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Elegy for Angels and Dogs/the Graveyard Heart
Book by Williams, Walter Jon, Zelazny, Roger
187 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1990
2 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Walter Jon Williams
238 books894 followersWalter Jon Williams has published twenty novels and short fiction collections. Most are science fiction or fantasy -Hardwired, Voice of the Whirlwind, Aristoi, Metropolitan, City on Fire to name just a few - a few are historical adventures, and the most recent, The Rift, is a disaster novel in which "I just basically pound a part of the planet down to bedrock." And that's just the opening chapters. Walter holds a fourth-degree black belt in Kenpo Karate, and also enjoys sailing and scuba diving. He lives in New Mexico with his wife, Kathy Hedges.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 25, 2021
This is Tor Double #24, of a series of 36 double books published from 1988 to 1991 by Tor Books. It contains two novellas. Unlike most of the volumes in the series, this one is not bound tête-bêche (back-to-back and inverted). There is only one cover. The novellas are listed here alphabetically by author; neither should be considered “primary.”
Elegy For Angels And Dogs, by Walter Jon Williams (1990) **
This was originally published in the May 1990 issue of Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine. This is a direct sequel to The Graveyard Heart, and I recommend reading that first.
Decades after the time of The Graveyard Heart, the Party Set survives - as powerful, famous, and self-involved as ever. At one of their awakenings, they find there has been a war in the Solar System, and that one of their members has been murdered. The murder mystery is a side issue, and the war situation is a big distraction, but the focus of the story remains intrigue between members of the Set. It is a tribute story, and not otherwise noteworthy.
The Graveyard Heart, by Roger Zelazny (1964) **
This was originally published in the March 1964 issue of Fantastic Stories of Imagination. It is included in Zelazny’s 1969 collection A Rose for Ecclesiastes.
In order to hook up with Leota, Alvin Moore will have to join the Party Set. They are a group of frivolous elite celebrities, that practice cryogenic preservation in order to join occasional glamorous televised grand parties through future history. They have become alienated from the normal citizens of each era in which they awaken. It’s an early New Wave story, so more about style than science fiction.
Elegy For Angels And Dogs, by Walter Jon Williams (1990) **
This was originally published in the May 1990 issue of Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine. This is a direct sequel to The Graveyard Heart, and I recommend reading that first.
Decades after the time of The Graveyard Heart, the Party Set survives - as powerful, famous, and self-involved as ever. At one of their awakenings, they find there has been a war in the Solar System, and that one of their members has been murdered. The murder mystery is a side issue, and the war situation is a big distraction, but the focus of the story remains intrigue between members of the Set. It is a tribute story, and not otherwise noteworthy.
The Graveyard Heart, by Roger Zelazny (1964) **
This was originally published in the March 1964 issue of Fantastic Stories of Imagination. It is included in Zelazny’s 1969 collection A Rose for Ecclesiastes.
In order to hook up with Leota, Alvin Moore will have to join the Party Set. They are a group of frivolous elite celebrities, that practice cryogenic preservation in order to join occasional glamorous televised grand parties through future history. They have become alienated from the normal citizens of each era in which they awaken. It’s an early New Wave story, so more about style than science fiction.
October 25, 2021
Die Idee des Wendebuches hat vor einiger Zeit der US-amerikanische Verlag ACE zum ersten Mal verwirklicht. Der Sinn eines Wendebuchs ist es, zwei eigenständige Novellen oder Kurzromane eines Autoren (die man sonst schwer als Buch veröffentlichen kann) in einem Band zu vereinigen, den man von beiden Seiten beginnen kann. Und man verschafft beiden durch die ungewöhnliche Form auch zusätzliche Aufmerksamkeit.
Der Heyne hat mit den Weihnachtsanthologien einen Anfang gemacht, und nun ist mit dem hier rezensierten Werk das zweite Wendebuch erschienen, was bei diesen beiden enthaltenen Kurzromanen Sinn macht, denn sie sind in derselben fiktiven Zukunftswelt angesiedelt.
"Das Friedhofsherz" von Roger Zelazny ist ein frühes Werk der amerikanischen New Wave. Ein Mann verliebt sich in eine Angehörige des Sets, dem Jetset der Zukunft. Diese Menschen leben nur an Festtagen und verbringen die Zwischenzeit im Kälteschlaf. Auf den Festen sind sie von Kameras umgeben, denn die normalen Menschen wollen teilhaben an diesem Traum vom ewigen Fest, den die Setmitglieder stellvertretend für sie ausleben können. Das Set ist eine zeitlose Welt. Zieht bei einer Zugfahrt draußen die Welt vorbei, so ist beim Set die Zeit. Eigentlich schon eine absurde Vorstellung, dieses Set.
Die Werbung des Mannes gestaltet sich schwierig, denn beide leben in verschiedenen Welten. Sie ist gewissermaßen eine öffentliche Person. Die Liebe des Mannes ist jedoch so stark, dass er alles dran setzt, um ins Set aufgenommen zu werden, über die Aufnahme wacht Mary Maude Mullen, die Doyenne. Diese Dame verkörpert die Abgehobenheit dieser feinen Gesellschaft. Der Mann schafft es, und die Liebe wird zum einzigen Fixpunkt ihres Lebens, denn das Leben im Set nimmt ihnen jede andere Orientierung. Doch ein Mordanschlag trennt sie und liefert sie wieder den Umständen aus. Diese Geschichte von der Liebe als Bastion in einer absurden Welt ist in einem sehr einem eigenwilligen, poetisch-dichtem Stil erzählt, der die Geschichte lesenswerter macht.
Der Kurzroman von Walter Jon Williams, der etwas später in der selben Welt angesiedelt ist, ist eher realistisch orientiert. Der Held des Romans Lamoral (bemerkenswerter Name) von Thurn und Taxis ist aus finanziellen Erwägungen dem Set beigetreten.
Die Menschen dieses exklusiven Kreises gehen ihrem Vergnügen nach, tragen ihre Rivalitäten aus und spinnen Intrigen, während sich die Welt draußen radikal wandelt. Dann geschehen Morde, in die der Held, der Stammhalter dieses berühmten Adelgeschlechtes ist, verwickelt ist. Aber nicht nur damit muss er sich auseinandersetzen, er kämpft auch gegen das Set und den die selbstherrliche Führung der Doyenne. Doch am Ende ist alles anders als erwartet.
Williams erzählt die spannende Geschichte eines Menschen, der sich seinen ihm angemessenen Platz erkämpft. Exotische Schauplätze, spekulative Technik, schillernde Charaktere und der (für Amerikaner) recht ungewöhnliche Held tragen zum Lesevergnügen bei, die sogar noch farbiger ist als die von Zelazny. Doch der Roman ist auch seltsam oberflächlich, rein unterhaltend, über die Beziehung der Menschen zu ihrer fremdartigen Umwelt wird eigentlich nichts Neues erzählt. Da war Zelazny tiefgründiger. Auch die Lyrik, die Williams an Zelazny anknüpfend den Figuren zitieren lässt, kann darüber nicht hinwegtäuschen, auch wenn er sich mit den „Duineser Elegien“ von Rilke die wohl schwierigste Poesie deutscher Sprache ausgesucht hat.
Der Heyne hat mit den Weihnachtsanthologien einen Anfang gemacht, und nun ist mit dem hier rezensierten Werk das zweite Wendebuch erschienen, was bei diesen beiden enthaltenen Kurzromanen Sinn macht, denn sie sind in derselben fiktiven Zukunftswelt angesiedelt.
"Das Friedhofsherz" von Roger Zelazny ist ein frühes Werk der amerikanischen New Wave. Ein Mann verliebt sich in eine Angehörige des Sets, dem Jetset der Zukunft. Diese Menschen leben nur an Festtagen und verbringen die Zwischenzeit im Kälteschlaf. Auf den Festen sind sie von Kameras umgeben, denn die normalen Menschen wollen teilhaben an diesem Traum vom ewigen Fest, den die Setmitglieder stellvertretend für sie ausleben können. Das Set ist eine zeitlose Welt. Zieht bei einer Zugfahrt draußen die Welt vorbei, so ist beim Set die Zeit. Eigentlich schon eine absurde Vorstellung, dieses Set.
Die Werbung des Mannes gestaltet sich schwierig, denn beide leben in verschiedenen Welten. Sie ist gewissermaßen eine öffentliche Person. Die Liebe des Mannes ist jedoch so stark, dass er alles dran setzt, um ins Set aufgenommen zu werden, über die Aufnahme wacht Mary Maude Mullen, die Doyenne. Diese Dame verkörpert die Abgehobenheit dieser feinen Gesellschaft. Der Mann schafft es, und die Liebe wird zum einzigen Fixpunkt ihres Lebens, denn das Leben im Set nimmt ihnen jede andere Orientierung. Doch ein Mordanschlag trennt sie und liefert sie wieder den Umständen aus. Diese Geschichte von der Liebe als Bastion in einer absurden Welt ist in einem sehr einem eigenwilligen, poetisch-dichtem Stil erzählt, der die Geschichte lesenswerter macht.
Der Kurzroman von Walter Jon Williams, der etwas später in der selben Welt angesiedelt ist, ist eher realistisch orientiert. Der Held des Romans Lamoral (bemerkenswerter Name) von Thurn und Taxis ist aus finanziellen Erwägungen dem Set beigetreten.
Die Menschen dieses exklusiven Kreises gehen ihrem Vergnügen nach, tragen ihre Rivalitäten aus und spinnen Intrigen, während sich die Welt draußen radikal wandelt. Dann geschehen Morde, in die der Held, der Stammhalter dieses berühmten Adelgeschlechtes ist, verwickelt ist. Aber nicht nur damit muss er sich auseinandersetzen, er kämpft auch gegen das Set und den die selbstherrliche Führung der Doyenne. Doch am Ende ist alles anders als erwartet.
Williams erzählt die spannende Geschichte eines Menschen, der sich seinen ihm angemessenen Platz erkämpft. Exotische Schauplätze, spekulative Technik, schillernde Charaktere und der (für Amerikaner) recht ungewöhnliche Held tragen zum Lesevergnügen bei, die sogar noch farbiger ist als die von Zelazny. Doch der Roman ist auch seltsam oberflächlich, rein unterhaltend, über die Beziehung der Menschen zu ihrer fremdartigen Umwelt wird eigentlich nichts Neues erzählt. Da war Zelazny tiefgründiger. Auch die Lyrik, die Williams an Zelazny anknüpfend den Figuren zitieren lässt, kann darüber nicht hinwegtäuschen, auch wenn er sich mit den „Duineser Elegien“ von Rilke die wohl schwierigste Poesie deutscher Sprache ausgesucht hat.
March 10, 2018
Zelazny's novelette The Graveyard Heart first appeared in 1964 and was one of the first stylistic stories in what would become known as The New Wave in the following few years. It's a good story about time-travel via cryonics, but not quite in the same league as his A Rose For Ecclesiastes or The Doors of His Face, The Lamps of His Mouth. It is paired here in this book from 1990 with a sequel written by Walter Jon Williams, Elegy For Angels and Dogs, which is twice as long as Zelazny's original. The Williams story throws some murder mystery in order to sustain the plot and wanders into a mountain climbing adventure which takes the focus away from the Party Set... it's not a bad story, but didn't succeed for me as a match for the original.
January 9, 2015
This review is for 'Graveyard Heart' by Roger Zelazny only!
It didn't make much sense for me at all. The story is and endless collection of dialogues, which sound as if posers want to outdo each other in clever conversation. The worst is the author himself.
For example: 'Then he felt something break inside his hand as his fist connected with a jaw.' Seriously?
If you like long dialogues and some absurdity, this story might be good for you, if you like a nice pace and some action, don't bother reading it.
It didn't make much sense for me at all. The story is and endless collection of dialogues, which sound as if posers want to outdo each other in clever conversation. The worst is the author himself.
For example: 'Then he felt something break inside his hand as his fist connected with a jaw.' Seriously?
If you like long dialogues and some absurdity, this story might be good for you, if you like a nice pace and some action, don't bother reading it.
April 6, 2024
/begin rant
The Graveyard Heart was recommended to me, based on the premise. I've heard of both authors, and Zelazny is talked about, but I haven't read his works yet.
While the premise of Graveyard Heart was cool, the execution left me wanting. Frankly, I didn't care about the characters. Even after reading both stories, I didn't feel any real stakes, any real motivation. So, rich people can buy themselves a (what we now call) cryogenic chamber. Essentially, they can live forever. But - they sleep through a lot of time. Here, they wake for a few days a year. Eventually, in their time, the rest of humanity changes so much, they hardly recognize politics, culture, science, etc.
The problem is, I didn't feel any real angst caused by this. In the Zelazny story, the MC goes back to his former workplace as an engineer, and sees that soon he won't understand current tech. But then he slips right into the comfort of the Set. And he's rich enough, he wouldn't need to work even if he left the Set. So...so?
Another problem is this - the Set is a selected group of notable and rich people who get pampered in their cryogenic adventures. They awake and party, and the parties are televised to the masses. It is expected that they will provide some drama. Specifically, they won't marry and have kids. (Because for some reason marriage and child rearing are drama free?) This isn't explored enough. There is no moment when no one cares. When an individual is too boring and forced to do what they don't want to do to stay part of the set.
But, OK, they could be kicked out of The Set. Except...they're all rich. They could just buy their own deep freeze and form their own longevity crew. This is not explored either.
But the real nail in the coffin of Zelazny's story especially is that the MC joins the Set because he wants a woman. What do we know about her? Uh... ... She's a member of the Set. Oh and then we get this moment of deep introspection from the MC:
"He asked himself: is this the girl I want to marry?
He answered himself: Yes.
Why? he wanted to know.
Because she is beautiful, he answered, and the future will be lovely. I want her for my beautiful wife in the lovely future."
She doesn't become anything more than that...
And then she's fridged. But even that is meaningless because they just freeze her until medical technology catches up and she is saved.
In the next story, the MC is an even richer guy, royalty, and his motivations are...unclear. He is in love with a woman again. She's more interesting this time. The MC ...wants to buy majority shares of the Set. But why? Everything seems like a powertrip, but even that I didn't feel. There was a lot of "Why do I care?" I honestly don't know why I finished this book.
However! The last ~20% was suddenly engaging. Interesting. Insofar as rich royalty can be interesting when finally we think someone is trying to kill them.
The ending is really weird. And it feels more weird because it was weakly set up in my opinion. And the woman just does what this guy wants. We have no sense of her motivations other than she seems to love him back.
The strange ending earns the book a star. I wish that was the beginning.
/end rant
The Graveyard Heart was recommended to me, based on the premise. I've heard of both authors, and Zelazny is talked about, but I haven't read his works yet.
While the premise of Graveyard Heart was cool, the execution left me wanting. Frankly, I didn't care about the characters. Even after reading both stories, I didn't feel any real stakes, any real motivation. So, rich people can buy themselves a (what we now call) cryogenic chamber. Essentially, they can live forever. But - they sleep through a lot of time. Here, they wake for a few days a year. Eventually, in their time, the rest of humanity changes so much, they hardly recognize politics, culture, science, etc.
The problem is, I didn't feel any real angst caused by this. In the Zelazny story, the MC goes back to his former workplace as an engineer, and sees that soon he won't understand current tech. But then he slips right into the comfort of the Set. And he's rich enough, he wouldn't need to work even if he left the Set. So...so?
Another problem is this - the Set is a selected group of notable and rich people who get pampered in their cryogenic adventures. They awake and party, and the parties are televised to the masses. It is expected that they will provide some drama. Specifically, they won't marry and have kids. (Because for some reason marriage and child rearing are drama free?) This isn't explored enough. There is no moment when no one cares. When an individual is too boring and forced to do what they don't want to do to stay part of the set.
But, OK, they could be kicked out of The Set. Except...they're all rich. They could just buy their own deep freeze and form their own longevity crew. This is not explored either.
But the real nail in the coffin of Zelazny's story especially is that the MC joins the Set because he wants a woman. What do we know about her? Uh... ... She's a member of the Set. Oh and then we get this moment of deep introspection from the MC:
"He asked himself: is this the girl I want to marry?
He answered himself: Yes.
Why? he wanted to know.
Because she is beautiful, he answered, and the future will be lovely. I want her for my beautiful wife in the lovely future."
She doesn't become anything more than that...
And then she's fridged. But even that is meaningless because they just freeze her until medical technology catches up and she is saved.
In the next story, the MC is an even richer guy, royalty, and his motivations are...unclear. He is in love with a woman again. She's more interesting this time. The MC ...wants to buy majority shares of the Set. But why? Everything seems like a powertrip, but even that I didn't feel. There was a lot of "Why do I care?" I honestly don't know why I finished this book.
However! The last ~20% was suddenly engaging. Interesting. Insofar as rich royalty can be interesting when finally we think someone is trying to kill them.
The ending is really weird. And it feels more weird because it was weakly set up in my opinion. And the woman just does what this guy wants. We have no sense of her motivations other than she seems to love him back.
The strange ending earns the book a star. I wish that was the beginning.
/end rant
June 10, 2021
zelazny was a master. Williams continuation of The Set was pure homage mixed with his own fertile take on man, evolution, technology, and the past.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews