The return of the famous shared-world superhero books created and edited by George R. R. Martin, author of the A Song of Ice and Fire series For decades, George R.R. Martin – bestselling author of the A Song of Ice and Fire series – has collaborated with an ever-shifting ensemble of science fiction and fantasy icons to create the amazing Wild Cards universe. In the aftermath of World War II, the Earth's population was devastated by a terrifying alien virus. Those who survived were changed for ever. Some, known as Jokers, were cursed with bizarre mental and physical deformities; others, granted superhuman abilities, are known as Aces. Wild Cards tells the stories of this world.