Lord of Light [Paperback]

Roger Zelazny (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1969

It is long after the death of Earth. A band of men on a colony planet have gained control of technology. With it, they have given themselves immortality and godlike powers, and they rule their world as the gods of the Hindu pantheon.

Product Details

• Paperback: 319 pages
• Publisher: Avon (1969)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380448343
• ISBN-13: 978-0380448340
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (169 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,247,017 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

92 of 95 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "...as western as they come", November 11, 2004

By 

D. Cloyce Smith (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lord of Light (Mass Market Paperback)

The first chapter of "Lord of Light" intentionally confuses the reader; Zelazny starts his novel near the end of his tale and provides little in the way of background or explanation. Mahasamatman ("Sam") is resurrected from the ether by the artificer Yama, whose technical skills at reincarnating the human form is unsurpassed among the inhabitants of this alien planet. Yama, with help from the goddess Ratri and from Tak (who is currently banished to the form of an ape), have recalled Sam from eternal peace to help them confront several gods who struggle for control of the world.

From this opening, the books shifts to a series of tales, in flashback form, recounting Sam's past and explaining the history of the battles among the gods. Although these divine rulers share the names and personae of the Hindu pantheon, it soon becomes apparent that the "gods" are simply the original colonists who came from Earth millennia earlier, who keep the planet's present occupants in a sort of medieval fiefdom, and who have acquired immortality by transmigrating from body to body. But there is an ongoing struggle in "heaven" between the Accelerationists (led by Sam), who want to share technology with the rest of mankind, and the Deicrats, those gods who want to maintain their lives of luxury and oppression.

Many of the earlier chapters are told in the form of disjointed legends, but halfway into the book the pace evolves into a continuous storyline. Those readers who argue that "Lord of Light" belongs to the fantasy genre more than to science fiction have a point: beyond the futuristic technology practiced by the "gods" (which is more of a sideshow than a major plot element), the novel's prose style, structure, characters, and action resemble what you'd find in many a medieval saga. (One surprising aspect, however, that distinguishes these tales from many fantasy novels is the often sarcastic and occasionally slapstick humor.) Because of its kings-and-swords plot, Zelazny's work recalls epics like "Dune" or dystopian/political works like "The Dispossessed" rather than "hard" sci-fi.

As for the novel's much-hyped Hindu aspects, I think David Brin (a great admirer of this book) says it best: "For all of the clearly genuine empathy he finds in other cultures and conveys so well in his works, Roger Zelazny is as western as they come.... He'd be kicked out of the ashram for asking too many questions." This is no primer on Hinduism; in spite of the author's fascination with Eastern mysticism, it's no coincidence that religion is presented both as a means of enlightenment and as a form of oppression. Instead, Hinduism serves as a vehicle for a futuristic parable of all-too-human foibles.

57 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Difficult but incredibly rewarding classic, February 2, 2004

By 

Claude Avary "West Coast Reader" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lord of Light (Mass Market Paperback)

This Hugo award-winning science fiction classic turns the usual technological approach to the genre on its head. "Lord of Light" reads much more like fantasy than science fiction, and like Frank Herbert's classic "Dune," it's a rare example of a science-fiction novel deeply concerned with spirituality and metaphysics.

It is also a difficult novel. Readers more interested in adventure or hard science fiction will find Zelazny's dense, intricate style tricky to maneuver or concentrate on. The cast is huge, and most characters either go by multiple names, or switch names and bodies as they are reincarnated. This is the sort of novel that requires focus and attention to appreciate. Those who give it the time it deserves will discover a true classic, and a strange experience unique among science-fiction books-even for Zelazny, who lead the field of the new-wave authors of the 1960s.

The story follows the inhabitants of an Earth-colonized planet long after Earth has ceased to exist. The colonial leaders have developed the technology to turn themselves into god-like figures, based on Hinduism, and rule the lesser people in a metaphysical tyranny. The hero, Sam (only one of his many names, such a Buddah) returns from banishment to lead the struggle to free the people and spread technology to make everyone "gods." He finds strange allies along the road, including the original alien inhabitants of the planet, known as Rakashas (demons) in the pseudo-religion invented by the rulers. In a short space, a great deal happens and Sam wages both war and peace against the "gods."

"Lord of Light" is definitely a trip...and milestone in science fiction, but it isn't for the casual fan. People interested in religion and veteran science-fiction readers will get the most out of it, and should definitely get themselves a copy. For somewhat more accessible Zelazny books to start with, try "Damnation Alley" or his large fantasy series, "The Books of Amber"-but you'll need to visit "Lord of Light" eventually; it's his best novel.

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lord Of Write, March 14, 2000

By 

J.H. Montgomery (Brooklyn N.Y.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lord of Light (Mass Market Paperback)

Lord Of Light was first published in 1967. It proceeded to win the Hugo award as best novel. In this book Zelazny demonstates his amazing gift of character creation and writing stylization that make this novel seem at times to be almost one long poetic dream on par with "Xanadu". His writing style combined with the imagery set forth in this masterwork to create a totally believable tale, for it deals with the struggle of man to ovrcome his baser self as well as his opressive fellow man. As a personal note I must say that this is by far my favorite single novel by Mr. Zelazney. It's blending of hard SF with the Hindu religion is seamlessly done, and of course it was an inspired choice to set the Buddha in the role of prime antagonist, allied with Death Himself. The rich scene settings only add to the over all depth of this amazing story. This is truly one of the milestones of SF writing, a must read for anyone interested in the genre.