Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
It's hard to really be fair to this book. If I had read it in 1967, when it came out, I'm sure I would have been blown away. Sadly, so many authors have followed in its footsteps by this point that was what original at the time seems nothing special today. We've got an alternate culture/mythology (mostly Hindu), a world that has lost most of its technology so that the leftover tech from the few original colonists seems like magic, people using advanced science to set themselves up as gods, and of course the good old "leave them to moulder in their ignorance vs. give them advanced tech and let the chips fall where they may" conflict.
Try Dan Simmons' "Ilium" for an updated version of this idea.
So, the characterization (very male-centered) was not enough to keep me enthralled when the concepts did not. Pretty imagery, though.
Try Dan Simmons' "Ilium" for an updated version of this idea.
So, the characterization (very male-centered) was not enough to keep me enthralled when the concepts did not. Pretty imagery, though.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
What do you call that structure in the tradition of religious or legendary narrative where the whole thing focuses on one hero but its split into a series of short stories describing one feat or event in the hero's life? Kinda parable-like but not really, not with the moral.
This book was at its most fun when it was doing that; I feel like that structure collapses partway through as it conforms to a more conventional sci-fi structure, which ain't bad but it doesn't *sing*.
It ain't Orientalist in the way, say, Dothraki are, but it does feel like Hindu concepts that feel important initially play out to be more like elaborate window dressing by the end.
I still thought it was a fun read.
This book was at its most fun when it was doing that; I feel like that structure collapses partway through as it conforms to a more conventional sci-fi structure, which ain't bad but it doesn't *sing*.
It ain't Orientalist in the way, say, Dothraki are, but it does feel like Hindu concepts that feel important initially play out to be more like elaborate window dressing by the end.
I still thought it was a fun read.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Gal, jei domėčiausi hinduizmu ir budizmu, būtų buvę įdomiau.
mysterious
reflective
Despite feeling a constant level of contusion throughout the entire book, it was also a creative and interesting story -- it almost felt more mythological than science fiction most of the time -- and I am glad I read/finished it. However, I really wish I had the knowledge from the end of the book when I first started so I wasn't so constantly confused, but I also don't think I liked it so much that I'll ever read it again.
slow-paced
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Okay, okay, 3.5 stars, actually. Zelazny did amazing things with this book when it came out...but I think the years have not been kind. I picked this up after seeing a panel at a Con where Max Gladstone and Steven Brust highly recommended this.
After reading it I can totally see where Max Gladstone's Three Parts Dead (which I recommend) irreverent god-as-society-tool flavor came from. But where that book seems to speak to current society's prediliction for characters who are more than series of pithy comments or summarized histories, Sam from Lord Of Light didn't quite make it out of the starting gate for me.
It's serial-like narrative structure, the "look this is cool because it's Eastern Religions and Christianity is bad necromancers" and the jumping from time to time and pithy, snarky conversation to conversation while fun for a bit loses its luster after the first chapter or so.
The bromance between Sam and Yama had potential, but it was an unrealized potential. I'm not sure if it was the time period Zelazny was writing in or his own style. As I said above, I want more on my cracker than a thin veneer of character, I want a meaty spread i can hang my heart's hat on and root for.
But I can not deny the fascination with the way Zelazny portrayed the results of humans purposefully co opting the Hinduism/Buddhism religious structures and using it to wield power over others. Very cool to read.
So as another reviewer (Lois Bujold) has said, as a slice of SF history it is worth reading, but I didn't necessarily enjoy it all the time.
After reading it I can totally see where Max Gladstone's Three Parts Dead (which I recommend) irreverent god-as-society-tool flavor came from. But where that book seems to speak to current society's prediliction for characters who are more than series of pithy comments or summarized histories, Sam from Lord Of Light didn't quite make it out of the starting gate for me.
It's serial-like narrative structure, the "look this is cool because it's Eastern Religions and Christianity is bad necromancers" and the jumping from time to time and pithy, snarky conversation to conversation while fun for a bit loses its luster after the first chapter or so.
The bromance between Sam and Yama had potential, but it was an unrealized potential. I'm not sure if it was the time period Zelazny was writing in or his own style. As I said above, I want more on my cracker than a thin veneer of character, I want a meaty spread i can hang my heart's hat on and root for.
But I can not deny the fascination with the way Zelazny portrayed the results of humans purposefully co opting the Hinduism/Buddhism religious structures and using it to wield power over others. Very cool to read.
So as another reviewer (Lois Bujold) has said, as a slice of SF history it is worth reading, but I didn't necessarily enjoy it all the time.
I read it after having it recommended by Spider Robinson in his Callahan series. Its conceptually very interesting but theres just so much going on that it felt bloated and hard to follow. I think I’ll give it another read at a later date, and I expect I’ll enjoy it much more.