Roger (2010) Paperback, Lord of Light by Zelazny

This is a wonderful mixture of science and religion.

We see quite believable human behaviour where given the choice to use or share high technology those in charge decide to use it make themselves gods and hold the rest of mankind at a low-tech stage where they can be easily ruled by superstition.

The majority of the book is the previous war against the gods, we have no doubt as to its conclusion but it is interesting to see it develop and watch the events and personalities involved.

Sam is likeable as are several of the other characters and everyone's motivation is understandable and believable whether for fanatical or cynical reasons.

The pace is quick as Sam tries to fight a seemingly unbeatable force with various allies and schemes.

The ending to the first war is followed quickly by the second giving a nice double climax with both ending being well thought out and consistent.

A fairly flawless sci-fi.

This turned out to be Zelazny's masterpiece. It wasn't supposed to be that way--Zelazny was the '60s version of the guy who was going to hoist SF into the artistic empyrean. That didn't happen. (It never does--see Varley, John, and Gibson, William.) But he did leave behind "Lord of Light", and a few other works that serve as glowing examples of what can be done within an all-too-often infantile form.
The premise is that an interstellar colony has, so long ago that the events are no more than legend, been turned into an effectively eternal dictatorship by the starship crew, who with the aid of advanced tech have acquired the aspects of the Hindu pantheon to lord it over the poor peasantry. (There's also a dour Calvinist theocracy elsewhere on the planet, but that's another story.) The protagonist is Mahatsamatman, known as "Sam", a man who is not, in fact, the Enlightened One, (though everyone insists otherwise) but is close enough. He decides to overthrow the whole miserable structure, and that's the story in a nutshell. Battles, conspiracies, encounters with alien, and not very advanced, energy beings, betrayals, disasters, and all else follow, in the style of the great Hindu epic the Mahabharata, along with plenty of 20th-century wise-guy prose. (Zelazny was also a student of Chandler.) This is a great roaring monster of a book, of a kind that would have a very hard time getting published today. (It's also *structured* like the Mahabharata, with vast chunks of out-of-sequence narrative--the first chapters occur *after* the ensuing two-hundred-odd pages--which would be guaranteed to drive the current generation of editors out of their minds.)
"Lord of Light" is one of the few novels to take on a basic, and all but ignored, SF thesis--if technology does have the power to make us godlike, then we'd better damn well be ready for the role. Zelaxny shows us the negative aspect--what happens when the process fails. The positive side--which Sam perhaps reaches, and perhaps doesn't--is only hinted at. But it's good to see the concept handled at all by anybody apart from James Blish. Everyone else simply runs away from it in terror.
A final point: this is very much a novel of the '60s, and one of the few reflections of the *real* '60s, the one that didn't make it into the books or documentaries. The major feature of that lost time was, very simply, joy. That's what everyone recalls, and everyone mistakes for something else. After long, bleak decades, the possibilites opened up. For one brief instant, a renaissance beckoned, only to be killed by Nam, and dope, and dirty left-wing politics. The period is truly reflected in very few things--Dylan's pre-accident albums, the Beatles, and in this book, which is suffused by joy, and humor, and hope, on damn near every page. Read it to learn what you missed, and what could still, with luck, come again. I'm sure that Zelazny didn't intend it that way--he was in real life a career bureaucrat for the Social Security administration. But that's how it came out. And that's no bad thing.

I've always considered "Lord of Light" (1967) one of the hardest of Zelazny's SF novels to follow. The story line weaves and doubles back upon itself. Gods and mortals are reborn into new bodies, and it's a bit hard to keep track of who's who, especially at novel's end. Zelazny's hero, Sam has many reincarnations and many names including Mahasamatman, Maitreya ("Lord of Light"), Binder of Demons, Buddha, and Siddhartha.
Sam is part of the original crew from "The Star of India," many of whom borrowed the names, attributes, and aspects from the Hindu pantheon of gods as the new planet was wrested from its original inhabitants. Many of the crew, not unreasonably, discover that they enjoy godhood. They build themselves a heaven and set about ruling the peasants through their priest-mouthpieces. Any signs that the lower classes are re-acquiring their technological heritage, such as the reinvention of the printing press are thoroughly squelched. The gods are in charge of reincarnation, and if someone incurs the displeasure of Heaven in his current life, he may (as one of the gods puts it) find himself reincarnated as a gelded water buffalo.
Sam believes that the lower classes should be given the benefit of technology, and along with a group of like-minded gods called 'accelerationists' sets out to challenge the more conservative deities. There are several wars (which are not told in sequence) and Sam repeatedly incurs the wrath of Heaven. He responds with Promethean defiance, even as he is about to die the true death: "I will hate Heaven with every breath that I draw. If Brahma has me burnt, I will spit into the flames..."

Finally he reinvents an old religion, borrowed from the distant memory of Earth. In order to lessen the influence of the Hindu pantheon, he becomes a monk who is understood by some to be the Buddha.

Sam loses this phase of the war, too, and becomes truly disembodied.

But did he really lose? The beliefs of Buddhism and accelerationism remain and thrive among men. Bifocals are reinvented. When Sam's atman (soul) is reincarnated into one final body by the death god, Yama, he renews his titanic struggle against a weakened Heaven.
Zelazny's writing style tends to vary between the formal when he is deviating from the 'present,' and a livelier tone when he is narrating Sam's current adventures. When the tone is detached and archaic, such as "...This is the story of how the prince did bait the one-armed receiver of devotions before the Temple..." then the reader can assume that Zelazny is abandoning the straight-line narrative for a bit of history essential to the plot.
"Lord of Light" is sometimes confusing, but this Hugo-award-winning novel is bursting with inventive detail and thought-provoking ideas on the necessity for reinventing religions. Above all it has Sam: Zelazny's eternal rebel against everything that smacks of conservatism and oppression.

Lord of Light has been my favourite novel ever since I first read it, and I have worn out several copies re-reading it over the years. Brilliant in both concept and structure, it is a delight to read and challenges the reader in ways that many lesser writings do not.

Despite what some other reviewers suggest, Lord of Light is not a hard book to read. The quality of the writing, and the sheer inventiveness of the story carry the reader along with a momentum that makes it difficult to put down.

It is no more difficult to read than Catch-22, to which I have always found it similar in structure. Neither book spoon-feeds the reader as so many do these days, and both require a modicum of intelligence which is no bad thing.

Both books present a non-linear narrative, in which effects are sometimes described before their associated causes. In addition, characters are dropped into the narrative without long expositions of their back story, which the reader has to piece together for themselves.

It is this structure that makes it so easy to re-read. The first time through I found myself constantly intrigued, and asking myself "What on earth is going on?". Armed with the knowledge of the first read, subsequent revisits continually reveal little gems whose significance was not clear the first time. I would say that the second reading is definitely the best, but I am still revelling in previously unnoticed details thirty years later.

This book is the finest example of what Roger Zelazny did best: synthesize fantasy and reality into something truly breathtaking in scope. Any science fiction fan MUST read all of his works, including the popular Amber series, and especially his short stories. Zelazny even 'co-wrote' a book with Alfred Bester- 'Psychoshop.'
But standing as his crowing achievement is 'Lord Of Light.' I have read it over and over across the years and take something new from it each time. My most recent read left me impressed with his intentionally sketchy description of how 'attributes' and 'aspects' were developed by the colonists. So is this a novel of science fiction or fantasy? Both? It depends on how you interpret the concepts presented.
The religious imagery and references are also compelling. By presenting the sole 'christian' as a fanatic dressed all in black, and casting 'demons' as allies (sometimes) of the protagonist, one is left to ponder Zelazny's own views on religion. And, of course, the casting of the Hindu religion's gods and pantheon as supremely powerful high-tech immortal mutants is a stroke of genius. You will never forget Yama, Brahma, Kali, Tak the ape, and of course Mahasamatman.
This book always causes me to think about life, death, 'life after death', and the possibilities of science, both good and bad. What will humans be like in the future? Will they continue to repeat the mistakes of the past?
The truth is that Zelazny presents these future humans as just that: human. Throughout the chronicles of Sam we see the workings of the more emotional aspects of human consciousness-- such as love, lust, duty, jealousy, anger, and the power of a single human will. And by the end of the book it is clear that these are the things that truly matter; much more so than high-tech weaponry and amazing mutant psychic powers.
Thanks Roger.

Lord of Light is a wonderful novel, fully worthy of the praise it has garnered. It is set many centuries in the future, after "the death of Urath." On a colony planet, men have battled the previous inhabitants and won, and have established a society. This society is based on technological means of imitating the Hindu religion. Specifically, when the body nears death, it is possible to transfer the "mind" or "soul" to a new body, even the body of an animal. But some of the earliest colonists, including the "First," have additional powers, which give them the status of gods. They also have taken control of the means of reincarnation, and a faction among them is using that means in political ways: punishing their enemies with reincarnation as animals, or with the "true death." The result is a society of humans living in a world in which something resembling Hinduism is literally true. Furthermore, the leading faction of "gods" is using its powers to keep the technological level of human society low enough that their own position cannot be threatened. The novel tells of the hero, one of the "Gods", and his two attempts to free the people of this world.
This is definitely worthy of its place among the standard-bearing works of science fiction. Not only does Zelazny pull off the intriguing feat of creating a scientifically plausible world (given some extremely advanced technology, and a fair bit of handwaving) in which a fairly close rendering of the Hindu system of gods, demons, and their powers -- and reincarnation -- is real; he makes that just a nice background to an honest and moving story of a believable man. And his story is grounded on a sound theme. And finally, all the clever background ends up as more than just background: it reinforces the central meaning of the book. Definitely recommended, and it's nice to see that new readers will be getting a chance to encounter this excellent work.

Hyperbole piled upon superalative. Yet even so, the reviewers barely mark the depth and narrative scope of this most meaningful of novels. Lord of Light is science fiction in genre only. A deeply humanistic novel examing the forces affecting the common man/woman, a secular novel questioning the mealy mouthed hypocrisy presenting itself as "true religion", a religious novel challenging the pat truisms passing themselves off as "science", it is all of these things and more.
Zelazny's mastery of the written word and soul-deep understanding of the human condition vie for supremacy in this, perhaps his finest, novel. Those who have not yet read it are far, far luckier than those of us who have...maybe many times so. A joyous voyage through the subtle, textured vagaries of Zelazny's world view lies ahead. An art and artifice yet unexperienced-- a young lover's first kiss. I envy them.
This is politics, religion, philosophy, comedy, tragedy, and triumph of the highest caliber. The reviewer who compared it to "Dune" was 100% on target. Lord of Light belongs with the greats of western literature. Perhaps I should say world literature but I am uneducated in meaningful works of other languages, thus unqualified to judge.
To pigeonhole this work as science-fiction/fantasy, accurate though it may be, is equivalent to labeling "Hamlet" historical fiction. It is that and so, so much more.
I read far to much to re-read books of fiction. I live far to little to read Lord of Light only once.

Exactly as good as everyone says, and probably Zelazny's best work too (I have only read 3 of his novels so I could be wrong). There's a reason it won awards, racked accolades. Perfect blending of myths, tech, and even just the way Z uses language is amazingly good. Sci-fi as a genre often allows for sloppy phrasing, character building; this novel doesn't.

Occasionally a science-fiction book is written that reminds everyone why the genre is so important. A book so extraordinary, so inventive, so full of wit, imagination and intriguing possibility that it just shines out of every page.
Lord of Light is such a book.
Here in the UK, it has recently been one of the first books to be re-released in the 'SF Masterworks' series. Not only does it fully derve this title, it stands head and shoulders above most of the other titles on this list and indeed all of Zelazny's extensive back-catalogue.
Put as simply as possible, the story is one of the way in which ideological factions diverge and conflict over the human colonisation of a distant planet,how over a long time the differences within the human society - and between humans and the indigenous inhabitants - become fossilised and reconstructed into a parody or recreation of Hindu myths, and finally how this decadent parody is challenged from within by one of the original colonists - Mahasamatman, or Sam, the Lord of Light - who takes on the form of the Buddha.
Around this central tale, Zelazny manages to weave so many themes. It is a sensitive and compassionate re-imagining of Hindu mytholology, yet aware of the shortcomings and the challenge posed to traditional Hinduism by Buddhist teachings. It is a tale of technologically-facilitated decadence and moral decline, of the way in which technical abilities can become more important than the purposes for which they were developed. It is a fable about how inequality and class division emerge, are structured, fossilized and challenged. It is story of memory and forgetting, of how history can be constantly rewritten -consciously and unconsciously - by the powerful, and lost to the weak. It is a classic tragedy, the oldest story of all: hubris, nemesis and catharsis.
Zelazny not only manages all these themes with seemingly effortless structural ability, but also produces lush and stylish prose entirely appropriate to the parodic Hindu world, which is a joy to read.
Everyone should read this whether you think you like sci-fi or not. Lord of Light is a unique and extraordinary creation and I don't think I am exaggerating in describing it as one of the greatest and most original acheivements in Twentieth Century literature.

On a far planet in the future, mankind has fallen into its old ways. Long ago, the officers of the spacecraft STAR OF INDIA stranded their colonists with no technology, then returned in a century to rule their descendants as the gods of the Hindu pantheon. Not only can they switch to new bodies by a technological trick, but after the first century they begin to develop godlike mental powers. Once they were all saved by the power of Sam, who could bind the demonic energy creatures native to the planet; today they spurn Lord Siddartha, as he is known, and plot to harm him, and so begins Sam's war against Heaven; just as the fit hits the Shan. Sam is angry with the way the world is run, and prepares his most potent weapon: philosophy. You thought philosophy was the stuff of dry tomes? Watch Sam's new buddhism attack the roots of this pseudo-Hinduism like weed killer. Even though the goddess of destruction Kali was once his wife, Sam fights a war to the death...and beyond, and then even further than that, against beings who hurl lightning and fire, who breathe dreams and dance emotions, who are nearly the gods they imagine themselves to be. But not even the Buddha was above Death, and Sam must play a deadly game with Dharma himself until the world is convulsed with war. The world's last Christian is no help either; he's become a satanic figure leading an army of mindless zombies. Gods, goddesses, men, apes, and demons contend in a book so well-considered it's nearly poetry. As original in its way as Lord of the Rings, it will always be considered one of Roger Zelazny's finest works.

This novel is classic and ageless, and it reads just as well now as it did when I first read it more than twenty years ago.

On a distant Earth colony, some of the original settlers decide to keep the technology for themselves, dooming their own descendants to a brutal and primitive life. Those settlers with the high tech eventually take on the roles of the Hindu pantheon and become gods, turning the world and its people into mere playthings.

But not all of the original settlers go for this idea. And eventually some of them begin to fight back in every way they can, to better the lot of the humans.

Zelazny tells the story in a circular fashion - it is not in chronological order - and this might be initially confusing for some readers.

the chronology actually goes :
chapter two
chapter three
chapter four
chapter five
chapter six
chapter one
chapter seven

The author also packs a lot of characters, subplots, ideas, and information into a rather short novel. Some of today's giants such as Robert Jordan and Steven Erikson would probably be able to get an 800 page novel out of each chapter. But Zelazby somehow manages to fit it all into about three hundred pages.

In brief: Science fiction meets Hinduism in one of the most surprising, intriguing and enjoyable books I've come across in a while. Highly recommended.
The story centres on an off-Earth colony which has come to be utterly dominated by its founders, who rule with the names, personalities and even the attributes of Hindu gods. With the injection of SF technology, social and political control pivot upon Hindu tenets with a futuristic twist. Reincarnation functions through personality-storage and cloning, allowing effective immortality for the gods, and some very bad karma for any who oppose them. The populace is held in a permanent low-tech state to ensure it continues to need its gods; innovations that might benefit mortals, such as the printing press, are swiftly eradicated.
Stylistically, too, it is brilliant. The whole thing takes the form of a Hindu epic, in terms of both language and structure. The hero, Sam, rebels against the gods by (literally and figuratively) taking on the Buddha role, preaching against the priesthood and the oppressive rituals and strictures which bind society. And through this, Zelazny brings out some of the most interesting implications of his blend of SF and myth, exploring how the 'gods' have merged with their masks to truly _become_ their mythic roles.
Finally, and importantly, _Lord of Light_ also contrives to be a truly entertaining read. Deservedly a classic.

"They called him Mahasamatman and said he was a god. He himself preferred to drop the Maha- and the -atman and called himself Sam. He never claimed to be a god, but then he never claimed not to be."

Lord of Light was Roger Zelazny's third novel and it won him the Hugo award for Best Novel in 1968.

The story on the surface seems like diefied fantasy, based around the Hindu pantheon. Deeper in however clues are revealed as to what is truly going on. The book starts out with the introduction of Sam, or Buddha, or Siddhartha, or any of the half dozen other names he is known by. Each of the subsequent 5 chapters are flashbacks telling the story of Sam's fight against "Heaven", with the seventh and final chapter occurring chronologically after the first.

Many consider this to be Zelazny's finest work. I still prefer the first Chronicles of Amber, but I can certainly see why other choose this. Once I got a grasp on how the story was being told, and began to pick up clues as to what the gods truly were the story made a lot more sense. This is a book that really makes you work.

8.5 out of 10

Like Arthur C. Clarke, Roger Zelazny had a brilliant knack for mixing religion and science fiction. In Lord of Light, he gives us a unique spin to Indian mythology in a novel that is both serious and a bit whimsical. But at the root of this story there is more, for as with so much fine science fiction, a question is posed: if mankind achieved the power of gods, would we be corrupted by it? Or would we use it to transcend? The Hindu "gods" of Zelazny's imaginary world would seem to indicate the former, but the protagonist, Sam, directs us to the latter.

But even this is not so clear-cut, for Sam himself is subject to all the temptations of both immortality and power, and it is his journey to final understanding that moves the novel forward. It is not mere liberation for the human slaves of his fellow "gods" that he seeks, but a deeper understanding of what it means to be human at all when you have the power to change bodies and thereby live forever. But would such a scientific breakthrough and the immortality it would bring really make us gods, or would we remain merely people?

After all, Sam never claimed to be a god. He also never claimed not to be...

You should know going into some novels, "This is going to take a certain level of commitment--either the narrative structure is unfamiliar, or the story itself is just huge." "Lord of Light," like "Dune," is one of those novels--except that "Lord of Light" is better than "Dune." (There. I said it.)

Read this book. You will not regret the time and effort. You will never forget it.

This is one of the greatest Science Fiction books ever written. Most of the reviewers and I agree on that. I'd like to point out three areas that make this book special. 1. Characters--Zelazny gives us a range of characters that we can love, sympathize with, and suffer with. Sam, of course. For me, though, Sugata--the assassin turned enlightened one was even more real and powerful. Yama the deathgod was, in many ways, the real hero. Ever-faithful Tak. I could go on. The point is that each of these characters is fully developed and realized. This isn't a one dimensional book.
(2) the plot. It's exciting yet complex. The use of flashbacks makes it hard to follow from time to time (you have to read this more than once), but it's big and it draws you in. You want Sam to win even when you know he can't.
(3) the religion--the intellectual and moral battle (as well as the physical and magical battles) between Hinduism and Budhism are so compelling that I researched both religions after reading this.
I just re-read LORD OF LIGHT (all right, I'm not sure what number it is any more) and it's every bit as powerful as it was when I first read it decades ago. Zelazny's best--and that's saying a lot.

Zelazny successfully weaves a tale of the far-future in which a form of quasi-immortality is achieved by transferring one's mind to new bodies. The ruling elite utilizes a mindreading technology to review the quality of one's life, and this is used to reward or punish a person with either a better or worse form. In effect, science has discovered the means to mirror the Hindu concepts of karma and reincarnation.
These technologies are used to solidify the power of the Deicrats, the ruling elite of the planet. Morality is secondary to how well one supports their grip on power. Those who oppose the structure are destroyed. Those who are in power, the ones who hoped to style themselves after gods, are driven by the same dark emotions that have powered mankind through history: ambition, jealosy and greed. This story is about Sam, a man forced to choose between joining with this system of power, or rebelling against it.
While this is a relatively short book (by modern science-fiction standards), it is also dense reading. Slogging through the first chapter and a half is necessary before things really start to click along.
This is a novel that is rich with ideas. It demonstrates the harm that can be caused by caste systems borne out technological haves and have-nots. It portrays the classic theme of "absolute power corrupts absolutely," but also shows that goodness exists within a few humans to oppose corruption. It does both of these against a unique, Hindu-inspired backdrop supported by the necessary science.
Your enjoyment of this book will probably be driven by the type of science-fiction reader you are. If you want something heavy on ideas and milieu, you will probably love this. If you want something that is more character-driven, this may not satisfy you as much. Despite its shortness, you may find yourself downshifting your reading-gears: dialogues often consist of a dozen or more lines of unattributed text--and characters don't speak in particularly unique voices. Some characters are known by multiple names, which I found initially confusing. Despite this, I can't imagine that anyone interested in speculative fiction could be fluent in the genre without exposure to this fascinating tale.

Humanity defeats the native "energy" beings that populated the orb and establishes a colony on the planet with a Hindu like societal order. Using advanced technology, the crew of the ship transfers their minds into a new body when theirs is near death. They also develop other advances that enable them to form a pantheon with god-like powers. Beneath them are the colonists and even further below in this pyramid of power are the natives. No one bucks the leadership as not only can they technology reincarnate they can convert others into animals.
One of these techno-Gods, preferring to be called Sam rather than Mahasamatman, feels that the mistreatment of others is morally wrong. He thinks that he and his peers should share their technology with the lower strata. His peers insist those beneath them are incapable of dealing with godlike powers and need their hand to guide them. Sam never claimed the mantle and though he hates what he feels he must do, this "fallen angel" leads a revolt against his ruling brothers and sisters as he wants to establish a different world order.
This is a deep science fiction novel with religious and social overtones. The story line is loaded with action, but also takes its time to defend critical arguments set forth by author Roger Zelazny. The cast fosters the concepts of the plot so that development is targeted more towards an idea than a character. Still with all that this is a cerebral tale that will have readers pondering a host of subjects from comparative religions to white man's burden to fostering American style democracy in Iraq, etc. in a clever novel that will require concentration or one will miss a point.
Harriet Klausner

Zelazny was a very bright shooting star when he first appeared on the fantasy/SF radar some 35 years ago, a new writer of power, originality, insight, and depth. Lord of Light was his third novel, and it exemplifies all these qualities in grand style. Combining the Hindu/Buddhist mythos/religion with the science-fictional concepts of true re-incarnation via technology-enabled body swaps, set on world dominated by those who have access to the technology, and are thereby effectively real gods, this book is a powerful statement of character, philosophy, and morality.
Mahasamatman, or Sam as he prefers to be called, is our protagonist for this trip through heaven, hell, and meditation, one of the original colonizing crew who has, over the centuries, fallen out of favor with the ruling coterie, who now style themselves as actually being the Hindu deities. Sam, seeing the inequitable treatment of the colonist's descendents, the forcible holding back of their attempts at technological progress, the sometimes total denigration of these people as mere objects and the cynical attitude of the ruling group towards them, decides to become a one-man army to change the status-quo by preaching the heretical philosophies of Buddha. But he finds his preaching has some unlooked-for consequences: he attracts a fanatical following and he finds it near impossible to not actually become the modern incarnation of the ancient philosopher, even though he does not totally subscribe to Buddha's philosophical outlook himself. As we delve deeper into Sam's battle with Shiva, Kali, Brahma and the rest of ruling pantheon, we are given looks at the original battle to colonize the planet, when all the crew had to develop Attributes to fight the native denizens (almost literal demons) of the planet, Attributes now part of their chosen godly character. In seeing this early period (which is highlighted by some very powerful and exciting battle descriptions), we get to see that none of these people are either totally evil or saintly, but are very human, with engaging foibles and distinctive characteristics. This is one of the main strengths of this book, as we have a large set of fully realized characters, each with their own motivations and desires, whose interactions form a complex weave of happenstance and emotional intertwinings, that give the novel a unique order and flow, and are sure to evoke multiple responses in the reader.
The prose style is more than adequate to the task here, sometimes brilliantly, almost poetically descriptive, at other points understated, leaving items just slightly nebulous, ready for the reader's imagination to complete. And the religious statements will burrow into your mind, forcing little cracks of enlightenment and quiet meditation. The story is not told in linear order, which some may find a little confusing, but as each piece of the story is unfolded and wrapped into the whole, it forms a mosaic that layers in your mind, building a tightly interlocked edifice of strength and stature.
Zelazny here has managed to create an archetype, a legend for modern times, with real relevance to the reader's everyday life, with a great promotion of life philosophies without preaching. Sadly, Roger is no longer with us, there will be no more of these brilliant tour-de-forces, but this will stand as one of his finest gifts to the world. A gift that everyone can enjoy and appreciate.

Luckily for me, I had a truly adventurous Oriental Religions instructor at San Jose State who made this amazing book required reading. The book unfolds on many levels, and through many readings I am still uncovering new revelations. Roger Zelazny was the best of many gifted sci fi and fantasy writers emerging in the 60's and 70's. I had the profound pleasure of meeting him at a book signing and found him to be bright, modest and interested in his readers. I still have my signed, tattered copy and can recommend this book along with Creatures of Light and Darkness, Jack of Shadows, Eye of Cat, Doorways In Sand, Dream Master et al. Other novels, including the Amber Series, A Night In the Lonesome October, This Immortal and many others, can be enjoyed, shared and collected...thank heavens for the prolific out-pouring! I truly hope this wondrous tale is reprinted, as well as many others. I almost envy those who have never been touched, nay, transported to the multi-layered worlds of Zelazny! They have so much reading (and thinking) pleasure in store...

In addition to being a rip-roaring good story, this is an excellent primer on Hinduism and Buddhism. (Not for strictly accurate detail, but for the feel and genius of two fine religious traditions.) The heroes are Sam Kalkin, who becomes the Buddha, and the Death-god, Yama. The villains are Brahma and his crowd, whose god-like powers have gone to their heads, and Renfrew Nirriti, the proselytizer who is willing to ally himself with anyone, no matter how evil, to force his religious views on others. (Nirriti means "not right.")

This is not merely Zelazny's best, but one of the best books of the twentieth century. It ranks with Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land, Panshin's Rite of Passage, Butler's Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents and Card's Ender's Game (The Ender Saga); and only slightly below Pangborn's Davy.

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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.

This is my favorite Science Fiction book.

I hesitate to add another review to the lengthy list here. But in reviewing most of the 5-star reviews, and all of the other reviews, I was surprised that no one mentioned that this is a great 'buddy' story. If you like Aubrey & Maturin, Frodo & Sam, or Jeeves & Wooster, you'll probably like this book. The cynical word play between the two main characters (Sam and Yama -- who funnily enough are AKA Buddha and Death) is the best thing since Rick and Renault.

The two main criticisms of the book seem to be that it isn't Science Fiction, and that it is confusing. I agree with the first criticism -- this would be sold as fantasy today, not Science Fiction. If you are an Arthur C. Clarke fan (a SCIENCE fiction fan), you might not like this book. My own favorite Hugo-award winners are this book, and the Doomsday Book by Connie Willis, which should probably be classified as historical fiction, rather than Science Fiction. I don't see the point of nitpicking about the boundaries of the genre. It's a good book -- who cares if it is Science Fiction?

But I don't agree with the many reviews (five to one star) that say this book is confusing/difficult. The book begins with Sam's re-incarnation, and it is obvious there will be a flashback at some point. There is a *single* break in the narrative timeline. It is introduced at the end of a chapter when Sam stands "remembering" as he travels on a boat, and ends when he dies -- so it is obvious that the next chapter will return to the timeline that opened the book. Some of Zelazny's other work is more accessible (e.g., the Amber series), but some of his award-winning short stories are far, far more opaque.

Finally a couple critics said the characters took themselves "way too seriously". Surely, this is just a criticism of writing in this genre (and the fantasy genre) before 1970. The characters in Heinlein, Asimov, or Herbert take themselves too seriously. And who takes himself more seriously, in all of literature, than Aragorn? Okay, it all sounds a little puerile today. But 1) it's a bit like criticizing Jane Austin for sounding high-falutin, and 2) While SF writing since William Gibson may sound more realistic and grown up, Neuromancer is (IMHO) far less fun, and far less funny, than Lord of Light.

....but packed with tragicomical commentary on the relationship between power and religion.
If Sam, the book's hero, is not an entirely pure character (none of Zelazny's heroes are), neither is his world's most dangerous enemy, an ex-chaplain named Nirriti:
"Nirriti prayed until the perspiration covered his face like a mask of glass and light, and it ran down inside his prosthetic armor, which gave him the strength of many. Then he lifted up his face to the heavens, looked upon the Bridge of the Gods and said, 'Amen.' Then he turned and headed toward Khaipur, his army rising at his back."
In this book you also meet the ex-assassin Rild, who converts to Buddhism and in spite of three lifetimes of butchery attains what he seeks. Admitting that he himself is a fake (although he isn't), Sam says about Rild, "Many people are executioners who have been talked out of doing their jobs...and he was the only man I ever knew to really achieve enlightenment."

This is one of the greatest science fiction novels ever written. If you are going to read one of
Zelazny's books make it this one. It is at times funny, serious, outragous and compassionate. All the
characters in it are all too human and each, at times, sucumb to their weaknesses. But all the major
characters are given a chance to rise above the best they believe themselves capable of. Don't take
offense to the liberties Zelazny takes in the portrayals of Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity and
you will learn much about yourself whatever your beliefs are.

Oh, and it also contains the greatest play on words/pun that has ever been used. Read this masterpeice to find out what it is for yourself!

Relic113

A banished charismatic rebel is sought by a small group of desperate freedom fighters. This rebel leader turns out to be 'Sam', sometimes called the Binder. The story revolves around Sam and the things he's done, or might do.
Sam once failed to tear down the corrupt planetary system of government and was thrown into exile. The story really takes off when Sam is rescued and brought back by the group who want him to try his revolt again.
Flashbacks and history of the rebel movement weave a compelling look at immortality, power, religion used as deception and the tyranny of secret science.
The master work of Roger Zelazny is as fresh today as it was when originally written.
If you love any of Zelazny's work, this book is a must for your library.

This a a really creative, thoughtful, beautifully written and plain fun book that has really stood the test of time. A negative review here complains that it isn't really hard SF - and it isn't, there are some basic plot holes that you have to overlook - but it is definitely SF. I've been trying to read the "best SF" books that I've managed to miss, and unfortunately there are a lot of "classic" duds on those "best of" lists. This is nothing of the sort, and it should be on everybody's short list for the genre.

The time is the unimaginably distant future, and a group of astronauts from Urath (Earth) have used mental, physical, and biological technology to become incarnations of the Hindu Gods. Opposing them is one of their own, Mahasamatman, who prefers to be called Sam. Sam resents the physical oppression and spiritual slavery imposed upon the non-divine inhabitants of the planet. This is the central theme to the grand vision of Man's destiny put forth by the late Roger Zelazny.
Touching upon many themes, including the conflict of church and state, an increasingly important subject today, who or what is divine, the blurred distinction between "good" and "evil," societal engineering, and eugenics, Zelazny crafted an intensely compelling tale that won a Hugo Award when it was first published. Like many of his characters in such diverse works as the Amber series, "This Immortal," "Jack of Shadows," and "Isle of the Dead," Sam, despite being a god/superman, by any rational definition, shows a humanity and fallibility that makes him an appealing character as he searches first for meaning in his life, and later, his place in the world/universe, all the while questioning and second-guessing his own self.
From an action viewpoint, "Lord of Light" offers plenty as Sam, his human, and inhuman allies battle the Gods and Demigods in the battle to free the planet from oppression of the Gods. As always Zelazny's imagery is incredible and all of the characters offer a depth of personality, and yes, humanity, which makes them all complex, interesting, compelling, and immensely satisfying.

Got your Eastern Gods straight? If not, you'll find slow sledding at the beginning of Roger Zelazny's science fiction classic, LORD OF LIGHT. Once you're into it, however, you will appreciate the philosophy and the mythology equally. As a bonus, Zelazny provides some interesting battle scenes, too.

In one episode, a demon possesses the protagonist of many name's (I'll use Sam here, as that's the easiest) body, giving Zelazny an opportunity to riff on the extended metaphor of our innate capacities for good and evil. The purely evil demon gets his comeuppance when Sam gives him the "gift" of guilt, which sure ruins a lot of his debauchery and drunken pleasures.

Ultimately, with gods dying and coming back to life in new bodies and with everyone switching sides in the epic battle of the heavens, my interest began to wane a bit. Just a bit. But you'll like this without fail if you are a fan of science fiction and are conversant in Eastern mythologies.

My hope is that the AMBER series will now be republished in ten separate editions. Presently there's a big book of AMBER with all ten novels in one tome, but it's too unwieldy and teens who love science fiction and fantasy especially are shortchanged, as they seldom take to such formats. I hope, with the new issues of LORD OF LIGHT, that the publisher will now republish the much-loved AMBER series as well, starting with the beloved NINE PRINCES OF AMBER.

This is Roger Zelazny's masterpiece; a highly imaginative thing of beauty, Lord of Light tells its story at break-neck pace which will appease even the most easily bored reader. The language is fluid, often times poetic, and ultimately a feast for the senses. The story spans many years and depicts the epic struggle of one man who could have been god, against all those who now rule the world with an intolerant fist. Technology is precious, and hidden from the general populace who are forced to live in a sort of perpetual Dark Age so that the gods they worship may continue the turpitude that is their tyranny. The Hindu religion is used to exploit its followers and the pinnacle of its precepts--Reincarnation--degenerates into nothing more than a bargaining chip to further accentuate the gap in power. Roger Zelazny is an innovator without equal and one of the most important science fiction writers to date.

While A NIGHT IN THE LONESOME OCTOBER may be Zelazny's most fun book, LORD OF LIGHT is probably the greatest. It's science fiction written in the vocabulary of fantasy. Basically, settlers on an alien world, using advanced technology, create a world corresponding to Hindu mythology, with members of the crew taking on the aspects and powers of Hindu deities. There is even a means of electronically providing for reincarnation. The battles between the gods are epic and the verbal depictions are as good as a mural. The ending is also some of Zelazny's most touching writing, without ever dipping into the maudlin.

For a couple of years, Roger Zelazny was reliably the best author in the field of science fiction/fantasy. When I write "best," I mean both the most satisfying to his fans and the most accomplished in a literary sense. During that time he used religion as a hook and nimbly cavorted through the pantheons. "Lord of Light" and to a lesser extent "Creatures of Light and Darkness" were novels of brilliance, but two of his novelettes were lightning bolts constrained to paper and ink: "A Rose for Ecclesiastes" and "But for a Breath I Tarry."

Zelazny, himself, didn't fully appreciate his triumphs. He thought he was in a rut. I remember an interview that appeared in some long-since forgotten magazine in which he said he disliked being regarded as merely a writer of religion-oriented themes.

Not long after that, his bank account grew and his talent shriveled as he was drawn irresistibly into the black hole of his own making that was Amber.

The other reviewers pretty much said it all about this book, which justly deserves its 5 out of 5 stars.
The one small contribution I can make to the collection of rave reviews of this book is:
You know how some books are pretty good but they lose their appeal after the first read? This book has an extremely high re-read value. It's like Neuromancer: I must have read this book 4 or 5 times over the past 15 years, and it remains as good today as it did the first time. The book is so complex and the characters are so rich, that it'll keep your interest on the 2nd reading and beyond.

While A NIGHT IN THE LONESOME OCTOBER may be Zelazny's most fun book, LORD OF LIGHT is probably the greatest. It's science fiction written in the vocabulary of fantasy. Basically, settlers on an alien world, using advanced technology, create a world corresponding to Hindu mythology, with members of the crew taking on the aspects and powers of Hindu deities. There is even a means of electronically providing for reincarnation. The battles between the gods are epic and the verbal depictions are as good as a mural. The ending is also some of Zelazny's most touching writing, without ever dipping into the maudlin.

For a couple of years, Roger Zelazny was reliably the best author in the field of science fiction/fantasy. When I write "best," I mean both the most satisfying to his fans and the most accomplished in a literary sense. During that time he used religion as a hook and nimbly cavorted through the pantheons. "Lord of Light" and to a lesser extent "Creatures of Light and Darkness" were novels of brilliance, but two of his novelettes were lightning bolts constrained to paper and ink: "A Rose for Ecclesiastes" and "But for a Breath I Tarry."

Zelazny, himself, didn't fully appreciate his triumphs. He thought he was in a rut. I remember an interview that appeared in some long-since forgotten magazine in which he said he disliked being regarded as merely a writer of religion-oriented themes.

Not long after that, his bank account grew and his talent shriveled as he was drawn irresistibly into the black hole of his own making that was Amber.

The other reviewers pretty much said it all about this book, which justly deserves its 5 out of 5 stars.
The one small contribution I can make to the collection of rave reviews of this book is:
You know how some books are pretty good but they lose their appeal after the first read? This book has an extremely high re-read value. It's like Neuromancer: I must have read this book 4 or 5 times over the past 15 years, and it remains as good today as it did the first time. The book is so complex and the characters are so rich, that it'll keep your interest on the 2nd reading and beyond.

People seem to either love or hate this book, which is usually a good sign that a book has something to say beyond mere entertainment. I'm not knocking entertainment, but when it is combined with insight and intelligence, then you've really got something. I'm the first to admit that Zelazny often paints scenes with a pointilistic detail that sometimes reads more like a director talking to a cinematographer after a long night in the pub, but I'll grant him that small fault for the brilliant commentary on relgion, decadence, and the ambivalence of heros. It's one thing to give your life for a cause, but would you also give your self respect?
I think this book makes its points without hitting you over the head with them. If you can find the meaning without having it spelled out for you, then you will enjoy it. If you're looking for messages in neon, don't bother.
I loved this book for its contradictions. My experience of life is that it often doesn't make sense, people are not simply good or bad, and there are very few situations free from ambiguity. If you want a George Lucas style neatly tailored space yarn, this book is not for you. But if you've read Sartre, then this book belongs in your mind and your library.

Originally published in 1967, Lord of Light was one of the earliest and best loved novels by author Roger Zelazny. Based on a world long colonized by humans from "long lost Urath", the main theme of the book is the struggle between the denizens of Heaven, who have named themselves Brahma, Shiva, Krishna...etc. after the Hindu Pantheon, and the common man. While the struggle between man and his Gods is a well worn literary plot, here it is approached by a different angle. In Lord of Light, Heaven is located high in the mountains, much like Mount Olympus, and its residents are men descended from the crew of the Star of India, the spaceship that colonized the planet. They possess fantastic levels of technology, even allowing for their reincarnation into new and enhanced bodies. Through this power they rule the rest of the worlds as Gods, suppressing their technological levels to keep themselves in power. There are some who have spurned the power of Heaven, or been cast out, and they seek to advance man upon the world to level they feel more appropriate. The central character of the book, called by many names but best referred to as Sam, founds Buddhism as a counter movement to Hinduism and leads many forces against the gods to break their hold over the planet and accelerate man out of the dark ages.

The Author goes to great lengths to give the story the feel of myth. The book is broken down into seven chapters, each telling a different part of this saga. These chapters have brief headers that give some context to what is about to occur, as well as a quote from various Hindu/Buddhist texts. These are necessary as the chapters do not follow events in a linear fashion, which can be hard to grasp upon first read, but give better feel to the number of years that pass during the course of the novel as well as imparting that ambiguous feel that tend to travel with older texts about the gods and their dealings.

As an author, Zelazny often skirted the edge between Science Fiction and Fantasy. Known for his poetic style and engaging characters, he was considered a leading part of the New Wave of Science Fiction writers in the 1960's. Awarded many Hugo and Nebula awards for his work, he was a prolific publisher of short stories and novels up to his untimely death in 1995 at the age of 58.

As this novel is not the easiest read, I would recommend it to someone of high school age and up that also is possessed of an active and open imagination. Should you enjoy this book, as I hope you will, and seek other titles both Paingod and Other Delusions by Harlan Ellison and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick are quality titles by other New Wave Science Fiction writers.

I am not usually given to hyperbole, BUT... Lord of Light is only one of the best books ever written. period. This is one of the books that elevates sci-fi into the realm of great literature. If you know somebody who denegrates sci-fi as pulp, escapist hack work, give them a copy of Lord of Light.
And if you only know Zelazny through Amber, wait til you get a load of this!!
While I still grieve for the loss of Roger Zelazny (He passed on a few years back), we can all still treasure these gems that he left for us.
Read it. Then read it again. Then maybe give it another read. Every time you pick up something new.
I love this book. (or couldn't you tell)

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.

...
To avoid repetition, I won't repeat the details of the story.
While it's not as easy a read as his Amber series - the story seems more dense somehow, maybe because it's all in one book - Zelazny's dialogue still sparkles and his humor is still as sharp. While it's not exactly hard-core SF, it's an entertaining read, full of surprises, epic moments, and memorable characters.
I was recommended this book by a friend who said I remind him of Yama (the God of Death character in this book). I'm not sure what he meant, but I assume he meant it as a compliment somehow. That's what sticks with me about this book. Hope that helps.

This is one of the greatest science fiction novels ever written. If you are going to read one of Zelazny's books make it this one. It is at times funny, serious, outragous and compassionate. All the characters in it are all too human and each, at times, sucumb to their weaknesses. But all the major characters are given a chance to rise above the best they believe themselves capable of. Don't take offense to the liberties Zelazny takes in the portrayals of Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity and you will learn much about yourself whatever your beliefs are.

Award winning American writer Roger Joseph Zelazny was known to snatch up existing mythologies for his own purposes. This one was no exception to the rule. Lord of Light was awarded the Hugo award for best novel in 1968 and apparently nominated for the Nebula for the same reason. It is also part of the SF Masterworks series, whose aim it was bring important books like this back into print. And if all that doesn’t convince you, George R.R. Martin called it ‘One of the five best SF novels ever written’.

Weird fact: It was announced in 1979 that there was going to be a film, but that fell through due to some 'legal issues’. CIA agent Antonio Mendez stole the script and the production drawings to conceal a rescue mission. Sometimes facts really are stranger than fiction.

Zalazny’s novel is a bizarre blend of science fiction/fantasy with some Hinduism and Buddhism. Yama-Dharma, Tak, and Ratri have been cast down from the heavens cursed to live a mortal existence. Yama builds a massive prayer machine to call Mahasamatman, better known as Sam, back down from 'Nirvana’ in hope that he may be able to help them in some way. He was the first to dare challenge the dictatorial 'deocracy’ and, like Prometheus, try to bring knowledge and technology to the common people.

I thought the story was a little cheesy, but it was an enjoyable read. Zalazny’s gods are not much different from the ones that you read about in Greek mythology; using those puny mortals as their playthings and smiting anyone who doesn’t want to go with the flow. The gods seemed so human that early on the novel I began question their divine claims, it almost seems like they were just humans just posing as deities. There also seemed to be a religion versus reason debate going on as the gods attempt to cripple all technological advancements because they saw them as a threat to their power.

All in all, not my favorite novel, but an interesting read.

It is a rare author who manages to so completely delve into all the ramifications of everything he writes about that one actually finds one's own personal philosophies called into question, deconstructed, and ultimately remade -not by the author's thoughts, nor by his words, but rather by one's own thoughts, and the struggle to fit these thoughts into words one can only find paltry. In a sense, Zelazny has already done your thinking, your self-exploration, for you, and he has done so in an often amazingly poetic fashion. With myself at least, this book, along with the Amber series and the characters therein, struck a chord, a deep one; so it was that every paragraph was accompanied within myself, not by a sense of questioning, but rather a sense of growing realization. Far from being a barrier to - or a poor representation of - actuality, his words are a perfectly transparent conduit; without attempting to impose himself, without having to shout, but also without apology, he (Zelazny-as-character) introduces and explains himself, more clearly and fully than many an acclaimed poet or philosopher. Allow your thoughts to fly off on the most wild tangents imaginable; this is what they are meant to do. If, reading this, you do not know what my next statement means, I encourage you strongly to find out: Reading this book is the closest you or I may come to setting foot upon the Pattern of Amber.