Unicorn Variations [Hardcover]

Roger Zelazny (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1983

First edition. Followed later by a book club edition. Collection of short works includes an introduction by the author and: A Hand Across the Galaxy (1967); A Very Good Year . . . (1979); And I Only Am Escaped to Tell Thee (1981); Angel, Dark Angel (1967); But Not the Herald (1965); Dismal Light(1968); Exeunt Omnes (1980); Fire and/or Ice (1980); Go Starless in the Night (1979); Home is the Hangman[Nemo] (1975); My Lady of the Diodes (1970); Recital (1981); Some Science Fiction Parameters: A Biased View (1975, essay); The Force That Through the Circuit Drives the Current (1976); The George Business (1980); The Horses of Lir (1981); The Last of the Wild Ones[Sam Murdock] (1981); The Naked Matador (1981); The Night Has 999 Eyes (1964); The Parts That Are Only Glimpsed: Three Reflexes (1978, essay); Unicorn Variation (1981); Walpurgisnacht (1981).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 252 pages
• Publisher: Pocket Books (Mm); First Edition edition (November 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 067149449X
• ISBN-13: 978-0671494490
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,130,195 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Without doubt, Zelazny's BEST..., December 7, 1999

By 

Vincent Hendricks (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Unicorn Variations (Audio Cassette)

Okay, so I've got a biased view-point. I love Zelazny's work. His "Chronicles of Amber" series was one of the first science fiction/fantasy works on an "adult level" that I read (I was maybe 12 at the time), and his twisted, convoluted style of writing had me turning page after page, unable to put the book down.

"Unicorn Variations" represents much of that style. It examines man's failures under pressure, (and ironically) man's ability to perform extrodinary feats under that same pressure. It uses an oft-humuorous touch to describe a serious subject. It draws upon fantasy to explain reality. Get the picture? Rarely does Zelazny ever come right out and say what he means; it's much more fun to keep the reader guessing the whole way through.

The version I have of the audio tape is read by Star Trek/Deep Space 9's Odo (Rene something-or-other -- sorry, his last name escapes me at this time); I enjoyed listening to it almost as much as reading the story for myself...

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More BEER, quoth the griffin., March 13, 2002

By 

Psychedelic Cowboy "psychedelic_cowboy" (Burbank, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unicorn Variations (Mass Market Paperback)

The titular story, Unicorn Variations, is just adorable. It is a delight to read. I love the Bigfoot and the beer drinking Griffin the most! The book's centerpiece, Home is the Hangman is a great novella that I would like to have seen better developed. There are some strong characters that could have stood more development. My Lady of the Diodes is quite good. The George Business seemed to be a direct inspiration for that movie The Last Dragon (with Sean Connery as the dragon's voice). Fire And/Or Ice-- with a different take on Ragnarok is great, but too short. Ditto the one about the Angel of Death (lots of unrealized story potential there!)

My favorite story is The Horses of Lir. Again, there is a lot of potential that I would love to have seen expanded upon. I didn't want this one to end! It has a great feel to it and in a way is a perfect short story. My assessment of this book is primarily a good one. There are some experiments of which some work better than others do. The best stories end too soon and beg for more treatment. The worst, are mercifully short. But nearly all of them made me think, and after all, that's what a science fiction short story should do.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must-have for Zelazny fans, August 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Unicorn Variations (Mass Market Paperback)

This is an excellent collection of Zelazny short stories. "The George Business" is particularly good. If I could only own one Zelazny book, this would be it.