 The Chronicles of Amber — (1970-1991) These books are divided into two arcs called The Corwin Cycle (Nine Princes in Amber, The Guns of Avalon, Sign of the Unicorn, The Hand of Oberon, The Courts of Chaos) and The Merlin Cycle (Trumps of Doom, Blood of Amber, Sign of Chaos, Knight of Shadows, Prince of Chaos). You can purchase them in one omnibus edition. Publisher: Roger Zelazny's books have three things in common: a flawed hero who sometimes fails, endlessly surprising plot twists, and a blend of lyricism, literary allusions, and sly puns that makes the pages fly. The Great Book of Amber, collecting all 10 Amber novels, is vintage Zelazny. Despite some irritating typographical errors, it's invaluable for anyone who wants to read or reread the tales of Corwin and his son, Merlin. Corwin is a prince of Amber, the "immortal city from which every other city has taken its shape." All other worlds, including Earth, are shadows of that reality. Corwin has spent centuries on Earth as an amnesiac. But when someone in the family tries to kill him there, Corwin begins a search for his past. He quickly learns that his family has some very unusual powers. They can travel between Amber, its shadows, and Chaos by manipulating reality; use magical playing cards to communicate and travel instantaneously; and are able to walk the Pattern that created Amber. Corwin regains his memory, solves the mystery of his father Oberon's disappearance, and fulfills his destiny — only to disappear into Chaos. Merlin searches for Corwin and his destiny as a son of both Amber and the Courts of Chaos. His story parallels Corwin's, answering many questions about Amber, Chaos, and the next generation in the family.
 Manna from Heaven — This new collection includes all five previously uncollected Amber stories, plus the prologue from the rare limited edition of Trumps of Doom, and 16 other fantasy and science fiction stories (including a collaboration with Harlan Ellison).
 Amber: Classic SF&F
Roger Zelazny's Amber series is one of the best sci-fi/fantasy epics ever written. Not only was it highly imaginative and original when it was published (in the 70s and 80s), but it remains so — there's nothing else like it. Corwin and his brothers and sisters are clever, sophisticated, sarcastic, and extremely ambitious. They constantly scheme and plot to outmaneuver each other as they vie for political power. If you knew these people in real life, you'd probably hate them, but in Zelazny's hands they're charming (especially Corwin). Zelazny's writing style is solid: fast-paced, exciting, and witty. Plot twists and cliff-hangers make it hard to stop reading.
With all that praise, I must mention two little problems:
1. The Merlin Cycle is not as good as The Corwin Cycle. Corwin is just more interesting than his son.
2. The story never quite wraps up because Zelazny died before finishing it.
Bottom Line: Read The Corwin Cycle (the first half). If you're hooked, keep going. —Kat Hooper
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Stand-alone novels:
 This Immortal — (1966) Publisher: Conrad Nomikos has a long, rich personal history that he'd rather not talk about. And, as arts commissioner, he's been given a job he'd rather not do. Escorting an alien grandee on a guided tour of the shattered remains of Earth is not something he relishes — especially since it is apparent that this places him at the center of high-level intrigue that has some bearing on the future of Earth itself. But Conrad is a very special guy....
 This Immortal (audio)
The Earth has been mostly depopulated as humans have discovered more sophisticated and comfortable cultures elsewhere in the universe. Much of its infrastructure was destroyed during “The Three Days,” and most of the mainland areas are still “hot.” Genetic mutations have caused the birth of creatures previously thought to be only myth. Now Earth is a strange and dangerous place, fit only as a tourist attraction and a vacation spot for the Vegans.
But some people still love Earth, including long-lived Conrad Nomikos, Commissioner for the Arts. Conrad hates the Vegans, so he isn’t happy that he’s been assigned to be the tour guide for Cort Mishtigo, a rich Vegan who may be planning to buy up more of Earth. But even more interesting than Mishtigo’s plans for Earth is the nature of Conrad himself. Who is he?
This Immortal is a gorgeous novel and Conrad Nomikos makes a great hero, similar to Corwin from Zelazny’s later Amber Chronicles. Conrad’s love of Earth and, particularly, for his Greek heritage is full of beauty and passion:
You will pass, but the hills of Greece will remain, will be unchanged, with the smell of goat thigh bones burning, with a mingling of blood and wine, a taste of sweetened almonds, a cold wind by night, and skies as blue-bright as the eyes of a God by day. Touch them, if you dare… That is why I am refreshed whenever I return, because now that I am a man with many years behind me, I feel this way about the entire Earth. That is why I fought, and why I killed and bombed…
I listened to This Immortal on audio (Brilliance Audio) and fell in love with narrator Victor Bevine whose deeply resonant voice captured perfectly the strength and depth of Conrad, the tenderness of Conrad’s wife Cassandra, the alienness of the Vegan, the gentle deadliness of Hasan the Assassin, and even the zealous geekiness of George, the scientist whose curiosity and ambition makes him willing to experiment on his own friends, pets, and unborn child.
The end of This Immortal wraps up a bit too quickly — I wanted to stay longer with Conrad on our devastated planet. I hope everything turns out okay… —Kat Hooper
Lord of Light — (1967) Publisher: Earth is long since dead. On a colony planet, a band of men has gained control of technology, made themselves immortal, and now  rules their world as the gods of the Hindu pantheon. Only one dares oppose them: he who was once Siddhartha and is now Mahasamatman. Binder of Demons. Lord of Light.
Lord of Light
Even before reading Lord of Light, I was already a fan of Zelazny thanks to his Amber fantasy series. Of course the transition from fantasy to science-fiction isn’t always smooth — compare Le Guin’s A Wizard of Earthsea and The Left Hand of Darkness for example and no two pieces of fiction could be farther apart.
In a way, Lord of Light is a big departure from Amber but it’s an enjoyable read nonetheless — one that requires more sophistication from the reader and actually uses the in medias res technique of storytelling. The protagonist is just as compelling as any Zelazny hero and perhaps what motivates me to continue on reading is the author’s interplay of fiction and philosophy, religion and science, all presented in a way that seems light-hearted at times and serious when need be.
Lord of Light is a great book and a must-read (although that might be the fantasy-fan in me talking).
—Charles Tan (guest)
FanLit thanks Charles Tan from Bibliophile Stalker for contributing this guest review. |
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