Customer Reviews (7)

Not Free SF Reader
Some detail on the layouts and structure of the most used setting in the Amber world.For afficionados only.

Castle Amber is just, that, a castle, so you woulud almost have to be interested in castles or castle design to be keen enough to get this, if not an Amber freak.

A Review from the Middle of the Road...
I've never understood the "love it or hate it" reaction that so many people have to this book.

Zelazny was interviewed by Randall and Hamilton for the express purpose of creating this little book.He described the people, the places, and the history of Castle Amber in more concrete detail than you get from the 'Amber' novels, and his descriptions were then "fleshed out" a bit with original prose and illustrations to create 'The Visual Guide to Castle Amber.'

Your guide is Flora, one of the characters from Zelazny's 'Amber' series, and her narration takes you on a floor-by-floor tour of the Castle.Each floor and many rooms of the castle are mapped and thoroughly described.There are also Trump illustrations, along with an incomplete family tree (the 'Visual Guide' appeared before all of the 'Amber' novels were published).Quite interesting, fairly well-organized and well-presented, and authorized by Roger himself.What's the fuss?

The way that fans react to this book has always been amusing to me.Depending upon the individual, the 'Visual Guide' is either a foul blasphemy that defiles THAT WHICH IS THE ONE TRUE AMBER, or else it's a definitive "last word" that was so important that Zelazny assumed flesh-and-blood form to deliver it to the unworthy masses.

I look at it this way:The 'Visual Guide' is ONE VIEW of what Amber might be like, informed by Roger Zelazny and expanded by a couple of self-professed Ambermaniacs.I've seen better, I've seen worse.Generally speaking, I like the maps fairly well but most of the Trump illustrations are run-of-the-mill.I enjoyed leafing through this book quite a bit, and I'd say it's worth reading if you're an 'Amber' fan like me, but I don't go back to it time and time again the way I do with Zelazny's fiction.

Taken for what it is, the 'Visual Guide' is a nifty piece of fan art and fiction, no more and no less.

Disappointed
I got this book expecting to read about the secrets of Castle Amber, to put a "face" on the Pattern, and to see some COLOR pictures of the beautiful artwork described in the books.None of that happened.There was no color, only black and white floorplans of everyone's rooms. ZZZ.Worse, they made all the Amberites obsessed with Earth.They made it seem like they were all there all the time, with everyone having a decor drawn from Earth.And worst of all, the authors made no effort to give a picture of the Pattern.I always have a hard time trying to visualize it.

For nonfans, this book is filled with allusions to the other books, so it may pique your interest to read the others.For someone familair with "Corwin's story", it was very very tame.

Much maligned, but quite interesting
Looking over the past reviews, one would surmise that this book is simply awful.Actually, quite to the contrary.Example:The illustrations are far from crude.In fact, they are well-drawn and very detailed.I think this is similar to the controversy surrounding the "Lord of the Rings" movies coming out.Many fans are crying "Heresy!" because the director's vision doesn't fit their notions of how the characters look and act.....Read this one, and enjoy, it is rich!

Wayne Gralian
Wayne's World of Books / Krakow RPGs

I Wanted My Money Back
This book is formatted as a walk-through tour of the castle, with some discussion of major characters. I bought the first edition in 1988, and eagerly started reading it for its promised "revelations." Instead, I found it to be a HUGE disappointment. Anyone who is "into" Zelazny's Amber novels will cringe at the vast number of errors in this book and the insipid illustrations. Although Zelazny is listed as first author, he seems to have had next to nothing to do with the contents of this book, and he certainly didn't write the banal text. Errors run the gamut from maps that are at odds with the text in Zelazny's books, to listing as dead a character who isn't, to making ludicrous claims, such as non-royals going mad if they view the Pattern (an artifact central to the Amber novels). The illustrations disagree with the original text. There are major conceptual errors, such as describing part of Amber as "almost" an archetype, when it is by definition *the* archetype. The authors used a character from the novels as a tour guide, and then crudely mishandle her persona in their writing. The only good thing about this book is the encouragement it may offer would-be writers: if something this bad and sloppy can get published, then almost anything can. If you are interested in this book's topic, *The Complete Amber Sourcebook* is a much better choice, despite a few errors. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Great stories
A fine selection of short stories from an excellent author if you like Zelazny I would recommend this book

Not Free SF Reader
A collection largely composed of quite short work, barring the brilliant Home Is the Hangman novella.In fact, multiple short-shorts to be found here, including a triple that starts with Fire And/Or Ice.A couple of stories rescued from fanzine and other death it seems, too.

Several of these are of the amusing variety.

There is also a sequel to the Devil Car story some people may have come across.

Included also are a couple of essays, one on sf and criticism and related topics, for when he had to think about talking at unis, and another on writing.Some short intros to stories are included.

As such, a little under the mark at 3.45 story average overall.


Unicorn Variations : Unicorn Variation - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : The Last of the Wild Ones - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : Recital - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : The Naked Matador - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : Dismal Light - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : Go Starless in the Night - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : But Not the Herald - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : A Hand Across the Galaxy - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : The Force that Through the Circuit Drives the Current - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : Home Is the Hangman - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : Fire And/Or Ice - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : Exeunt Omnes - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : A Very Good Year - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : My Lady of the Diodes - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : And I Only Am Escaped to Tell Thee - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : The Horses of Lir - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : The Night Has 999 Eyes - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : Angel Dark Angel - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : Walpurgisnacht - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : The George Business - Roger Zelanzy


Mythological species replacement with sasquatch chess master.

4 out of 5


Car herd cull history comeback duel failure.

4 out of 5


Singing character end.

3 out of 5


Killer coupling.

3.5 out of 5


Prison project main sequence remains.

3.5 out of 5


Corpsicle history lesson.

3.5 out of 5


Hoping to mug Hercules definitely too Hopeful.

3.5 out of 5


Interstellar foster kid letter.

3 out of 5


Telefactor operation autonomy observation.

3.5 out of 5


Telepresence party prank has terrible results, robot killer wrongly represented afterwards, but does his duty despite detective.

5 out of 5


Twilight of the Gods nookie.

3.5 out of 5


End of play.

3 out of 5


New Year's repeat.

3 out of 5


Crime spree jealous computer chess double cross teamup.

3 out of 5


Flying Dutchman ship change no improvement.

4 out of 5


Taking over the mythic keeping job from uncle.

4 out of 5


Sun maybe not scary.

2.5 out of 5


Agents of 'Death', chosen for exception physical abilities and then enhanced and given cool toys. They also get two coffee breaks a day.

4 out of 5


Talking tomb programs.

3.5 out of 5


Stage fight.

3.5 out of 5




4 out of 5

Good read for passing time
This is a good book for the water closet or a trip in the car if you don't want to look out the window.The stories are funny, Zelany does a good job of communicating his stories in 10-20 pages, and his ideas are fairly original.

Two of my favorites are Unicorn Variations, mostly because I like chess and beer, and this story has both.The second favorite story is "Go Starless Into The Night", I won't ruin it for you, but I thought it was very intriquing.

Of course, there are a few stories along the way that could probably be considered "filler".Most notably his triple short short stories "fire and ice...a very good year".It's a nice idea, but it just left me feeling like he was trying to experiment with a new style and hadn't quite got the hang of it.

Overall, it's a very good shorts collection, worth the read, but just realize that there are a few stories that look like they were put in there to fill out the volume.

More BEER, quoth the griffin.
The titular story, Unicorn Variations, is just adorable. It is a delight to read. I love the Bigfoot and the beer drinking Griffin the most! The book's centerpiece, Home is the Hangman is a great novella that I would like to have seen better developed. There are some strong characters that could have stood more development. My Lady of the Diodes is quite good. The George Business seemed to be a direct inspiration for that movie The Last Dragon (with Sean Connery as the dragon's voice). Fire And/Or Ice-- with a different take on Ragnarok is great, but too short. Ditto the one about the Angel of Death (lots of unrealized story potential there!)

My favorite story is The Horses of Lir. Again, there is a lot of potential that I would love to have seen expanded upon. I didn't want this one to end! It has a great feel to it and in a way is a perfect short story. My assessment of this book is primarily a good one. There are some experiments of which some work better than others do. The best stories end too soon and beg for more treatment. The worst, are mercifully short. But nearly all of them made me think, and after all, that's what a science fiction short story should do.

Without doubt, Zelazny's BEST...
Okay, so I've got a biased view-point.I love Zelazny's work.His "Chronicles of Amber" series was one of the first science fiction/fantasy works on an "adult level" that I read (I wasmaybe 12 at the time), and his twisted, convoluted style of writing had meturning page after page, unable to put the book down.

"UnicornVariations" represents much of that style.It examines man's failuresunder pressure, (and ironically) man's ability to perform extrodinary featsunder that same pressure.It uses an oft-humuorous touch to describe aserious subject.It draws upon fantasy to explain reality.Get thepicture?Rarely does Zelazny ever come right out and say what he means;it's much more fun to keep the reader guessing the whole way through.

Theversion I have of the audio tape is read by Star Trek/Deep Space 9's Odo(Rene something-or-other -- sorry, his last name escapes me at this time);I enjoyed listening to it almost as much as reading the story for myself... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Like Father, Like Son
Well, not really...

After a five year lapse, roger Zelazny returned to the Amber series that had done so well before.One thing that you will notice in reading these is that the author has matured considerable.If the first five volumes, the story of Corwin, Prince of Amber are a bit simplistic and mostly a fantasy adventure story,this return to Amber is much richer in personalities and sub-plots.Fans who have followed the series so far will find they are in for an even bigger treat.

This time around the narrator is Merlin, son of Corwin.He has taken up residence in earth, gone to college, and even worked as a computer designer.With his father gone wandering, Merlin's connection to Amber is slight.But someone has made an attempt on his life for the past eight April 30th's and Merlin has decided it is time for a change of venue.But not before an ex-girlfriend has her head bitten off and a mage has made an attempt on his life.

Merlin returns to Amber to discover that this time April 30th isn't enough and that at least one someone is intent on his life.Somehow his best friend is involved and his royal aunts and uncles also come under fire.And Ghostwheel a construct he has created in shadow has developed self awareness, and a nasty sense of self preservation.To put it simply, Merlin is in serious trouble, and no one seems able to hlp him out.

The story shifts from place to place with considerable speed as Merlin tries to find the pieces of the puzzle and goes from one crisis to another.He lacks his father's more irritating traits, but has a tendency to jump into things headfirst without much planning.Of course, he is quite a bit younger than Corwin, which is both his charm and his Achilles heal.You will meet both old friends and new as the story develops, and see Amber through a different set of eyes.

If I have a criticism, and I really don't, it is that Zelazny triggers the ending to quickly and suddenly you are in a whopper of a cliffhanger.This was intensely frustrating back when I has to wait for the sequel, but a wise reader will have all

A triumphant return to Amber
Trumps of Doom marks the return to the setting of Roger Zelazny's Amber series.The first five books told the story of Corwin, prince of Amber.This sixth book in the saga deals with Corwin's son Merlin.Having spent a number of years on our earth, Merlin has been dealing with a series of assassination attempts.As he tries to resolve the issue he is drawn into a deeper plot threatening the very heart of reality, Amber itself.If you have not read any of Zelazny's Amber novels previously I highly recommend them.I found this to be one of the most exciting, becoming even more so as this second series progresses.Merlin is a much easier character to relate to as he is a little more like an average person.All of the characters of Corwin's generation are a little too experienced, cynical, and aware for the average person to empathize with.Merlin on the other hand bumbles his way through a number of problems, often surviving through sheer luck.While powerful he is a a much easier character to relate to.

merlin is not corwin.......but he's still interesting
of course merlin isn't corwin, thank god, if he was then what would be the point of a "sequel series"? i found this book to be the most interesting of books 6-10 other than the 9th book in the series. granted the "2nd series of the amber chronicles" isn't as inspired or original as books 1-5, but its still way better than most of the other sci-fi/fantasy novels out there! zelazny always seemed to be on top of his form, he never betrayed his style and ceaselessly used "logical" surprises, not contrived surprises, as well as incorporating a sense of humor. the only qualm i have about the book is that its too short!!!

The Amber Chronicles
This is the sixth book of the Amber Chronicles (the first one is Nine Princes in Amber). Get ready to read four more (Blood of Amber, Sign ofChaos, Knights of Shadows, Prince of Chaos) - you will not be able to stop!

Some things, thankfully, stay the same...
Don't dismiss it out of hand simply because the hero-role has been passed on -- in some things, Zelazny has no peer; writing is one of those things. Perhaps the 'new' Amber series doesn't give a sense of closure, but allowfor the unfortunate and sudden closure. The skill, the power, and thevision are his. Now and forever. ... Read more

Book Description

Isle of the Dead
Centuries in the future, Francis Sandow is the only man alive who was born as long ago as the 20th century. His body is kept young and in perfect health by advanced scientific methods; he has amassed such a fortune that he can own entire planets; and he has become a god. No, not a god of Earth, but one of the panetheon of the alien Pei'ans: he is Shimbo of Darktree, Shrugger of Thunders. Yet he doesn't believe that his personality has merged with the ancient consciousness of Shimbo, that he really can call down the skies upon his enemies. The time comes, however, when Francis Sandow must use these powers against the most dangerous antagonist in the universe: another Pei'an god -- Shimbo's own enemy, Belion. And Belion has no doubt whatever of his own powers....

Eye of Cat
A retired hunter of alien zoo specimens, William Blackhorse Singer, the last Najavo on a future Earth, is called upon by the World Government to aid in protecting an alien diplomat from a powerful and hostile member of his own species. Singer, in turn, seeks the aid of a shape-shifting alien known as "Cat" in carrying out the mission. Cat accepts, with one condition: when the mission is over, he wants a return bout with the man who captured him -- a chase with Singer as the hunted instead of the hunter.... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Among Zelazny's finest
I purchased a used copy of Isle of the Dead here at Amazon, and received the single copy, not the double-story edition mentioned in other reviews.I got just the Isle of the Dead and only that.In any case, I found this story to be one of my favorite Zelazny novels of all time, if not one of my favorite novels of all time ever.

The book is deceptively dark and deep, and delves into issues of life and death throughout.Francis Sandow is a character who through luck and hard choices has survived the 20th century to become one of the most powerful and richest in the 30th century.Far into the future he is one of the gods of an alien pantheon that reminds one of Hinduism, and possesses the ability to forge planets.

The book is fast paced, and ultimately leads Francis to one of the planets of his own creations, where he has to face the demons of his past, without his money to protect him after all this time.It's a nasty battle, and the book does a great job building up to the exciting ending.

This book is pretty dark by Zelazny standards, and has a lot to stay about life, death, and how lonely power and long-life can be.I really enjoyed this book while reading it over a weekend, and it gave me something to think about it.

As the book is hard to obtain, definitely take the time to pick it up if you can.You won't be disappointed.Enjoy!

Two Mismatched Stories in One Book
I feel sort of bad about rating this book at only 3 stars.But, the two stories in this book are just worlds apart in how good they are.The 2nd story (though listed first on the cover) is "Isle of the Dead," which is a really good story in classic Zelazny fashion.The other story, "Eye of Cat," is not that good at all.Now, if the publisher had put "Isle of the Dead" together with its sequel, "To Die in Italbar," I'd have given the compilation a 5 star rating.But, since the actual two stories have nothing in common, I'm forced to just take an average of my two ratings.For ease of reference, here are my write-ups for theindividual stories:

Isle of the Dead:This is classic Zelazny: the merging of man and mythology. In this case, the mythology is entirely alien (the Pei'an pantheon), and, as seems to be the norm for Zelazny, the man (Francis Sandow) is darn near immortal. Also, as usual for Zelazny, the magic is there. My only complaint with the book is that I wish there were more of it. There's an awful lot of stuff that Zelazny hints at that could form entire books on their own. Unfortunately, the only other book with this main character in it is "To Die in Italbar." It's been a while since I read that book, but I remember it as also being very good. Wishing for more, I rate this book at a Very Good 4 stars out of 5.

Eye of Cat:Usually, I really like Zelazny's work. Unfortunately, in this case, he's just gone too far with his mythological basis. I'd estimate that more than half of this book consists of nothing but his interpretation of snippets from Navajo mythology stuck smack in the middle of a story. There IS a decent action-packed plot buried in there, but it's just overwhelmed by the mythology. By the end, the whole thing becomes a psychological "experience" as Zelazny basically drops the plot so the protagonist can confront himself. Even worse, the very last pages leave me unsure about whether or not he succeeds. With a tighter linkage between mythology and plot, this could have been an excellent book. But, because the two elements are so disjoint, and because Zelazny emphasizes the mythology over the plot, it just fails. So, unfortunately, I have to rate this book at a Not Very Good 2 stars out of 5.

The Waters of Acheron
Roger Zelazny has a tendency to create main characters who are either eternal or have lived a very long time.This isn't a fault, because he relies on this only to establish the depth of the character, not as a major plot device.In fact, perhaps the biggest lesson his heroes learn is that, if you live forever, you can make a lot of enemies.Some of them aren't even your enemies.

Francis Sandow is on such mein character.After a shaky star in this century, modern science and sheer luck have contrived to make him the worlds oldest rich man.The luck was falling into the hands of the Peians, who taught him how to create worlds and some experience in the fine are of revenge.Worldscaping is the basis for his money, but it didn't save him from offending people.

One such antagonist has taken up stealing the dying personality tapes of some of Sandow's best friends and enemies in an effort to lure him to the Isle of the Dead.His offense was to be a human and qualify for the honor of bonding with a Peian god and becoming a planetscaper.A Peian who didn't pass the grade took offense and has spent several hundred years working on getting even.Now he has reconstructed the people and Sandow bites the lure.

Of course, the revenge you see is not necessarily the revenge you get.Things go awry in spectacular style.Sandow is forced to incarnate Shimbo, the Shrugger of Thunders, and suddenly the scope of the conflict goes out of control.Anotherr truth about Zelazny is that even his villains have redeeming traits, and in this wry but tragic tale, the reader will find it hard to dislike anyone.

For some reason, Isle of the Dead has remained one of my favorite Zelazny stories.I won't claim that it is his best, but it pushes all the right buttons for me and I keep coming back to it.Sandow is my kind of hero - a bit of a rat, but basically a good guy in a tough universe.He has every excuse to be bitter, but he refuses to crumble.In any case, this book has a habit of regularly going out of print.If you are a Zelazny fan than find it how you may, I promise you will find it worth the effort.

1 great book, 1 good chunk of Zelazny.
I'm writing this because nobody else bothered, and a writer of his caliber deserves reviews on everything he ever produced.

Well, this is the trouble with double editions: it's impossible to issue a single rating, especially when the two works have markedly different levels of quality, as in this one.So, I'll just do the two separately.

Isle of the Dead:Really ... cool.THIS is why we read Zelazny 30-odd years after he set this stuff to paper.Of the SF novels of his I've read, this belongs on that top tier, shared with Lord of Light and at most one or two others.Where sometimes his dazzling style wanders a bit into navel-gazing(which is why he was so bloody good at short stories: they minimize such tendencies), here the descriptions are sharp, the narrator is one of his classics, and the ideas are captivating.The controlling metaphor is pretty cool, the action is exciting, and the psychology of the narrator kept me riveted.In short, this novel is EXACTLY what one thinks when s/he thinks of "good Zelazny".5 stars.

Eye of Cat, on the other hand, seems more like what happens when the old master just sits down and decides, "hey, I'll write a story about X".It's still good; I mean, the man's talents wouldn't have let him write complete tripe if he tried.There are some very interesting moments, too; Cat is a striking presence, and some of the throw-away lines are great.His exploration of "primitivism", however, is patchy, and some parts aren't very convincing; in certain spots he even sounds almost a bit bigoted (people from old tribal cultures can't order their thoughts?), even though it is clear he has respect for Native American cultures.Also, parts of the plot meander and drag.All in all, it's a must-read for those of us hungry for more books that have that signature Zelazny style, but if it weren't in this double, I'd tell you to leave it for later.

So: one good + one great novel by Roger Zelazny makes this a good value and a must-buy, but remember, it's the second, shorter one that's the best part.

A concise, compelling epic
One of Roger Zelazny's finest novels, this tale of a man who embodies an alien god encompasses science-fiction, mythology, psychology, and the poignancy of being human - and does so in well under 200 pages. There's no overload of unconvincing background minutiae here - with no more than a few colorful strokes, Zelazny creates a rich and meaningful universe for his flawed protagonist Francis Sandow. What begins as a confrontation between two powerful men swiftly becomes a private apocalypse between two gods ... without ever losing its human scale. Dazzling, exciting, moving, satiric, this book deserves to be reprinted soon! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

This is a comedy
It didn't become apparent to me the first time through until I got to the second story.Zelazny's interludes all seem pretty serious, but the actual stories themselves are meant as comedies, and work pretty well as such.Also, don't be fooled by the cover.Most of this writing was not done by Zelazny himself.But they are good stores nonethless and worth picking up.

This last work of a great one is, well, great
In this last work of Roger Zelazny, he culled together a grouping of four absolutely top-notch authors for a collaborative effort.Mike Stackpole, David Drake, Robert Asprin and Jane Lindskold each chronicle an individual quest of recently separated companions.The quests are to return to safekeeping various magical items whose combined presence is tearing up the very fabric of reality.

Stackpole gives us the story of the loyal assassin and his mission to return a powerful amulet to its former resting place, now that it's use is no longer required.In his quest for the most absolutely perfect ways of killing his enemies, the assassin has surpassed all others, confronting his former teacher in a climactic battle over ownership of the powerful item.I personally feel this to have been one of Stackpole's best works, and on its merit alone is this book an excellent read.

David Drake gives us the story of an elf and a norse woman determined to rid themselves of a powerful ring.They set out across a terribly desolate region to dispose of the ring, with incredible danger and death hounding them the whole way.Personally I considered this the least of the stories -- I just could not get into it, although the dialogue between the questors and the ring is amusing at times.

Asprin provides the funniest of the stories, with a dragon's perspective of an encounter with a warrior.You see, the warrior figures to get the dragon to guard the deadly sword he has been commissioned to dispose of.The dragon has other ideas.The solution to the dilemma is very nicely devised by the hero, as is the slight twist ending.I really enjoyed this story.

Lindskold gives us the quest of the Army's best commander to return an ancient scroll from whence it came.During the journey, various things arouse her suspicions as to the true motives behind the quests on which she and her erstwhile companions have been sent.Realizing a great danger is building, she hastens home to the upcoming wedding and coronation of the nation's newly acknowledged monarchs.

Preceding each story, and wrapping up the saga is a bridging story by Zelazny himself.These stories form the backbone of the global picture, as it were.In fact, these could almost be read as a well-written story unto themselves, with the intervening stories merely fleshing out the details.Since that was the plan, it was carried off quite successfully.I highly recommend this book, especially for those who enjoy slightly off-the-wall fantasy, as this book possesses that in spades.Happy reading!

Good Fun.
To my knowledge this is the last work of Roger Zelanzny probably bestknown for his"Amber" series.To the end he was a great writer and I am sure that anyone who has read his work will regret the fact that no new masterpieces will be coming. I am glad, however, that he finished as he started - working on a fun book which any fantasy readers should enjoy.

"Forever After," is a fantasy story which is reportedly about what happens after the villain is defeated.What happens after the hero and heroine live "happily ever after?"Here some of the closest friends and companions of the hero Rango, soon to be King, are sent on four separate quests to hide the magic tools needed to win the war, but which now, by being so close together, disrupt reality and threaten the kingdom itself.

Each quest is written was by a different author.They include Michael Stackpole, David Drake, Robert Lynn Aspirin and Jane Lindskold.The prefaces, interlude and postlude are written by Roger Zelazny.Remarkably, the quality of most of the stories is very high.I especially enjoyed reading Robert Aspin, one of the funniest fantasy writers around,(Remember Skeeve?) tellingthe story of a noble knight and a dragon, from the dragon's perspective.

Stackpole's story, about a gloomy assassinheart sick over a woman general who has rejected him, burdened by a fat, but well meaning servant, and searching for his father's killer, his former master, was outstanding. In the end, my discovery of Mr. Stackpole, probably was the best thing about reading this book.He is a superb writer and I look forward to reading his other work in the future.

It is fittingthat "Forever After's" theme, that life continues even after the story is over, was Zelanzy's last work.Life does go on.But, if it does, does that mean we can't stop and say thank you to someone who entertained so much and so well over the years?Thanks and good byeMr. Zelazny.I hope the afterlife appreciates you as much as your fans down here do.

Fun fantasy farce
It is a pleasure to read Zelazny, best known for his epic fantasyChronicles of Amber, doing farcical fantasy humor. Who better to spoof agenre than one who has mastered it?

Nice idea, didn't work.
The idea is nice, the settings work - had Zelazny written it, it would probably have been a great book. As it is, it's simply a missed opportunity. Too bad. One or two of the chapters are OK, most are justboring, and none are Zelazny - style. Don't bother. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A zen experience
Anyone who loves short stories is forever in search of the perfect combination of stories in one volume; if you enjoy tales of martial artists put to tests of skill, this is an excellent choice.With a foreword andintroductions by Zelazny himself, this book gives us glimpses into theminds of martial artists at the peak of their abilities - through the eyesof authors such as Jane Linskold, Michael Stackpole, Jeffrey A. Carver andothers.Each author covers a different angle on the martial arts - fromthe gentle brush strokes of "The Seventh Martial Art" to a battleto the death in "Master of Misery" - with a pause for humorousreflection in "True Grits".The collection was ingeniouslycompiled by one of the greatest authors of our time, and I'd give it morestars if I could.

A zen experience
Anyone who loves short stories is forever in search of the perfect combination of stories in one volume; if you enjoy tales of martial artists put to tests of skill, this is an excellent choice.With a foreword andintroductions by Zelazny himself, this book gives us glimpses into theminds of martial artists at the peak of their abilities - through the eyesof authors such as Jane Linskold, Michael Stackpole, Jeffrey A. Carver andothers.Each author covers a different angle on the martial arts - fromthe gentle brush strokes of "The Seventh Martial Art" to a battleto the death in "Master of Misery" - with a pause for humorousreflection in "True Grits".The collection was ingeniouslycompiled by one of the greatest authors of our time, and I'd give it morestars if I could. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Tribute to THE Grand Master
This collection of shortstories, written by a distinguished group of authors in tribute to the world created by the imagination of Jack Williamson.
I really purchased this book to read some more stories about one of the SciFi characters I love most; Giles Habbibula - from the group of Legion of Space stories. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Better than the first, looking forward to the next!
My review of the first book in Zelazny's Amber series was rather harsh. I gave Nine Princes in Amber two stars and concluded that the writing was distracting and the main character was hard to like -- and that I would only reluctantly give the next book in the series a try.

I am glad I did. I thought the writing here was much improved. I began to understand Corwin, his motivations and his world much more clearly. I was actually willing and able to suspend disbelief and ride along with this story, something I hadn't been able to make myself do in the first installment.

Three stars because I still don't feel that there is anything particularly distinguished or compelling about The Guns of Avalon. However, I enjoyed it, now and I'll continue reading the series with more confidence.

Not Free SF Reader
After Corwin escapes, he decides to try something new in his struggle with Eric.Firepower.Having spent time on Earth, he goes travelling to build up a force equipped with a large number of guns.

With his force, he returns to Amber and makes an assault to try and unseat his brother and take over.

A Shadow of a Legend that Was
Weak and on the run, having just escaped from five years in prison, with eyes that still haven't fully regenerated, and a desire for revenge uppermost in his mind, Corwin heads for what was, or what used to be, and perhaps doesn't exist anymore except as a shadow of a shadow, a place that he holds dear in his heart: Avalon. Not that he'd really admit to such an emotion, nor does he dwell overlong on his memories of that place. But bits and pieces of that long ago time in that far away place occasionally surface - and that is part of the power Zelazny infuses into this series about one `real' and many Shadow worlds, dragging you in by inference and suggestion, and saying a great deal about Corwin's character without actually saying it.

The first section of this book is almost a separate book in its own right, as Corwin, on the road to Avalon, gets stopped by encounters in Lorraine with Lancelot and an old lieutenant of his, Ganelon. While this section seems only marginally related to Corwin's quest for the Amber throne, it introduces a both an important new character and an unexplained threat that will bear its greatest fruit much later in the series, along with letting the reader come to know just who Corwin is in much better detail. By the time he does reach Avalon (or what passes for it in these days) and meets another of his brothers, Benedict, he is once more in peak physical and mental form, with a plan in mind for how to take the throne.

The last section of this book is both action-packed and full of surprises, as good guys are revealed to have some serious flaws, the bad guys suddenly seem somewhat heroic and honorable, and previously made plans get some drastic alterations. None of this comes out of a hat, as Zelazny carefully prepares for each of these things, but makes sure that you are held in suspense, as you really can't predict how things will turn out. And of course, the book ends with a cliff-hanger - else why would you want to read the next book? And you definitely will want to, not only to find out what happens next, but to be caught up again in Zelanzy's tight prose and his masterly intimations of other times, other places.

--- Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)

Glib writing, winging it
I will continue to read the 10-part series because it holds my interest, but I would rather focus on constructive criticism than praise.Praise bores me.To deal with the praise quickly, it is imaginative, the characters are interesting, I want to know what happens.

Constructive criticism number one.The author seems like he's winging it, making things up as he goes along, telling us to believe any old thing that happens to pop up in his imagination.

A good sci fi fantasy story sets limits.We know the rules of the fantasy world, and those rules give the world reality.But here, there are no comprehensible rules.For God's sake, we even read about gigantic Siamese cats, talking no less, attacking our hero.Why?Why be so silly?Why shout to us so loudly that you are doing whatever you damn please and that your fantasy world is absurd?

This is not an isolated incident.It is the rule.Lancelot shows up in this story.Why not Joan of Arc?Why not Mickey Mantle?Do you get my point?He's pulling dumb ideas out of the air and telling us that they are real.He's ripping at our credibility, and we don't want to be reminded that the whole thing is nonsense.We want to suspend our disbelief, but he makes it hard.

In the prior book, our hero has amnesia, but still he has the nerve to tell his companions to proceed with him on a mission, despite the fact that he has no idea what the mission is.That is absurd.Unless, of course, you are the author and can do whatever you like.His world does not stand on its own two feet.We are constantly having to say "if you say so" to the things he puts in his story.

This whole concept of Shadow Worlds.Amber is the only Real World, apparently, though I'm not sure of that.The author constantly refers to Shadow Worlds, and makes some vague reference to alternate universes.And yet, the way to get to Shadow Worlds is by magically changing the landscape by an act of will.You are riding down a road, you change the grass to blue and the sky to green and you have now manipulated Shadow in some way and have changed worlds, yet you are still riding down the same road.One would think that an alternate universe might not have that road in it, or that you can't travel to alternate planets by going down one road while someone chases you down that same road through those multiverses.It is all wayyyy too much to swallow.It is just another example of the author winging it and giving us something unrealistic, absurd, and telling us to believe it.If you say so.

The characters are interesting but glib and have no depth.Which is a coincidence because the author is interesting and glib and has no depth.

But the author's strength is in keeping us interested enough to go on, and he has succeeded in that with me.I'm into the third book now.

Another problem I have with Guns of Avalon is that changes happen too quickly, which goes along with the author's glibness and his quality of winging it, lacking depth, rationality or consistency.For example, good guys turn into bad guys, or vice versa, at the drop of a hat, and issues that had been paramount, like the rebellion against King Eric, are resolved instantly.Oh, you can't still be thinking of that can you?It was issue number one all along, and now it's ancient history, because I've suddenly gone past that, forget about that, it's done.On to bigger and better things.And yet, if you dispose of your major story lines so easily, with so little fanfare, then why should we care about your next major story line?

This series is not as gripping as Lord of the Rings or the Kushiel's Dart series.It is far inferior to both of them.But then again, we are comparing it to the gems of fantasy, and that is like comparing the star of your local baseball team to Ruth and Gehrig.So I give this three stars and keep reading.

Family and Friends
As I started to reread Guns of Avalon my initial reaction was that it wasn't as strong as Nine Princes in Amber.The first chapters are very episodic, and there is an enormously long description of a shift,Corwin has escaped from Amber and his brother Eric and seems at loose ends for a time.Corwin finds and rescues Lancelot du Lac and Joins Ganelon, an old enemy, in a battle against the dark.The curse Corwin uttered in Amber has had echoes throughout the shadow worlds and there's a lot of cleanup to be done.

Gradually the exiled prince forms a plan for defeating Eric.There is a substance that can explode in Amber and Corwin intends to introduce some unexpected weapons into the conflict.Ganelon befriends Corwin and the two head for Avalon, where Corwin sets about collecting ingredients.There he finds Benedict, one of his brothers, and Dara, a deadly and beautiful swordwoman.The latter meeting has unexpected repercussions that will bear fruit later in the series.

With the arrival in Avalon, the novel shifts back into high gear and we return to Zelazny's usual compelling narrative.Ganalon and Corwin shift their way across the shadows, sometimes chased by Benedict, sometimes dodging an evil black road with a mind of its own.Corwin prepares his advance and eventually, Amber lies within Corwin's sights and the final battle is joined.

Well, that's what you expect, anyway.But Corwin finds everything topsy turvy, with unexpected heroes and equally unexpected villains.Once again you will find yourself wondering how one writer can manage to consistently bring a fresh vision to each new work.His quirky characters and the peculiarities of his extended family's politics provide the material for both wry dialog and multi-level narrative.Not only do you have to read The Guns of Avalon because the best is yet to come, you are going to be glad that you did. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Fair Graphic Rendition of a Classic Author
Roger Zelazny was one of the earliest of the so-called new wave science fiction writers.He helped tell science fiction differently from the early masters of science fiction, including bringing aspects of fantasy into his science fiction.Perhaps his most famous books were the ten books dealing with Amber.

In 1978, well before comics became more tuned to an adult audience, Roger Zelazny worked with artist Gray Morrow and editor Byron Preiss to create a graphic collection of short stories.Four short stories are represented in this collection, one of which was written especially for the collection.In addition is a very brief story, "Rock Collector," two groups of art, and commentary by Zelazny.

The new short story is titled "Shadowjack."This story is the best reason for owning this collection as it is the only new story in it.While I enjoyed reading and having the art from "The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth," the value of the rest of the collection was just okay.The art quality is fair, but not breakthrough and not of the quality of today's graphic novels.

The two groups of art are titled "The Amber Worlds" and "A Zelazny Tapestry," which has images of "Doorways in the Sand" and "Damnation Alley."I was less than impressed with the quality and style of the art.I felt my mental imagery of Amber and the novels depicted by "A Zelazny Tapestry" was sharper and more mature than the art of Gray Morrow.I'm sure that Gray Morrow is an excellent artist, but he was aiming for a young audience and not the sophisticated audience of 25+ years after he created this collection.

I did enjoy the art and story of the two page graphic story "Rock Collector;" an interesting story with a fun ending that could have done with a bit more development.

Another good aspect of this collection is the introductions provided by Zelazny.Authors rarely take the opportunity to write about their writing, and the few things that we from Zelazny are valuable as Zelazny passed away in 1995.I think he was frank with us, his readers, as he explained that this collection was an experiment to see how well illustration could complement his prose.Apparently the experiment must not have gone well because I believe this was Zelazny's only attempt at a graphic book.I do not count "Roger Zelazny's Visual Guide to Castle Amber" since that book illustrated locations and did not attempt to tell a story.

I am glad I have this book because I am a huge Zelazny fan, and I particularly enjoyed Zelazny's comments, and a couple of the stories I thought were enhanced by the illustrations.However, I can recommend this book only to avid Zelazny fans that are looking to augment their collection.Certainly long-time fans, along with the previously mentioned "The Doors of His Face, The Lamps of His Mouth", will already know "A Rose for Ecclesiastes" and "The Furies."Thus, only the graphics, the new short story and the Zelazny commentary will be of much interest to long-term fans.If you are new to Zelazny, and enjoy science fiction and fantasy with a bit of a skewed approach, then you should get this collection.Just keep your expectations for the graphics low.

Illustrated RZ
It's a nice book for the Zelazny enthusiast.It contains several short stories and lots of pictures.The best things about this book are (1) the Shadow Jack story which isn't part of the "Jack of Shadows" novel, and (2) the Amber artwork.

Be careful, however, because there are two versions of the book: paperback sized and magazine sized.The magazine sized book is clearly the better of the two because it is pretty much all in color and easier to read.The paperback version isn't as nice because they cut out parts of the stories to make them fit in the smaller format, plus much of the book is black and white.

Only for completists
A mixed bag. There are a few comic book adaptation of his stories (Halfjack) while others are re-printed with color illustrations. These are quite garish and don't hold up that well on the glossy paper.

Maybe forthe completist but offers nothing new to those already familiar withZelazny's work. ... Read more

Book Description
"A mindbender of a book, and a treat for Zelazny fans."
ALA BOOKLIST
The Road runs from the unimaginable past to the far future, and those who travel it have access to the turnoffs leading to all times and places--even to the alternate time-streams of histories that never happened. Why the Dragons of Bel'kwinith made the Road--or who they are--no one knows. But the Road has always been there and for those who know how to find it, it always will be! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Average Zelazny yarn...
For a blazing read, please look into this book.I finished its 185 pages in two days.It's just too bad that it was a weak read.The plot, while reminiscent of Philip Jose Farmer's "Riverboat" series (which contained a cast of characters/real people from history all living at the same time), isn't very focused.Zelazny never quite figures out whether he is going to focus on the time-traveling 'Road' and who created it/why it is there, or whether he is interested in the idea of talking about famous people or places from times past.The chapters bounced around like a cat on a lit hibachi, and only coalesced in the last 70 pages of the book.This time vasolation was clearly meant to play on the idea that the characters are playing with time, but this created a chaotic narrative for the reader, making it difficult to remember what happened earlier in the book.While I thought this was an enjoyable book with some truly humorous pages and some interesting takes on time travel, overall I cannot give it more than 3 of 5 stars.An overall disappointment for a strong Zelazny supporter such as myself.

RATHER GOOD STUFF HERE - ESP IF YOUR A ZELAZNY FAN
I first read this one in 1979, and was rather taken with it at that time.I truely enjoyed it.Recently, I came across it in a box of books in my attic, dusted it off (good grief, a mouse had had it's way with it - groan) and read it again.As with my first reading, I enjoyed it just as much.Now I do admit to being a big Amber fan, so maybe that is part of what did it for me. I also enjoy time travel stories.The book is written in a light fashion, a fashion meant to be enjoyed and to entertain and does this well.I suspect it may not be everyones cup of tea, but for Zelazny fans, it will be a treat.I very much recommend this one...if you can find it.

The Long and Wonderful Road of time...
The book tells the story of a highway, not too far from here, that doesnt take people to destinations....it takes them to the future and the past. Red and his Robot sidekick (who is hilarious) are trying to evade 10 Assasins sent to kill them as they travel through time in their old pickup truck while looking for the road exit that leads them where they want to go... A Fun little book that a person can polish off in 3 hours or so and will enjoy it more that a movie for the same investment of time.... If you are a slower reader, have no fear... the highway of time in this book is Forgiving and will be waiting as long as it takes..

Go to the Used bookstore/Online Auction and buy this Masterpeice!

Relic113

Too Short!! I Wanted More!!
I recently reread Roadmarks. I had forgotten what a great (but short!) book it is. Highly recommended for all science fiction and fantasy fans, and even those who like a good road story.

It has lots of famous cameos - whom not all I could identify -- and some great twists and turns. I only wish it had been longer or had spawned a sequel! This is an extremely easy book to read, and has a great lead character with the requisite mechanical side-kick. It's so good you'll wish the book was twice as long.

Best Story
I wish that there was a series such as the Amber books that take up the stories of the road.I like a hero with out too many super powers. Its sad that with the author gone this can never be.But this book is a standalone version of the best of Zelazny. You should definetly give it a read. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Not Free SF Reader
This is the final volume in Roger Zelazny's Amber series.

Merlin discovers he is a pawn in the game between the powers of Amber and Chaos, and is not too happy.It is all he can do to stay alive, however.The culmination of all the crazy, devious and violent power struggles in Amber and Chaos.

Not intended to be the end
Most people who've read this book don't seem to realize that there was a reason why so many plot threads were either left unresolved, or introduced fresh.This was the case with Courts of Chaos as well (book 5 in the series): Amber won the war, albeit at a terrible price, but there were far too many unanswered questions.

The reason is that Zelazny was not intending this to be the end to the series, just to this chapter of the story.It is not a well-known fact, but Zelazny actually wrote five short stories that pick up after this book end (they were published in various magazines and, to my knowledge, have never been collected or even made easily available).Those five stories deal with what happened with Luke and the Pattern (#1), Merlin meeting Rhanda (#2), Frakir, after she got herself freed (#3), and Corwin making his way to Amber on a blue, shape-shifting horse from the Courts (#4 and 5).

In those stories, it is revealed that spikards are sentient, Grayswandir and Werewindle are not swords at all, but instead changed spikards, a new race of beings - the Shroudlings, who live in the world behind mirrors - is introduced, and Castle Amber is alive and taking part in things.

Zelazny was clearly bulding up to another series; unfortunatelly, he succumbed to cancer shortly thereafter.

Burning Your End At Both Candles
With the exception of a few weak steps in Sign of Chaos, Zelazny's Amber series has proven to be one of the enduring monuments of fantasy writing in the 70's and 80's.They are the logical culmination of a focus on the concept of 'world builder' first investigated in Isle of the Dead.In that volume world building was a spiritual activity and here, in the twin five volume series about Corwin and his son Merlin is is the politics of those who can wander the dimensions and 'find' worlds of their own design that is important.

Prince of Chaos makes it clear that Order and Chaos are the great forces that drive events.And that it is the inhabitants, not the manifestations of the powers that must keep the balance.For all their instincts of preservation, the Serpent and the Unicorn would gladly have the universe destroyed if for one instant either side can rule unconstrained.Merlin, born and raised in the Courts of Chaos, but true son of Amber, finds himself maneuvered into the precarious position of potential heir to the dark throne.He despises the idea of wearing a crown, hates being manipulates, but his progress has been almost inevitable.He is a piece in a very large chess game.

Zelazny builds this volume as a puzzle with Corwin charged with finding all the pieces and fitting them together.He must find his father, determine who among his relatives can be trusted, and make more than a few decisions of the heart.He is a young man surrounded by players who have been in the game for hundred, if not thousands, of years.And each victory means new threats to defend himself against.

Zelazny manages to wrap up most of his loose ends while leaving considerable room for further amplification.There will never be another volume in this series, but the reader has so much material to work with that there are countless alternate new volumes resting in the heads of inspired readers, caught in the pattern of fascination that drives the plot.That these stories go on in our minds is the true charm of Zelazny's work.With today's focus on action rather than plot the art of the storytellerhas almost disappeared from the genre.

A great disappointment
I am a huge fan of the first chronicles of Amber and have read that series several times.When Zelazny returned to writing Amber stories based on Merlin I had high hopes, but with each new book I found that the magic was slipping further and further away.

In this final book it feels like Zelazny had written himself into a corner and just wanted to end it.There is no true conclusion here, only dangling plots that we will never see resolved.

For the Amber completist, get it from the library and slog through it.Otherwise stick to the first five books of Corwin for that is where the true magic is held.Nothing will ever come close to the first five books and this last book is as far from that greatness as the Courts of Chaos are from Amber itself.

Conclusion, but little closure
With Prince of Chaos Roger Zelazny brings his classic Amber saga to a close.The book is left slightly open ended as though he had conceived of additional novels, but died before they could be written.
This book brings some satisfaction in that most of the major plot points are tied up, but the conclusion feels abrupt and rather contrived.Additionally there are some glaring continuity issues with the earlier books that distract from the pleasure of the reading experience.
Although Merlin lacks Corwin's majesty and style, he has a more realistic feel to him.Corwin was always larger than life.Merlin is somewhat bumbling and obtuse which makes him easier to identify with as a realistic character.
While this is my least favorite book in the series I highly recommend this series of novels to any and every literature fan out there.Roger Zelazny is one of those few SFF authors who assure that genre's place among more recognized forms of literature.

Take my word for it and read these books.You won't regret it... ... Read more

Book Description
In the years following World War III, a new and powerful faith has arisen from a scorched and poisoned Earth, a faith that embraces the architect of world wide devastation. The Servants of Wrath have deified Carlton Lufteufel and re-christened him the Deus Irae. In the small community of Charlottesville, Utah, Tibor McMasters, born without arms or legs, has, through an array of prostheses, established a far-reaching reputation as an inspired painter. When the new church commissions a grand mural depicting the Deus Irae, it falls upon Tibor to make a treacherous journey to find the man, to find the god, and capture his terrible visage for posterity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Worst Dick Novel I've Read
I have read over a dozen Philip K. Dick books and can say without a doubt this was the worse one I read, and maybe the worst book I have read in a long time. People have claimed that Dick's Vulcan's Hammer is the worst, but this has to be up there. I had enjoyed the posthumous collaboration between Alfred Bester and Roger Zelazny called Psychoshop and thought this would be the same caliber. Nope. This novel was aimless and boring. Yes, boring. I plowed through it hoping it would go over some hump and get good. Never did.

I would recommend reading just about any Philip K. Dick book over this one. If you need recommendations I'd say go: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, The Man In The High Castle, The Divine Invasion, VALIS, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, Radio Free Albemuth, Scanner Darkly, Now Wait For Last Year, Ubik, Martian Time-Slip, Time Out of Joint, Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said...before even thinking about reading this book.

Last snub, what's up with the Vintage cover art for this title?

I love Zelazny, don't like Dick, gonna quit reading Dick now
A disclaimer: Like a previous reviewer, I will read anything Zelazny wrote, because he's a true master. Amber! Lord of Light! Amazing stuff. He died far too young.

Philip K. Dick, on the other hand, doesn't float my boat. I've read three of his books now, and didn't like any of them. I'm gonna quit. I should have quit before this one.

Bottom line: If you loved Canticle for Liebowitz and Lord of Light, you'll like this. I loved Lord of Light, but Canticle is as far as I want to go into questioning Christian theology, so this one gets three stars, mainly for Zelazny's influence.

Good Collaboration, a tightly-woven tale.
I always wondered how two writers collaborate to write one novel.Does one start and write til he's stuck, then send it over to the other?Or is one responsible for the dialogue, the other plot and exposition?Do they trade chapters back and forth?

Deus Irae is immediately recognizable Dick.God & theology theme, wacky mutants, and dialogue that cause you think about and examineour basic Christian beliefs.Why not a God of Death and Retribution?

I can't say I've read any Roger Zelazny, so I don't recognize his style, plotline, or contribution to the book.However, if he was responsible fortoning down the paranoia and rambling to which Dick sometimes succumbs, I guess it was a good mix.

Post-apocalyptic religion
Dick wrote this in collaboration with another sf great, Roger Zelazny, though the end result is not really one of either author's best efforts. In a post-World-War-III wasteland a religion has grown up around the God of Wrath, whose human embodiment is one Carleton Lufteufel, the government official who detonated the doomsday device that contaminated the Earth's atmosphere with radioactivity. Limbless painter Tibor McMaster sets off in his cart on a quest to find Lufteufel to capture the god's true visage in a painting. There's some interesting speculation around the encounter between a vitiated Christianity with this life-negating religion (Deus Irae means "God of wrath") and a somewhat Zen-like spiritual renewal may be found in the novel's conclusion. The religious preoccupation gives the novel interest as a kind of reflection of Dick's other greater novels of the late 60s and 70s, despite the somewhat casual and fragmented history of its composition.

What Is Left To Believe
This book mines one of the most fertile areas of post-apocalyptic science fiction, the conflict of faith.What do people believe in when it looks like God has turned his back on the world?This book is perhaps the best possible flip side to Walter M. Miller, Jr's "A Canticle for Leibowitz."

In a world devastated by a war that has evidently been more than nuclear, Tibor McMasters is an artist for the Servants of Wrath, who worship the creator of the bomb.Pete Sands is an acolyte of the waning Christian church.These strange friends wind up on a search for Carleton Leuftufel, the man who ordered the bomb, so that he can be painted and adored as the Deus Irae, the man who remade the world.

This brief book appears to have been written by Dick from sketches by Zelazny.These two writers, among the most thoughtful in science fiction, have created a forgotten classic of Twentieth Century literature.An acid trip view of a world twisted and distorted, you are left at the end to decipher what it means.How can we believe in a good god in a bad world?But how can we believe in a bad god and survive?What god suffices?Or is that a doomed thought?

There are no answers.Like "The Matrix" or "Leviathan," we are left with important questions and our own resources.This is hard.Though this is not the greatest philosophical science fiction novel ever written, it's right up there, and it's not to be undertaken lightly.

Though this book, like most SF from its time, has become dated, it remains eminently readable and beautifully constructed.We can only mourn that these two great minds are gone now, and enjoy this great meeting of their intellects.Highly recommended. ... Read more

Book Description

TO DIE IN ITALBAR

By Roger Zelazny

In To Die in Italbar, the galaxy is in chaos, with people falling prey to an unidentifiable disease. Only one man has the ability to help -- a man who can heal or kill with a touch. Known only as "Mr. H," he is being sought after by everyone, but for vastly different reasons. Even Francis Sandow is seeking him, and may be the only one with a clue as to who H really is ... In the bonus novel A Dark Travelling, James Wiley is an "ordinary" 14-year-old who has lost his scientist father to a parallel world in the darkbands. With the help of Becky, his sister with magical powers, Barry the exchange student and Uncle George, the werewolf, James goes in search of his parent. But he must take care: for if there just happens to be a full moon at the wrong moment, James's itchy palms might lead him into trouble...

• To Die in Italbar is the sequel to Zelazny's novel Isle of the Dead, published last year by ibooks in a compilation volume with Eye of Cat.

• Roger Zelazny was a three-time Nebula Award and six-time Hugo Award-winning author of science fiction and fantasy classics.

• Zelazny was the bestselling author of the ten-volume Chronicles of Amber series of fantasy novels, as well as Psychoshop (written by Alfred Bester). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Inner Sanctuary
Three decades after reading this novel, it is still one of my favorite of the genre. The inclusion of the blue goddess was disturbingly personal. The hero straddles two worlds, one high tech, the other archetypal inner space. Science fiction has long since morphed into space opera, and Zelazny seemed to be one of the first to breach the bubble of stories based purely on science and technology.

One of Zelazny's early classics
"To Die In Italbar" is the sequel to "Isle of the Dead," but this story stands on its own two feet.While familiarity with "Isle of the Dead" will probably help the reader understand certain events in this second and final book in the series, it is by no means required reading.

"To Die In Italbar" contains just about everything that Zelazny fans have come to appreciate about his writing-- complex characters who are nonetheless easy to get a handle on, crisp and vivid writing, lurid imagination, and a sense of purpose and destiny as the events of the book unfold.It's all here.This may not be Zelazny's best novel, and it isn't my personal favorite, but it really has an endearing quality to it.In fact, "To Die In Italbar" is probably one of Zelazny's most enjoyable reads-- a piece of quality fiction that doesn't read like quality fiction.

Roger Zelazny once said that he thought "To Die In Italbar" was a disappointment-- that he'd been in too much of a hurry when he wrote it, and that it lacked the subtlety and nuance of "Isle of the Dead."Frankly, "To Die In Italbar" is easily the better of the two books for this very reason!While "Isle of the Dead" is a great work because it lets the reader enter the complicated mind of Francis Sandow, experiencing and learning about the complex Pei'an pantheon of dieties from his unique vantage point, at times Sandow's philosophical musings slow the novel's pacing a bit.It's an amazing novel, and Sandow is a fascinating character, but readers should be forewarned that "Isle of the Dead" is anything but a light read!Having thus set the stage, however, Zelazny then rewarded his readers with "To Die In Italbar," a straightforward science fiction romp set which is set against this rich tapestry-- but without being weighted down by it.

The story weaves several pointedly different characters together into a single tale.All of these characters stand out, for one reason or another:Captain Malacar is the last inhabitant of a bombed and pitted earth, waging a one-man guerilla war against the human government that laid it waste; Dr. Pels is a brilliant pathologist who managed to stop all of his personal bodily functions at the exact moment of death, allowing him to continue his research in a sort of medically-induced undead state; Jackara is a prostitute, bitter and angry about being forced into this profession because others viewed her as an outsider; Francis Sandow, avatar of the Pei'an god Shimbo, is a famous builder of worlds and the wealthiest man alive; and last, but certainly not least, Mr. H. is imbued with an odd power over life and death which he doesn't understand and cannot completely control.As the novel progresses, these characters' individual dramas slowly merge and meld, becoming secondary plot elements in a much larger struggle.

Towards the end of the book, Zelazny really plays with the reader's perceptions.The story's climax is basically described from a third-party point of view, as one character describes events to another-- and that character is terribly confused about what he witnessed, making his account of events somewhat suspect.In short, the reader doesn't really know exactly what happened at the end of this novel, and Zelazny only fills in enough very broad details for the reader to make a pretty educated guess.Somehow, though, instead of making the book less fulfilling, the book's open ending only adds the ring of truth to Zelazny's storytelling. Sometimes life doesn't provide us with easy answers!Zelazny gives enough of the story to satisfy, but withholds enough details to preserve a sense of mystery.Brilliance!

I can't say enough good things about "To Die In Italbar."This is truly one of Roger Zelazny's most enjoyable novels.I'd strongly recommend this book to anybody who is looking for lighter, smarter science fiction.

"Yet a part of me, somewhere, seems to be screaming"
I decided to review this slim volume because To Die In Italbar has the distinction of being the second (and last) volume in the series he started with Isle of the Dead.While Francis Sandow only puts in a momentary appearance, it is a significant one, and once again the story turns on the clash between two Peian gods.This time the goddess the Shimbo faces is Arym-o-Myra, goddess of healing and disease.And this time the conflict is over the survival of the human race.

The novel works several threads, the most important is that of Heidel von Hymack, who has accidentally become Arym-o-Myra's avatar.Able to bring the diseases of his body into balance, he can cure any disease.Unfortunately, the side effect is that when Hymack's body isn't in balance, he is a disease carrier.He delays too long on one planet, causes a plague, and is nearly killed by a crowd.Anger replaces his concern, and suddenly he is overcome by Jackara's darker side.Now humanity is the disease to be cured.

Two people see a potential use for Hymack.Malacar Miles is an insurrectionist, bound to oppose the planetary commonwealth and defense the existence of the planets that were one part of earth's influence.Malacar lives in the shattered remains of his planet, living th life of a terrorist.When he discovers the existence of Hymack he sees an opportunity to launch a truly destructive campaign.Also tracking Hymack is the dead Dr. Pels who is seeking a cure for his own condition.

And then there is Francis Sandow, who the Peians have called in to deal with the resurgence of Arym-o-Myra.He has no agenda other than keeping folks alive and putting a god that has legitimate reason to be awake back to sleep.On one last planet all these forces meet - telepath against telepath against god.

Again, Zelazny demonstrates creativity that refuses to fall into a rut.He poses bit questions in human packages without hubris or theatrical deliver of messages.The result is a poignant tale that can set you thinking about what is and isn't important in a universe full of possibility.

Italbar is another great Zelazny story, but...
Roger Zelazny has always been my favorite author, ever since I discovered the original Amber series sometime around 1977. I find most of his work to be consistently incredible, and "Italbar" is no exception. On the other hand, "A Dark Traveling" has always seemed to me to be substandard Zelazny. It's almost like he started to write what could have been a great story, then stopped after he jotted down some ideas and cleaned up a rough draft. The ending is definitely rushed. If you haven't read Roger Zelazny, you should read one of his other novels first. Once you see what the master did on a consistent basis, you'll have a better understanding of how this one story falls short.

Haunting/sprightly
These books are two of Robert Zelazny's lesser-known works, "To Die In Italbar" and "A Dark Travelling." "Travelling" is a sort of YA novella, a little frothier than usual Zelazny books, and "To Die" is a deeper, darker, more horrifying story.

"To Die In Italbar" brings us to a future where one man, Heidal (known as H), is given strange, mysterious powers -- he can be afflicted and then cured of any disease, no matter how hideous or incurable. (Thanks to a disease/healing goddess who visits him in his dreams) When he accidently infects and is attacked by the people of Italbar, he becomes a walking plague machine. Malacar, the one man still living on Earth with his telepathic alien translator, wants to find Heidel with the help of a vengeance-loving girl from a brothel. But Heidal is becoming more and more dangerous with the goddess's help...

"A Dark Travelling" has a family that makes yours look downright normal. Jim is a teen werewolf. His sister is a witch. His brother is an assassin who lives in a castle. His father travels dimensions, or "bands." But one night his father mysteriously vanishes, and Jim goes on a desperate, magical search for him. And it leads him to sorcerers and rebels on one of the "darkbands," where his father has been taken captive for a shocking reason.

These books aren't the most prominent ones that Zelazny wrote, but they're enjoyable reads. "Dark Travelling" has a sort of frothier edge to it -- the plot almost never stops going until the end, with a small cast of characters (several of whom remain a bit underdeveloped) and no philosophical musings. "Italbar," on the other hand, is much deeper and darker, with a lot of dream conversations and telepathic linking. A lot more action is going on inside the characters' heads.

On a quality front, these ibook reprints have good smooth paper and good bindings. Teens as well as adults will probably enjoy these -- there is a tiny amount of ...content in "Italbar" (Jackara works at a brothel) but nothing major. Fans of Robert Zelazny and thoughtful SF/F should definitely check these books out. ... Read more

Book Description
Science FictionLarge Print EditionFantasy of a superior order.Washington Post Exiled to the Shadows for centuries, a man more than mortal awakens in an Earth hospital with no memory of his pastand is surrounded by enemies who hunger for his destruction. For Corwin is the rightful successor to the throne of the real world. But to rule, he must conquer impossible realities and demonic assassins . . . and survive the most insidious malevolence imaginable wrought by his own family. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (81)

Good but overhyped
I tend to be relatively easy to please when it comes to books, and I heard a lot of good stuff about this one. But this book has been overhyped, plain and simple. Overall, I enjoyed it and I think it is a fine start for a series (I haven't read any of the other books yet), but it's just not 5-star material.
First of all, the writing is stiff, especially dialogue. At first I thought that maybe they were just being overly formal because they're royalty or something like that. No. And it's not snappy. It's just stiff dialogue.
But worse than stiff dialogue is a boring middle. Not the whole middle, mind you, but a good bit is devoted to describing the progress of an army marching toward Amber. And it's BORING.
Then the hero is saved in the end by something you don't hear about in the rest of the book. That sets it up great for the rest of the series, but it's still kind of cheap.
So if you read a lot and like fantasy, give it a try. It's a short read (and so are the rest of the books in the series). It has a cool premise and the series as a whole must be pretty good since most people really like. But if you're short on time and every page you read is precious, you might want to look elsewhere.

Mediocre beginning to the Amber novels
Please note that I wrote the following review after reading this first novel in the Amber series. I grew to appreciate the series more as I went along. Many reviewers on here are writing from the perspective of having read and appreciated the entire series, but I am writing these reviews as I read each of these books for the first time.

I could only muster up two stars for this book. This is the first in Zelazny's Amber series. It's a very quick, easy read, and it kept me engrossed as Corwin, the protagonist, wakes up in the modern-day (OK, 1970s) world, and fights through his amnesia to an understanding of his royal/godly heritage and the power struggle in which he is inextricably entangled.

I am not sure how how to feel about Corwin. This guy is arrogant to the extreme. He does some pretty godawful things to innocent people (beings?) along the way, although he then expresses some hazy, lazy sense of regret. And to what end? His own self-interest. The gods fight on high, screw any collateral damage. Rah?

One funny thing -- the book was first published in 1970, and it's unintentionally hilarious when dated slang pops up, especially in the context of horsemen, swords and kingdoms.

I'm going to read the next book in the series to see if it gets any better. Not much to lose, since it's a fast read.

But thus far, as the main character might say, I just don't dig it.