2007 books

[peteryoung]

26) Roger Zelazny, This Immortal, 1968
Conrad Nomikos, an exceptionally long-lived man, is asked to escort an alien Vegan as he tours a ruined, far-future and de-populated Earth. He doesn't know why, but he takes the job anyway. People are speculating that the Vegans are planning to acquire the planet, and taking in Haiti, Egypt and mostly Greece, their travels with an accompanying assassin, spy, politician and musician become a great adventure that skirts the edges of Greek myth and legend. Conrad is a very engaging and well-defined character, the settings are good and the action sequences fluid, but what I'll remember most is the effortless way Zelazny captures group dialogue, being able to convey with ease the world-weary humour of all those talking. A fun novel that works rather well on different levels.

Comments

[nwhyte]

Thanks for this review. The book is a real favourite of mine.

[peteyoung.livejournal.com]

It reminded me in some ways of Delany's The Einstein Intersection, which is probably my all-time favourite SF read.

Doorways

[godelescherbach.livejournal.com]

I think it is time to do some re-reading of Zelazny. Doorways in the Sand, that's the ticket!

Re: Doorways

[peteyoung.livejournal.com]

I'm ashamed to say the only other Zelazny I've read is Roadmarks, which is good. On the strength of This Immortal I'm sure I'll get round to Lord of Light soon.

Re: Doorways

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

I'd recommend The Dream Master too, which is from around the same era -- 1966/1967. Also the collection The Doors of His Face, The Lamps of His Mouth. (I actually didn't care for Lord of Light the one time I read it, but this was all so long ago that I no longer remember why. Perhaps I couldn't forgive him for that infamous pun.)

Re: Doorways

[nwhyte]

Yeah, that one is a favourite of mine too - the perpetual student, the aliens disguised as a donkey and a kangaroo, etc...