Here is a collection of strange, beautiful stories covering the full spectrum of the late Roger Zelazny's remarkable talents. He had a rare abil... read full description
reviews
Jul 10, 2010
Kathryn
rated it: 
I used to think I loved Roger Zelazny's writing. After trying out a few more of his books, I realized that it was THIS collection in particular that I loved. Nothing else of his that I've read has measured up, although I keep hoping I'll stumble on something I like just as much.
The stores cover a lot of ground, with sentient cars, a hunt for a leviathan, aliens, and some misunderstandings. "The Keys to December" ranks up there as one of my favorite short-stories. (It's about More...
The stores cover a lot of ground, with sentient cars, a hunt for a leviathan, aliens, and some misunderstandings. "The Keys to December" ranks up there as one of my favorite short-stories. (It's about More...
Aug 21, 2010
Alazzar
rated it:
I'm generally not a sci-fi guy, but I'm definitely a Zelazny guy. And, of course, Zelazny managed to make me like sci-fi with this book, because he's just that good.
I could give a general review for the book, but I think I'll just go story-by-story instead (mostly so I can remember what they're all about when the memories of reading this collection leave my mind in about 3 months).
1. The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth: One of my favorite stories in the book, More...
I could give a general review for the book, but I think I'll just go story-by-story instead (mostly so I can remember what they're all about when the memories of reading this collection leave my mind in about 3 months).
1. The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth: One of my favorite stories in the book, More...
Apr 08, 2009
http://nhw.livejournal.com/382479.html[return][return]I think this was Zelazny's first published collection? Mostly stories from his peak early years in the 1960s; includes perhaps his two best pieces from that era, the title story (which I didn't like at all on first reading it as a teenager, but which has grown on me since) and "A Rose for Ecclesiastes" which remains a favourite.[return][return]The incredibly weak ending of "This Mortal Mountain" grates a bit more than befo
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May 19, 2009
Aaron
rated it: 
Very good collection of '60s SF stories. Having read the first few Amber novels and generally liked them, I was surprised at how much stronger some of these stories are than the series he seems to be remembered by. The twists and turns of the Amber series are certainly fun, but the writing seems much lighter in tone, possibly simplified for the masses, or per a publisher's request.
The stories served up here range from dark to humorous, but Zelazny's intellect is clearly on display. B More...
The stories served up here range from dark to humorous, but Zelazny's intellect is clearly on display. B More...
Oct 03, 2010
Derek
rated it:
This may or may not be the Zelazny collection of stories I loved so much. Why "loved"? Because almost all of them are love stories, on one level or another, and Z. was one of the best SF short story writers of all time. Pay no attention to his "Amber" books, which unfortunately get most of the attention. They were later money-makers that simply ramble on (which he had a tendency to do in novels). His stories are, I hope, what will last.
Jun 15, 2009
Martin
rated it:
A nice mix of sci-fi short stories, with only a couple of very short ones. Most had a clear ending, which is something I really prefer in short stories, although a couple left the outcome completely open to interpretation.
The concept of suspended animation came up in several different stories, particularly the idea that people would become more and more disconnected from society as they went further ahead in time, resulting in unhappiness beyond any realized gains. This is probably More...
The concept of suspended animation came up in several different stories, particularly the idea that people would become more and more disconnected from society as they went further ahead in time, resulting in unhappiness beyond any realized gains. This is probably More...
Feb 27, 2010
Raj
rated it: 
This is a collection of short stories from reasonably early in Zelazny's career and there's a wide span both in terms of size (one is almost novella sized, another is just over a page long) and scale. There's something here for everyone, although I particularly enjoyed The Keys to December and The Great Slow Kings, two very different stories.
Sep 27, 2009
Frank
rated it:
Some wonderful stories here, including the title one. A Rose for Ecclesiastes and This Mortal Mountain were also very good.
Jan 31, 2011
Bill
rated it:
All in all enjoyable. The story of the same name is good, as is "A Rose for Ecclesiastes" and "This Mortal Mountain".
May 19, 2010
Manny
rated it:
I last looked at this collection 35 years ago and I can still remember at least half of them, so I conclude that it must be pretty good.
I think I liked the love stories most: "A Rose for Ecclesiastes", where the Earth poet visits the doomed Martian society and falls in love with their priestess, and "The Man Who Loved The Faioli", in which Zelazny pulls off the near-impossible feat of creating a moving romance between a vampire and a cyborg. Really, I'm not being More...
I think I liked the love stories most: "A Rose for Ecclesiastes", where the Earth poet visits the doomed Martian society and falls in love with their priestess, and "The Man Who Loved The Faioli", in which Zelazny pulls off the near-impossible feat of creating a moving romance between a vampire and a cyborg. Really, I'm not being More...
Jun 02, 2008
K T
rated it:
A collection of his sf stories. I must say, Zelazny's humor pieces don't do much for me, but his straight pieces, especially the adventure stories, are very engrossing.
My top pick from this collection is "This Moment of the Storm," followed by "A Rose for Ecclesiastes." I also enjoyed "The Keys to December" and "This Mortal Mountain," but their ends didn't live up to the greatness of their middles.
And, I really like the title.
My top pick from this collection is "This Moment of the Storm," followed by "A Rose for Ecclesiastes." I also enjoyed "The Keys to December" and "This Mortal Mountain," but their ends didn't live up to the greatness of their middles.
And, I really like the title.
Aug 13, 2008
Jim
rated it:
If you don't know Roger Zelazny, you should. This book is an excellent example of why. The stories run the gamut from meditations on mythology and literature to alien romance and post-apocalyptic weirdness. This set of short stories covers all the bases you'd expect and a few you wouldn't. If you've never heard of it, find it and read it. You won't regret it.
Mar 19, 2008
Tom
rated it:
I've been a fan of Zelazny's short stories for decades. His taught prose and spare, whittled-down dialog seemingly defy the laws of physics; he brings full-throated characters to life in the space of paragraphs, and never bogs his stories with unnecessary detail.
A true master of the form, much prefer his shorter works to his more-famous novels. Worth your time.
A true master of the form, much prefer his shorter works to his more-famous novels. Worth your time.
Mar 06, 2011
Morgan
rated it:
Wonderful collection of short stories in Zelazy's amazing and unique style. If I could however, I would give this 4.5 as I did not enjoy a few selections as much as others, but as this is Zelazny and I can't actually award 4.5 stars it gets five all the way.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
Feb 03, 2012
John
rated it:
Read this a long time ago, and am rereading it again. Zelazny's writing is exquisite and shows just how rich a mine SF can be for writers who are aware of just what can be done in the field that cannot be done in mainstream fiction.
Aug 28, 2008
Reuben
rated it:
70s new wave science fiction often told in a voice not unlike Raymond Chandler's.
Dec 17, 2009
Peter
rated it: 
I just could not get into it. At best there were a couple of OK stories but mostly they just felt like unfinished novels. But that is a general frustration of mine when it come to short stories.
Nov 16, 2010
Melanie
rated it:
My favorite stories in this book are "The Great Slow Kings," and "Divine Madness." I think the latter is my very favorite; I read it three times and it made me cry every time.
Jul 16, 2009
Sydney
rated it:
Some wonderful short stories in this collection, but the best by far, and great in the general short story genre, is "Divine Madness." Breath-taking redemption in ten pages.
Jan 19, 2008
Rebekah
rated it:
A great compilation of some of Zelazny's absolutely poetic (and/or hilarious) short stories. Especially loved "Divine Madness." I have to reread it at least once a year.
Aug 10, 2011
Bev
rated it:
The Doors of His Face, The Lamp of His Mouth","Roger Zelazny","1596871423","review","The title story is the best one. But Zelazny is terrific in all of them.
Jan 09, 2011
James
rated it:
A short story collection from one of the masters of SF, now sadly long dead. The title story and "A Rose For Ecclesiastes" are tremendously moving.
Sep 03, 2008
Dave
rated it:
Actually the first Zelazny book I ever read (back in grade school). I remember I liked, so I'll re-read it eventually.
Oct 20, 2011
Keith
rated it:
Pretty close to a "best of" collection for one of the best sort fiction authors in the SF field.
Jun 23, 2009
J.M.
rated it:
I like Zelazny's humorous fantasy, but didn't enjoy this short story collection.
