From the Bookshelf of Sci-fi and Heroic Fantasy…

Lord of Light

Roger Zelazny

Start date: October 1, 2017

Finish date: October 30, 2017

Discussion: Book Discussions

Discussion leader: Cat

Why we're reading this: Hugo Award 1968
Group Classic Novel Discussion October 2017
Group Classic Novel Discussion, May 2014

[close] Hugo Award 1968
Group Classic Novel Discussion October 2017
Group Classic Novel Discussion, May 2014

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What Members Thought

Dec 19, 2007 Jim rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 1paper, 2fiction, 1ebook, scifi, favorites

30Apr2014(ebook): I'm reading this with Sci-fi & Heroic Fantasy group
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
& I like it better each time I read it. It makes far more sense after the first read, like so many of Zelazny's books, so I can concentrate more on the variety of flavors. Even knowing the ending doesn't hurt. Super ending, too.

Several have mentioned that the story is confusing. If it's your first time reading it, be aware that he intended to publish it as a serial & wrote it in 7 differe ...more

47 likes · Like · see review

Apr 21, 2011 Andrew rated it liked it · review of another edition

this was a challenging read but a fascinating one. Take a colony world which has been subjugated by its founders (who in the process have set themselves up as god of the ancient India cultures) undergoes the fires of rebellion where members of its first families start to break free from the totalitarian control and return science and invention and freewill to the people in the process.
The story is not completely linear and takes inspiration from indian culture (since many of the first people hav ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 13, 2015 Tani rated it really liked it

Shelves: male-author, scifi, 2015-novels

I'm always wary when I go into an older book, especially when it's a scifi book written by a male author. Sometimes, reading these things as a woman is like getting slapped in the face repeatedly. For that matter, sometimes reading these things as a modern reader gives the same feeling, and I'd actually never heard of this book, so I wasn't at all sure what to expect.

Having read it, I can now comment on both these. As a woman, don't expect awesome ladies. There are some ladies, but they're mos I'm always wary when I go into an older book, especially when it's a scifi book written by a male author. Sometimes, reading these things as a woman is like getting slapped in the face repeatedly. For that matter, sometimes reading these things as a modern reader gives the same feeling, and I'd actually never heard of this book, so I wasn't at all sure what to expect.

Having read it, I can now comment on both these. As a woman, don't expect awesome ladies. There are some ladies, but they're most ineffectual and don't really fare well in the story. As a modern reader, though, I was pleasantly surprised. The theme is one that remains relevant, and the story telling is good.

This book is based heavily on Hinduism and Buddhism. I'm nominally familiar with Hinduism, and slightly more so with Buddhism. Given that, I can't really comment on the authenticity of what Zelazny says. But that's not really the point of the story. The story itself is more about the freedom to live and grow, and fighting against near-impossible odds. Those are usually pretty fun things, and I didn't think this book was a disappointment in those aspects.

The writing style itself reminded me of Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha. The main character has about five or six different names, and the characters speak in that poetical fashion. The descriptions are simultaneously simple and foreign-flavored. I thought it was very readable, which is always a point in the author's favor.

The main character of Sam was also very fun. His fight against the 'gods' was full of strategy and trickery, which I enjoyed. He fights, not just on a physical level, but also on an ideological level, and it was a pleasure to read about his methods. I won't say he was a character I had a strong emotional connection with, but I liked him regardless.

Zelazny has been an author on my list for a long time, but this is the first I've read from him, and I was quite impressed. After reading Lord of Light, I would definitely be open to reading more by him. ...more

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