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The Chronicles of Amber
Manna from Heaven
This new collection includes all five previously uncollected Amber stories, plus the prologue from the rare limited edition of Trumps of Doom, and 16 other fantasy and science fiction stories (including a collaboration with Harlan Ellison).
255 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2003
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668 people want to read
About the author
Roger Zelazny
745 books3,853 followersRoger Joseph Zelazny was an American fantasy and science fiction writer known for his short stories and novels, best known for The Chronicles of Amber. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nominations) and the Hugo Award six times (also out of 14 nominations), including two Hugos for novels: the serialized novel ...And Call Me Conrad (1965), subsequently published under the title This Immortal (1966), and the novel Lord of Light (1967).
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
November 30, 2024
Manna From Heaven is a posthumous collection of Zelazny's short fiction from 2003. (He passed away in 1995.) Many of the stories had previously appeared in other Zelazny collections, but it contains at least a half dozen that had not, plus it presents all six of his Amber short works together, and it has a very nice Bob Eggleton wrap-around astronomical cover. The title is a little mysterious with a pair of "n"s in Manna, since the title story (from the Larry Niven Magic anthology series) is spelled with a single one. I especially enjoyed Godson, which was new to me, and The Furies. It has two collaborations, Come to Me Not in Winter's White, a very fine story which was written with Harlan Ellison, and a very early very short one, The Last Inn on the Road, written with Dannie Plachta, a big-name fan from the '60s. Prince of the Powers of This World is a nice Christmas story, and Epithalamium is a nifty Alice-in-Wonderland tale. Kalifriki of the Thread escaped me, but Come Back to the Killing Ground, Alice, My Love is another story featuring the same character and struck me as a very accomplished if murky condensed novel; perhaps he meant to expand these into a novel but ran out of time. Of course, the brief returns to the magic of Amber are the somewhat bittersweet main attraction, worth the price of admission on their own.
October 23, 2014
A collection of short stories by a master. There are some that are unique to this book, a few others are scattered about. Best of all, there are most of the stories that help fill in the Amber series. I think there are 3 of them, while there are 4 total. Not positive, though. Anyway, if you like fantasy short stories, I highly recommend this - if you can find it! (No, I won't lend out my copy.)
June 28, 2025
Enjoyment of stories is pretty subjective but it's hard not to argue that this collection is not of Zelazny's better work and I have read most of what is in print; I'd give this book 3.5 Stars by Goodreads measure if I could due to the unevenness of the haul. Some stories, such as "Godson," "Mana From Heaven," and "Epithalamium" were both new to me and satisfying in that familiar RZ flavor but there were others ("Prince of the Powers of the World" and "The House of the Hanged Man") that really felt like rough drafts. Further, "The Last Inn on the Road" may be the least satisfying Zelazny story I've ever read.
The Amber stories that wind up the collection were a pleasant surprise, together making a piece to fill a gap in the greater Amber corpus and doing so playfully. Really, though, any Amber tale with Vialle in it has my attention and Luke gets a bit better fleshed out. These taken together make me happy enough to go 4 stars BUT this is certainly not a book for the Zelazny newbie....more like for Completists.
The Amber stories that wind up the collection were a pleasant surprise, together making a piece to fill a gap in the greater Amber corpus and doing so playfully. Really, though, any Amber tale with Vialle in it has my attention and Luke gets a bit better fleshed out. These taken together make me happy enough to go 4 stars BUT this is certainly not a book for the Zelazny newbie....more like for Completists.
October 4, 2012
I don't normally enjoy reading short stories because it generally takes me so long to grasp the setup that I'm only just getting comfortable with the voices or the settings when the stories end. Many of Zelazny's stories, though--and the ones in this collection in particular--are purposely obtuse at the beginning so it's easier to just embrace the confusion and still enjoy the ride. His way of deftly turning expectations on their head and redefining the context of what one thinks one knows is in full effect in these stories, and I was pleased to have to re-read parts just to prove to myself that he hadn't cheated and changed the words on me somehow.
As always, his characters feel real, even when only alive for the span of a few pages. I found myself particularly drawn to Kalifriki of the Thread who shows up in two separate stories and regret that that he doesn't exist in his own series of novels. I admire how even in stories where the characters are secondary to the point being made that they still have personalities and subtleties that aren't at all necessary but without which the stories would feel overly didactic. Zelazny can say so much so quietly and quickly that it's possible to underestimate how skillfully he's creating a world and leading one through it.
And then there's the piece de resistance, the collection of all five Amber short stories published in a single collection for the first time. Having never read any of the five before, I found it bittersweet to see not only explanations to some of the more obvious outstanding questions from the Amber novels, but also to see the clear foundations for what could and likely would have become a new Amber series had Zelazny only lived to write it. I have always felt that the ending to the second series is rushed and far too tidy, and these stories serve to muddy the waters in a very satisfying manner. And no, that's not paradoxical, that's just Zelazny.
As always, his characters feel real, even when only alive for the span of a few pages. I found myself particularly drawn to Kalifriki of the Thread who shows up in two separate stories and regret that that he doesn't exist in his own series of novels. I admire how even in stories where the characters are secondary to the point being made that they still have personalities and subtleties that aren't at all necessary but without which the stories would feel overly didactic. Zelazny can say so much so quietly and quickly that it's possible to underestimate how skillfully he's creating a world and leading one through it.
And then there's the piece de resistance, the collection of all five Amber short stories published in a single collection for the first time. Having never read any of the five before, I found it bittersweet to see not only explanations to some of the more obvious outstanding questions from the Amber novels, but also to see the clear foundations for what could and likely would have become a new Amber series had Zelazny only lived to write it. I have always felt that the ending to the second series is rushed and far too tidy, and these stories serve to muddy the waters in a very satisfying manner. And no, that's not paradoxical, that's just Zelazny.
March 28, 2008
This book of short stories is a mixed bag, but well worth reading if you've enjoyed Zelazny's other work. Zelazny is the author of the Amber series, which I've read and reviewed here in the past. The stories in Manna From Heaven are drawn from work he published between 1964 and (posthumously) 1996. It concludes with five short pieces that take place in the Amber universe.
In the introduction, writer Steven Brust glows and gushes about Zelazny's genius, praising his ability to "simultaneously confuse and reassure" the reader. I know just what he means! OK, I don't feel quite like Zelazny was a genius, but I have immense respect for his talent, and I get what Brust is saying. I have to admit that a few of the short pieces (they range from a third of a page to 37 pages in length) left me shaking my head, glancing back at various passages, and generally asking "wha'appen?" But I found most of them enjoyable, anyway. It's the journey, and Zelazny isn't afraid to let his readers lose the path and try to find it again.
"Epithalamium" was a fun piece in which we meet an elderly Alice, sent back through the looking glass; I also liked "The Furies," in which three eccentric but oddly gifted individuals join forces to track a fugitive across the planets and capture him... all from the comfort of home.
The concluding Amber pieces were a brief but melancholy last look into this universe sprung from Zelazny's imagination. Each story was interesting and enjoyable, especially "Coming To A Cord," which is told from the perspective of an intelligent, animate, uh, length of string. The Amber stories left me a bit melancholy, though. It was clear that Zelazny had more to say about Amber and its counterpart world, Chaos, and there are hints here at new intrigues, twists and turns that the author would never have the chance to explore. And that is our loss.
In the introduction, writer Steven Brust glows and gushes about Zelazny's genius, praising his ability to "simultaneously confuse and reassure" the reader. I know just what he means! OK, I don't feel quite like Zelazny was a genius, but I have immense respect for his talent, and I get what Brust is saying. I have to admit that a few of the short pieces (they range from a third of a page to 37 pages in length) left me shaking my head, glancing back at various passages, and generally asking "wha'appen?" But I found most of them enjoyable, anyway. It's the journey, and Zelazny isn't afraid to let his readers lose the path and try to find it again.
"Epithalamium" was a fun piece in which we meet an elderly Alice, sent back through the looking glass; I also liked "The Furies," in which three eccentric but oddly gifted individuals join forces to track a fugitive across the planets and capture him... all from the comfort of home.
The concluding Amber pieces were a brief but melancholy last look into this universe sprung from Zelazny's imagination. Each story was interesting and enjoyable, especially "Coming To A Cord," which is told from the perspective of an intelligent, animate, uh, length of string. The Amber stories left me a bit melancholy, though. It was clear that Zelazny had more to say about Amber and its counterpart world, Chaos, and there are hints here at new intrigues, twists and turns that the author would never have the chance to explore. And that is our loss.
April 12, 2021
Coming to the end of my reading of the Zelazny canon, this is the fourth (and penultimate) of the posthumous publications of Zelazny's works. This is a bit of an odd collection - it collects many of Zelazny's later short stories, published in the '90s shortly before his death, and it's really good to see that he was still writing short stories at that time. It also collects some earlier stories, mostly from the '60s, many previously uncollected, though at least two ("The Furies" and "Mana From Heaven," the pseudo-title story) appeared in earlier collections. Probably the big selling point of this collection is that it includes the five Amber short stories that Zelazny wrote after the "conclusion" of the Amber series, as well as a "Prolog From The Trumps of Doom," which was written and included in a special limited edition of that novel, and not published in the hardcover or softcover versions. [There is one other Amber fragment, a collaboration between Zelazny and Ed Greenwood that was written before Zelazny wrote the five short stories, that's not included here.] I love these six Amber pieces, and it was very bittersweet reading them, enjoying the return to the world of Amber, but knowing this was really the end. The "Prolog" reveals the origins of Merlin's semi-sentient invisible strangling cord, Frakir, which appears in the Amber Chronicles but is never explained and I've always wondered about it. Of the remaining five stories, one is narrated by Frakir himself (itself?) and one by Luke/Rinaldo - these two stories touch on events in the latter Amber books and resolve some minor plot points, but also contribute to the longer story hinted at (at least) in the other three stories collected here. Those stories - one by Merlin, two by Corwin - form an ongoing narrative, a sequel if you will to the last Amber books, and set up a further story that we sadly didn't get due to Zelazny's early death. The big problem with this collection is that these stories are printed OUT OF ORDER, both of their publication dates and the order in which Zelazny intended them to be read (which is close to, but not quite the same as, the publication dates). To clarify: the way they are presented in this book: #1, #3, #2, #5, #6, #4. I read them in the correct order, and the way they're printed in this book would be really confusing. The book is kind of poorly put together - the printing looks a bit less than professional, and I noticed a good half dozen typos, missing punctuation marks, etc. And the binding on my copy is not the greatest, either. A bit of a sad legacy for the master.
November 29, 2007
Previously uncollected stories by a true master of the genre. Some of these stories actually took my breath away, I was so drawn in by the writing. "The Furies" in particular was a real gem. Unless someone discovers a chest full of unfinished/unsubmitted fiction, this is likely the last collection that will see print by this remarkable talent. Highly recommended if you can find it.
November 17, 2022
Not enough! Not enough!
I miss Zelazny every god damned day. I finally got around to reading this collection. I'd purposely put it off because, after this, there is no more Zelazny for me to read. And I resent that. Anyway, this collection was fantastic, not least because of the multiple Amber stories, which pick up the tale after the end of the Merlin books.
I'm still sad. No more Zelazny for me. I envy everyone who hasn't read all his work yet.
I miss Zelazny every god damned day. I finally got around to reading this collection. I'd purposely put it off because, after this, there is no more Zelazny for me to read. And I resent that. Anyway, this collection was fantastic, not least because of the multiple Amber stories, which pick up the tale after the end of the Merlin books.
I'm still sad. No more Zelazny for me. I envy everyone who hasn't read all his work yet.
February 24, 2022
I really like Zelazny’s writing. His turn of phrase and descriptive prose is beautiful. This collection is comprised of more fantasy writing than the sci-fi I prefer. I liked a couple of the stories with classic or mythological roots but did not appreciate the wizards, spells and tarot of the others.
September 29, 2021
A nice and long selection of the Master’s work
Specially the addition of the 6 stories from Amber is particularly satisfying. It takes from the end of Trumps of Doom which is exactly where I left the series so doubly satisfying...
Specially the addition of the 6 stories from Amber is particularly satisfying. It takes from the end of Trumps of Doom which is exactly where I left the series so doubly satisfying...
August 27, 2022
It was like having an evening with an old friend. Some stories I hadn't read before, some great, all good but one with an ending that I didn't care for... and Amber stories! No one can turn a phrase like Zelazny.
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April 28, 2025Roger Zelazny’s collection “Manna from Heaven” has made very little impression on me. The mix of fantasy and science fiction has occasional points of interest, but the writing is clunky throughout. Not recommended.
June 30, 2019
Flashy stories. Least annoying is "Godson." Disappointing selection.
February 19, 2021
Godson and the Amber sequels are great stuff. The rest of the stories progressively held my interest less and less
May 31, 2021
Anything with to do with Chronicles of Amber gets an automatic 5 stars
August 2, 2021
Been a while since I read this one. It gets five stars for the Amber short stories and Kalifriki stories.
January 4, 2024
Uneven collection, but if you like Zelazny, you'll love each one. Bag full of gems, and lots of ideas you'll see in longer books.
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October 21, 2007http://www.livejournal.com/users/nhw/303943.html[return][return]I confess to being a little underwhelmed by this collection. Zelazny was one of my favourite authors, but all the good stories here were ones I had read before. (And what is the point of the title? One of the stories here is "Mana from Heaven" but the extra "n" changes the meaning entirely.) It was interesting to realise that the same character pops up in "Kalifriki of the Thread" and "Come Back to the Killing Ground, Alice, My Love"; and the six short glimpses of Amber give some hope that a third series of books set in that universe would have been better than the second. But I should have waited until it came out in paperback (if it ever does).
May 24, 2024
Nice collection of short stories. Zelazny was a master at them, so even though these were in some cases, like is often the case with a posthumous short story collection, a bit on the short side, unfinished or even just a bit basic, (they were after all not published before), there's enough here for the real Zelazny fan to enjoy. The last six are Amber stories. These are also short but quite nice, and for me really put a bunch of cherries on top of the yummy pie that is this book. NB There's quite a bit of overlap with The Road to Amber and this one.
May 22, 2012
The only other thing I've read by Zelazny is the Great Book of Amber. This book let me see what else he is capable of, and I loved most of it. A few of the stories I found a bit boring and/or confusing, but it amazed me how often he was able to surprise me. Overall, it was very enjoyable.
January 22, 2013
This book was quite a beating to get through. With all of the short stories in it, you would have thought that I would find something enjoyable but I can't say that I enjoyed any of them. I'll give one of his Hugo award winning books a try and hope that his strength is in full-length books.
May 28, 2008
This was hard to get, and quite expensive. It was worth it, though-- it contains short stories set in the Amber universe.
September 2, 2012
The description for Manna From Heaven is completely wrong
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews