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| Author: |
Roger Zelazny |
| Barcode/ISBN13: | 9781857988208 |
| ISBN: | 1857988205 |
| Imprint/Brand: | Gollancz |
| Release Date: | Aug 1999 |
| Format: | B Paperback |
| Series: | SF Masterworks 07 |
| Number of Pages: | 261 |
| Price in AUD: | $22.95 |
| Categories: | Book Science Fiction |
Imagine a distant world where gods walk as men, but wield vast and hidden powers. Here they have made the stage on which they build a subtle pattern of alliance, love, and deadly enmity. Are they truly immortal? Who are these gods who rule the destiny of a teeming world? Their names include Brahma, Kali, Krishna and also he who was called Buddha, the Lord of Light, but who now prefers to be known simply as Sam. The gradual unfolding of the story how the colonization of another planet became a reenactment of Eastern mythology is one of the great imaginative feats of modern science fiction.
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When someone suggested that I read Roger Zelazny's "Lord of Light", my first thought was, but I don't read science fiction, I read fantasy.
When I discovered that it was mythological science fiction I decided that was close enough.
"Lord of Light" is set on a planet where a group of humans are living out their life as gods from the Hindu pantheon. Technology, combined with an ability to harness certain powers, allows them to rule over the rest of society - who they deny access to modern innovations.
Sam, who was once a member of this group, believes this technology should be shared. A battle is coming between Sam's followers and the god's but it is a battle that Sam is not sure he can win.
Zelazny creates a complex character who is coping with and growing in response to the events of his past. The narrative is well paced and leaves you thinking about humanity, technology and the role of both in the universe.
This is a novel that is well worth reading if you enjoy thought provoking science fiction. In fact, a few weeks after I finished "Lord of Light", I decided something: From now on, I read science fiction, not fantasy.
