Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
Zelazny wrote "Creatures of Light and Darkness" as an exercise, never intending to publish it. He was apparently convinced to do so by his editor and Samuel Delaney (hence the dedication). It is a book, I think, for Zelazny completists. To unconventional to appeal to typical readers and certainly not for fans of Amber--despite the war of gods and powers it portrays. The characters are both complex and barely painted. The systems at work are only hinted at. But neither of those were is point. It is a playground of perspective and language from a master of prose. It deserves to be preserved if only for such gems as:
"The Steel General, who has dismounted, stands before [redacted to prevent spoilers] like an iron statue at ten o'clock on a summer evening with no moon....and his voice is a thing of such beauty that one could listen to it for years."
"The focus of the fugue has become this moment of intensity, and they clash with a force that sends widening ripples of change outward through the universe, rising, diminishing, gone by, as Time once more tricks history around events."
"And [redacted] awaken to a sound of laughter that is like the singing wind."
As with many of his books, "Creatures of Light and Darkness" is a short but rewarding read.
"The Steel General, who has dismounted, stands before [redacted to prevent spoilers] like an iron statue at ten o'clock on a summer evening with no moon....and his voice is a thing of such beauty that one could listen to it for years."
"The focus of the fugue has become this moment of intensity, and they clash with a force that sends widening ripples of change outward through the universe, rising, diminishing, gone by, as Time once more tricks history around events."
"And [redacted] awaken to a sound of laughter that is like the singing wind."
As with many of his books, "Creatures of Light and Darkness" is a short but rewarding read.
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
All caps fantasy this guy's a goof. Really goes for it myth and play and poem and everything.
The prince who was a thousand, the steel general, the thing that cries in the night. Carnival on blis, marachek the oldest city that one place under the ocean.
Feels like there are Themes but why is do you have to have sex with a robot to learn the future? Is that a Theme.
The prince who was a thousand, the steel general, the thing that cries in the night. Carnival on blis, marachek the oldest city that one place under the ocean.
Feels like there are Themes but why is do you have to have sex with a robot to learn the future? Is that a Theme.
medium-paced
4/5 Stars (%80/100)
The story revolves mainly around the man called Wakim, the servant of Anubis whom he trained for a thousand years. Wakim's quest is to slay the mysterious man known as the Prince Who Was a Thousand. The House of the Dead, then, sends forth its emissary while the House of Life, led by Osiris, also sends its emissary, Horus, for the same task.
I really liked the characters even though the story was quite confusing to follow and sometimes tedious. The characters are brilliantly written especially Wakim. (before we learn his true identity.) I also liked Vramin the Mad Poet.
The characters and the story change drastically towards the end of the book. There are many revelations and the theme regarding identity is present from the beginning till the end just like other books of Zelazny.
Zelazny, once again, did a great job combining certain mythological characters and events into a science-fictional novel/novella. I loved Lord of Light and also quite enjoyed This Immortal. Since I am particularly interested in Egyptian mythology, the book was perfect for me.
The only problem with the book for me was the language. Since it is published in 1969, some conversation between certain characters are quite difficult to understand. (I am not talking about the parts Zelazny deliberately made it difficult.) Other than that, I don't really have any problems with the book.
The story revolves mainly around the man called Wakim, the servant of Anubis whom he trained for a thousand years. Wakim's quest is to slay the mysterious man known as the Prince Who Was a Thousand. The House of the Dead, then, sends forth its emissary while the House of Life, led by Osiris, also sends its emissary, Horus, for the same task.
I really liked the characters even though the story was quite confusing to follow and sometimes tedious. The characters are brilliantly written especially Wakim. (before we learn his true identity.) I also liked Vramin the Mad Poet.
The characters and the story change drastically towards the end of the book. There are many revelations and the theme regarding identity is present from the beginning till the end just like other books of Zelazny.
Zelazny, once again, did a great job combining certain mythological characters and events into a science-fictional novel/novella. I loved Lord of Light and also quite enjoyed This Immortal. Since I am particularly interested in Egyptian mythology, the book was perfect for me.
The only problem with the book for me was the language. Since it is published in 1969, some conversation between certain characters are quite difficult to understand. (I am not talking about the parts Zelazny deliberately made it difficult.) Other than that, I don't really have any problems with the book.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
Po raz kolejny Zelazny przeplata mitologię z science fiction i ja to kocham całym sercem. To, w jaki sposób prowadzi narrację, jakiego języka używa żeby to wszystko opisać jest pięknym podkreśleniem dla jego pomysłów, ale też czymś niesamowitym samo w sobie.
Naprawdę polecam i nowelę i autora, to była cudowna opowieść.
Naprawdę polecam i nowelę i autora, to była cudowna opowieść.
"We are here, sir, because we are not elsewhere," says Vramin. "and the table contains two men and a toad - all of whom, I should say, are your betters."
This was a strange read, which made slightly more sense after I found that it was originally just a writing exercise for Zelazny to try out different writing styles. He didn't originally intend to publish it as a novel.
So, yes, novel it is not. It has some elements similar to his earlier Lord of Light that I enjoyed, and some of his usual clever dialogue. But I couldn't say I recommend it, and instead you should go read the much more enjoyable (and meant to be a novel) Lord of Light.
This was a strange read, which made slightly more sense after I found that it was originally just a writing exercise for Zelazny to try out different writing styles. He didn't originally intend to publish it as a novel.
So, yes, novel it is not. It has some elements similar to his earlier Lord of Light that I enjoyed, and some of his usual clever dialogue. But I couldn't say I recommend it, and instead you should go read the much more enjoyable (and meant to be a novel) Lord of Light.