Scan barcode
A review by frakalot
My Name is Legion by Roger Zelazny
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This is my first look at Zelazny's writing and I had a pretty good time with it. A collection of three short scifi detective stories, it has some dark themes about it, but they're handled in a light-hearted way. The characters are all a bit zany, this did appear at the tail end of the 60s after all. Our hero is a clever dick who won't hesitate to shoot you but will then clean the wound out for you afterwards.
"If you have to murder a man - have to, I mean, like no choice in the matter - I feel that it should be a bloody and horrible thing, so that it burns itself into your soul and gives you a better appreciation of the value of human existence."
The main character in these three adventures has erased himself from the system and simultaneously given himself access to any personal history that he can imagine. Apparently scifi readers have dubbed him "Nemo" which I think I read is the Latin word for "nobody" and I'm just going to roll with that for this review.
Nemo is involved with the organisation that is compiling everyone's personal data into a centralised system and at first he is a proud proponent of the work. He considers all of the many benefits which the collated data will bring to areas such as medicine and economics and so on. A friend makes a few contradictory points and the result of that passing conversation is that Nemo's doubts ultimately lead him to abandon his part in the project and his place in the new system.
I'm going to interject here with my own controversial thoughts, so skip the next three paragraphs to focus on the book review.
Unlike most people I'm all for getting a chip in my wrist and having all my data stored and never having to carry money and not having to recall the name of a drug that my doctor prescribed 10 years ago and yeah, I love it. Sign me up for the New World Order folks.
Look, we're all much more familiar with this type of invasion of privacy right here in 2022 than we were in 1969 when the first Nemo novelette came out. Our movements are tracked, our opinions and preferences are recorded and then that data is sold around the place. People are making money off of knowing things about us. So? But really, so what?? I personally prefer that the ads I see are tailored to my interests.
In Australia we have begun the process of collating medical information, only the process is voluntary and you have to request to have your data added to your file after each visit, so it's really not functioning well enough for my liking yet.
Ooops, I nearly forgot to review the book. Well, I've thrown my two cents in just to say that although I wouldn't have made the same choice as Nemo, I appreciate the vitality of the questions asked in this book. I should emphasise that the stories don't focus heavily on those issues after the initial set up.
Now, back to the stories at hand.
1. The Eve of Rumoko
It took me a few pages to get into it, but after that I was hooked. The dialogue is full of witty banter and the scenario rapidly counts down to the climax, like a time bomb has been set under the plot, there is constant momentum and a real sense of urgent energy to this adventure.
Nemo gets himself involved in Project Rumoko, a secret operation to create a new volcanic island. Woah! Along the way he generates a bit of unwanted attention and when some thugs break into his room to press him for information we get the backstory of how he became Nemo.
Nemo's task is to ensure the project goes ahead without delay and I'll let you read the book to find out how he handles his job.
"I returned to the Proteus and practiced meditation for a few days. Since it did not produce the desired results, I went up and got drunk with Bill Mellings."
I really liked Bill too, or rather the relationship that he has with Nemo. I hoped that he would be a recurring character.
The story brings up population concerns in a way that perhaps seems farcical now. It does so very cynically but I think it remains a clever plot device.
Speaking of cynical. The whole thing is giving me like a darker James Bond vibe. Everything does not come out rosy at all.
2. Kjwalll'kje'koothai'lll'kje'k
Ok. I'm going to say it. I think this story has a stupid name. But! You're not going to believe this, the text-to-speech engine on my ereader will ignore many much simpler words, opting instead to spell them out and yet, it decided to give this a go. And I'm actually impressed, I wish I could show you as part of this review. I barely looked at what letters it contains myself and I certainly didn't try to assign any sounds to it, but there you go.
"Curiosity may ultimately prove nature's way of dealing with the population problem."
This story is ridiculous in concept, to those of us not lucky enough to live in Nemo's enlightened future. I'm listening to the start of this, while two guys talk about how likely it is that the dolphins are responsible for the murder, and I'm thinking that it's all a gag. And then I'm thinking it's been going on for a few pages without a punchline, so I do, I check the synopsis and there it is: "and [Nemo] defends a group of dolphins accused of murder." So we're doing this. Law and Order, Special Aquariums Unit.
Well, I'm taking the piss, but I thought this was fantastic. I am a fan of Douglas Adams and that's where my thoughts went immediately. Keep in mind that this one preceded Hitchhiker's by a decade.
"Paul's dead," he said.
"What?"
"You heard me. Dead."
"How'd it happen?"
"He stopped breathing."
"They usually do."
This was pretty consistently entertaining. You'll probably learn a number of dolphin facts, but bear in mind that it's all mixed in casually with plenty of dolphin speculation.
3. Home is the Hangman
Nemo is hired to find a rogue robot that may or may not have achieved a level of sentience and may or may not be out to murder its creators. This one is perhaps a better detective story but not quite as whacky or fun. Still an enjoyable read with its funny moments, especially in the dialogue.
"If the liberal arts do nothing else, they provide engaging metaphors for the thinking they displace."
In this final story Nemo is at greater risk of being found out because one of the scientists that he is hired to protect is a past acquaintance.
"If you have to murder a man - have to, I mean, like no choice in the matter - I feel that it should be a bloody and horrible thing, so that it burns itself into your soul and gives you a better appreciation of the value of human existence."
The main character in these three adventures has erased himself from the system and simultaneously given himself access to any personal history that he can imagine. Apparently scifi readers have dubbed him "Nemo" which I think I read is the Latin word for "nobody" and I'm just going to roll with that for this review.
Nemo is involved with the organisation that is compiling everyone's personal data into a centralised system and at first he is a proud proponent of the work. He considers all of the many benefits which the collated data will bring to areas such as medicine and economics and so on. A friend makes a few contradictory points and the result of that passing conversation is that Nemo's doubts ultimately lead him to abandon his part in the project and his place in the new system.
I'm going to interject here with my own controversial thoughts, so skip the next three paragraphs to focus on the book review.
Unlike most people I'm all for getting a chip in my wrist and having all my data stored and never having to carry money and not having to recall the name of a drug that my doctor prescribed 10 years ago and yeah, I love it. Sign me up for the New World Order folks.
Look, we're all much more familiar with this type of invasion of privacy right here in 2022 than we were in 1969 when the first Nemo novelette came out. Our movements are tracked, our opinions and preferences are recorded and then that data is sold around the place. People are making money off of knowing things about us. So? But really, so what?? I personally prefer that the ads I see are tailored to my interests.
In Australia we have begun the process of collating medical information, only the process is voluntary and you have to request to have your data added to your file after each visit, so it's really not functioning well enough for my liking yet.
Ooops, I nearly forgot to review the book. Well, I've thrown my two cents in just to say that although I wouldn't have made the same choice as Nemo, I appreciate the vitality of the questions asked in this book. I should emphasise that the stories don't focus heavily on those issues after the initial set up.
Now, back to the stories at hand.
1. The Eve of Rumoko
It took me a few pages to get into it, but after that I was hooked. The dialogue is full of witty banter and the scenario rapidly counts down to the climax, like a time bomb has been set under the plot, there is constant momentum and a real sense of urgent energy to this adventure.
Nemo gets himself involved in Project Rumoko, a secret operation to create a new volcanic island. Woah! Along the way he generates a bit of unwanted attention and when some thugs break into his room to press him for information we get the backstory of how he became Nemo.
Nemo's task is to ensure the project goes ahead without delay and I'll let you read the book to find out how he handles his job.
"I returned to the Proteus and practiced meditation for a few days. Since it did not produce the desired results, I went up and got drunk with Bill Mellings."
I really liked Bill too, or rather the relationship that he has with Nemo. I hoped that he would be a recurring character.
The story brings up population concerns in a way that perhaps seems farcical now. It does so very cynically but I think it remains a clever plot device.
Speaking of cynical. The whole thing is giving me like a darker James Bond vibe. Everything does not come out rosy at all.
2. Kjwalll'kje'koothai'lll'kje'k
Ok. I'm going to say it. I think this story has a stupid name. But! You're not going to believe this, the text-to-speech engine on my ereader will ignore many much simpler words, opting instead to spell them out and yet, it decided to give this a go. And I'm actually impressed, I wish I could show you as part of this review. I barely looked at what letters it contains myself and I certainly didn't try to assign any sounds to it, but there you go.
"Curiosity may ultimately prove nature's way of dealing with the population problem."
This story is ridiculous in concept, to those of us not lucky enough to live in Nemo's enlightened future. I'm listening to the start of this, while two guys talk about how likely it is that the dolphins are responsible for the murder, and I'm thinking that it's all a gag. And then I'm thinking it's been going on for a few pages without a punchline, so I do, I check the synopsis and there it is: "and [Nemo] defends a group of dolphins accused of murder." So we're doing this. Law and Order, Special Aquariums Unit.
Well, I'm taking the piss, but I thought this was fantastic. I am a fan of Douglas Adams and that's where my thoughts went immediately. Keep in mind that this one preceded Hitchhiker's by a decade.
"Paul's dead," he said.
"What?"
"You heard me. Dead."
"How'd it happen?"
"He stopped breathing."
"They usually do."
This was pretty consistently entertaining. You'll probably learn a number of dolphin facts, but bear in mind that it's all mixed in casually with plenty of dolphin speculation.
3. Home is the Hangman
Nemo is hired to find a rogue robot that may or may not have achieved a level of sentience and may or may not be out to murder its creators. This one is perhaps a better detective story but not quite as whacky or fun. Still an enjoyable read with its funny moments, especially in the dialogue.
"If the liberal arts do nothing else, they provide engaging metaphors for the thinking they displace."
In this final story Nemo is at greater risk of being found out because one of the scientists that he is hired to protect is a past acquaintance.