"
Dying Of The Light" (1977) is the first solo
science fiction novel published by
SF and
fantasy author George R. R. Martin, who more recently became famous with "
A Game of Thrones" and its sequels.
The story is a
planetary romance set on
Worlorn, a rogue
planet that wanders through the universe and is now passing close to a sun. During the fifty or so years the planet is close to the sun, it is the site of a huge
festival. Different civilizations visit the planet to build impressive cities and artefacts in an event similar to our current
World's Fairs.
In the aftermath of this
festival,
Dirk T'Larien is called to
Worlorn by his former lover Gwen. When he arrives, he becomes entangled in numerous conflicts between people from different societies and cultures. The novel is both a
planetary romance and a
psychological novel. It constantly forces the reader to look at events and characters from different perspectives. Even though it is not as polished as some of Martin's later work, it is definitely worth a read if you enjoy well-written
science fiction.