Roger Zelazny and good used bookstores

Post by **Spork** » Sun Feb 27, 2005 5:39 pm

This is kind of a random thread, but I am 1/3 of through the a reread of the chronicles of amber now and wanted to squawk about how much I enjoy zelazny. I just finished "Hand of Oberon" where we find (spoiler) Ganelon to be Oberon. This is really enjoyable stuff!

"this immortal" was the first zelazny book I read, and that was something like 20 years ago. I went immediately to go find everything else he had written. Amber was and is alot of fun.

Back in those days I lived in a small town in upstate new york (plattsburgh) and they had a real used bookstore. The kind of place that you could bring in a used book and go pick a couple more from the shelves in exchange. The kind of place where you have an account for credit on an index card and you know the owner by name. They had alot of those old daw paperback editions which we like my fanstasy lifeblood back then (Klein, Van Vogt, Heinlein, Cherryh, and Norman).

Used book stores today -- pretty much without exception -- suck. You bring in twenty hardcovers very gently used and they offer you 8 dollars or something. Better to give them to the library for the annual yard sale. Oh well, Sunday afternoon and when I finish "the big book of amber" (I know what happens but there are things I didnt pick up on in the previous re-reading), on to "the Warrior Prophet", found on the shelves of the local library.

Post by **Lord Mhoram** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 2:08 am

Spork,

Welcome to the Watch! Good to see a fellow Zelazny fan. Amber is my favorite fantasy series of all time. Go to p210.ezboard.com/bahirashangar and go to Endless Shadows: Zelazny forum if you want to discuss his work further. I used to have my own site, but it crashed.

Anyway, Hand of Oberon is actually my favorite Amber novel.
Other Zelazny novels that I enjoyed:
Damnation Alley
Lord of Light
Last Defender of Camelot and Doors of His Face, Lamps of His Mouth are great short story collections.

Sadly, Zelazny books are tough to find. Many are out of print.

Again, welcome to Kevins Watch.

edit: by the way- no thread is random here. Check out some of the more ridiculous threads and you will see this is far from a random thread.

Post by **Spork** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 4:23 pm

Have you read the two finished after his passing by Jane Liskold? I really enjoyed them both.

I remember when I first read the Amber chroniscles I was really pissed that halfway through we shift to Merlin's point of view instead of corwins. Just like when you first have to deal with Linden Avery, who like many others I abhored at first and only later came to appreciate. But the Logrus is *cool*.

Post by **Lord Mhoram** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 12:18 am

Spork,

Yes, I enjoyed the first five novels much more than Merlin's half. And no, I have yet to read the Lindskold novels though I have heard good things about them.

Post by **duchess of malfi** » Fri Mar 04, 2005 4:25 pm

I read one of the two Lindskold finished books, Lord Demon, and greatly enjoyed it. Donnerjack is on my list to eventually read.

Lindskold has also written a very well done biography of Zelazny, which can sometimes be found at Amazon with a bit of luck.

Three of my all-time favoreite Zelazny books A Night in the Lonesome October, Jack of Shadows, and Creatures of Light and Darkness have been out of print for a long time, and are, sadly, very hard to find. All three are amazingly creative, and Lonesome October is one of the out-right funnest fantasy books I have ever read.

I highly recommend all three if anyone can actually find them!

Post by **Ainulindale** » Fri Mar 04, 2005 8:58 pm

Not exactly on topic I know but I just wanted to say Zelanzy owns. Loved Chronciles of Amber, which he is well known for, but his Sci-fi is awesome as well. my favorite work of Zelazny is probably Lord of the Light.

BTW, I can't stand the Amber novels written after his death. ARRGGHH!

Post by **Spork** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 2:02 am

Finished the Amber chronicles last night -- really good stuff!

Funny story here -- I borrowed the "great book of amber", all ten books in one volume, from the library and 100 pages were missing from the very end. Brought my rampant week of frantic reading to a screeching halt. But they had the last book on the shelves.

Ghostwheel and spikards r0x0r like a m0f0. On now to the second Bakker book after the "Darkness that comes before". Apparently he took fifteen years for the first book and had to finish the second in one year ...

Post by **Ainulindale** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 7:48 am

Finished the Amber chronicles last night -- really good stuff!

Agreed!

On now to the second Bakker book after the "Darkness that comes before". Apparently he took fifteen years for the first book and had to finish the second in one year ...

Warrior Prophet was just a damn good book IMHO, Bakker has been really impressive, this was one of the 10 best books of last year I think.

Post by **Lady Revel** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 2:23 pm

I've finished the first three books, and I can't find Oberon anywhere, I have Chaos waiting and its driving me crazy. Do I skip and read Chaos? Do I wait and read in order? Ack!

PS - Looked in the library, and several used book stores. May have to break down and buy the Great Book at Barnes and Noble. Hah, I just had a stroke of brilliance! Interlibrary Loan!!!!

Post by **Lord Mhoram** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 8:25 pm

Lady Revel,

Hmm, well "Hand of Oberon" is my favorite Amber novel. So I'd recommend getting that and not skipping to "Courts of Chaos." Anyway, the First Chronicles are great, aren't they? So many mysteries and great action. Good stuff.

Post by **Lady Revel** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 1:46 pm

Lord Mhoram,

Yes, Amber is fantastic. I have really enjoyed the ones I have read so far. Zelazny made up a fantastic fantasy world, with almost endless possibilities. I love the trumps, wouldn't you like to have them for your family and friends????

And I still have no idea who Dara is.......although I have some suspicions, but I am probably wrong, LOL.

I think that a library in the next town over has Oberon, so I may just get in my car and take a road trip over! Thank goodness my library system is county wide, my card will work there.

Post by **Lady Revel** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 1:47 pm

Sorry for the double posting.....but I forgot to add a thank you, Lord Mhoram, for it was upon your recommendation that I started reading the Amber books, and I am enjoying them thoroughly.

LR

Post by **Lord Mhoram** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 8:31 pm

Lady Revel,

I am very glad that I have inspired both you and Fist and Faith (who recently PMed me about this) to read those books. They are some of my favorites.

If you like the Trumps, search online and you can find some great ones by artists of each of the characters.

And yes, the Dara mystery will be revealed in detail during the fourth and fifth books.

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 10:34 pm

I am so evil...

45 pages into Nine Princes in Amber and Beorn's already hooked...

My library had to purchase another Great Book of Amber. I had been at the top of the hold list for three months, and I finally followed up on it last week. Turns out the two copies they had were listed as "lost," so they put in a purchase request then and there. I got the book today, and Beorn is immersed.

Now, to hope this will see him through the holidays. But the way this kid reads, I doubt it.

Kevin's Watch

Kevin's Watch

Roger Zelazny and good used bookstores

Roger Zelazny and good used bookstores