Lord of Light

Oct 31, 2012 Nandakishore Varma rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

Prince Siddhartha attained enlightenment at the foot of the Bodhi tree and became the Buddha: his teachings swept across India, striking at the roots of decadent Brahmanism. The Hindu priests were understandably alarmed, but were helpless against the doctrine of the eightfold path as the stale air inside a room against the tempest raging outside. So they did the clever thing: after the Buddha's passing, they assimilated him and made him an avatar of Vishnu (in fact, they licked him by joining hi...more Prince Siddhartha attained enlightenment at the foot of the Bodhi tree and became the Buddha: his teachings swept across India, striking at the roots of decadent Brahmanism. The Hindu priests were understandably alarmed, but were helpless against the doctrine of the eightfold path as the stale air inside a room against the tempest raging outside. So they did the clever thing: after the Buddha's passing, they assimilated him and made him an avatar of Vishnu (in fact, they licked him by joining him). Perhaps this is the fate of all reformers!

This much is history. Roger Zelazny takes the bare bones of this story, adds the exotic ingredients of Indian myth and legend haphazardly, seasons it with the spirit of Prometheus who moved against heaven, and serves it up as a science fiction novel. For people who have not tasted exotic and spicy Indian dishes (at least not regularly), this is extraordinary fare indeed: alas, for my jaded palate, this is quite ordinary.

Zelazny writes superbly. The novel is structured imaginatively-as Adam Roberts says in the introduction, the author deliberately wrong foots us with the flashback. The language is rich and lush and a bit cloying, like India at its exotic best (or worst), seen from an “Orientalist” perspective. In an age when characterization was almost nonexistent in SF, Zelazny gives us rounded characters who behave consistently. The SF elements are also well developed and consistent with a technology so far advanced that it is “indistinguishable from magic” (to borrow from Arthur C. Clarke).

That the author is well acquainted with India is obvious. He knows the names of a lot of Indian gods (not only the Vedic pantheon – Murugan is a Tamil god). From the way the Kathakali performance is described in detail, I am almost sure that Zelazny has travelled in Kerala (my native place). The way each god’s “Attribute” defines him or her is more or less consistent with Hindu mythology – and it has been translated into scientific terms quite convincingly. And the way the “Rakasha” (the Rakshasa s and Asuras of Indian myth) have been described as elemental spirits of the planet, subdued and imprisoned by the human colonisers, closely parallels the real origin of these demons in folklore.

But once all the bells and whistles were removed, I found the story of a renegade god moving against the celestial dictators quite ordinary. If the whole Indian pantheon were not in the story, if it was just the tale of a plain “Sam”‘s rebellion, I do not think this book would have merited a second glance at the awards. It was sold under the label of exotic India, like many other orientalist offerings. One might argue that this was Zeazny’s intention, and that there is nothing wrong in it: I would tend to agree. His vision of using Indian myth to flavor a science fiction novel was (at the time of its publication) a bold, path-breaking move. Only thing is, I am not one of the intended audience!

I have one more caveat: Zelazny mixes and matches the gods and their attributes with a free hand (especially towards the end). Since these are not true gods but human beings who have taken on these attributes, this is technically OK, but it soon becomes a pot-pourri very difficult to follow. Also, in the process, he saw many of the gods only single dimensionally (this is most notable in the case of Krishna, who is seen only as a lecher).

I would recommend this book for people unfamiliar with Indian mythology. I am afraid those who are well-read in the same may feel disappointed.
(less)

27 likes · like · see review

Apr 02, 2013 Jon added it · review of another edition

Recommended to Jon by: Jim MacLachlan

Shelves: fiction, science-fiction, award-winners, hugo-winner, read-in-my-40s, liked-it

3.5 stars

Due to the acquisition of GoodReads by Amazon on March 28, 2013 and my existing and continuing boycott of all things Amazon, the review I wrote after reading this book has been relocated to my blog and can be found in its entirety by following this link: http://bit.ly/105rRyt

16 likes · like · see review

Apr 01, 2011 Jim rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

Added 31Mar11: It's fantastic that I've read this book a dozen times or so & enjoy it just as much every time. I see I last read it 3.5 years ago. That's a short amount of time for a re-read & I wasn't bored at all.

Written 30Oct07: Typically, the whole story emerges slowly & somewhat confusingly on the first read, but we soon realize that a starship from Earth colonizes an alien planet. Fantasy meets SF as Psi powers, often enhanced by technology, allow the crew to impersonate a muta...more Added 31Mar11: It's fantastic that I've read this book a dozen times or so & enjoy it just as much every time. I see I last read it 3.5 years ago. That's a short amount of time for a re-read & I wasn't bored at all.

Written 30Oct07: Typically, the whole story emerges slowly & somewhat confusingly on the first read, but we soon realize that a starship from Earth colonizes an alien planet. Fantasy meets SF as Psi powers, often enhanced by technology, allow the crew to impersonate a mutated version of the Hindu gods, lording it over the passengers. Mind-swapping & cloning allow the old crew to become almost immortal, while the passengers are fruitful & multiply, spreading across the planet & forgetting their roots & technology.

The story centers on Sam, one of the crew, retired god & hero. He doesn't like the new gods & fights heaven through fair & foul means. (view spoiler)

Zelazny's mix of science, religion, mysticism & politics is fantastic & unique, as always. His hero, Sam, is insightful, mocking & manipulating. He subtly guides people & events to his advantage, while attempting to topple the gods from their heaven.

The story isn't told in a straightforward manner (big shock) but as flashbacks for over half of it. It's almost disappointing when the story flows linearly, but the action is too intense & the politics too murky to confuse it through further time jumping.

I've read some criticisms of his take on the Eastern religions but, I don't think he made any mistakes. He wasn't trying to recreate the religions of today, but show them in a far-flung future where they were setup by a bunch power hungry people for their own base purposes. He was using them as a vehicle to make his point & felt justified changing them to fit.

I've worn out two copies of this book. It's fantastic. He's one of my favorite authors & this is possibly my favorite book. (less)

19 likes · like · see review

Mar 01, 2013 Eric rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of profound sci-fi/fantasy

Recommended to Eric by: Mike Reineke

Shelves: book-club, science-fiction, fantasy, classic

The front cover of this book labels Lord of Light "The Legendary SF Classic," and the blurb on the back cover begins:

Earth is long since dead. On a colony planet, a band of men has gained control of technology...

From these two data points, I was sure I was about to read a straight-forward sci-fi adventure, possibly in the vein of Robert A. Heinlein or Ray Bradbury. What I should have paid more attention to was the gigantic fucking Buddha statue on the front cover, and the conclusion of the bac...more

9 likes · like · see review

Dec 01, 2011 Alazzar rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

[Originally read July 30, 2010-August 8, 2010]

I've long been a fan of Zelazny's Amber series, and in the past, I've heard that he once penned a story that could be even better: Lord of Light. I just finished Lord of Light, and I have to say: I still give the title of "Best Zelazny Story" to the Amber series. But it was a damn close race.

I'm not normally a science-fiction type of guy (fantasy and horror are more to my liking), so I was a little worried going into this book. Even though Zelazny is...more

8 likes · like · see review

Oct 06, 2010 Dan Schwent rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: zelazny, plan-on-rereading-one-day

I don't even know where to start on this one. Roger Zelazny solidified his position on my favorite authors list with Lord of Light. It's the best writing of his that I've come across so far.

The Plot: Long story short, immortals from Earth set up shop on another world and assumed the guise of Hindu gods. Sam, aka Buddha, Siddhartha, Kalkin, etc., opposes them in each of his lifetimes, reviving Buddhism as a tool in his quest. The final confrontation doesn't disappoint.

As other reviewers have sai...more

14 likes · like · see review

Mar 30, 2011 Colleen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, fantasy, group-read, library-read

2.5

I had a bit of a hard time following what was going on, at times, with this book. Not because of the so-called non-linear* nature of the story, but mostly just because there were a lot of characters, several of whom at multiple names, and some of which kept changing into other characters.

Also, the general writing style made it hard for me to visualize what was going on in the action sequences sometimes. And there were long bits of dialogue where after the first two lines it doesn't say who's...more 2.5

I had a bit of a hard time following what was going on, at times, with this book. Not because of the so-called non-linear* nature of the story, but mostly just because there were a lot of characters, several of whom at multiple names, and some of which kept changing into other characters.

Also, the general writing style made it hard for me to visualize what was going on in the action sequences sometimes. And there were long bits of dialogue where after the first two lines it doesn't say who's saying what, and after a page or so of that, it gets hard to keep track.

Also, I never really connected emotionally with the characters. I liked Sam, and Yama, and a few of the others, but I wasn't overly invested in the goings on.

But I did find it interesting. At first it was the philosophy and things, as I say there reading and kept thinking "that bit's Buddhist.. that's Hindu... that's - a sort of conglomery... and that's back to Buddhist."

After a bit, the philosophy became less a focus, and it was more about the people and politics and intrigue, and I generally found this interesting, too, but, as I said, I had a hard time following bits.

Actually, I would say I had some of the same problems with this story as I did with the Amber books, so I think it's more just Zelazny's writing style than anything.

But I did like it well enough, and I'm glad I read it. I enjoyed the philsophy stuff, as I said, but I also really enjoyed the commentary/satire of how people use religion as a means of control of the masses. But while I liked it and found it interesting, I have no real need to run out and add it to my owned-shelf, either.

*About the non-linear thing. I don't really see that it is all that non-linear. Granted, it's one of those stories that starts close to the end, and then backtracks to the beginning, to see how you get to the point you started at, and then, once we get caught up, moves to the ending. But after the initial "here's how it begins" thing, the story moves forward linearly. Yes, it does skip days and weeks, but it's always moving forward in the timeline, one thing progressing after the other.

It doesn't jump back and forth and all around the place as suggested in some of the reviews I've read.(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Oct 12, 2012 Manny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, linguistics-and-philosophy, too-sexy-for-maiden-aunts

How Lord of Light Didn't Get Written

[Rainy, black-and-white movie evening. A 30s style cab pulls up next to a seedy entrance, where a hulking DOORMAN is on guard. A FIGURE wearing a trenchcoat and a battered fedora emerges from the cab and hands the driver a bill.]

FIGURE: [Bogart-style growl] Keep the change, kid. Don't blow it all at once.

[His trenchcoat falls open. Underneath he is dressed like THE LORD BUDDHA. Reaction shot of the wide-eyed DRIVER]

DRIVER: You're the Mahasamat-

FIGURE: Call me...more

9 likes · like · see review

Nov 02, 2007 John rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I first read this book a good while ago, sometime in high school. I'm sure now that I didn't fully appreciate it. I just used this book in my AP English class, and I think that I'm closer to appreciating it now.

Roger Zelazny is a writer who packs a lot into a story, yet makes it very easily readable. Zelazny said in some interviews that he was usually reading 6 or 7 books at a time, in fields from history to the hard and social sciences to mythology or religion to literature and speculative fict...more I first read this book a good while ago, sometime in high school. I'm sure now that I didn't fully appreciate it. I just used this book in my AP English class, and I think that I'm closer to appreciating it now.

Roger Zelazny is a writer who packs a lot into a story, yet makes it very easily readable. Zelazny said in some interviews that he was usually reading 6 or 7 books at a time, in fields from history to the hard and social sciences to mythology or religion to literature and speculative fiction. Probably he read less of these last than of the former, and this breadth of knowledge comes through in this science fiction novel that reads almost like fantasy. He blends the elements so well, and in this backward world where an elite has set itself up with technology, science seems like magic (or spirituality). In essence, the colonists of this planet discovered a technology that allowed a person's essential self, the atman or soul, to be transfered from one body to another, using genetic engineering to create new host bodies. At first, these people just jumped from body to body fathering a race of humans that they neglected to care for as they subdued the natural dangers of the planet. In time, they set themselves up as gods over the children they'd created, and in a world where reincarnation could be literal, they naturally recreated Hinduism as the world's religion.

This is all basically backdrop for the novel. This is why it reads, at times, as though we're in India of 500 BCE. This is the story of one of these original colonists who has rejected his fellow colonists' plans for the planet. He wants to share the wonders of technology with all the people so that they can all share in the lives that the "gods" lead. This is the story of his battle--sometimes subtle, sometimes overt--against the gods.

I decided to teach this book, as much as anything, because we had a bunch of copies sitting in the bookstore. I had no idea what I would talk about, what would be worth talking about in the book, because it had been too long since I'd read it. I figured, though, that if someone in the past had thought it was a good idea, well, I'd give it a shot too. And except for some laziness shown by students, it went very well. The boys (recall that I teach at an all-boys boarding school) really seemed to like it, no doubt because it had a lot of action in it, but there were also lots of "big issues": primary among them was whether government should be managed by an elite or open to the people, but there were also issues of religion (we see it both as a tool of the elites to keep "the rabble" in check, but also as a real and positive force in the lives of believers), issues of "the ends vs. the means," and issues of personal regret and reconciling with the past as one changes throughout life (or, well, lives).

Like I said, though: as much as there are lots of interesting issues to think about, Zelazny makes it all go down pretty smoothly--the strangeness of the eastern setting and the science-fiction background are offset by the fast pacing, the witty dialogue and writing, and Zelazny's expert craftsmanship. I almost gave this book 4 stars, but the more I think about it, it's better than that--4.5, maybe. The ending seemed a bit rushed (the first and last chapters serve as bookends around one long flashback that makes up the rest of the novel), but all in all I'm not complaining. A very good book that I may very well teach again and will enjoyably read again when if I do.(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Jul 01, 2009 Felicity rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Felicity by: rockstar

Shelves: fantasy, borrowed-book, fiction, novel, grad-school, science-speculative-fiction

Zelazny drops you right into the middle of this story, but if you refuse to be intimidated by the unknown names and tech/magic confusion, you'll be richly repaid. The book's nested layers of reality, paradigm and belief are challenging and beautifully baroque. It's intelligent, wildly imaginative, and daring. I already loved Zelazny, but now I love him even more.

5 likes · like · see review

Aug 04, 2012 John Wiswell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

No one I know of is writing like this today, and no book in recent memory has inspired so much envy in me. It has novelty and nuance from its first to its final paragraphs. For an hour after going to the porch to finish it, people saw my expressions and asked me what was wrong, because I was so preoccupied with what I’d just read. Lord of Light, published in 1967, is ahead of the Science Fiction of this time in 2012.

If you missed it, Lord of Light is about a space colony in which those possessi...more No one I know of is writing like this today, and no book in recent memory has inspired so much envy in me. It has novelty and nuance from its first to its final paragraphs. For an hour after going to the porch to finish it, people saw my expressions and asked me what was wrong, because I was so preoccupied with what I’d just read. Lord of Light, published in 1967, is ahead of the Science Fiction of this time in 2012.

If you missed it, Lord of Light is about a space colony in which those possessing technology elevated themselves to the positions of Hindu gods to rule over everyone else. One of the first colonists returns from the ether to challenge their reign by introducing Buddhism as a cultural weapon. The novel rapidly becomes a heady mix of modern Speculative Fiction tropes, mythological writing styles, and Zelanzy’s unique casual grasp on life. There is an extreme novelty to watching the god of death roll a cigarette, or a party pass around an aerosol can of demon repellant as they plot how to bring down Heaven.

In this novel, Zelazny beat many people to many ideas. Douglas Adams’s clever prayer machine is pre-empted by a decade here, in literal vending machines of faith, and Neil Gaiman’s “soma” of the gods is a favorite beverage. It’s no surprise that Gaiman is quoted on the cover, for everything that is American Gods exists within Lord of Light, though the reach of this novel is much longer. The rebellious Buddhist is not just a deceptive hero, but potentially a reincarnation of the Buddha himself, and the Hindu Binder of Demons, and a jilted lover, at once at odds with the surviving pantheon and what the world has turned into. As scenes trickle by, Mahasamatman transforms into the simple-minded Sam, or the philosophical and wily Buddha, or negotiators, or wild anarchists. As he loses his identity, losing certainty over who he used to be and is supposed to be now, Zelazny’s prose chucks identity out of the window and adopts whatever writing style is necessary to capture the mood he’d want. There’s a certain dark whimsy when we flip from the highly scriptural scenes to pulpy romance chatter.

There are two big ideas in the novel, and both are very concerning: religion and misogyny. Decades before the Pullman fad of strawmen and didactically anti-theistic Speculative Fiction, Zelazny presents a robust world even on the side of the manipulators. These false gods have multiple monologues on their motives and several good points in favor of their corrupt authoritarianism; they seem to have thought their rule through in ways modern religious villains never do. The glimpses we get at their culture, reincarnating up the bureaucratic chain and devising ways to mimic powers of mythological figures, create some of the more striking SciFi in the book, and some of the most beautifully written passages. None of this expected when our initial points of view are all from the oppressed or betrayed protagonists, who have legitimate gripes to overthrow the world order.

They are also remarkably competent for religious villains, winning battles and cutting off Sam’s progress at multiple junctures. Even when it comes down to a holy war of Hindu deicrats and relative humanists, the gods fare very well in combat and there are wild twists to the struggle. Decades later we’re used to a three-act structure and very simple way for such a war to play out in fiction; decades before, though, Sam loses an entire supporting force mid-book and experiences captivity where you’d expect rising action. Indeed, that hero’s journey falls apart and accentuates the need for many individuals and cultures to cooperate against the authority of Heaven. Maybe it shouldn’t be impressive, but this handling of the religious-antagonist side is so rare that it warrants heavy praise.

The second big idea of misogyny is a latent one, and I’ll ask any reader for his or her opinion on it. It may just be an artifact of decades of Science Fiction where the prose genre was more of a stuffy boys’ club. Sex seems to only be the preoccupation of women; our first female character has ties to the “Fornicatorium,” and the next time it comes up, it’s the strongest female character in the novel basically begging a man to get together with her again. When we meet a transgender god who was once a woman, he is mocked for going from a girl to a “stud.” The only developmentally challenged character is a girl (“retarded” in his words), and there is very little female participation in the battles. Everyone in the novel has their issues, yet I was struck by the handling of women throughout. I don’t want to condemn Zelazny, but am very curious for the interpretations of other readers.

Nothing slowed down my read. Stranded in a train station for two and a half hours, I happily sat in front of a fan and turned these pages. Even in the last third of the book, where more time and events occur in-between the scenes and we’re left to figure out how someone cheated death or found a second army, the book only gets more interesting. It’s unfortunate that the conflict has to resolve in violence, as the book is so clever with characters that you almost wish it could invent new means of widespread conflict resolution, yet its battle passages have all the vigor of The Song of Roland or The Iliad, though Zelazny had zombies and flying razor-chariots at his disposal. More impressive than the fighting were the oblique hints at what supporting characters were up to behind and around the battles. Zelazny leaves so much empty space and requires you to deduce how things worked so often that by the end, you’re invited to create conspiracy theories as to where our hero went, or who that little girl at Death’s monument really was. I had at least two crackpot theories of my own, which is why I looked so funny for that hour after finishing. What a novel.
(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Nov 22, 2009 Aerin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, mythology, well-that-was-awesome, twisty-turny

On page one of Lord of Light, Zelazny drops the reader smack into the middle of an epic and eternal struggle, taking place on a distant planet in the distant future. It's an incredibly disorienting way to enter a story, especially one as bizarre and complicated as this one is. The structure of the novel is no help, either - it's divided into seven long and loosely-connected chapters, presented out of chronological order with no way for the reader to know, at first, that this is the case. The pro...more On page one of Lord of Light, Zelazny drops the reader smack into the middle of an epic and eternal struggle, taking place on a distant planet in the distant future. It's an incredibly disorienting way to enter a story, especially one as bizarre and complicated as this one is. The structure of the novel is no help, either - it's divided into seven long and loosely-connected chapters, presented out of chronological order with no way for the reader to know, at first, that this is the case. The prose is grandiloquent and old-fashioned, which matches the book's mythic themes, but does nothing for clarity. And the overall premise of the novel is revealed only gradually, in broken bits and pieces throughout the narrative. As such, I spent the first half of this book having no idea what was going on.

So it's fair to say that overall, this is a dense, confusing, and difficult book. It is also, in retrospect, an extraordinary book, and I look forward to reading it again now that I know what it's all about. I can't think of any other book I've read recently that so demands to be reread.

In this paragraph and the next, I'll explain the basic premise of the novel. So if you're planning on reading this book and prefer to be ~~confused~~ surprised, you might want to skip them. Lord of Light takes place on an unnamed planet, which had been colonized by a single spaceship of humans centuries earlier. Earth is either gone or else completely out of contact. The planet's original inhabitants, incorporeal beings of great power, were completely subjugated early on, and the ship's passengers quickly began to populate the planet. The ship's crew, on the other hand, possessed extremely advanced technology, whether brought from earth, or developed during their war against the aliens. Importantly, they had mastered cloning and the ability to transfer human minds across bodies, which gave them literal immortality. After the war, they began to rule over the planet's human population as gods, modeling themselves after the Hindu pantheon. They jealously hoarded all technology for themselves, keeping the rest of the planet in preindustrial conditions, and demanding worship in exchange for access to reincarnation. Only two of the crew rebelled against this social order: the ship's Christian chaplain, who rejected the Hinduism if not the godlike powers, and so became a dangerous and isolated adversary. And Sam, who objected on the grounds that all people should have access to technology - which of course would jeopardize the gods' only claim to authority.

We enter this story toward the end - after Sam has already mounted one great effort against the gods, been defeated, been killed, and been unexpectedly reincarnated half a century later. In flashbacks, we learn how Sam became convinced that the gods must be brought down, how he introduced Buddhism to the masses by himself reenacting the life of the Buddha, how he freed the imprisoned alien life forms and gathered them, along with troops of men, rebel gods, and the chaplain's zombie army, in a great but futile battle against heaven. Finally, in the last chapter, we return to the present time and witness Sam's final, apocalyptic confrontation with the gods.

This book has much to say, about politics, power, technology, morality, religion, and greed. It can be read as science fiction, as myth, as allegory, or as a fantastical retelling of Buddhism's early history. It has very sober moments and very silly moments. But the highlight for me, while reading this for the first time, was finding the little easter eggs of information about the characters' distant past. As we join the story, the gods have been ruling the planet for many, many lifetimes. It is only here and there that Zelazny reveals bits of who they were when they were just a starship crew, their old personalities and relationships, and how these have been corrupted by centuries of immortality and ultimate power. Also interesting, but even more rare, are details about the planet's pre-human history, how its original life forms lived, and how their way of life was destroyed with the arrival of man.

There is much to marvel at in this book. I'd like to go back and focus more on its mystical and religious aspects, because it borrows heavily from Hindu scriptures and Buddhist history, and I skimmed over much of that this time in my quest to figure out what the freaking plot was. Like I said, it's a difficult book. But also an incredible book. It's like nothing else I've ever read in science fiction.(less)

16 likes · like · see review

Jul 14, 2008 Stasa Fritz rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: all reader, it trenscends genre.

Roger Zelazny is one of the few science fiction authors that John Gardner, in his book On Becoming a Novelist recommends. Gardner tends to dislike most science fiction as he focuses on characters and superb writing in his recommendations.

Lord of Light has been on my top ten list for over thirty years, when I first read this at seventeen. I re-read Lord of Light every two years or so, to re-inspire my own feeble efforts at fantasy and science fiction.

Lord of Light blends the two genres—Fantasy a...more Roger Zelazny is one of the few science fiction authors that John Gardner, in his book On Becoming a Novelist recommends. Gardner tends to dislike most science fiction as he focuses on characters and superb writing in his recommendations.

Lord of Light has been on my top ten list for over thirty years, when I first read this at seventeen. I re-read Lord of Light every two years or so, to re-inspire my own feeble efforts at fantasy and science fiction.

Lord of Light blends the two genres—Fantasy and Science Fiction—together. This was written during Zelazny’s “beat” period, when he was exploring other religions and using his interests as stepping stones to his novels (another one is Creatures of Light and Darkness, written two years later, 1969). It was also three years before his huge success, Nine Princes in Amber, which to some extent type cast him and trapped him into a series that by the sixth book was weak at best. But, I digress.

It won the Hugo award and illustrated Zelazny’s graduation from short stories to full-fledged novelist—although he never fully abandoned the short story structure and even this was originally a shorter story/novella. It is told in flashback, my least favorite of techniques, but in the hands of Zelazny I soon forget. It is ostensibly about Sam, short for Mahasamatman, once a god, but now a Buddha doing battle against the gods. It does not take long for the reader to discover that the gods and reincarnation are due to technology brought to the planet millennia in the past. Sam is one of the original colonists, who has become disillusioned with the others who are taking on the airs of Hindu gods. He preaches the teachings of Buddha as a calculated method of bringing down the gods, but his teachings are embraced as the truth. This is a bit of phenomenology similar to that employed in John Carpenter’s Dark Star, where Doolittle talks the bomb (temporarily) out of exploding. The source of the idea may be suspect, but if it is truth it does not matter, the idea is still sound.

As with any great book, this succeeds not just because of the plot, which is good, but because of the characters and writing. The heroes are flawed, but interesting. The villains are hardly fully evil, in fact many are likable, or even empathetic. Ultimately, Zelazny is poking at religious institutions that exist for their own power. Along the way he gives a fun overview of the Hindu pantheon and all the gods are nothing, if not interesting. Well worth reading, by an author that shaped a huge number of authors for years.
(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 10, 2013 Rz rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

You know you have read a sizzling awesome book when:
1) You pick it at random, in some random place, and then finish it in just 2 days

2) Suddenly your world blurs, because you are so lost in the story, and your every other thought away from the book is, what happens next, what happens next

3) Stuck in a library without your book, you actually stalk the Fiction section looking for it so you can continue reading the same story, in a (physically) different book (i like how that gels very nicely with...more

like · see review

Jan 09, 2013 Andromeda M31 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Andromeda by: Andrew Howard

The more I think on it, the more I liked Zelazny's The Lord of Light. It's rare I get to read a science fiction book that is unique, and a feat of imagination and study. The book was difficult to get into, the prose frustrating, and the sexism par for the course for a sci fi book written in the sixties, but I recommend it to readers looking for something a little different.

The story takes place on a world where the Hindu Gods walk among men, prayer machines send radio messages to Heaven, and yo...more The more I think on it, the more I liked Zelazny's The Lord of Light. It's rare I get to read a science fiction book that is unique, and a feat of imagination and study. The book was difficult to get into, the prose frustrating, and the sexism par for the course for a sci fi book written in the sixties, but I recommend it to readers looking for something a little different.

The story takes place on a world where the Hindu Gods walk among men, prayer machines send radio messages to Heaven, and you get to apply for a body change, or a reincarnation near the end of your life. The problem with that process is that you must pass a psych probe to verify your good karma. That psych probe can view your whole life and can inform the temple priests just how many times you've donated to the gods. And if they don't like you, you may just get stuck in the body of a crow. If perchance you disagree with the Gods' philosophy, then they may not grant you a body at all.

Enter Mahasamatman, or Buddha, or just Sam, a man who teaches a different path to Nirvana, or is at least willing to enlist the help of demons and whoever else to wage war against the hypocrisy of Heaven. Because the Gods were once just human, and were the First colonizers of this world who have kept powerful technology to themselves, and left their far off offspring to grovel in the dust and worship them. Sam, one of the First, promotes Accelerationism, the rise of Mankind and the tearing down of the walls of Heaven.

This is a sort of a retelling of several Hindu myths, and of Buddhism, touched with a little science fiction. It reads like an old epic, and most mysteries are left unsolved. The initial colonizing of the planet and the original incarnations of the First, are left tantalizingly unclear, and we only catch glimpses of the original lives of the Gods. But it provides a rich background for a chess game between Heaven, Hell, and Alien Life. And don't worry, Hinduism isn't the only earth religion in play.

I disparage modern science fiction and fantasy for being too cinematic, written like a movie script with a few extra adjectives thrown in. Maybe I'm being too critical with Zelanzy's style, but it's not cinematic enough. Huge epic battles between Gods and Demons are waged across a wild planet, but rarely feel awe inspiring.

A lot of my problem with the writing can be summed up in this odd metaphor, stolen from a chapter: "The day of battle dawned pink as the fresh-bitten thigh of a maiden." First of all, it takes the reader a moment to summon the image up of a maiden's thigh, then one conjures up some poor girl's leg being bitten, hopefully by her lover, and then we finally get to the sunrise. And it doesn't flow whatsoever. This line also brings up the horrific sexism in the novel, which you can try and turn a blind eye to, if you can.

And so, flawed as it was, I still really enjoyed Lord of Light. A story this dense written in the modern age would be at least five books long, and it's wonderful to return to an old style where less is indeed more.

Now excuse me while I go wiki Hindu Mythology. (less)

like · see review

Dec 26, 2012 Connie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: with-reviews

I read this book for a book club--and, while I had a really hard time getting through the book, but it was an excellent book club book. It's one of those books that I would have never made it through on my own--too much like "work," and not very relaxing after long days of grad school. But, it was a book with a lot of layers and a lot of philosophy; just the kind of book that's wonderful to discuss with others.

The premise is that on a world in the distant future, a world has been populated with...more I read this book for a book club--and, while I had a really hard time getting through the book, but it was an excellent book club book. It's one of those books that I would have never made it through on my own--too much like "work," and not very relaxing after long days of grad school. But, it was a book with a lot of layers and a lot of philosophy; just the kind of book that's wonderful to discuss with others.

The premise is that on a world in the distant future, a world has been populated with people from Earth. The original occupants, always powerful, have set themselves up as deities, and rule as the Hindu pantheon. Over time, these entities have almost come to believe in their godhood, and, their technological advancement has made this belief all but reality. To maintain their grasp on their power, they keep the other people of the world in relative ignorance: every time technological advancement is made, the "deities" stamp it out. Reincarnation is straightforward for them, so they have been in power for thousands of years. However, their reign is crumbling: they have become narcissistic and profligate, and unaware that they are losing their power over their subjects. Along comes a man with many names--including Mahasamatman and Siddhartha, who seeks to bring "acceleration" to the people of the world, and end the reign of the pantheon.

The premise is interesting, but the writing made the book extremely difficult for me to follow and to enjoy. Many passages were unnecessarily vague; not in a way that added to the story, but seemingly vague just for the sake of being vague. The dialogue was often worse; unexplained prepositions, unnamed events, and so on made much of the story opaque. (This was added to a non-linear story, so it was often difficult to even know what century the interaction took place in.) There were several times I re-read a page two or three times, then just gave up and moved on. As aptly pointed out by someone in my book club, the book was written in the style of many of the ancient Hindu texts.

This confusion was exacerbated because, well, much of understanding the characters, their relationships, and their actions rests on having a working knowledge of the Hindu pantheon, which I (regrettably) lack. Add to this the fact that the individuals in the pantheon changed roles (and genders)--so two or three individuals played the role of Brahma over the course of the book, making character interactions even more difficult to understand.

At the same time, the book created excellent fodder for discussion. There was interesting debate to be had in trying to discern why each individual had acted as they did. Perhaps more importantly, the "purpose" of the book was to be a discussion of religion--both the place of religion in an individuals' life, and how to reconcile different beliefs, religions, and followers.

For me--I like my books to be a little bit heavier on the fun and lighter on the philosophy. A little philosophy makes for a good book, but for me, a lot of philosophy changes a book from "fun" to "work."(less)

like · see review

Nov 03, 2012 Fungus Gnat rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In the far future, an avatar of the Buddha seeks to better the lot of man in a world where the Hindu gods hold sway. This story is told in broad, bold strokes of fantasy—dazzling battles and transformations, an epic sweep of action through time and space, grandiloquent diction. What makes this an ingenious conceit, though, and what makes it science-fiction, is that it soon becomes apparent that the gods are not really gods, that deity and nirvana in this world are not metaphysical but materialis...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 18, 2012 John R rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As other reviewers have noted, the author does not take things easy on the reader. You have to work a little to understand what is going on. You have to pay attention, and have an open mind. One of the best points to make about 'Lord of Light' is that Neil Gaiman acknowledges 'American Gods' was significantly influenced by it. That may be enough to make some of you stop reading this review, and start reading the book.

I've often heard Zelazny's work described as "Science Fantasy". I think that is...more

like · see review

Mar 26, 2012 Melani rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, mythic, fantasy

I’m torn about this book, it’s well written and the story is interesting however it was written in the 1960s and it shows. The book is full of sexist language, characters and just overall misogyny that it drove me crazy more often than not. For example, in one part of the book we are told about four characters coming to do battle with our main character and his allies. Three of the four are male and they are describe by their attributes and clothing, the fourth- a female- is described first by h...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 18, 2012 Jo (Mixed Book Bag) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

Lord of Light was our Science Fiction Book Club selection for January. I like to post how everyone liked the selection. Lord of Light got two thumbs up and 8 thumbs down for the member attending. I was one of the thumbs up. What I liked was the Zelazny’s use of language and the way words flowed giving a vivid description of events, people and places. What the 8 thumbs down did not like was the story itself.

It is a strange story. The first part of the story is actually the last part of the story....more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 30, 2011 Emma Thompson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Now, for me, this is a hard book to rate and review. It was wonderful. Don't doubt that I thought this book was amazing. I found it difficult and confusing at the start, due to non-chronological story telling, but as it progressed and it became clear the entire s[rawling complexity of it. I love the story, I love how subtle it is. I love the way the story is never laid out for you to grasp and nothing is neat and packaged up but, instead, everything is hinted at. A book that requires you to thin...more

like · see review

Oct 30, 2011 Denise Main rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone!

I first read this book in a tent halfway up a hillside in the Lake District long, long ago. It rapidly became my favourite book and is still one of the top few. I can't remember how many times I've read it, but the last was about 3 months ago - and it was still good. How can anyone not be intrigued by this - 'Sam never claimed to be a god. But then, he never claimed not to be...' Wonderful!
The book is set on another world, Earth having 'died' and a colony established bringing with it religion....more

like · see review

Aug 16, 2011 Tobinsfavorite rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book teeters on the 4-star/5-star divide. I give it 5 for being "unlike the others" and for being a book better overrated than ignored.

I like Zelazny, mostly. I've read one series and two stand-alone novels, and I'm not crazy about the series, but both the stand-alone novels are very good. This is the better.

The language of the book is artful and beautiful, for the most part. It's artificial but so well done that before long it doesn't feel so stilted. The book was a slow starter for me. Th...more

like · see review

Jul 17, 2011 Marsha Altman rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: tibet, india

I really wanted to give this a better review. It is a masterpiece of science fiction, but it is also a difficult read. I wish other science fiction authors were less Euro-Centric in their world building and were so involved in Eastern mythologies and all their complexities, which makes this book truly unique.

It was a letdown. The plot was fairly easy to follow once I realized it was not exactly chronological, but the scenes themselves were difficult to figure out. Each character has about five d...more I really wanted to give this a better review. It is a masterpiece of science fiction, but it is also a difficult read. I wish other science fiction authors were less Euro-Centric in their world building and were so involved in Eastern mythologies and all their complexities, which makes this book truly unique.

It was a letdown. The plot was fairly easy to follow once I realized it was not exactly chronological, but the scenes themselves were difficult to figure out. Each character has about five different names - their god names, their previous lives names, their original names, their nicknames, their aspect names, etc - and the main character, Sam, has about 10. These are used interchangeably so you have to remember all of them, especially after someone dies and someone else takes his position and therefore name. Genders switch, too, and there's almost no physical description. The author also loves pronouns and hates dialogue tags, so a lot of scenes start with, "He stood on a mountain, and gazed upon the newcomer" or something like that and then the dialogue starts immediately, and I'm only 50% sure who one character is and have no idea who the other character is until 2/3rds through the conversation, when the author bothers to identify them. Similarly mystifying are the motivations for most of the characters, who change sides in the conflict at will. They often give an explanation, but it isn't very good. Sam seems to have a goal, but he does confusing things along the way.

I'm familiar with the Indo-Buddhist cosmology and the concepts of aspects, emanations, and shifting paradigms of worship, which is OK for theological discussion of two living religions but doesn't work as well in fiction that's trying to tell a narrative. Sam's position as the "Buddha" was well-characterized for the Buddha, who in stories is supposed to be a little mystifying for the casual reader, but there's a large jump between a character in a novel that I'm supposed to understand an sympathize with and the founder of a complex religion/philosophy.

Oh and while I'm ranting, I should point out that the final bad guy doesn't show up until 8/10's into the book - or maybe he was in there earlier, but I completely missed him because he had a different name/body/aspect/gender. It turns out he wants to destroy the gods to save their souls because he's a Christian, and a lot of the "gods" take his side because they're also Christian, something that seems major but again, isn't mentioned until 8/10 of the way through the book.

This is a great example of a masterpiece in concept that lacks execution; today Zelazny would have been edited.(less)

like · see review

Jun 08, 2011 Algernon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

this one is le-gen-waitforit-dary, as in the stuff that myths are made of. It could be considered as a memory of our distant past or a glimpse of our future - a multigenerational spaceship that arrives on prehistoric Earth and lays the seeds of civilization as we know it, or the same multigenerational ship that is sent from Earth to colonize the distant stars. I have read some of these ideas in Erich von Daniken slightly provocative speculations from the 70's, but Zelazny does a much better job...more this one is le-gen-waitforit-dary, as in the stuff that myths are made of. It could be considered as a memory of our distant past or a glimpse of our future - a multigenerational spaceship that arrives on prehistoric Earth and lays the seeds of civilization as we know it, or the same multigenerational ship that is sent from Earth to colonize the distant stars. I have read some of these ideas in Erich von Daniken slightly provocative speculations from the 70's, but Zelazny does a much better job at presentation

The story is one of avatars and symbols, of the struggle between Light and Death, between freedom and tyranny, of friendship, love, dreams and hope transcending the physical body and continuing as "atman" - spirit, energy, ideas.
The book is a little confusing at the start, due to the decision to start the first chapter somewhere towards the end of the story, with Mahasamatman ressurection after his defeat in the attempt to overthrow the Hinduist Pantheon. The patient reader is rewarded, as the author doesn't set up to confuse and misdirect the attention of the said reader and I found the gradual revelation of the epic scope of the story very appealing.
The major selling point of the novel for me is Zelazny's masterful control of the language, alternating between the archaic phrasing of the Mahabharatta to the modern space faring quips. The prose soars to lyrical heights, as in the meeting between Kalkin and Khali in the Pavilion of Silence, or in the duel between Yama-Dharma and the nameless Buddha apprentice.

I've saved a couple of quotes to illustrate this:

[I] "But I recall the springtime of the world as though it were yesterday—those days when we rode together to battle, and those nights when we shook the stars loose from the fresh-painted skies!" [/I]

[I] Then, as so often in the past, her snowy fur was sleeked by the wind.
She walked where the lemon-colored grasses stirred. She walked a winding track under dark trees and jungle flowers, crags of jasper rising to her right, veins of milk-white rock, shot through with orange streaks, open about her. [/I]

I liked The Great Book of Amber when I first read it last year. I think Lord of Light is even better.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

May 04, 2011 Jeremy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Zelazny and Hindu Myth fans

Recommended to Jeremy by: Colleen Mackle

I found "Lord of Light" to be a difficult read, to be honest. Not because it was written badly, however, but more due to the way in which it was written. The overall style hearkens back to the manner in which many Vedic tales are transliterated... a kind of over-the-top style that deepens into the unintelligible in places. But once I found the meter and could get past the style of writing I found the story to be engrossing and well-made. All of the characters of the story stood out as strong and...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 27, 2011 James rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was one of the books that made me fall in love with Science Fiction at an early age.

Lord of Light was a Hugo-winner for Roger Zelazny. It's a wonderful commbination of Science Fiction written like Fantasy. Zelazny's novum is that psychic abilities can be developed and nourished through science to create a variety of godlike 'powers.'

It so happens that the 'powers' make individuals into gods, gods who fit the Hindu pantheon. Zelazny's main character, Mahasamatman, or "Sam" is one of a group...more

like · see review

Mar 01, 2011 James rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Take a look at my review of Zelazny's "This Immortal," if you want some background on my experiences with him as a writer in general. In this case, RZ won the Hugo for this ponderous exploration of an interesting premise: A group of humans have taken over an alien planet, and used their technology to assume the position of Hindu gods. They lord over the natives, and "reincarnate" by imprinting themselves on host bodies. Over the course of hundreds of years, the gods unity fractures, and we meet...more

like · see review

May 19, 2010 Dennis Liggio rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Generations ago, settlers colonized a new planet. Of the technology they brought to the planet is the ability to create a new body to transfer consciousness to, giving them a functional version of reincarnation. Over the generations as the population has increased, technology was withheld from the people. The world entered a dark age, and the ever-reincarnating First members of the original crew have hoarded the technology and set themselves up as gods, named and modeled after the Hindui pantheo...more Generations ago, settlers colonized a new planet. Of the technology they brought to the planet is the ability to create a new body to transfer consciousness to, giving them a functional version of reincarnation. Over the generations as the population has increased, technology was withheld from the people. The world entered a dark age, and the ever-reincarnating First members of the original crew have hoarded the technology and set themselves up as gods, named and modeled after the Hindui pantheon. They have reintroduced that religion to the world, using mind probes to "judge" people at their 60th birthday to determine what kind of body they should reincarnate into. They say they will slowly reintroduce technology "as people are ready", but instead, they have consolidated their power, destroying new technologies such as the printing press as soon as they are invented. They have also manipulated the reincarnation system, so that those who are dissidents find themselves in an unfavorable body or prevented from reincarnation at all.

Enter Sam, one of the original crew (the First), who has ruled as a prince in a far off kingdom after leaving the world's counsel in disgust after the first talk of godhood. He is appalled by what he sees of the new system, calling it a fascist oligarchy. He starts a movement to oppose the gods, taking on the name and persona of the Buddha to set the wheels turning on revolution. What follows is a war among "gods" and men, bringing in "demons" bound generations ago: the original energy-based inhabitants of the planet.

Overall this is a great read and it has many interesting ideas. It plays fast and loose with Buddhism and Hinduism, so those with strict conceptions of those might find this a little blasphemous. It is also very related in the "60s scifi" tone and writing style. In addition, it feels anachronistic at times, when both gods in men both in heavenly palaces or in dark age villages just light up cigarettes and begin smoking in the middle of the conversation. In the 60s, when smoking was much more accepted, this may have seemed normal, but reading it today it's very jarring(less)

like · see review

Dec 10, 2009 Flying_Monkey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Occasionally a science-fiction book is written that reminds everyone why the genre is so important. A book so extraordinary, so inventive, so full of wit, imagination and intriguing possibility that it just shines out of every page.

Lord of Light is such a book.

Here in the UK, it has recently been one of the first books to be re-released in the 'SF Masterworks' series. Not only does it fully derve this title, it stands head and shoulders above most of the other titles on this list and indeed all...more Occasionally a science-fiction book is written that reminds everyone why the genre is so important. A book so extraordinary, so inventive, so full of wit, imagination and intriguing possibility that it just shines out of every page.

Lord of Light is such a book.

Here in the UK, it has recently been one of the first books to be re-released in the 'SF Masterworks' series. Not only does it fully derve this title, it stands head and shoulders above most of the other titles on this list and indeed all of Zelazny's extensive back-catalogue.

Put as simply as possible, the story is one of the way in which ideological factions diverge and conflict over the human colonization of a distant planet,how over a long time the differences within the human society - and between humans and the indigenous inhabitants - become fossilized and reconstructed into a parody or recreation of Hindu myths, and finally how this decadent parody is challenged from within by one of the original colonists - Mahasamatman, or Sam, the Lord of Light - who takes on the form of the Buddha.

Around this central tale, Zelazny manages to weave so many themes. It is a sensitive and compassionate re-imagining of Hindu mytholology, yet aware of the shortcomings and the challenge posed to traditional Hinduism by Buddhist teachings. It is a tale of technologically-facilitated decadence and moral decline, of the way in which technical abilities can become more important than the purposes for which they were developed. It is a fable about how inequality and class division emerge, are structured, fossilized and challenged. It is story of memory and forgetting, of how history can be constantly rewritten -consciously and unconsciously - by the powerful, and lost to the weak. It is a classic tragedy, the oldest story of all: hubris, nemesis and catharsis.

Zelazny not only manages all these themes with seemingly effortless structural ability, but also produces lush and stylish prose entirely appropriate to the parodic Hindu world, which is a joy to read.

Everyone should read this whether you think you like sf or not. Lord of Light is a unique and extraordinary creation and I don't think I am exaggerating in describing it as one of the greatest and most original achievements in Twentieth Century literature. (less)

2 likes · like · see review

title link	preview: Lord of Light
avg rating	preview: Lord of Light Goodreads rating: 4.10 (9889 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8493781-lord-of-light?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327433748l/8493781.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8493781-lord-of-light?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny[/url]

Lord of Light

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (40)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Roger Zelazny

Books by Roger Zelazny

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Lord of Light

Quotes from Lord of Light