I was lucky enough to find a copy at Book Man in Nashville about eight years ago, and I’ve never seen another in the wild, infuriating because this is one of those books you read and want immediately to recommend to everyone you know who shows the slightest interest in speculative fiction. Meanwhile, Creatures of Light and Darkenss, Zelazny’s other triumph of mythopeic style, languished in ever-shrinking numbers on used bookstore shelves. Lord of Light has long been recognized as a classic for its mixture of humor, action, and philosophy, and its willingness to abandon the European context traditional to science fiction in recognition of this, it won the Hugo and was reprinted years ago in a handsome Eon books edition. This is the Zelazny who wrote Lord of Light, one of my top three favorite books for about 15 years now. People remember Zelazny primarily for his Amber Chronicles, which are great fun and should be read by anyone who thinks themselves a fan of sword and sorcery or film noir, but there is another Zelazny, a poet of divine and mythic scope, of subtle humor and epic confrontation.
When the geniuses of the field are remembered at all, they’re often remembered for their lesser work, and it’s rare to see justice done.įor now, though, I get to rejoice: Roger Zelazny’s Creatures of Light and Darkness is back in print. Her greatest scribes are forgotten, or read by a vanishing fraction even of those who profess themselves fans of the genre.
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