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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
A densely packed and word rich ride through the landscape of metaphors of a reality that was, is and could be yours at any given moment. The eternal fight and play of seduction to conquer or deceive which ever way you prefer.
Who am I to rate a classic sci-fi, especially one so uniquely conceived and culturally significant (Have you seen the film Argo?), only three stars? Let me first say that I did enjoy the read (eventually) and that I would recommend it (to specific people with specific interests). However, I must also say that it was a struggle to get through the first third of the book, largely because of poor authorship decisions, and that the entire piece has potential to be so much better. There, I've said it!
The First Third: My head was swimming with the rapid-fire introductions of characters and places and situations that seemed too foreign to present without explanation. Early on, when the Death God killed the God of Illusion, my inner religious sci-fi nerd delighted with anticipation, but I soon felt exhausted navigating the literary ambiguities with an inability to connect emotionally with any character. When Chapter 2 began in a different time and setting, my brain sprinted and hurdled to place it in a chronological order with the first. I admit, it wasn't until Chapter 4 that I finally got my bearings and enjoyed the read as much as the story itself deserves. For this I blame the author. ... Oh, and the seven chapters that make the book are oppressively long without clear stopping points.
Overall: Rarely has there been such an exciting, comprehensive, and unique idea for a novel! Having a technologically advanced team of planetary colonizers set themselves up as the Hindu pantheon over their intentionally technologically stunted colony (using the indigenous aliens as "demons") felt so fresh to me (60 years after its writing)!
With this construct, Zelazny is able to open discourse on sociological and philosophical topics like identity: how does it change as consciousness is transferred from physical body to physical body over millenia?; epistomology: do the holders of knowledge have a responsibility to disseminate that knowledge, or a responsibility to withhold it; religion: can one be a Buddha even if he has only performed the actions of an ancient Buddha and has no belief in himself? And, really, there are so many more fun mental puzzles Zelazny provides in that special way of great novelists of the 1960s.
Because Zelazny alluded to the technological achievements of the Firsts (and the subsequent gods and demi-gods of the Celestial City) without describing them specifically - what we would call "soft sci-fi" - the book stands the test of time better than many science fiction works of the 1960s. As our world progresses, so will the images conjured in the minds of readers over the decades without catching on anachronism. This aspect seems to both intrigue and frustrate filmmakers: note the abandoned movie project of 1979 and the long-delayed television series begun in 2017.
The First Third: My head was swimming with the rapid-fire introductions of characters and places and situations that seemed too foreign to present without explanation. Early on, when the Death God killed the God of Illusion, my inner religious sci-fi nerd delighted with anticipation, but I soon felt exhausted navigating the literary ambiguities with an inability to connect emotionally with any character. When Chapter 2 began in a different time and setting, my brain sprinted and hurdled to place it in a chronological order with the first. I admit, it wasn't until Chapter 4 that I finally got my bearings and enjoyed the read as much as the story itself deserves. For this I blame the author. ... Oh, and the seven chapters that make the book are oppressively long without clear stopping points.
Overall: Rarely has there been such an exciting, comprehensive, and unique idea for a novel! Having a technologically advanced team of planetary colonizers set themselves up as the Hindu pantheon over their intentionally technologically stunted colony (using the indigenous aliens as "demons") felt so fresh to me (60 years after its writing)!
With this construct, Zelazny is able to open discourse on sociological and philosophical topics like identity: how does it change as consciousness is transferred from physical body to physical body over millenia?; epistomology: do the holders of knowledge have a responsibility to disseminate that knowledge, or a responsibility to withhold it; religion: can one be a Buddha even if he has only performed the actions of an ancient Buddha and has no belief in himself? And, really, there are so many more fun mental puzzles Zelazny provides in that special way of great novelists of the 1960s.
Because Zelazny alluded to the technological achievements of the Firsts (and the subsequent gods and demi-gods of the Celestial City) without describing them specifically - what we would call "soft sci-fi" - the book stands the test of time better than many science fiction works of the 1960s. As our world progresses, so will the images conjured in the minds of readers over the decades without catching on anachronism. This aspect seems to both intrigue and frustrate filmmakers: note the abandoned movie project of 1979 and the long-delayed television series begun in 2017.
Bez obzira što okosnicu romana čine religija i njen odraz na društvo, kolonijalizam, priroda mitova i slobodno mišljenje, da nije Sema, ovo ne bi bilo toliko ubedljivo koliko zapravo jeste. Snažno napisan lik koji narativno čudno konstruisanu priču sprovodi bez imalo problema do kraja. Sve funkcioniše bez većih problema i kao simpatično prepričan hinduistički mitos, ali jednostavno, ono što je ovde posebno, krije se u Semu, koji nikada nije rekao da je bog, ali nikada nije to i porekao, a koji je očito čovek u najboljem smislu te reči.
4+
4+
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Weaving between a Hindu epic, Buddhist philosophy, and far-future science fiction, Zelazny takes his characters' philosophical and political arguments so seriously, the book itself embodies them. At its core, Lord of Light takes the Buddhist critique of Hindu's social and theological hierarchies and extends them to a hyper-advanced civilizations' godlike relationship to their iron age worshippers. The characters are reincarnated through the sacred power of technology again and again, revisiting their conflicts across lifetimes, each time changing subtly and the consequences of their pasts entwining. A meditative, character-driven story, complete with tragic battle drama worthy of the great epics.
I luv zelazny and this is one of his best. Pulpy Sci fi.
It's a fun read! Mind-warping at first but I was in love with the world by the end. Sam too.
The story concerns a group of super powered mutants that set themselves up as Hindu gods, and the rebel Buddha who would tear them down. It's a sci-fi story filled with allusions to Eastern religion and some wonderful writing. The tone is that of a breezy action adventure, but manages to also be frequently hilarious and profound.
