Take a photo of a barcode or cover
oleksandr 's review for:
This Immortal
by Roger Zelazny
This is the first novel by Zelazny and for such it was quite successful – it won (tie-in with [b:Dune|39776179|Dune (Dune Chronicles, #1)|Frank Herbert|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1523123959s/39776179.jpg|3634639]) Hugo in 1966. It was read as part of Earth Day Challenge by Hugo & Nebula Awards: Best Novels Group.
The mankind almost killed itself in a nuclear war and now remnants of population work for advanced alien civilization that made a tourist attraction and museum out of Earth. Our protagonist is the Commissioner of Arts, Monuments and Archives for the planet Earth, a sinecure he himself created. He is full of secrets, for once he is much older than his documents show and he isn’t entirely human. An alien request him for a tour. A journey of a strange company across places of ancient civilizations, where new strange beings emerged, follows.
While his style hasn’t settle yet, it is easy to see his future themes, both fantasy ([b:Nine Princes in Amber|92121|Nine Princes in Amber (The Chronicles of Amber #1)|Roger Zelazny|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1416090973s/92121.jpg|1383240]) and SF ([b:Lord of Light|13821|Lord of Light|Roger Zelazny|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1330127327s/13821.jpg|1011388]) in this work. A classic example of what was called a New Wave in SF. Recommended.
“What are they doing?” asked Myshtigo. It was the first time I had seen him genuinely surprised.
“Why, they’re dismantling the great pyramid of Cheops,” I said.
After a time Red Wig asked it.
“Why?”
“Well now,” I told her, “they’re kind of short on building materials hereabouts, the stuff from Old Cairo being radioactive—so they’re obtaining it by knocking apart that old piece of solid geometry out there.”
“They are desecrating a monument to the past glories of the human race!” she exclaimed.
“Nothing is cheaper than past glories,” I observed. “It’s the present that we’re concerned with, and they need building materials now.”
The mankind almost killed itself in a nuclear war and now remnants of population work for advanced alien civilization that made a tourist attraction and museum out of Earth. Our protagonist is the Commissioner of Arts, Monuments and Archives for the planet Earth, a sinecure he himself created. He is full of secrets, for once he is much older than his documents show and he isn’t entirely human. An alien request him for a tour. A journey of a strange company across places of ancient civilizations, where new strange beings emerged, follows.
While his style hasn’t settle yet, it is easy to see his future themes, both fantasy ([b:Nine Princes in Amber|92121|Nine Princes in Amber (The Chronicles of Amber #1)|Roger Zelazny|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1416090973s/92121.jpg|1383240]) and SF ([b:Lord of Light|13821|Lord of Light|Roger Zelazny|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1330127327s/13821.jpg|1011388]) in this work. A classic example of what was called a New Wave in SF. Recommended.
“What are they doing?” asked Myshtigo. It was the first time I had seen him genuinely surprised.
“Why, they’re dismantling the great pyramid of Cheops,” I said.
After a time Red Wig asked it.
“Why?”
“Well now,” I told her, “they’re kind of short on building materials hereabouts, the stuff from Old Cairo being radioactive—so they’re obtaining it by knocking apart that old piece of solid geometry out there.”
“They are desecrating a monument to the past glories of the human race!” she exclaimed.
“Nothing is cheaper than past glories,” I observed. “It’s the present that we’re concerned with, and they need building materials now.”