One of the best science fiction novels I have ever read is truly a remarkable piece of work.

Even though this novel is under 200 pages, it took me a considerable amount of time both to get into and to follow. The world that Zelazny has crafted is an astonishing blend of Hindu gods and high technology. It's a unique combination that makes the story feel like an ancient mythological epic set within the framework of science fiction.

Once I managed to grasp the essence and gist of the story, I was completely amazed by its brilliance. The way Zelazny weaves together these disparate elements is truly masterful. I can envision myself reading this novel several more times in the coming years. Each time, I believe I will discover new details and nuances that I missed before. It's a book that has the power to captivate and engage readers on multiple levels, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys science fiction or unique and imaginative storytelling.

In the distant 67th year, when he was only 30 years old, Roger Zelazny created "Lord of Light" - a story with an epic and unrivaled ideological and philosophical scope, confined to a meager 350 pages, yet containing the potential to ignite the engine of an unprecedented franchise - as innovative as "The Matrix", as visual as the Marvel movies, and as profound as the best examples of contemporary science fiction. With its non-linear and at times terrifying narrative, the novel remains a true treasure, which is due to the patient and attentive reader.

In forgotten times, the colonists from the spaceship "New India" reached a planet full of virgin beauty, over which a flaming magnetic cloud called the "Divine Bridge" spread. Using a rich arsenal of drugs and narcotics, biotechnology, neurosurgery, and hypnosis, many of the pioneers gained the ability to assume a specific "form", mastering a certain "attribute" - a mysterious ability that incredibly increased their mental or physical capabilities, helping them to manipulate the environment in different ways. Thanks to their newly acquired powers, which they focused with special artifacts when needed, the earthlings waged an unrelenting war against the local inhabitants of the planet - spirits of pure energy, controlling the natural elements. In the destructive battles, Sam emerged, whose attribute allowed him to control electromagnetic fields. He subdued the demons and imprisoned them in the Infernal Repository - a system of caves, tunnels, and fissures that started from the planet's crust and extended its pipes to its core.

The victors, who had conquered the planet and possessed unimaginable technologies, melted a mighty mountain range and covered the skeleton of the bare plateau with fertile soils to lay the foundation of their "Heavens". Surrounded by an inaccessible dome in which clouds formed, crawling over the dome of eternal summer and crowned by the "Kilometer Tower", the "Heavenly City" rose. It was filled with beautiful palaces and pavilions, luxurious gardens, and relaxation rooms, hanging over the mind-boggling abysses, and at its end, a wild mountain extended, in the middle of which albino tigers roamed undisturbed. Assuming the forms and names of the gods from the Indian pantheon, the powerful pioneers retired to a life of luxury, pleasure, and lust. They developed and perfected a methodology for transferring consciousness, called "atman" into new and new bodies, to ensure themselves immortality and omnipotent power.

The human societies that were born on the planet remained stuck in technological development close to the Middle Ages. In the endless stream of time, kingdoms rose and fell, until the gods intervened in every invention or innovation, suppressing the awake and unyielding mind - from the printing press to the sewer system. Their servants built a system of temples in which the high Brahmins could maintain a direct video link with the Heavenly City, and a dark caste of men dressed in black, called the "Lords of Karma", controlled the teleportation devices. Psychological tests that penetrated even the most secret corners of consciousness revealed whether the candidate for a new body strictly followed the divine dogmas and was worthy of receiving the blessing from above. The secret remained inaccessible to the poor, the disrespectful, and the dangerous, except in cases when their consciousnesses were transferred into animal or diseased human bodies.

It was Sam the Conqueror who rose against the status quo of the Trimurti (Shiva, Vishnu, and the all-powerful Brahma - the wife, always transferring her atman into healthy and young male bodies), the four guardians of the world, called "lokapalas", and all the other gods and demigods. He stood behind the movement of the accelerists despised by Heaven, who believed that the technologies should be shared with ordinary people. To undermine the power of the ruling Hinduism, Sam revived the teachings of Buddha and earned himself the nickname Siddhartha.

Gradually, the peaceful preachings turned into an open war with the heavenly forces and their futuristic weapons. Desperately seeking allies for his cause, Sam was forced to free the wild demon-giants imprisoned in the Infernal Repository and make a deal with their leader Taraka, and Renfrew, the deposed chaplain of "New India", who was a cursed Christian, raised an army of zombies controlled by a drumbeat and created a fleet armed with guided missiles. What followed were cunning conspiracies, unknown turns, and titanic clashes of powerful weapons and magic in a fragmented and exciting narrative, after reading which you will either say "What the hell..." or "Wow", but you will definitely not remain indifferent...

This one was truly strange.

On one hand, it's an extremely old science fiction piece intertwined with religion, where the characters are literally ancient Hindu deities (albeit not in a literal sense, I understand).

On the other hand, its themes remain highly relevant today. Consider, for example, the body swapping aspect (particularly when used as an allegory for online avatars).

This concept is rather ingenious in all the right ways. However, that same genius sometimes verges on madness, which is why some reviewers here don't like it.

Overall, though, I view that as part of its allure. This wasn't a story where everything had to make perfect sense or be easily explainable, and Roger was aware of that.

My main complaint was certain jumps within the story that truly made me lose the thread for a short while.

4.5 out of 5 stars.

Fantastic.
Whoa. Zelazny is truly impressing me. This is the second work of Zelazny that I've read, and both have been thrilling.
One thing is certain: he adopted a distinct style and executed it flawlessly. It could perhaps be described as Hindu-flavored sci-fi, presented in the vocabulary of epic fantasy. Part of the enjoyment lies in deciphering what is actually taking place; as the narrator speaks of magic, it is often obscure futuristic technology that is doing the crucial work.
Our characters are remarkably multidimensional, captivating, and intelligent, yet also brutal, powerful, and inspiring. Sam is the kind of character that I aspire to be, but I'll be content with simply reading about him. I adored the way loyalties and alliances shifted for the sake of honor and strategy.
Another standout feature is the fight sequences; some of the (possibly the) best I've ever read. What frequently occurs, especially in fantasy, is that the author halts the plot and character development to accommodate a supposedly epic fight scene, leaving us with no new insights. Zelazny is different; his fights advance the plot and build character simultaneously, with suspenseful and incredible action. And his subtext is as sharp as a sword.
The positives are abundant: he is a wordsmith of genius caliber; his characters are fantastic; the concept is unique and enjoyable; the dialogue is brilliant; the plot and pacing are filled with intrigue and compel the reader to turn the page.
How could I not award this 5 stars? My only grievances pertain to the timeline - which is out of order and disorienting. Additionally, the difficulty in understanding what the narrator implies but struggles to express, while fascinating, requires the reader's mind to work a little too hard for it to be a completely relaxing read. For these reasons:
4.5 stars. But darn it, I wish there was a sequel.