A Song of Ice & Fire, the series HBO's Game of Thrones is based on, but the author has been publishing works of fiction since the 1970s. A Song of Ice & Fire is widely perceived as Martin's Magnum Opus, as it's expanded from a series of novels to a vast multimedia franchise with beloved television shows, games, and millions of fans around the world. It's commonly regarded to be one of the greatest fantasy book series ever written, even rivaling J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

The most recent main-series novel in A Song of Ice & Fire was 2011's A Dance with Dragons, and readers have been waiting over a decade for the next installment: The Winds of Winter. George R.R. Martin's comments on The Winds of Winter have ranged over time in their promise to complete the book and eventually finish the series, but luckily, the author has decades of written work to explore prior to his main fantasy series. Martin has written science fiction, beautiful short stories, and even a gothic horror novel that are well worth exploring.

10 The Armageddon Rag

A Trippy Mystery With A Classic Rock Aesthetic & Fantastical Elements

1983's The Armageddon Rag is infamous for nearly destroying Martin's career, as it was a commercial disaster upon its release. However, with Martin no longer having to worry about financial lulls as an author, it's easier to reflect on the book as one of his most unique and exciting. As much as the American author loves fantasy and sci-fi, he's also expressed an enduring passion for the rock music of the 1960s, and The Armageddon Rag explores a mystery surrounding the music industry and the fall of the era's hippy culture.

for those who see themselves as the common denominator between Martin fans and classic rock lovers, it's a must-read.

While The Armageddon Rag may seem like a rather grounded story for the author of A Game of Thrones, the book isn't without its fantastical elements. Some of the most alluring aspects of the novel are the often surreal, mystical qualities surrounding the central mystery that play out through wild dream sequences and a riveting climax. The book only has a 3.57 rating on GoodReads, but for those who see themselves as the common denominator between Martin fans and classic rock lovers, it's a must-read.

9 Tuf Voyaging

Martin's Best Extended Work In The Sci-Fi Genre

1986's Tuf Voyaging is a fix-up novel similar to Isaac Asimov's Foundation or I, Robot, as the works included in it were originally published as short stories in the late 1970s and 1980s. Before Martin was widely recognized as a master of fantasy, he was known best for his work in the sci-fi genre. Like Asimov, who's regarded as one of the most influential sci-fi writers ever, Martin had his own science fiction universe, including his debut novel in 1977, Dying of the Light, along with Tuf Voyaging.

Tuf Voyaging itself is an underappreciated sci-fi masterwork, mixing Martin's affinity for short-form narratives with his skill for overarching character design. Each short story offers an exciting ride through some of the most imaginative worlds in the genre, and when combined together, the protagonist, Tuf, becomes one of Martin's best leads. The book has a 4.11 score on GoodReads, making it one of his highest-rated titles not included in the A Song of Ice & Fire series.

8 Dreamsongs

The Best Anthology Of Martin's Short Stories & Novellas

As previously mentioned, George R.R. Martin is an exceptional short story writer, and the two volumes of Dreamsongs are the best books to brush up on all of his material. As any short story collection does, Dreamsongs' contents range in quality, but different narratives will appeal to different readers, making it a fail-safe option for anyone looking to explore his other work without diving into an entire novel. The short stories and novellas range from sci-fi to children's fantasy to horror to more.

Some of Martin's most iconic short works are contained in Dreamsongs, including Sandkings, Nightflyers, The Ice Dragon, and A Song for Lya. It's hard to compare a set of shorts to completed novels, but some of the writing in Dreamsongs is so quintessentially Martin that it'd be impossible to ignore it. It's a terrific anthology set with something for any audience to enjoy.

7 A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms

A Collection Of ASOIAF Prequel Novellas

TV fans may recognize the title A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms as it's one of the many upcoming Game of Thrones spinoffs, set to be released in early 2025. The book is another anthology collection featuring three novellas in the world of A Song of Ice & Fire, set decades before A Game of Thrones. While they're not quite as compelling as the main series, the novellas can be perfect either as a more accessible entry point to Martin's fantasy universe or as a lighter follow-up/breaking point to the main saga.

undoubtedly beloved supplementary material to the A Song of Ice & Fire saga

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms isn't without its violence and challenging themes, but it's a far less demanding read than the main series, allowing the reader to focus primarily on the two lead characters: Dunk & Egg. The novella set has a solid 4.23 rating on GoodReads, and they're undoubtedly beloved supplementary material to the A Song of Ice & Fire saga. For a first-time reader who loves the Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon TV series but isn't prepared for a massive novel series, it can be a fun trial book.

6 A Feast For Crows

Feast Is Missing Some Of ASOIAF's Best Characters, But It Highlights Compelling New Ones

The fourth novel in A Song of Ice & Fire, A Feast for Crows, is an outstanding fantasy book, but its position suffers for two significant reasons. Feast has the impossible task of following up A Storm of Swords, which is widely considered the best in the series. Secondly, without The Winds of Winter, it's difficult not to look at Feast as a derailment from the saga's overarching narrative. When the final installments are released, it may be easier to reflect on book four for the variables it established rather than the characters it left out.

Characters like Cersei and Brienne are given their first POV chapters, allowing them to shine in new ways, while brand-new POV characters in Dorne and the Iron Islands continue to expand the saga as an ever-growing, multi-faceted political web.

A Feast for Crows is without Jon Snow, Daenerys, and Tyrion, which is particularly harrowing after Tyrion's cliffhanger ending in A Storm of Swords. Still, there are notable virtues to the novel that earn it a 4.16 on GoodReads, despite possible reader frustrations. Characters like Cersei and Brienne are given their first POV chapters, allowing them to shine in new ways, while brand-new POV characters in Dorne and the Iron Islands continue to expand the saga as an ever-growing, multi-faceted political web.

5 Fevre Dream

Martin's Best Standalone Novel Is A Vampire Masterpiece

The 1982 book Fevre Dream is Martin's best standalone novel and another of his oeuvre's most individual installments. The novel has been described as "Bram Stoker meets Mark Twain," a description that adequately encapsulates Fevre Dream's aesthetic but doesn't quite cover just how fascinating its narrative is. George R.R. Martin uses many of the talents prominently featured in A Song of Ice & Fire to create a world of vampire mythology that's endlessly captivating, with characters like Joshua York, the Pale King, among his best.

Martin proved his worth as a horror writer with his genre-blended sci-fi stories, but Fevre Dream channels an entirely different aspect of his writing talent. The 19th-century setting allows for rich social commentary to support his vampire narrative, adding to the visceral horror at play. It's another excellent entry point to Martin's work, as it's far shorter than his A Song of Ice & Fire novels while offering a similar appeal.

4 A Dance With Dragons

Dance Doesn't Push The ASOIAF Narrative Forward Very Much, But There's Still A Lot To Enjoy

2011's A Dance with Dragons often suffers from many of the same criticisms as A Feast for Crows, though it benefits from the return of Jon, Danaerys, and Tyrion. The book also follows in its predecessor's footsteps by following new, exciting characters like Young Griff, immediately adding layers of complexity to the political landscape. Dance will likely also benefit from the release of The Winds of Winter, but until then, it's on the lower end of the pack for A Song of Ice & Fire novels.

A Dance with Dragons is the largest book in the series, and while quantity doesn't mean quality, there's a ton there for readers to sink their teeth into. It doesn't push the overarching narrative forward as crucially as the first three novels, but its expansions have given readers a plethora of material to analyze, earning it a still impressive 4.34 rating on GoodReads. There's a ton of fascinating material that expands Martin's world, but Dance ultimately hurts from feeling like an establishing block for Winds.

3 A Game Of Thrones

AGoT Changed The Fantasy Genre Forever

book 1 of Martin's saga covers ground at a swift pace that rarely ever bores the reader with non-essential detail

In retrospect, it's no wonder that A Game of Thrones was adapted into one of the best TV shows of all time. The enormous page count of the A Song of Ice & Fire novels may turn off some potential readers, but once one familiarizes themselves with his world and characters, A Game of Thrones is a breeze of riveting, unforgettable dialogue. While many famous fantasy works follow characters slugging through the woods on quests, book 1 of Martin's saga covers ground at a swift pace that rarely ever bores the reader with non-essential detail.

The 1996 fantasy masterwork may not be the best in its series, but it deserves all the credit possible for laying the foundation for the groundbreaking saga. A Game of Thrones almost immediately changed fantasy with its subversion, contrasting Tolkien's standards and creating a world where no one is truly good or evil and where no one is safe. The book's 4.44 GoodReads rating summarizes the near-unanimous acclaim for this fantasy triumph.

2 A Clash Of Kings

ACoK Elevates The Material Of ASOIAF

The second volume in A Song of Ice & Fire is a toss-up with the first. A Clash of Kings arguably doesn't have a moment to rival the sheer shock and dread of Ned Stark's death, but one could argue that it elevates the material all around. After Robert Baratheon's death, war and havoc have broken out across the Seven Kingdoms, and the more spread-out POV characters allow readers to experience Westeros from a wider lens for the first time.

The loss of a protagonist of Ned Stark's quality could have damaged most series, but the increased volume of Tyrion chapters allows the series to maintain momentum while the younger cast of Stark children and Daenerys continue to come into their own. A Game of Thrones lays the foundation perfectly, and A Clash of Kings demonstrates the possibilities for complex character-building in this world. The addition of Theon as a POV character and new characters like Stannis and Davos widely complement the ensemble.

1 A Storm Of Swords

A Storm of Swords is not only George R.R. Martin's best book, it's arguably the greatest fantasy novel ever written. The third volume of A Song of Ice & Fire is so expansive and jam-packed with climactic events, fulfilling many of the arcs established by the first two volumes in shocking, gut-wrenching ways that only Martin could pull off. Events like the Red Wedding and Tyrion's trial by combat define the series, and Storm has them in abundance.

Any Game of Thrones fan knows the book's most celebrated moments, but experiencing the merciless onslaught of the third volume is a literary experience in and of itself.

Book 3 has the series' highest rating on GoodReads, with a near-perfect 4.54, proving the merits of the epic. A Storm of Swords is the golden standard for modern fantasy and the novel that solidified Martin as one of the great writers of his generation. Any Game of Thrones fan knows the book's most celebrated moments, but experiencing the merciless onslaught of the third volume is a literary experience in and of itself.