"Lord Of Light" by Roger Zelazny; 10/10 [H]

SO GOOD.

This book is bloody brilliant.  The best science fiction book ever written, in my opinion, is Frank Herbert's "Dune" by a very wide margin.  The margin between #1 and #2 shrank a bit when I read this book, my new -and still current- #2 in the SF canon.  

Just so you'll know, I came into this novel with no expectations, no knowledge about what it was, only the awareness that it was ranked in the top-50 on the random sci-fi poll I had read, was written by a guy I'd never heard of, and had won the Hugo for best novel in a bit of a down year (1968).  The new paperback edition I was reading at work also had a glowing review on the cover that caught my eye, written by a guy I'd never read, though numerous friends had been on me to read him for ages, named Neil Gaiman.  His stuff will be on this blog later (nearly all of it, if current trends continue), but I can still remember what he had said about this book when I didn't know who he was without having "Lord Of Light" in my hands: "Tricky and brilliant and heartfelt and dangerous."  Doesn't really make it sound half bad, does it? So I gave it a go.

The work is comprised of seven lengthy chapters which follow a character named Sam on a planet in which the Hindu religion appears to be actually and physically realized (reincarnation, gods, etc).  More than that I will not say.

It began slowly, and I didn't really follow it or get sucked into the current until the second of the seven chapters (which also work as short stories in their own way).  But when it hit me I was totally in and I read it frantically, barely pausing for breath.  The chapters become increasingly ingenious, and once you see the overall picture that is being sketched in here by the numbers, well, I for one was nearly winded.  It worked for me on so many levels- philosophical, conceptual, and just as great writing, and it was somehow both excellent science fiction and excellent fantasy.

[All thumbs up]



So if you've seen my previous review of "A Scanner Darkly" you'll have read the part where I said something to the effect that it isn't necessarily for everyone.  "Lord Of Light," on the other hand, is something that should be significantly more appreciated than it is, and better known too.  Zelazny has done such great things here.  I got on Karen and Dan and our buddy Bazes in the Far East to read this, which they did, and then I bought it for other people. FOUR other people.  How many books have you ever purchased five times?  When we account for the people who I have more or less said, "buy and read this book immediately" to at work, and then watched them do so, I think I can say safely that I have accounted for at least 10 people reading it, and those are only the ones I know about. But that isn't enough people! Go read "Lord Of Light," ye enjoyers of speculative fiction. Go to't with a quickness.

When there are enough of us out there I will form a parallel group to "The Dickheads" (of which Paul Giamatti will doubtless be a member, remember) and call it "The Zelazniacs." I expect Neil Gaiman will join up immediately... This plan may be even more bulletproof than "The Dickheads."  Who's with me?