Dreamsongs: "The Second Kind of Loneliness", "With Morning Comes Mistfall"

"The Second Kind of Loneliness" and "With Morning Comes Mistfall" are the final two stories in the Second Section of Dreamsongs: Volume 1.

"The Second Kind of Loneliness" is written as a series of diary entries by a man who has chosen to spend 4 years guarding a wormhole beyond Pluto. Alone. There is a madness and a sadness to this story and it ends far sadder than I expected.

"With Morning Comes Mistfall" tells the story of a planet shrouded in mystery, where most of the planet is covered in mists and there are rumors and tourism based on the chance that there are wraiths in the mist, wraiths that have killed. But scientists have come to Wraithworld to either prove or disprove the wraiths. The proprietor of the hotel on Wraithworld fears either answer. This is another story with an air of sadness because things will end. "With Morning Comes Mistfall" is a much stronger story than "The Second Kind of Loneliness" and haunting.

What I am finding with this Dreamsongs collection is that George R. R. Martin truly is a master of storytelling and these, his earlier works, are strong enough on their own and knowing that better stories are to come is quite impressive.