Just a quick comment concerning the price of this book. If you go to eBay, search for the book, and then filter to only sold items you can scroll back to late December to see the book I purchased for nine dollars. You won't see many sales of the book before that. When I bought it there were tons of this book available and people were selling them cheap. Then, in early February, after I posted this video you can see sales start happening every day. As the sales increase so does the price, until there are very few left on eBay and the prices are all jacked up. so the reason the book is suddenly so hard to find and so pricey is because of this community and all of you buying this incredible book! Thanks to all of you for watching and reading, and I'm sorry the book is so hard to find right now!
@@LouisNothing Agreed. Super-classics! They were recommended to me in the early 80s, by a blind girl who was an outpatient in our hospital. She & I talked about sci-fi fantasy books while I sat with during her treatments. tavi.
Thanks for covering Zelazny. Amber Chronicles are dated, but some aspects are still amazing. I love how Zelazny depicts the family's ability to travel through dimensions, with small changes occurring as they move along. Didn't realize he motivated Murakami!
I also loved the way he treated the use of magic in the Merlin stories. In most fantasy writing, magic is something that can be done at any time. But Zelazny actually created an economy of magic, almost like its own sort of thermodynamics, that made it so much more interesting. Spells for really powerful magic are complicated and time consuming to perform, and the more powerful the magic, the more difficult and protracted the spell. The idea of "hanging spells" ahead of time, to be triggered with a final gesture or incantation at the moment of need, was just brilliant. And the use of magic is made even more interesting by the fact that such prepared spells have a shelf life and will weaken with time, making them less effective or even useless if left too long.
@@FosterZygote OMG ! I just bought 1Q84 and am very excited to start it ! Just gotta reread Dune before movie release date. I guess I'm gonna have to put Zelazny on my to-do list.
Zelazny was also an expert fencer in college and studied Judo and Aikido which he had a black belt in and taught. His descriptions of combat in his books are very vivid and specific. If you've ever watched the TH-cam videos from guys who train in accurate Medieval swordfighting doing a duel that's what reading his fight scenes feels like.
He also made good use of psychology in many of those fights. I kinda adore that Corwin thought Eric was the superior swordsman right until he realized that Eric had just been gaslighting him for years to undermine his confidence.
About aikido though: in the original tradition, Aikido only has two belt colors. I imagine various American schools adopted the multicolor, multilevel belts, but I'd be careful about calling him a "black belt", because when there's only two different belts, it's not such a big accomplishment!😅
@@edwardsmith1768Yeah, I just can't be doing with fictional hand-to-hand or HEMA based fight scenes that aren't written by highly skilled practitioners of said martial arts 😂
Man the algorithm really hooked me up this time. Just found your channel for the first time and through this video learned about Zelazny and Murakami for the first time. super excited to have some new reading that actually juices the brain
The Amber Chronicles was my first experience with fantasy in 1987 and read every single book. I was hurt to know he passed away before he could finish the series. Thank you so much for reviewing this! Respect, from Las Vegas ❤
@@giveittomebaybe5112I last read it over 20 years ago, so I don't remember... but I don't think Merlin was in it. There was a Pattern and the protagonist could move between worlds by walking the pattern. Unless that was a different book... I'm about to re-read it, so I might fix this comment in a few days.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for this... Zelazny must be one of the most underrated authors ever - not alone in the S. F. genre. A he must be one of the most intellectual and well-read ones at that. So I guess the answer is quite obvious: Zelazny's qualities only disclose themselves to readers with an equally deep intellectual background - which is something you could no longer rely on after the advent of the post Star Wars rise of more action driven or 'coolness' focused S.F. like the Cyberpunk movement of the 80s was. Suffice to say that for many versed S.F. readers 'Lord of Light' regularly in on their TOP 5 list - and even George R.R. Martin is a big Zelazny fan.
The opposite is true as well, in that he was able to inspire his readers to become more intellectual and well-read: It was because of Zelazny's "Roadmarks" that I read Baudelaire's "Flowers of Evil" and Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass".
The 1984 science fiction thriller 'Dreamscape' was derived from an outline Zelazny himself adapted from both 'The Dream Master' and its source story "He Who Shapes". Zelazny had no further input in the film, and received no credit in the finished product.
Dune has NEVER been SUCCESSFULLY made into a movie while i have not read the author in question, i have read the entirety of the dune series, as penned by Frank Herbert, i read none of the successive books by his son and the ghost writers Dune contains so many little micro-mind bombs that its probably impossible to render into film. the new dune movies are a propagandistic joke, and seek to accomplish the same thing the new star wars movies did: to sully a highly potent underlying truth and reality that had been made accessible though the story, as has been done since stories were first told.
@@wrongfootmcgeeCould you elaborate on the last point about a highly potent underlying truth? You've made me curious. I attempted to read Dune some time ago but didn't finish it. I don't even remember not liking it, just never got around to picking it back up from where I left off.
@@liamvalentine6073the original Star Wars was made with Joseph Campbell's "Hero with a Thousand Faces" in mind. Personally, though, as I grow older I've come to believe Lucas wasn't really that deep, and he was just creating a fantasy for Americans feeling existential dread in the wake of the Vietnam War(also right after the Bicentennial in '76). It combines elements of the American Revolution and WWII: ie Stormtroopers. While later Star Wars films aren't that good, i think they justifiably deconstruct the original fantasy.
Zelazny is a trip. I haven't finished the Amber series. I'm 4 books in. They're suuuuuper weird. I tried my hand at what a lot of people think is his best, Lord of Light, but it was too much for me at the time, so I'm going to go back and try it again later. It's like far future transhumanism mixed with Hindu and Buddhist mythology & spiritualism...or something. I haven't read The Dream Master. Pretty sure I read This Immortal in high school, but that was 30+ years ago and my memory of it is nonexistent.
@@senojorthe first amber series is excellent, Lord of Light is good, short stories set in a bar drunken animals and chess fun), Psychoshop is novel by Bester that Zelazny finished is beyond wild, a fun read.
The reason that dune has stood the test of time isn't actually because the books are well written(actually most ppl dont care for how they are written) its the high concepts, narratives, and dense yet consistent lore of the dune world that is intoxicating. The idea of a hyper advanced space faring humanity that has taken on a ludite cultural tendency due to a machine war, but not because of terminator AI but because the machines allowed for enslavement of man by technocrats(even tho his son retconned this, boooo) is so compelling and becomes more relevant and compelling every single day
I could never describe exactly why I like some books so much (including Dune) even if they are not considered well-written. You put my exact subconscious thoughts into words!
@@DigitalLogos There is are a few Alistair Reynolds series that do that very well too. It's not until the end of the books that you start to realize the "aliens" are just the result of humans tinkering with their genome over millions of years.
Happy to be here. I read this book around Christmas time and your thoughts mirror mine quite well. I reread a few of those paragraphs 4 or 5 times, because they were so powerful. I would also recommend Lord of Light by Zelazny. That one feels like the inner workings of a 3 tabbed acid trip.
Thanks for the recommendation. Took me about a month to finish, but, boy, what a ride! It was a little frustrating and confusing at times, however, the way you sum it up completely resonates: "...feels like the inner workings of a 3 tabbed acid trip."
@@zapakguy1991 that's awesome that I could help push you in the direction of Lord of Light! It took me a while to get through as well. It was challenging for me too and also had me confused quite often but the sweet sweet juicy PROSE cancelled out my need to understand everything, because I enjoyed the language so much.
@@zapakguy1991 well in the realm of acid trip reads I would recommend A Voyage to Arcturus by David Lindsay. & A book that made me feel like I was in a PKDish world but not a PKD novel is Only Forward by Michael Marshal Smith! (I think that won the PKD award & I see why.) Have you read anything lately that you would recommend?
Very happy that the algorithm suggested your channel. Always want to support booktubers (especially sci-fi and horror) on here. Haven't even finished your review yet and i want to read this book.
You say correctly that Render is a clever character name because to render is to shape or bring something into being. But a second meaning is also that to rend is to tear or rip something apart. An awesome use of a word that encompasses two apposite meanings.
I had a similar thought about Bender from Futurama when I twigged that it was both a reference to binge drinking and him being designed to bend girders
I love “going in to other people’s dreams” stuff. Lathe of Heaven, Psychonauts, Dreamscape, Inception, that one episode of SpongeBob. Thanks for the new recommendation!
That's a great list, I see a few things I'll have to check out! I'd also recommend Haruki Murakami's "Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World!" Truly mind-bending stuff!
@@Dick_Dastardly4_7 i’ve been wanting to read that for so long! Especially because David Cronenberg is one of my fav directors so I need to see his adaptation too
Well, I've been slowly getting a start on my own Novel and to hear the opening of TDM is like getting slapped by myself, There are a crazy amount of conceptual parallels that I feel obligated to see out a copy to read for myself. It continues to amaze me to see so many ideas I think original to myself, be used years prior or show up in modern media; I have confidence in my uniqueness, yet while moments like these upset me on a deep inner level, I'm more overjoyed to have the foundation verified as a banger of an idea. I look forward to what this novel'll bring to light inside my head, thank you for the recommendation!
"Creatures of Light and Darkness" is the one I have read multiple times. I find it the most entertaining of his books. More imaginative characters than Lord of Light and more readable too.
I will always remember the term "temporal fugue". Although I have seen many sci-fi movies, including Marvel movies, I don't think anyone has depicked this type of fighting. I think it's not like how speedsters like the Flash or Quicksilver move. Rather it is like plucking out discrete, iterations of the self out of time and manifesting them in space. You are not replicating your self, but each self is independent of each other in space but a unity in time. It is truly original.
There is a later fight with quicksilver after he had lost and regained his powers or something like that, and in that fight he explains that he is pulling future versions of himself backwards in time not moving fast, and that it was a lost fight from the beginning for the enemy because, if he can do this it means he’s already won. So awesome
One author I highly regard for trippy stories is S.P. Somtow or Somtow Sucharitkul as he was called on some early paperbacks. He's not well known but has been writing since the 70s. I discovered him with his 80s/90s works. He's writes a mix of horror/sci-fi and fantasy/magical realism. "The Riverrun Trilogy" is my favorite of his output (its 3 novels were also released individually decades prior). It's a hard series to describe. It starts as magical realism and devolves into alternate universes with mythical/archetypical people/creatures. The young boy protagonist is not just in a coming of age story but also going on the heroes journey all while being hunted for his once in a lifetime ability to always tell the truth and, consequently, be able to tell when others are lying. Definitely worth a read but some don't like his glaring use of opposites combining Americana/slang/stereotypes/dark humor with myth/legend/drama and psychology. It's an acquired taste.
I’m super psyched that I found this channel. I’m always looking for new good books to read. I’m glad to see the Murakami recommendation. I really enjoyed Wind-Up-Bird and 1Q84. And it was interesting that you mentioned Dune, because I read that a couple years ago, and it’s probably my favorite novel so far, so I’ll definitely check out Dream Master. Also, I’ve recently been getting into Joe Abercrombie’s First Law series. As far as medieval fantasy goes, I think it’s the most interesting series that I’ve read. The dialogue, character building, world design, creativity, it’s all very unique and high-level.
Whoa, what a cool channel the algo popped in my feed. I which more niche channels came through! But yeah man, great content, I'm going to look for some of these books. Liked and subscribed!
Just by the video title, I was expecting you to say the Illuminatus! trilogy by the Roberts Wilson and Shea. I loved those books, they were so off the wall and so much fun. I enjoyed the sequel (the Schrödinger’s Cat trilogy) as well, but nowhere near as much as Illuminatus! . Thanks for the review, and for recommending this one. I’m looking forward to checking it out. Have a great weekend! 👍🏻
I've never seen your channel, I subscribed, and ordered this on audible because it was the cheapest format and tbh probably the most convenient anyway for me. It was nowhere on my radar, but thanks to you, I will get to experience this masterpiece. I love the premise!
th-cam.com/video/bkSbgYh0MW4/w-d-xo.html i like this channel and i was intrigued by this immortal so i looked for that first a good source of sci fi audios though the readings are a bit stuffy
Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny is my favourite book by far, I will have to check the dream master out, i dont think I have read it. Thank you for the video !
Thank you for retelling The Dream master!!!! Great to see other people appreciate the SF novels of my childhood and youth in Manila in the Sixties and early Seventies! I also read the nebula Award winning novella "He Who Shapes" he expanded into this novel, if I remember right... I still own EXACTLY that paperback edition of "The Dream Master"! Zelazny was one of the grand masters and my all time favorites! I didn't know that was the first work ever of his to come out! Saliva Tree and He Who Shapes are novellas, though...I have "Hugo Award Winners Vol. 1" edited by Damon Knight and it contains Saliva Tree, a novella - a retread of Lovecraft's "The Colour Out od Space"...As for pyschedelic, have you read his sensational Hugo Award-winning "Lord of Light" about a future human colony with god-like technology they use to re-enact the Hindu pantheon based on the Mahabharata? Here, the prose of Zelazny the stylist is at its most elegant and kaleidoscopic!!! I also loved his "Venus water world" novella "The Doors of his Face, the Lamps of his Mouth" which i had to read in German before getting my hands on an English language edition in Germany in the Seventies... There was a LOT lost in translation despite the Heyne publishing house's good reputation for German translations of SF... Then there wer "Jack of Shadows" and "Damnation Alley"...
this is the first video of yours i've seen and the info you delivered about old Zelazny, well worth a like and a sub, your right i never knew he got such plaudits, getting a tie with dune on the nebula is massive and i've always enjoyed work by any author that picked up a hugo, i've always found their winners to be on point, good work thanks o7
Wolfe and Zelanzy did more to shape my literary tastes than any other author, and you've picked a great title to review here. Thanks for the background history and thoughtful commentary. Loved your take on Deus Irae as well! If you are taking requests, do Lord of Light next!!!
Zelazny's writing is great, underrated, always loved him. He was a real cool guy too. Very influential in a lot of styles and concepts that only became "cool" after he died.
The Amber Chronicles are excellent. I like all ten of Zelazny's, the five in the Corwin cycle and the five in the Merlin cycle. I've reread the first five a couple of times. I think I reread Trumps of Doom, Blood of Amber, and Prince of Chaos too. Fine stuff.
This was such a fabulous video! While I mean no offense to other creators, this is the only time I’ve ever actually wanted to read the book they were speaking of (that I had never heard of before). I really like older sci-fi, and it’s nice to hear such a well crafted review of one such as this.
What a joy, I was a big fan of for the love of Ryan’s book channel and he’s since moved on so to find someone who is also so enthusiastic, it’s a wonderful feeling and like others in then comments I’m super happy the algorithm brought me here. I think I subscribed within the first minute of watching.
Zelazny is a really wild writer... His ideas grow in stature as time goes on. His four short stories published as _My Name is Legion_ has ideas really relevant to modern AI...
I love the name of your channel , i have always wanted to apply it creatively. Kudos . Subscribed and thank you for the recommendation, i will check your other vids out. This book seems like the inspiration for the Fallout 3 questline that takes place in a virtual reality vault, Tranquility Lane.
i found Zelazney in '85 when I was 14. Read the Chronicles of Amber series first ( the first 5 at least) then everything I could find. I love his writing style and ability to immerse you in the story. I remember waiting for the next installments as they were written. Thanks for featuring Roger Z.
I'm a HUGE fan of Murakami as well -- Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World is the first one of his that I read and still my favorite. And, like you, I tend to make judgments about certain writers, even when I've never read them.
Zelazny is one of my favourites and has been since I first read him when I was 1in high school. I liked the video, loved the book so thanks for your take on it!
Huh. I'm glad to find a Zelazny book I haven't read! I love his work. _Amber_ changed my life and how I perceive writing. _Lord of Light_ is a personal favorite and _Eye of Cat_ is also up there. His side-contributions to the Roleplaying space are definitely what got me into his work. _Amber_ holds the same place as _Dune_ for me, so it's always a treat to learn about more of his work.
You had me at Hard Boiled Wonderland! I love Murakami’s work, and I fell in love with Ray Carver based on how much of an influence he had on him. Sounds like I’ll be doing the same with Zelazny!
"Creatures of Light and Darkness"; is the he one I have read multiple times. I find it the most entertaining of his books. More imaginative characters than Lord of Light and more readable too.
Man I love these old science fiction books. I highly recommend a book called Red Beard. I can not remember the author because it's been over 20 years but I still remember that name. That book blew me away
sounds like the movie The Cell. Jennifer Lopez is basically one of the therapists and is helping this kid with some trauma stuff, and he's connected to this serial killer. it's a trippy movie.
Not really sure why you would dismiss Zelazny out of hand without reading his work. He broke all kinds of rules of his time, wasn't tied to any genre, and combined elements of science fiction, fantasy, noir, and psychological thriller in most of his works. Hopefully you explore more of his stories.
2:00 can relate, I accidentally wrote plot points of neuromancer despite never reading any cyberpunk lit whatsoever...i was just doing a lot of ketamine and reading John Lilly's mad science journals...also accidentally wrote something extremely similar to the backstory/prehistory of Shadowrun, despite never reading that lore, which was a result of getting possessed by a prominent cannibalistic "wild man" spirit with dominion over the upper pacific northwest coast
It’s sad to see how far down intellectually today’s writers and readers are today in comparison to now. Great video, I am nearing retirement, I see myself reading a lot of these soon. Thank you for the introduction!
Kinda hard to ignore how they cure all those ailments but not blindness. Like they can manipulate a dog's brain to make him intelligent and tall but they couldn't figure out blindness? Ironic because that's something we are already figuring out today in real life.
Zelazny is a really underrated as a science fiction writer. It's ironic that he's mainly remembered for the Amber Chronicles, since that was written when he started resting on his laurels.
If you're just getting into Zelazny, you have good times ahead of you. He's got a number of books which push sci-fi into fantasy and vice versa, and he's just an incredible pleasure to read. Jack Of Shadows, Lord Of Light, Creatures of Light and Darkness...sci-fi, sort of, with gods and wizards here and there and extraordinary language everywhere
Good job moving that paper. =) I've never worried about novels dying as an art form, but events in America over the past decade have made me very concerned for the ability of my countrymen to engage in patient thought and data synthesis and abstraction. Reading, in particular reading 1960's science fiction novels for some reason, has always been a particularly effective means, at least for me, of expanding these particular faculties. I'm looking forward to reading this when my copy arrives as well as your future recommendations as this channel progresses.
Please don't flame me for bringing up politics. I'm just a nice guy who gives a crap and can't stand what I'm seeing when I turn on the news each night.
This is incredible. Thanks youtube algo. I'm kinda flabbergasted because I dreamt up a science fiction novel of my own that has almost the same plotline -- self-driving cars and psychedelic therapy and all! Mine was more focused on political/social movements but still really amazing to hear someone in the 1960s had similar extrapolations about where tech would lead us. Thank you for the review!
It’s freaky how accurate he got the issues and tech of the future with “self driving cars that have screens” and “advanced technology that causes comfortable people to become neurotic and anxious because they no longer connect with other humans”.
Neat to see that Murakami is a Zelazny reader. I haven't read He who Shapes/the Dream Master, yet, but this sounds great. Lord of Light is a masterpiece too and I loved Creatures of Light and Darkness, which is another incredibly weird and psychedelic book. I also really enjoyed jack of Shadows and, especially, A Night in the Lonesome October. That last is a must read if you want more special/enhanced dog action. That bit you described about the dog trying to reconnect with his canine ancestry does remind me of an older book: Sirius by Olaf Stapledon. That one is a really interesting take and fascinatingly depicted especially for something written in the 1940s.
Just a quick comment concerning the price of this book. If you go to eBay, search for the book, and then filter to only sold items you can scroll back to late December to see the book I purchased for nine dollars. You won't see many sales of the book before that. When I bought it there were tons of this book available and people were selling them cheap. Then, in early February, after I posted this video you can see sales start happening every day. As the sales increase so does the price, until there are very few left on eBay and the prices are all jacked up. so the reason the book is suddenly so hard to find and so pricey is because of this community and all of you buying this incredible book! Thanks to all of you for watching and reading, and I'm sorry the book is so hard to find right now!
No worries! Thank you so much for reaching back out and helping me understand!
stand up maths has a video about a similar phenomenon he encountered called what was the most expensive book ever
This happened when the STALKER games came out and Arkady and Boris Strugatsky's The Roadside Picnic went up to 300+ dollars!
PDF is free
This is why ebook sharing is so important.
Thanks. A review I once read said, "Roger Zelazney breaks rules most other writers only suspect exist". tavi.
roger zelazny breaks rules most authors have no clue about period, it's like chtuluh writing sci-fi himself.
Zelazny is one of my favorite authors. The Princes of Amber series is my favorite novels.
@@LouisNothing Agreed. Super-classics! They were recommended to me in the early 80s, by a blind girl who was an outpatient in our hospital. She & I talked about sci-fi fantasy books while I sat with during her treatments. tavi.
The Doors of His Eyes, The Lamps of His Mouth. Got the F&SF mag with that glorious cover art?
Call Me Conrad
You had me at "This one was weird".
He has me at “talking dog stuff”
He had me at Liminal Spaces to be honest.
Welp, the algorithm did well. I'm really glad it brought me to your channel! Looks like I'm up for some interesting reads.
We're glad you found us! Welcome aboard!
Same here 🎉 I just arrived
Me too. I have a dog that I suspect knows more than I do about certain things. Together we make a good pair.
looks like we have all been blessed. weird books await!
Here to report the same. As a fan of the Weird Studies podcast, this channel is right up my alley. Thanks for being here.
Thanks for covering Zelazny. Amber Chronicles are dated, but some aspects are still amazing. I love how Zelazny depicts the family's ability to travel through dimensions, with small changes occurring as they move along. Didn't realize he motivated Murakami!
I also loved the way he treated the use of magic in the Merlin stories. In most fantasy writing, magic is something that can be done at any time. But Zelazny actually created an economy of magic, almost like its own sort of thermodynamics, that made it so much more interesting. Spells for really powerful magic are complicated and time consuming to perform, and the more powerful the magic, the more difficult and protracted the spell. The idea of "hanging spells" ahead of time, to be triggered with a final gesture or incantation at the moment of need, was just brilliant. And the use of magic is made even more interesting by the fact that such prepared spells have a shelf life and will weaken with time, making them less effective or even useless if left too long.
I'm really looking forward to reading more of his work!
@@FosterZygote OMG ! I just bought 1Q84 and am very excited to start it ! Just gotta reread Dune before movie release date. I guess I'm gonna have to put Zelazny on my to-do list.
It's getting made into an Amazon series, so maybe they'll try to avoid it coming off as dated. The creator of, _The Walking Dead_ is the showrunner.
@@FosterZygoteMy thoughts exactly. Well put.
Zelazny was also an expert fencer in college and studied Judo and Aikido which he had a black belt in and taught. His descriptions of combat in his books are very vivid and specific. If you've ever watched the TH-cam videos from guys who train in accurate Medieval swordfighting doing a duel that's what reading his fight scenes feels like.
He also made good use of psychology in many of those fights. I kinda adore that Corwin thought Eric was the superior swordsman right until he realized that Eric had just been gaslighting him for years to undermine his confidence.
About aikido though: in the original tradition, Aikido only has two belt colors. I imagine various American schools adopted the multicolor, multilevel belts, but I'd be careful about calling him a "black belt", because when there's only two different belts, it's not such a big accomplishment!😅
Super nerd
Thays all i want in books, it ruins it when a writer doesnt have that...Only writer ive found good at it is Drew Karpyshyn from Darth Bane books
@@edwardsmith1768Yeah, I just can't be doing with fictional hand-to-hand or HEMA based fight scenes that aren't written by highly skilled practitioners of said martial arts 😂
Man the algorithm really hooked me up this time. Just found your channel for the first time and through this video learned about Zelazny and Murakami for the first time. super excited to have some new reading that actually juices the brain
As soon as you described the setting, I realized the relevance of this novel. I'm genuinely surprised I've never heard of this one before.
The Amber Chronicles was my first experience with fantasy in 1987 and read every single book. I was hurt to know he passed away before he could finish the series. Thank you so much for reviewing this! Respect, from Las Vegas ❤
Is Amber chronicles about Merlin??? I’ve been trying to remember what the hell they were called. I read books 1-7
@@giveittomebaybe5112I last read it over 20 years ago, so I don't remember... but I don't think Merlin was in it. There was a Pattern and the protagonist could move between worlds by walking the pattern. Unless that was a different book... I'm about to re-read it, so I might fix this comment in a few days.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for this... Zelazny must be one of the most underrated authors ever - not alone in the S. F. genre. A he must be one of the most intellectual and well-read ones at that. So I guess the answer is quite obvious: Zelazny's qualities only disclose themselves to readers with an equally deep intellectual background - which is something you could no longer rely on after the advent of the post Star Wars rise of more action driven or 'coolness' focused S.F. like the Cyberpunk movement of the 80s was. Suffice to say that for many versed S.F. readers 'Lord of Light' regularly in on their TOP 5 list - and even George R.R. Martin is a big Zelazny fan.
Well said!
The opposite is true as well, in that he was able to inspire his readers to become more intellectual and well-read: It was because of Zelazny's "Roadmarks" that I read Baudelaire's "Flowers of Evil" and Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass".
the golden age of sci-fi was the 40's and 50's
Thanks, adding this to my to-read pile. Always happy to hear about interesting books I have previously skipped over!
I'm so glad the algorithm brought me here! I've been looking for some interesting reads. Great video :)
'stood the test of time...' DUNE was made into a movie. but in the realm of books, zelazny is well-respected
The 1984 science fiction thriller 'Dreamscape' was derived from an outline Zelazny himself adapted from both 'The Dream Master' and its source story "He Who Shapes". Zelazny had no further input in the film, and received no credit in the finished product.
Dune has NEVER been SUCCESSFULLY made into a movie
while i have not read the author in question, i have read the entirety of the dune series, as penned by Frank Herbert, i read none of the successive books by his son and the ghost writers
Dune contains so many little micro-mind bombs that its probably impossible to render into film.
the new dune movies are a propagandistic joke, and seek to accomplish the same thing the new star wars movies did: to sully a highly potent underlying truth and reality that had been made accessible though the story, as has been done since stories were first told.
@@wrongfootmcgeeCould you elaborate on the last point about a highly potent underlying truth? You've made me curious. I attempted to read Dune some time ago but didn't finish it. I don't even remember not liking it, just never got around to picking it back up from where I left off.
@@liamvalentine6073the original Star Wars was made with Joseph Campbell's "Hero with a Thousand Faces" in mind. Personally, though, as I grow older I've come to believe Lucas wasn't really that deep, and he was just creating a fantasy for Americans feeling existential dread in the wake of the Vietnam War(also right after the Bicentennial in '76). It combines elements of the American Revolution and WWII: ie Stormtroopers. While later Star Wars films aren't that good, i think they justifiably deconstruct the original fantasy.
wrongfootmcgee
You completely lost your marbles right?
That art work on those covers are so damn cool
Old school art is best art.
@@engelostermann7203 i sooooo agree.
Zelazny is a trip. I haven't finished the Amber series. I'm 4 books in. They're suuuuuper weird. I tried my hand at what a lot of people think is his best, Lord of Light, but it was too much for me at the time, so I'm going to go back and try it again later. It's like far future transhumanism mixed with Hindu and Buddhist mythology & spiritualism...or something. I haven't read The Dream Master. Pretty sure I read This Immortal in high school, but that was 30+ years ago and my memory of it is nonexistent.
Lord of Light is amazing. Definitely give it another chance.
@@senojorthe first amber series is excellent, Lord of Light is good, short stories set in a bar drunken animals and chess fun), Psychoshop is novel by Bester that Zelazny finished is beyond wild, a fun read.
The reason that dune has stood the test of time isn't actually because the books are well written(actually most ppl dont care for how they are written) its the high concepts, narratives, and dense yet consistent lore of the dune world that is intoxicating. The idea of a hyper advanced space faring humanity that has taken on a ludite cultural tendency due to a machine war, but not because of terminator AI but because the machines allowed for enslavement of man by technocrats(even tho his son retconned this, boooo) is so compelling and becomes more relevant and compelling every single day
The thing I appreciate about Dune is that there aren't any intelligent aliens. It's just modified human beings spread throughout the cosmos.
THOU SHALT NOT MAKE A MACHINE IN THE LIKENESS OF A HUMAN MIND
I could never describe exactly why I like some books so much (including Dune) even if they are not considered well-written. You put my exact subconscious thoughts into words!
@@DigitalLogos There is are a few Alistair Reynolds series that do that very well too. It's not until the end of the books that you start to realize the "aliens" are just the result of humans tinkering with their genome over millions of years.
1) they are well written. 2) you don’t know the opinion of “most people.” You only know YOUR opinion. Kindly shut up.
Happy to be here. I read this book around Christmas time and your thoughts mirror mine quite well. I reread a few of those paragraphs 4 or 5 times, because they were so powerful. I would also recommend Lord of Light by Zelazny. That one feels like the inner workings of a 3 tabbed acid trip.
Lord of Light will absolutely be my next Zelazny read!
Thanks for the recommendation. Took me about a month to finish, but, boy, what a ride! It was a little frustrating and confusing at times, however, the way you sum it up completely resonates: "...feels like the inner workings of a 3 tabbed acid trip."
@@zapakguy1991 that's awesome that I could help push you in the direction of Lord of Light! It took me a while to get through as well. It was challenging for me too and also had me confused quite often but the sweet sweet juicy PROSE cancelled out my need to understand everything, because I enjoyed the language so much.
@@willp2877yessir! Any other recommendations from Zelazny or someone similar (I'm a huge Philip K Dick fan btw)?
@@zapakguy1991 well in the realm of acid trip reads I would recommend A Voyage to Arcturus by David Lindsay. & A book that made me feel like I was in a PKDish world but not a PKD novel is Only Forward by Michael Marshal Smith! (I think that won the PKD award & I see why.)
Have you read anything lately that you would recommend?
Very happy that the algorithm suggested your channel. Always want to support booktubers (especially sci-fi and horror) on here. Haven't even finished your review yet and i want to read this book.
You say correctly that Render is a clever character name because to render is to shape or bring something into being. But a second meaning is also that to rend is to tear or rip something apart. An awesome use of a word that encompasses two apposite meanings.
I didn't even think about the fact that render is a homophone, good eye!
Also means to cause great emotional pain!
I had a similar thought about Bender from Futurama when I twigged that it was both a reference to binge drinking and him being designed to bend girders
it is also a chemistry/alchemy/cooking term
I highly recommend Roger Zelaznys “Lord Of Light”
My favorite of his work
I have to admit, I laughed so hard out loud at the part where Sigmund calls that other dog "very bad". The image in my head was gold.
And The Doors of his face, the lamps of his mouth collection. I love Zelazny's work. He was gone too soon.
Agreed!
Yes to both statements!
I love “going in to other people’s dreams” stuff. Lathe of Heaven, Psychonauts, Dreamscape, Inception, that one episode of SpongeBob. Thanks for the new recommendation!
That's a great list, I see a few things I'll have to check out! I'd also recommend Haruki Murakami's "Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World!" Truly mind-bending stuff!
If you haven’t read it and like dream-like drug fueled sci-if, read Naked Lunch. Cult classic that changed my life.
@@Dick_Dastardly4_7 i’ve been wanting to read that for so long! Especially because David Cronenberg is one of my fav directors so I need to see his adaptation too
The algorithm has blessed me by finding this channel.
Just put this book on hold. BASED Brooklyn Public Library.
Well, I've been slowly getting a start on my own Novel and to hear the opening of TDM is like getting slapped by myself, There are a crazy amount of conceptual parallels that I feel obligated to see out a copy to read for myself.
It continues to amaze me to see so many ideas I think original to myself, be used years prior or show up in modern media; I have confidence in my uniqueness, yet while moments like these upset me on a deep inner level, I'm more overjoyed to have the foundation verified as a banger of an idea. I look forward to what this novel'll bring to light inside my head, thank you for the recommendation!
I've had similar experiences and it can take the wind out of your sails!
"Creatures of Light and Darkness" is the one I have read multiple times. I find it the most entertaining of his books.
More imaginative characters than Lord of Light and more readable too.
I will always remember the term "temporal fugue". Although I have seen many sci-fi movies, including Marvel movies, I don't think anyone has depicked this type of fighting.
I think it's not like how speedsters like the Flash or Quicksilver move. Rather it is like plucking out discrete, iterations of the self out of time and manifesting them in space. You are not replicating your self, but each self is independent of each other in space but a unity in time. It is truly original.
@@kallianpublico7517 The game 'Caves of Qud' has a nice take on it.
Hear ya. Book ends, but I'm a Sam man. Thought he might do other pantheons.
There is a later fight with quicksilver after he had lost and regained his powers or something like that, and in that fight he explains that he is pulling future versions of himself backwards in time not moving fast, and that it was a lost fight from the beginning for the enemy because, if he can do this it means he’s already won. So awesome
What a great review. Thank you for putting this together.
One author I highly regard for trippy stories is S.P. Somtow or Somtow Sucharitkul as he was called on some early paperbacks. He's not well known but has been writing since the 70s. I discovered him with his 80s/90s works. He's writes a mix of horror/sci-fi and fantasy/magical realism. "The Riverrun Trilogy" is my favorite of his output (its 3 novels were also released individually decades prior). It's a hard series to describe. It starts as magical realism and devolves into alternate universes with mythical/archetypical people/creatures. The young boy protagonist is not just in a coming of age story but also going on the heroes journey all while being hunted for his once in a lifetime ability to always tell the truth and, consequently, be able to tell when others are lying. Definitely worth a read but some don't like his glaring use of opposites combining Americana/slang/stereotypes/dark humor with myth/legend/drama and psychology. It's an acquired taste.
Sounds like a writer I need to check out! Thanks for the recommend!
I’m super psyched that I found this channel. I’m always looking for new good books to read. I’m glad to see the Murakami recommendation. I really enjoyed Wind-Up-Bird and 1Q84. And it was interesting that you mentioned Dune, because I read that a couple years ago, and it’s probably my favorite novel so far, so I’ll definitely check out Dream Master. Also, I’ve recently been getting into Joe Abercrombie’s First Law series. As far as medieval fantasy goes, I think it’s the most interesting series that I’ve read. The dialogue, character building, world design, creativity, it’s all very unique and high-level.
I love Roger Zelazny! Glad he's getting picked up and shown around some
Excellent review. Thank you!
Great review! Really appreciate the introductory context and history. Will definitely give it a read!
Whoa, what a cool channel the algo popped in my feed. I which more niche channels came through! But yeah man, great content, I'm going to look for some of these books. Liked and subscribed!
Thanks so much and welcome aboard!
Same
Just by the video title, I was expecting you to say the Illuminatus! trilogy by the Roberts Wilson and Shea. I loved those books, they were so off the wall and so much fun. I enjoyed the sequel (the Schrödinger’s Cat trilogy) as well, but nowhere near as much as Illuminatus! .
Thanks for the review, and for recommending this one. I’m looking forward to checking it out. Have a great weekend! 👍🏻
Cheers from brazil. Amazing channel man, long live to your initiative
I've never seen your channel, I subscribed, and ordered this on audible because it was the cheapest format and tbh probably the most convenient anyway for me. It was nowhere on my radar, but thanks to you, I will get to experience this masterpiece. I love the premise!
th-cam.com/video/bkSbgYh0MW4/w-d-xo.html i like this channel and i was intrigued by this immortal so i looked for that first a good source of sci fi audios though the readings are a bit stuffy
These are the comments that make me the happiest. I hope you enjoy it!
Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny is my favourite book by far, I will have to check the dream master out, i dont think I have read it. Thank you for the video !
Thank you for retelling The Dream master!!!! Great to see other people appreciate the SF novels of my childhood and youth in Manila in the Sixties and early Seventies! I also read the nebula Award winning novella "He Who Shapes" he expanded into this novel, if I remember right... I still own EXACTLY that paperback edition of "The Dream Master"! Zelazny was one of the grand masters and my all time favorites! I didn't know that was the first work ever of his to come out! Saliva Tree and He Who Shapes are novellas, though...I have "Hugo Award Winners Vol. 1" edited by Damon Knight and it contains Saliva Tree, a novella - a retread of Lovecraft's "The Colour Out od Space"...As for pyschedelic, have you read his sensational Hugo Award-winning "Lord of Light" about a future human colony with god-like technology they use to re-enact the Hindu pantheon based on the Mahabharata? Here, the prose of Zelazny the stylist is at its most elegant and kaleidoscopic!!! I also loved his "Venus water world" novella "The Doors of his Face, the Lamps of his Mouth" which i had to read in German before getting my hands on an English language edition in Germany in the Seventies... There was a LOT lost in translation despite the Heyne publishing house's good reputation for German translations of SF... Then there wer "Jack of Shadows" and "Damnation Alley"...
Thank you for watching and sharing your thoughts! I've also put The Saliva Tree by Aldiss on my to be read pile!
this is the first video of yours i've seen and the info you delivered about old Zelazny, well worth a like and a sub, your right i never knew he got such plaudits, getting a tie with dune on the nebula is massive and i've always enjoyed work by any author that picked up a hugo, i've always found their winners to be on point, good work thanks o7
Thank you so much and welcome aboard!
Wolfe and Zelanzy did more to shape my literary tastes than any other author, and you've picked a great title to review here. Thanks for the background history and thoughtful commentary. Loved your take on Deus Irae as well! If you are taking requests, do Lord of Light next!!!
I'm going to do the Zelazny's in order of publication, so Lord of Light is on that list!
Zelazny's writing is great, underrated, always loved him. He was a real cool guy too. Very influential in a lot of styles and concepts that only became "cool" after he died.
Way off topic, but you look exactly like a friend I had 20 years ago. It's eerie, I'm just gobsmacked. He was a British engineer. Wild.
That's wild! Maybe we're doppelgangers!
The Amber Chronicles are excellent. I like all ten of Zelazny's, the five in the Corwin cycle and the five in the Merlin cycle. I've reread the first five a couple of times. I think I reread Trumps of Doom, Blood of Amber, and Prince of Chaos too. Fine stuff.
This was such a fabulous video! While I mean no offense to other creators, this is the only time I’ve ever actually wanted to read the book they were speaking of (that I had never heard of before). I really like older sci-fi, and it’s nice to hear such a well crafted review of one such as this.
This comment made my day! Thank you so much for walking!
What a joy, I was a big fan of for the love of Ryan’s book channel and he’s since moved on so to find someone who is also so enthusiastic, it’s a wonderful feeling and like others in then comments I’m super happy the algorithm brought me here. I think I subscribed within the first minute of watching.
Thanks and welcome aboard!
I'm a huge Zelazny fan! Thanks for this!
Awesome, thanks! The concept reminds me a bit of Phillip K Dick’s Eye in the Sky
thank you for this video, i've been looking for books like this for a while!!
I love Murakami and my favorite is Hard-Boiled Wonderland, so I am thrilled to learn about this book. I will definitely hunt for it. Thank you! 👍
Zelazny is a really wild writer... His ideas grow in stature as time goes on. His four short stories published as _My Name is Legion_ has ideas really relevant to modern AI...
Great quote, thanks!
"My Name is Legion" was a fun read.
I love the name of your channel , i have always wanted to apply it creatively. Kudos . Subscribed and thank you for the recommendation, i will check your other vids out.
This book seems like the inspiration for the Fallout 3 questline that takes place in a virtual reality vault, Tranquility Lane.
i found Zelazney in '85 when I was 14. Read the Chronicles of Amber series first ( the first 5 at least) then everything I could find. I love his writing style and ability to immerse you in the story. I remember waiting for the next installments as they were written. Thanks for featuring Roger Z.
Thanks! I'm looking forward to reading more Zelazny!
I'm a HUGE fan of Murakami as well -- Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World is the first one of his that I read and still my favorite.
And, like you, I tend to make judgments about certain writers, even when I've never read them.
Murakami‘s Hard Boiled Wonderland is one of my favorite novels, you got me there :)
Zelazny is one of my favourites and has been since I first read him when I was 1in high school. I liked the video, loved the book so thanks for your take on it!
Thanks for watching!
Huh. I'm glad to find a Zelazny book I haven't read!
I love his work. _Amber_ changed my life and how I perceive writing. _Lord of Light_ is a personal favorite and _Eye of Cat_ is also up there. His side-contributions to the Roleplaying space are definitely what got me into his work. _Amber_ holds the same place as _Dune_ for me, so it's always a treat to learn about more of his work.
You had me at Hard Boiled Wonderland! I love Murakami’s work, and I fell in love with Ray Carver based on how much of an influence he had on him. Sounds like I’ll be doing the same with Zelazny!
Glad they didn't turn Dream Master into another Boy and his Dog movie. The Saliva Tree looks NSFW enough that I should check it out!
"Creatures of Light and Darkness"; is the he one I have read multiple times. I find it the most entertaining of his books.
More imaginative characters than Lord of Light and more readable too.
I must remind myself Roger's novels, I was teenager when I last read any of them. I miss the thrill of digging through library's shelves.😢
Great video, been looking for some book suggestions!
"Lord Of Light" was also a trip.
I've had a ton of people recommend this book. I look forward to reading it!
Man I love these old science fiction books. I highly recommend a book called Red Beard. I can not remember the author because it's been over 20 years but I still remember that name. That book blew me away
sounds like the movie The Cell. Jennifer Lopez is basically one of the therapists and is helping this kid with some trauma stuff, and he's connected to this serial killer. it's a trippy movie.
I knew what this book was, immediately, from the title of this video.
I've never heard of any of these authors and I'm excited to check out their works.
My favorite writer of all time!
Thanks for the rec - definitely going to check this out!
Not really sure why you would dismiss Zelazny out of hand without reading his work. He broke all kinds of rules of his time, wasn't tied to any genre, and combined elements of science fiction, fantasy, noir, and psychological thriller in most of his works. Hopefully you explore more of his stories.
Thank you for introducing me to Zelazny! I'll read Murakami here soon.
Thanks for watching!
2:00 can relate, I accidentally wrote plot points of neuromancer despite never reading any cyberpunk lit whatsoever...i was just doing a lot of ketamine and reading John Lilly's mad science journals...also accidentally wrote something extremely similar to the backstory/prehistory of Shadowrun, despite never reading that lore, which was a result of getting possessed by a prominent cannibalistic "wild man" spirit with dominion over the upper pacific northwest coast
It’s sad to see how far down intellectually today’s writers and readers are today in comparison to now. Great video, I am nearing retirement, I see myself reading a lot of these soon. Thank you for the introduction!
I’m currently reading Blindsight by Peter Watts. If you want modern intellectualism holy shit is it present here
I’m not into science fiction novels but I can’t sleep and you showing books n talking about them makes me sleepy
i stumble upon roger zelazny by coincidence, the best of luck
Kinda hard to ignore how they cure all those ailments but not blindness. Like they can manipulate a dog's brain to make him intelligent and tall but they couldn't figure out blindness? Ironic because that's something we are already figuring out today in real life.
what a cool book! I've been reading a lot of sci-fi so I definitely will check it out
Zelazny is a really underrated as a science fiction writer. It's ironic that he's mainly remembered for the Amber Chronicles, since that was written when he started resting on his laurels.
I loved this book. I have heard that about "The Amber Chronicles", but I still have them on my TBR list. I hope that I will enjoy them!
I don’t read but love listening to people talk about books
If you're just getting into Zelazny, you have good times ahead of you. He's got a number of books which push sci-fi into fantasy and vice versa, and he's just an incredible pleasure to read. Jack Of Shadows, Lord Of Light, Creatures of Light and Darkness...sci-fi, sort of, with gods and wizards here and there and extraordinary language everywhere
I absolutely love reading these books, thanks so much
Sounds incredible. Definitely going to get a copy
Doorways in the Sand is a blast. Fun book.
OH YEAH the dream master! amazing! its so good to meet people who have read it blind and are completely mindblown!
I just read this! I’ve been a huge fan of Zelazny for years. Lord of Light is incredible.
If you'd like I also did a deep dive video for this book here on the channel!
Thanks for the suggestion.
Really loved Amber when I read it 20 years ago. Gonna have to check out the dream master
I’m definitely giving this book a go. Thank you for that recommendation 😊
Good job moving that paper. =) I've never worried about novels dying as an art form, but events in America over the past decade have made me very concerned for the ability of my countrymen to engage in patient thought and data synthesis and abstraction. Reading, in particular reading 1960's science fiction novels for some reason, has always been a particularly effective means, at least for me, of expanding these particular faculties. I'm looking forward to reading this when my copy arrives as well as your future recommendations as this channel progresses.
Please don't flame me for bringing up politics. I'm just a nice guy who gives a crap and can't stand what I'm seeing when I turn on the news each night.
This is incredible. Thanks youtube algo.
I'm kinda flabbergasted because I dreamt up a science fiction novel of my own that has almost the same plotline -- self-driving cars and psychedelic therapy and all!
Mine was more focused on political/social movements but still really amazing to hear someone in the 1960s had similar extrapolations about where tech would lead us.
Thank you for the review!
You tapped into the zeitgeist!
@@LiminalSpaces03 seems like it!
The collective unconscious is quite the thing.
This sounds terrifying and sad at the same time I gotta check it out some time.
It’s freaky how accurate he got the issues and tech of the future with “self driving cars that have screens” and “advanced technology that causes comfortable people to become neurotic and anxious because they no longer connect with other humans”.
it's not exactly freaky. when something like "cars" and "screens" exist, it makes sense to predict "self-driving car with screen"
You had me at liminal spaces
Happy to be your 1000th sub. Thanks for the book recommendation.
Thank you so much for being our 1000th subscriber! We're in shock we've made it to this milestone!
I’m sick of absolute hacks writing sci fi. You have some great influences.
First time seeing one of your videos. Fucking amazing.
I also thought of Zeazney the way you did, but I'm going to check this one out...thanks
You drag me in with the thumbnail and keep me pinned here for the Sci-fi and I for one thank you for such a great channel. 👍🏽
Excellent, informative review. You sold me on this novel.
Neat to see that Murakami is a Zelazny reader. I haven't read He who Shapes/the Dream Master, yet, but this sounds great. Lord of Light is a masterpiece too and I loved Creatures of Light and Darkness, which is another incredibly weird and psychedelic book. I also really enjoyed jack of Shadows and, especially, A Night in the Lonesome October. That last is a must read if you want more special/enhanced dog action. That bit you described about the dog trying to reconnect with his canine ancestry does remind me of an older book: Sirius by Olaf Stapledon. That one is a really interesting take and fascinatingly depicted especially for something written in the 1940s.
I think the next Zelazny book I'm going to tackle is Lord of Light, that's the one that has been recommended the most.
Definitely a great choice. I think you'll really enjoy it.@@LiminalSpaces03
Thanks for the recommendations for me I don’t think Wind Up Bird Chronicle will ever be surpassed it’s perfect in every way .
Hard-Boiled Wonderland just barely (and I mean BARELY) eeks past Wind-up Bird for me.