You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
Zelazny, Roger. Lord of Light. 1967. Harper, 2010.
Roger Zelazny won a Hugo and was nominated for a Nebula for Lord of Light, a book that was well ahead of its time. I was reminded to reread it by reading Philip Pullman’s Dark Materials series in which quantum entangled particles connect multiple worlds. In Lord of Light consciousnesses can be transferred to an orbiting particle cloud, not unlike the Van Allen radiation belt discovered in 1958. In the middle of the Vietnam War, Zelazny has his hero Sam introduce a scientifically supported form of Buddhism to rebel against the Hindu caste system established by the survivors of the starship The Star of India. If you like a mash-up of science fiction and mythology, you can’t do better than revisiting Roger Zelazny.
Roger Zelazny won a Hugo and was nominated for a Nebula for Lord of Light, a book that was well ahead of its time. I was reminded to reread it by reading Philip Pullman’s Dark Materials series in which quantum entangled particles connect multiple worlds. In Lord of Light consciousnesses can be transferred to an orbiting particle cloud, not unlike the Van Allen radiation belt discovered in 1958. In the middle of the Vietnam War, Zelazny has his hero Sam introduce a scientifically supported form of Buddhism to rebel against the Hindu caste system established by the survivors of the starship The Star of India. If you like a mash-up of science fiction and mythology, you can’t do better than revisiting Roger Zelazny.
My all-time favourite Zelazny. I loved the flashback structure, I loved his trademark tug of war between mythic resonance and laconic, pragmatic, futuristic world-weariness. The marriage of noir and myth is delicious.
Konceptet där gränsdragningen mellan det magiska-gudomliga och det teknologiska suddas ut har blivit ganska populärt sistone (Lex Thor: Ragnarok), men sällan har jag sett det så snyggt utfört som i Lord of Light från 1967. Detta beror till viss del på bokens struktur, där varje kapitel har något av en Veda-texts form, men som skiftar i modern science fiction.
Etiskt är romanen lite klurig. Är huvudpersonen en bodhisattva, och således en allegori över buddhismens framväxt under brahmanism - eller är han Sam, vilket alltså gör romanen till en allegori över västerländsk kolonialism?
Alldeles oavsett så är detta en superintressant och läsvärd SF-klassiker.
Etiskt är romanen lite klurig. Är huvudpersonen en bodhisattva, och således en allegori över buddhismens framväxt under brahmanism - eller är han Sam, vilket alltså gör romanen till en allegori över västerländsk kolonialism?
Alldeles oavsett så är detta en superintressant och läsvärd SF-klassiker.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I greatly enjoyed this book. I almost gave it up early on, however, as the whole god thing wasn't making any sense to me. Then I read the blurb on the back and realized that the gods were personas that the characters were putting on and it all made sense so I could settle down and enjoy it. I also didn't realized that the opening scenes were in the present and the majority of the book dealt with what had happened in the past. I realized that near the end and had to go back and read those early scenes again.
The book is interesting and quick-moving. Zelazny presents an interesting world with complex characters. I often found it hard to put down because of the flow of the actions. A compelling read. I'm glad that I stuck with it.
The book is interesting and quick-moving. Zelazny presents an interesting world with complex characters. I often found it hard to put down because of the flow of the actions. A compelling read. I'm glad that I stuck with it.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Certainly a masterpiece. An important read and a fun one.
I was really confused by this book because I didn't know much about the Hindi Gods going into this.
Such a promising concept and landscape yet the execution and writing style was confusing for me. Could not enjoy the story-line with many characters changing names it was hard to follow up on what is going on.
Amazing. Anyone who wishes to right sci-fi should pick this book up and study it. Wonderfully complex while still simple and readable.