In a field where prolific production is the norm, science fiction and fantasy writer George R. R. Martin has earned an auspicious reputation with a surprisingly small number of works, winning two Nebula awards and three Hugo awards, the most prestigious awards given for science fiction, among his many honors. His novella "The Sandkings" was adapted for television and won both the Hugo and Nebula awards in 1979; an early horror novel, The Armageddon Rag, has achieved cult status, and his short story collections have remained popular over the years. Martin also has edited Bantam's "Wild Cards" series, fifteen novels written by teams of some of science fiction's most popular authors.

Martin's small output is explained in part by the ten years he spent writing for the television and movie industry instead of producing books. For much of the 1980s, Martin worked in Hollywood writing and producing such shows...