Patreon link here: they need buttons, frankly. Anyway: time to bring back Book of the Week as a regular feature. I’ll do it every Sunday, so that I can remember it easily, but we’ll begin with one for the rest of the week: Lord of Light. I mentioned it, like, five years ago, but it really is one of the best science fiction novels of the 1960s, and maybe the best one that Roger Zelazny ever wrote. It’s kind of about Hinduism (explicitly), kind of about Buddhism (explicitly), and kind of about how Enlightenment can take you over even when you don’t want it too; but it’s mostly just good. It’s so good, in fact, that I don’t know if anybody’s ever really tried to top it.
And thus, so long to The Drawing of the Dark. Thou good and faithful servant.
Also AKA Argo, the screenplay that helped the CIA “exfiltrate” American embassy staff from revolutionary Iran.
Huh. Far as I recall, they did *not* mention Zelazney in the movie. I would have caught that.
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Decent movie, though. For those not alive during the period in the U.S., please do not pretend to get it.
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Mew
Was ALL over this one. Went downstairs to grab my original Zelazney paperback. 1970 Knowing it was terrific… and it was Creatures of Light and Darkness (pretend this is bolded to indicate it is a title. NOT Lord of Light (again, pretend) This one was based on Egyptian mythos.
Back Cover:
For this Dark Time we’ll simply refer to him as “the man” because his name has been taken from him. There is no reason to be more specific at this point….. “the man” has been dead for one thousand years. Now, he leads the legions of dead he has assembled at his master’s command and approaches his master. Prostrating himself before his master’s throne, he says, “Hail Anubis, Master of the House of the Dead!” Anubis lowers his black muzzle slightly and his fangs are white within it. Red lightning, his tongue, darts forward; re-enters his mouth. He stands. “‘I have a mission to the middle world….”
Off to order Lord of Light. If it is better than Creatures of Light and Darkness I will be very pleased.
It is. Enjoy!
“…they need buttons, frankly.”
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Right?!
Hmm, I have this one as a Science Fiction Book Club edition from the mid-80s I guess. Haven’t read it in probably 20 years, I guess it might be time for a reread.
My first exposure to Zelazny was the Chronicles of Amber, both the original series with Corwin and the followup with his son Merlin. I devoured ALMOST everything he had ever written, but somehow Lord of Light escaped me until just 2 years ago.
I was really sorry to see Zelazny pass as I was looking forward to watching where the Madwand series went. Ah well, such is life.
Very much enjoyed the earlier Chronicles, then real life intervened and I never finished the series.
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Need to do that, one of these days.
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Mew
Also loved _Doorways in the Sand_, as well as most of Zelazny.
If you haven’t read all of Powers, my favorite of his is _Declare_ , though as I’m hitting amazon, I’ve liked virtually everything he wrote too.
I loved Lord of Light, and made it a mission to read everything Zelazny wrote. It is said that he wrote the entire book in order to incorporate one pun, but regardless of the motivation I think it’s the best thing he ever wrote.