#18 in Short stories
Sandkings
- 238
- Pages
- about 4.5 h
- Reading time
- Locus Award for Best Collection
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Our view
“Sandkings” is a strong collection of seven science-fiction stories, anchored by an unsettling title tale about power and cruelty. In it, insect-like alien creatures kept as pets worship their owner until he begins to mistreat them. Some readers single out that story as an inventive portrait of a man who treats living beings as his toys, sharpened by scenes of insect warfare.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
Sandkings is the third collection of science fiction short stories by American writer George R. R. Martin, published by Timescape Books in December 1981. It contains seven short stories. The collection won the Locus Award for best single author collection. The multiple-award-winning title story concerns a race of insectoid, militaristic alien "pets" who worship their master until he badly mistreats them.
Reading order · Thousand Worlds
Full order & progress →- The HeroStart hereThe Hero–Not ranked yet
- With Morning Comes MistfallWith Morning Comes Mistfall–Not ranked yet
- OverrideOverride–Not ranked yet
- A Song for Lya
–Not ranked yet - And Seven Times Never Kill ManAnd Seven Times Never Kill Man–Not ranked yet
- The RunnersThe Runners–Not ranked yet
- Meathouse Man
–Not ranked yet - In the House of the WormIn the House of the Worm–Not ranked yet
- Men of Greywater StationMen of Greywater Station–Not ranked yet
- Starlady
–Not ranked yet - Dying of the Light
7.57.5 / 10 - The Stone CityThe Stone City–Not ranked yet
- BitterbloomsBitterblooms–Not ranked yet
- SandkingsThis book
7.97.9 / 10 - The Way of Cross and DragonThe Way of Cross and Dragon–Not ranked yet
- Nightflyers
7.57.5 / 10 - The Glass FlowerThe Glass Flower–Not ranked yet
- The Corpse HandlerThe Corpse Handler–Not ranked yet
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.4 across 57 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 28% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Short stories average of 7.8. That is how 7.9 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardcover | 8.4 | 57 | 100% |
Frequently asked
How long is Sandkings?
It has 238 pages — shorter than 88% of the ranked books in Short stories.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Short stories — with scores between 7.8 and 8.4, closest to this book.
