Reviews

I’ve been on a Zelazny kick of late. I really like Lord of Light and the first Amber series. There are definitely ideas in Creatures of Light and Darkness that have carried over from the former. And there are ideas that are more fully explored in the latter.

The novel, inspired by Egyptian myth, is both beautiful and horrific with numerous stylistic changes. But at the same time it can drift into mythical and allegorical territory. Is anything in this book to be taken literally?

At one point a character is wrestling with all comers at a public fair. It’s very concrete with lots of blood and mud and nothing but a rope barricade holding back the spectators. Then another character shows up to do battle with the first character and their conflict is so intense it threatens to destroy the entire planet. What kind of power do these characters have?

Nothing is explained in depth. The bizarreness is accepted as just the way things are. I found myself looking for a grand unification theory to explain everything. But maybe I shouldn’t. Maybe it’s just a myth written from the far future. Draw from it what beauty and morals are available and don’t try to explain it.

ghosttropics's review against another edition

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4.0

Sort of like the iliad, on a ton of peyote... With egyptian techno-gods and logic worshipping sex computers. The poetic prose, shifting styles, and abstract ideas made it really tough to follow at times, but when the ideas are this psychedelic and grandiose, you can't really expect complete coherence. Hugely experimental stuff, and definitely one of the most vividly colourful and thoroughly mindfucking (?) reads of my life. Also, there is a character who is literally just a shadow of a horse (with no horse to cast the shadow) who is also a black hole who can consume planets...so that's pretty sweet.

jonmichaelnoise's review against another edition

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4.0

I found this one even harder to follow than Lord of Light, but it has some great moments that were delightful to read.

nwhyte's review against another edition

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http://nhw.livejournal.com/490626.html[return][return]Returning to an early favourite for me here. The plot, to be honest, doesn't hold much water: far in the future, the Egyptian deities have returned (or some godlike beings have set themselves up as such) and are in charge of the universe. Various other mythical and cyborg beings drop in on proceedings. But really the book is a delight for the language and the impassioned present tense narrative, which sweeps you along so effectively that you don't notice how little sense it makes. Notable also for the Possibly Proper Death Litany, an agnostic's prayer:[return][return]"Insofar as I may be heard by anything, which may or may not care what I say, I ask, if it matters, that you be forgiven for anything you may have done or failed to do which requires forgiveness. Conversely, if not forgiveness but something else may be required to insure any possible benefit for which you may be eligible after the destruction of your body, I ask that this, whatever it may be, be granted or withheld, as the case may be, in such a manner as to insure your receiving said benefit. I ask this in my capacity as your elected intermediary between yourself and that which may not be yourself, but which may have an interest in the matter of your receiving as much as it is possible for you to receive of this thing, and which may in some way be influenced by this ceremony. Amen."[return][return]and for the great line, "They are my innards! I will not have them read by a poseur!"

pheonixangel84's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

minuteye's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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