Continuing my (re-)reading of the Zelazny canon, I now turn to his first collaboration with Robert Sheckley. I'm not a big enthusiast of comedy in prose. I rarely come across something that makes me burst out laughing or even chuckle softly. Don't misunderstand me - I do enjoy comedy in film, TV, or theatre. However, I believe a significant portion of its appeal stems from tone and presentation. It simply doesn't typically work for me when presented on the page. (This is precisely why I'm not a fan of Terry Pratchett.) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy might be the exception. (It's the only one that readily springs to mind.) So, what were my thoughts on this particular work? It's lighthearted, well-written, and there are even some humorous moments scattered throughout. (Or moments that I could envision being funny in a different medium.) It takes a while to gain momentum. The scenes with Thomas Scrivener at the beginning seem to lead nowhere, and the authors swiftly shift the focus to the millennial challenge, a thousand-year contest between the forces of good and evil. The challenge is a bit absurd, and the characters are equally so - and I mean that in the most complimentary way. The humor is intended to arise from this absurdity. However, the authors seem to throw in anything and everything they can think of. I mean, Santa Claus makes an appearance (more than once, actually). What on earth is that all about? It almost gives the impression that Zelazny and Sheckley were attempting to outdo each other and writing this merely to amuse one another. I don't want to say that I didn't enjoy it. It's fun, lighthearted, and silly, but it's just not to my personal taste. And there are two more books in the series to look forward to (?).
I found that this work is more of a writer's jam rather than a co-written book in the traditional sense. It has a very light and fun tone. I have really enjoyed some of Zelazny's previous works, but I am unfamiliar with Robert Sheckley. Reading this, one gets the impression that they simply improvised some funny scenes and then wrote them down. The narrative is cohesive, yet it meanders at times. It wasn't exactly to my taste, but I can imagine that if I were quite a bit younger, I probably would have found it really funny. It may not be on the same level as Gaiman and Pratchett, but it's still nice to see writers experimenting and collaborating. It shows the creativity and flexibility that can come from different minds working together. It makes me wonder what other interesting works could come from such collaborations in the future.