Come on People, Doesn't ANYBODY read anymore?
Richard
series, either good or bad. ( I happen to say its all good). Post something.
Richard
Dayton Texas
matman42
It's what I loan people when I want to turn them on to Zelazny.
Unfortunately, I find a lot of people aren't as happy with his stand alone
novels. He gets a lot deeper than a lot of people are prepared for, IMHO.
Not everyone I've loaned it to has finished Lord of Light, for instance.
How about a nice follow up choice to the Amber novels for the uninitiated?
Isle of the Dead perhaps? That one has a great romance story in it, as well
as revenge, so it might appeal to a new reader as well. Or perhaps
Damnation Alley. That one is fantastic IMOAW, and should seem familiar
enough to someone might be put off by the fantastic, but experimental Eye of
Cat. I love that one as well, but (or because) it is certainly pushing the
envelope in so many ways.
Wilderness is great as well. I loaned that to someone I work with (who
didn't return it, but that happens when you loan stuff out) and she said she
enjoyed it. One of Zelazny's best collaborations definitely. It's nice
that Gerald Hausman wrote as well as you would expect from someone who would
expect from someone who work with RZ.
MM
"Richard" <rem...@pdq.net> wrote in message
news:csmta1$4...@library2.airnews.net...
RavensZim
suggest the Dilvish novels or the Changeling/ Madwand books...
Doorways in the Sand is a nice quick read...I tend to think someone who enjoys
hard sci fi might be more open to the twists of Lord of Light...
John Hall
amongst Zelazny's best work.
--
John Hall
"Banking was conceived in iniquity and born in sin"
Sir Josiah Stamp, a former president of the Bank of England
John Bokma
> If they liked Amber because they're already a fantasy fan, you might
> want to suggest the Dilvish novels or the Changeling/ Madwand books...
I like Amber, and Changeling/Madwand books, but I am not a fantasy fan.
Most fantasy is quickly written garbage or just cut & paste of existing
work (Robert Jordan anyone).
Only a few exceptions exsist, like Donaldson, Zelazny, Tolkien, etc.
I just don't like to read books when I can guess on page 10 how page 2136
ends because it's so badly written.
--
John MexIT: http://johnbokma.com/mexit/
personal page: http://johnbokma.com/
Experienced programmer available: http://castleamber.com/
Happy Customers: http://castleamber.com/testimonials.html
matman42
that jumps around quite a bit. That's why it's not generally one I
recommend. Plus the covers are lame :-(.
I think Changeling is a good choice, but Madwand is frustrating because it
leaves too many loose ends.
Doorways gets a little annoying as well because it goes completely overkill
with the flashback sequences.
MM
"RavensZim" <rave...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20050121220237...@mb-m03.aol.com...
John Hall
In message <064901c503ff$424f1530$040ce204@yoursto140n995>, Neal Stollon
- FS2 - <ne...@fs2.com> writes
>I always thought that the Dilvish series was under rated. Taken piece
>by piece
>it is hard to find anything exceptional, except for Bells of Shoradan,
>which has
>lots of neat stuff (and was my first introduction to Zelazny, lo these
>many years
>ago). Taken together it tells a long story (the short stories are all
>sequential and
>have cross references that lead up to the novel) and is one part
>Zelazny homage
>to Lovercraft, Howard, and bunch of others, and also anatomy of Zelazny
>writing. The first part was written in 1960s and the later stories in
>1979-1981.
>For myself, I like the earlier stuff better.
>
>Another option is the Sandow novels, most notably Isle of the Dead,
>which,
>is another very underrated piece of work with a bunch of cool stuff in
>it. The
>others were weaker.
>
>Too bad that the final book(s) of the changling/madwand story never got
>written.
>
>Neal Stollon
>
>ps I am having probem posting (new computer and all that). Could
>someone
>post this for me.
>
Richard
glutton. I have read and enjoyed Piers Anthony, (His Xanth novels have
really gotten lame though) all the way to good old Isaac A. Lois Bujold is a
favorite author of mine, as is David Weber ( Don't think the man can write a
bad book). Many of the Andre Norton books held me captive for hours on end.
John Ringo is a great writer and William Keith, Eric Flint and David White
have my vote as well. The lists can go on and on but you get my drift. I
happily admit to jumping from hard sci-fi to fantasy and back to somewhere
in the middle, I just enjoy all of it, and am very thankful that so many
great writers have allowed me to share their imaginations for a little
while. Roger Zelany was and still is one of my favorite authors, and Mr.
Betancourt is continuing the series in his own style, but in a way that
compliments Roger's original work quite nicely.
Reading a good novel for me is better than any drug ever produced, it
doesn't quite replace a 32" redfish on a light rod, but it comes damn close
and that is really saying something believe me.
Richard
"John Hall" <nospam...@jhall.co.uk> wrote in message
news:Frb862Jm...@jhall.demon.co.uk...
> Posted on behalf of Neal Stollen.
>
> In message <064901c503ff$424f1530$040ce204@yoursto140n995>, Neal Stollon -
> FS2 - <ne...@fs2.com> writes
>>I always thought that the Dilvish series was under rated. Taken piece
(SNIP)
Alosha Pokrovskii
similar to Amber. A bit darker though. The same kind of fantasy
setting, with some modern bits thrown in. And revenge also plays a
huge role. Quite easy to read too, compared to some other works. Its
definately one of my favourite zelazny novels.
Isla Nublar
wrote:
The problem is, all my ability to discuss and kibbutz about Zelazny's
work dried up, years ago. And there will be no more.
Strange Bru
Chris Owens
It was an OK novel. I wouldn't say it was the same fantasy setting at
all. Some of the same concepts were there. Two opposing poles. Jack's
escape from the monstrous rock (was it a rock, its been years since I
read it) was much like walking the Pattern. But otherwise the settings
were quiet different from Amber. It was interesting how Jack of Shadows
ended with an unresolved cliffhanger.
pratth...@rocketryonline.com
trying-out of some of the concepts that are used in the making of the
larger universe. Love 'em both.
I was lucky. I was studying Comparative Religion in college
(1970...geezer) when I encountered Lord of Light. It meshed on so many
levels, it was a stunning experience. I hunted up all the Zelazny I
could find after that, and managed to get most of the books as they
came out. To this day, I always check the Z end of the SF section in
whatever bookstore I'm in, as sort of a memorial gesture.
And every October is Lonesome.
Regards, Doug Pratt
www.pratthobbies.com
Richard
Main Amber theme, it still kept close enough for me.
I would also like to remark on a comment made here earlier about how no
more books would be written about Amber/The Courts. I would beg to differ.
While Mr.Betancourt may have a different style, through him ( Hopefully) the
Amber series may live on. It has the potential to go in about a hundred or
so directions, and I look forward to seeing if it does.
Thanks
Richard Manning
"Chris Owens" <christopher...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1109089295....@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
Chris Owens
guess it's a matter if you can't say anything nice...
I read the first two. I didn't bother with the third. I don't think its
the story Zelazny had in mind at all. I'm not familar with Betancourt's
other works, perhaps they're better.
John Hall
I've only read the first one so far, which I quite enjoyed. I thought
that Oberon seemed rather too sympathetic to turn into the bit of a
bastard that he seemed to become in Zelazny's books, but I suppose that
with the sort of life-spans that Amberites had there would be a lot of
time in which someone's character could change.
--
John Hall
"Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick
themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened."
Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Chris Owens
view. And Merlin's view of Oberon is slanted by what Corwin told him.
But of course, as Corwin learned by the end, his father is a very
sympathetic character.
Uri Bruck
Murdering Benedict's servants as of his plan to manipulate Corwin was
sympathetic?
Corwin finds out that Oberon is committed to some things beyond
himself, such as the preservation of Amber and the Pattern, and that
he is more complex than he thought before. I don't think I'd use the
word sympathetic.
ckovacs
Dara did the killing.
Uri Bruck
First chapter of Courts of Chaos, Corwin and Oberon talk near the
Primal Pattern. Oberon says:
"I know corwin. But she did not kill Benedict's servants to manage her
position at his house. I did it myself, to assure her getting to you
as she did, at just the appropriate time."
In "The Great book of Amber" that would be p.497
Chris Owens
At one time Corwin would've done the same and not thought twice about
it. Corwin changes from his time on Earth, but he realizes he is not a
saint. Caine murdered his shadow self. Corwin is more concerned over
the trouble it caused him with Benedict, than with the killings
themselves.
Uri Bruck
I think at that point Corwin was also concerned with the killings.
He's matured a lot. Just moments before he was willing to give up his
life for the good of Amber, and in part, for Oberon. Whether the
latter was his rationalization for the former, or vice versa seems
unclear even from his own telling.
>