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Lord of Light

Roger Zelazny

Start date: January 1, 2024

Finish date: January 31, 2024

Discussion: Science Fiction and Fantasy

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Dec 02, 2020 GONZA rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: posseduto, abbandonato

I decided to stop trying to read this book, because I got to page 100 without being able to understand what it's about. I have only one character in mind, whose actions seem to me devoid of reason, whose background is incomprehensible to me and who is doing something, perhaps.
I understand that you have to be a science fiction lover and that this was a Hugo prize years ago, but I am not able to appreciate it anyway.

Ho deciso di smettere di continuare a sforzarmi di leggere questo libro, perché so ...more

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Jun 02, 2019 Tim Callicutt rated it really liked it

Shelves: science-fiction-fantasy, 2019-books

If this book is any indication, Roger Zelazny is bursting at the seams with ideas. The breadth of his world-building floored me. To be fair, Hindu mythology provides a wealth of opportunities for any sci-fi/fantasy author, and not many in the West had taken advantage of it at this time. As someone with only a passing knowledge of the tenets of Hinduism and Buddhism, I appreciated his integration of the religious elements of both, but can't comment on his fidelity to them. Building the narrative If this book is any indication, Roger Zelazny is bursting at the seams with ideas. The breadth of his world-building floored me. To be fair, Hindu mythology provides a wealth of opportunities for any sci-fi/fantasy author, and not many in the West had taken advantage of it at this time. As someone with only a passing knowledge of the tenets of Hinduism and Buddhism, I appreciated his integration of the religious elements of both, but can't comment on his fidelity to them. Building the narrative around the story of Buddhism's evangelism and co-opting of Hindu beliefs was clever, but also provides us with perhaps the single element most disconnected from the spirit of its religious precursor - Sam's status as a false Buddha.

I believe this issue is indicative of where the book fell short - the lack of depth. There were moments where it seemed as if Zelazny would pursue an honest reckoning with the philosophical ideas underpinning Buddhism. I had to read Sam's speech to the monks at the beginning of the book when he discusses the slippery notion of truth and beauty several times to grasp what he was saying. However, such moments, much like Sam, are an illusion. The novel soon falls into a pretty standard insurrection narrative. Even opportunities for social commentary, such as exploring the experience of those within the caste system, are glossed over. While Sam often states that it is unfair that the immortals have access to the technology that allows them regulate karma and reincarnate into new bodies, I'm not sure that I bought into his motivation being wholly altruistic.

None of this is to say that Zelazny produced a bad book. It is a rollicking read. There is plenty of action, memorable characters, and an imaginative world. Once the book was finished, I continued to mull it over. Yama, Tak, Brahma, and Sugata, are all characters that live well-beyond their story, and I'd love to see any supplementary material revolving around them. Where the books falls short, though, is not exploring the questions it poses. ...more

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May 29, 2024 Natalie rated it really liked it

Shelves: classics, science-fantasy

Lord of Light is definitely unique and action packed. The premise, that a group of people have left earth and come to a new planet to live as gods, demi gods, and Hindu like worshipers, is one I have never seen elsewhere. However, it is mostly plot driven, with a huge cast of characters, so we get less world and character development.
This book is broken into 7 segments or chapters. Each tells a different story in the same world. I have read Ramayana: The Complete Edition and Siddhartha so many o Lord of Light is definitely unique and action packed. The premise, that a group of people have left earth and come to a new planet to live as gods, demi gods, and Hindu like worshipers, is one I have never seen elsewhere. However, it is mostly plot driven, with a huge cast of characters, so we get less world and character development.
This book is broken into 7 segments or chapters. Each tells a different story in the same world. I have read Ramayana: The Complete Edition and Siddhartha so many of the names were familiar. But the concepts of enlightenment and seeking truth are absent. Zelazny uses some familiar names and terms, but makes it his own with his own plot. I read another review that says his characterizations are inconsistent with Hindi gods but since this is a work of fiction, he uses that leeway. Most of the main characters are gods, made so by technology which allows them to have powers and reincarnate by mind transfer. Characters include, Sam, Yama, Ratri, Rild, Kali, Taraka, Helba, Shiva, Kubera, Murugan, Nirriti, Ganesha, and Murga.
In each of the following 7 chapters, we have new events.
1.Yama, or Death, tries to help our main character, Mahasamatman, or Sam, when he is in great peril.
2. Many of the gods act against Sam so Sam raids the House of Karma and encourages a rebellion against the gods, many of whom lord power over the common people.
3. Buddha preaches nonviolence instead of obedience to the gods.
4. Sam goes to Hellwell (a demon pit). He helps Taraka who is trapped there. But Taraka takes over Sam's body.
5. In an area called heaven, Yama and Kali are to be married. Sam wanders freely through heaven but Kali orders a sacrifice for the wedding and Sam is taken.
6. Brahma dies, then Shiva is murdered. In a flurry of action, many of the gods are either killed or exiled.
7. Sam is able to return from Nirvana. Nirriti, a Christian leader, wishes to fight the Hindu gods. Taraka wishes to be mighty. Together, a group of gods defeats Nirriti but in the battle, Brahma is fatally wounded. Sam sees that Tak and Ratri are restored to young bodies. Then Sam leaves to the unknown.
The story is very action packed. But it is more mythical style stories than a chronicle of people on a distant planet. The science elements are not well explained until later in the story, and even then we get names for the technology used but not explanations or how it all works. And some characters are little more than actors in the plot than individual characters. But the main characters are somewhat fleshed out.
The prose is strong and the pacing great. It's definitely a mix of fantasy (myth) and science so I wouldn't call it Science Fiction. ...more

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Apr 26, 2012 Douglas Beagley rated it really liked it

Zelazny does so many things well! It is confusing, therefore, when he does something poorly. Most of this book is just marvelous... mind-bending ideas and well-executed scifi concepts mixed with poetry and philosophy, and just some darn good Texas-standoff style scenes... really great.

So, was he facing a deadline while writing the last twenty-pages? That and a few other chapters just seem written and then submitted. And the reminiscence frame narrative was not executed terribly well and might ju ...more

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