and Fire series and think that's a dark tale, well, it's a Disney cartoon compared to this. I found the Yaga-la-hai people to be excessively decadent and unlikeable, though I grew to like the main character Annelyn, but I believe that was Martin's goal here.
If you're looking for a clone of his more popular books, you won't get that here. This is a weird, disturbing tale (and, as I'm finding out, one of the lesser weird ones - Martin gets a lot weirder in his other stories). I definitely prefer A Song of Ice and Fire to his earlier work, but I believe his earlier stuff contains hints as to how ASOIAF may end, as much of his work contains common themes. Recommended, but be warned, it's not exactly a heartwarming tale.
George R.R. Martin, famoso in tutto il mondo per 鈥淟e Cronache del Ghiaccio e del Fuoco鈥�, ha scritto svariati racconti e romanzi che spaziano dalla fantascienza all鈥檋orror. Tra questi risalta sicuramente 鈥淣ella Casa del Verme鈥� pubblicato nel 1976 all鈥檌nterno della rivista 鈥淭he Ides of Tomorrow: Original Science Fiction Tales of Horror鈥�.
La Terra 猫 ridotta ormai a una landa arida e desolata, il sole sta morendo, i pochi esseri umani sopravvissuti si raccolgono all鈥檌nterno di un鈥檌mmensa fortezza, la Casa del Verme. Qui, tra mura di ossidiana, conducono una vita frivola, decadente e marcia. Ballano e banchettano, ignari e inconsapevoli, quasi disinteressati al loro destino. Hanno dato vita a un nuovo culto religioso, quello del Verme Bianco, costruito su dogmi macabri e sanguinari.
Protagonista della vicenda 猫 il giovane Annelyn che, per rispondere a un鈥檜miliazione subita, medita vendetta nei confronti del sinistro Beccaio. Deciso ad inseguirlo nelle viscere della terra, scoprir脿 troppo tardi che i bui cunicoli non sono luoghi in cui metter piede. Strane creature umanoidi ed esseri striscianti si nascondono nell鈥檕mbra, il predatore diventa preda. Costretto a fuggire, Annelyn intraprender脿 una folle e claustrofobica discesa verso l鈥檕scurit脿. 脠 proprio nell鈥檕scurit脿 che si nascondono le verit脿 pi霉 scomode, vestigia di un tempo ormai dimenticato, capaci di far vacillare le fondamenta di un鈥檌ntera societ脿. Il viaggio di Annelyn diventer脿, cos矛, un viaggio alla scoperta di s猫 stesso e del mondo morente in cui vive.
Martin si dimostra un ottimo scrittore, capace di trasmettere al lettore le emozioni provate dal protagonista. Il senso di vuoto, di ostruzione e di solitudine sono palpabili, la paura 猫 una compagna che ci segue pagina dopo pagina, il buio possiamo sentirlo e toccarlo.
Consigliato ai fan di George Martin, per scoprire l鈥檃utore in una diversa veste narrativa, agli amanti dell'horror e della fantascienza post-apocalittica.
Nowelka oryginalnie opublikowana po raz pierwszy w 1976 r. zabiera nas w 艣wiat umieraj膮cego 艣wiata i ras skrywaj膮cych si臋 pod powierzchni膮 nieprzyjaznej planety. To w艂a艣nie tytu艂owy Dom Robaka odwiedzamy i z jego mieszka艅cami przyjdzie nam przemierza膰 pe艂ne wszelakich okropono艣ci ciemne tunele, skrywaj膮ce w mroku najbardziej odra偶aj膮ce stworzenia. Ta nowelka stoi ci臋偶kim klimatem zaszczucia, nieznanych niebezpiecze艅stw czyhaj膮cych za ka偶dym rogiem i g臋st膮 atmosfer膮 wylewaj膮c膮 si臋 z ka偶dej strony. Na tych niewielu stronach dostajemy sporo rozwa偶a艅 na temat konflikt贸w mi臋dzykulturowych, przetrwania gatunku, 艣lepej wiary w przyw贸dc贸w i przekazywane przez nich dogmaty. Niestety na poka藕nej ilo艣ci filozofowania traci przedstawienie bohater贸w - nie wiemy o nich praktycznie nic, opr贸cz karykaturalnie zaznaczonych niekt贸rych cech charakteru/wygl膮du - i fabu艂a. Motywacja g艂贸wnego bohatera jest powierzchowna, wi臋kszo艣膰 jego w臋dr贸wki przez mroczne tunele odbywamy nie obserwuj膮c jego przemy艣le艅, ani dziej膮cych si臋 w nim zmian. Obserwujemy wy艂膮cznie rozprzestrzeniaj膮ce si臋 w ciszy i mroku zepsucie. Przyda艂oby si臋 w tym miejscu pog艂臋bienie tego tematu. Nie przypad艂o mi te偶 do gustu zako艅czenie, kt贸re wydawa艂o si臋 by膰 zbyt pospieszne, nie przemy艣lane i praktycznie nie zd膮偶y艂o wybrzmie膰. To jeden z tych przyk艂ad贸w, gdzie dodatkowy rozdzia艂听zrobi艂by robot臋. Nie spodziewajcie si臋 tutaj typowej prozy Martina, jej tutaj nie ma. To bardzo przyt艂aczaj膮ce swoim klimatem dark fantasy, w kt贸rym nie op臋dzicie si臋听od robactwa, paj膮k贸w i innych stwor贸w zasiedlaj膮cych pradawne tunele. Niemniej czyta si臋 przyjemnie i w swojej kategorii warte poznania. 馃 3.75/5
A weird little tale, which isn't too great on a delicate stomach. Once again this shows the vast diversiveness of Martin's writing. I think the end points would go much in the way to supporting vegetarianism and when it all comes down to it, why is it right to eat one type of meat, but not another. Creepy, moralistic and educating, this story took me a while to get hold of, but once I did I think I enjoyed being made uncomfortable by it!
W domu robaka to mikropowie艣膰, kt贸ra zajmie Wam godzin臋 czytania. Czy warto? Mam mieszane odczucia. Dla fan贸w Martina, zw艂aszcza tych z nich, kt贸rzy znaj膮 jego tw贸rczo艣膰 tylko z cyklu Pie艣ni Lodu i Ognia, b臋dzie ciekawym spojrzeniem na autora, z nieco innej strony. Powie艣膰 reklamowana jest jako dark fantasy. Ja zakwalifikowa艂bym j膮 do horroru science fiction. Natomiast zgodne z opisem jest to, 偶e powie艣膰 ma klaustrofobiczny klimat. Mroczny, duszny i przede wszystkim obrzydliwy. Nie polecam czytania tu偶 przed lub po posi艂ku. Polecam za to pi臋kne wydanie. Wydawnictwo Zysk doskonale wie, jak dobrze wydawa膰 fantasy. Dostajemy twarde wydanie, z t艂oczonymi literami. Do tego klimatyczne ilustracje.
Kiedy zdystansujemy si臋 odrobin臋 od obrzydliwo艣ci zawartych W domu robaka to zawarte mi臋dzy linijkami przes艂anie daje do my艣lenia. Mianowicie, czy to, 偶e kto艣 jest od nas inny to wystarczaj膮cy pow贸d by m贸c traktowa膰 go z pogard膮 i ni偶szo艣ci膮? Warto jest wi臋c po lekturze, kt贸ra zajmie Wam pewnie ko艂o godziny, chwil臋 zatrzyma膰 si臋 i przemy艣le膰 ten wielokrotnie wa艂kowany temat, jednak niezmiennie aktualny.
W domu robaka oceniam na 2. W skali Pie艣ni Lodu i Ognia b臋dzie to niestety jedynie ulotna chwila w oczekiwaniu na kolejny tom sagi. Czy kiedy艣 zostanie wydany? Czy pozostanie nam cieszenie si臋 stale wydawan膮 starsz膮 tw贸rczo艣ci膮 Martina, przyk艂adem kt贸rej jest mi臋dzy innymi wydany pierwotnie w 1976 W domu robaka.
2,5. Romanzo che senza ombra di dubbio intesse le atmosfere di un mondo andato oltre, cupo e flaccido, temprato dalla presenza di nuovi ordini cavallereschi ma adombrato da trascorsi oscuri e, non a caso, verminosi. Un mondo cieco, agli ultimi istanti di vita. Purtroppo non va molto oltre questo. "Nella casa del verme" vive delle sue suggestioni senza approfondirle a sufficienza, cos矛 come i personaggi, poco caratterizzati (e fin troppo nettamente), a tal punto da risultare artificiosi. La trama, nella sua brevit脿, 猫 sviluppata attorno una situazione che fa del ripetersi il suo leit motiv, cosa che personalmente ho trovato poco soddisfacente. Mi aspettavo, ahim猫, molto di pi霉, ma alla fine questo libro si 猫 dimostrato come un romanzo breve (o racconto lungo che dir si voglia) che non fa poi molto rispetto al mondo che vuole descrivere.
The most claustrophobic, sickening, terrifying thing I've ever read! Short and superb. He really had it since day one. Pity he can't finish his magnum opus...
The character development in this story was really great for the protagonist, Annelyn. He truly became a free-thinker by the end. If he didn't, I probably would have given this a lower rating. He makes me think of Jaime Lannister.
I felt that history was something important to be known by people. The yaga-la-hai do not know themselves or their history. Their customs stem from their history but the meaning behind it and the truth about it is lost to them. The Meatbringer was right but preyed on the ignorance of both the grouns and yaga-la-hai and seems to have been furthering his own agenda. He thinks both groups inferior to himself, the father of the third and superior group.
I loved when Annelyn said that the yaga-la-hai and the grouns were alike but not animals. He also opposed the eating of the grouns and actually spoke about what he discovered to others rather than mocking them like the Meatbringer. Without the grouns Annelyn would have been dead like the rest of his companions.
To be honest, I thought that the Meatbringer was killing the yaga-la-hai and their groun hunters and then feeding them their own meat. My idea of cannibalism was because grouns seemed to be harder to find and lived deeper below the ground. But anyway, they were real and made an appearance. It is tragic that they suffered so much.
This story reminds me of Dark, Dark, Were the Tunnels, but longer. Since this is set in the Thousand Worlds, it may be like Bitterblooms where the people regressed and used their technology to alter themselves thus creating the yaga-la-hai and grouns. Then they forgot about it. History became more murky and faded into legend and the myth. They're dying as well. Their sun is dying. And the Worms are killing the grouns. And they are killing each other.
The story was not terrible but I didn't enjoy a lot of it. Annelyn's journey led to self-discovery and revealed many hidden truths but it was also long-winded and dull. Maybe I will re-read this and find it better the second time.
Also I see what GRRM did here:
The burrow was endlessly black, and full of terrors.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.