Years ago, I had a great passion for reading Zelazny's Amber series.

This old anthology of short stories was truly remarkable. Most of the stories within it were not only amazing but also felt timeless, as if they had not aged at all.

A significant number of these stories leaned more towards the realm of fantasy rather than pure science fiction.

One aspect that I really enjoyed was his detailed comments about each piece. He shared insights such as why he wrote them and how they related to other works of his.

However, it should be noted that some of the stories were rather skeletal in nature.

Just like most collections, this one was also a mixed bag, containing a variety of different styles and qualities.

Overall, despite its few shortcomings, Zelazny's Amber series remains a memorable and engaging read for me.

If you only read one Zelazny collection, Read THE DOORS OF HIS FACE, THE LAMPS OF HIS MOUTH.

If you read two…well I’m still not sure this is it.

If you’re already a Zelazny fan, then absolutely, go for it.

While this collection is full of solid writing, I didn’t love it.

It’s full of experimental stories and places where Zelazny pulls aside the curtain to show us how his craft works.

One fascinating habit of his includes writing short stories for characters in his novels that are not intended to do anything but create a depth of character – to ensure there is more to the character offscreen.

Unfortunately, it also feels like this is a collection of trunk stories and also-rans.

The two best stories in this collection are the endcaps, and they’re fantastic.

UNICORN VARIATIONS involves a man who must beat a unicorn at a game of chess for the fate of humanity.

He’s allowed weeks between moves, and Bigfoot becomes his chess coach.

Griffons show up to drink the beer and cheer the game along.

It’s a nice bit of fluff fantasy with a gentle but optimistic message of hope for us all.

THE GEORGE BUSINESS develops a clever origin story for St. George.

The title telegraphs this, the story reinforces it, but Zelazny still manages to deliver an effective final line sting.

It actually elicited a verbal response from me, so that’s some solid storytelling.

Probably the most interesting story was THE HORSES OF LIR.

This manages to wrap Loch Ness with the Lovecraft mythos, but in a character-driven tale that is more dream-cycle than cosmic horror.

I think I love this story.

I will certainly be back to revisit it.

Overall, this collection has its strengths and weaknesses.

The experimental nature of some of the stories may not appeal to all readers, but for those who are interested in seeing how Zelazny’s mind works, it can be a fascinating read.

The two endcap stories are definitely worth the price of admission, and THE HORSES OF LIR is a standout that I would highly recommend.

If you’re a Zelazny fan or a lover of fantasy and science fiction, it’s definitely worth checking out.

However, if you’re new to Zelazny or looking for a more straightforward collection of stories, you may want to start elsewhere.

I just picked up this wonderful piece of work that has been sitting in a box for years and years. It's truly amazing how time can make us forget certain things. But as soon as I laid my hands on it, all the memories came flooding back. I forgot how much I like Zelazny's writing.

And then, just like that, I found it again. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love this story. It's like a hidden treasure that I've rediscovered. I am so excited that I am going to share it with my pal Lucas, who has a great love for chess. I think he will really enjoy it too.

I haven't read many things by Roger Zelazny, but I fell in love with "A Night in the Lonesome October" years ago and that's how it all started - backwards, without order and zigzagging. The stories are not easy to write, but there were wonderful hits here - definitely "Home Is the Hangman" seems the strongest to me (maybe also because of its length), but at least another 10 deserve attention, among which "The Varieties of Man", "A Handful of Galaxies", "The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth", "My Diode Lady", "The Mars Returned on a Starless Night"... In fact, there are many and all are beautiful! There are also some very short and strange ones, but the notes to each story help and were extremely interesting to me. I will continue with Zelazny - it was love at first sight and it continues to be so.

He has a unique writing style that draws you in and makes you want to explore more of his fictional worlds. The characters he creates are complex and vivid, and the plots are full of twists and turns. Whether it's science fiction or fantasy, Zelazny always manages to bring something new and exciting to the table.

I highly recommend his works to anyone who enjoys good literature. You won't be disappointed!

Let me begin by stating that Roger Zelazny is an extremely brilliant writer.

Although I didn't have an intense love for every single story in this collection, I was still completely captivated by the outstanding writing and storytelling.

This was a charming and humorous compilation of diverse sci-fi/fantasy tales, with each one being more peculiar than the previous.

My absolute favorite has to be the very first story in this collection, which, by a stroke of luck, also shares its title with the book itself.

Overall, "Unicorn Variations" was a much-needed sci-fi/fantasy adventure that I devoured in a very short time and thoroughly relished.

It's a collection that showcases Zelazny's remarkable talent and imagination, taking readers on a journey through different and exciting worlds.

Whether you're a die-hard sci-fi/fantasy fan or just looking for an entertaining read, "Unicorn Variations" is definitely worth checking out.

My favourite collection of Zelazny's short stories is truly remarkable.

"Go Starless in the Night" is a gem within this collection. It is just beautiful in its portrayal and storytelling.

The way Zelazny weaves the narrative, creating a vivid and enchanting world, is simply captivating.

The characters come to life on the pages, their emotions and experiences palpable.

The story takes the reader on a journey through a mysterious and atmospheric landscape, filled with wonder and a touch of the unknown.

Each word seems carefully chosen to paint a picture in the reader's mind, making it a truly immersive experience.

Zelazny's ability to create such a unique and engaging story is a testament to his talent as a writer.

This collection as a whole is a must-read for any fan of short stories or science fiction.

It offers a diverse range of tales that will transport you to different worlds and leave you with a sense of awe and inspiration.

"Go Starless in the Night" is just one example of the brilliance that can be found within these pages.

It is a story that will stay with you long after you have finished reading, leaving you eager to explore more of Zelazny's works.

The title story is truly fantastic. It grabs your attention from the very beginning and takes you on an exciting journey. There are also a few other really good reads in this collection. They offer unique perspectives and engaging plots that keep you turning the pages.

Unfortunately, there were several stories that I wish I'd been warned to skip. These stories either had content that was not to my taste or were written in a style that I found difficult to follow. It would have been nice to have known in advance which ones to avoid.

And then there were a couple of stories that I regret skipping. I just didn't have the energy to read them all, and pregnancy can really take a toll on your stamina. But looking back, I think I might have missed out on some great stories.

Overall, this collection has its highs and lows. The good stories make it worth reading, but you do have to be a bit selective.

Short and brilliant.

An astonishing contemporary story-tale-myth from one of the masters of short prose, Roger Zelazny.

Roger Zelazny was renowned for his ability to craft captivating and thought-provoking short stories. His works often combined elements of fantasy, science fiction, and philosophy in a unique and engaging way.

In this particular piece, his talent shines through. The story-tale-myth he presents is both enchanting and profound. It takes the reader on a journey through a world filled with strange and wonderful characters and events.

The brevity of the piece only adds to its charm. Zelazny manages to convey a complex and meaningful message in just a few short paragraphs. His writing is concise yet powerful, leaving a lasting impression on the reader.

Overall, this is a prime example of Zelazny's mastery of the short story form. It is a must-read for anyone who appreciates great literature.

This collection, by design, contains a wide variation of Zelazny’s short stories. Some I thought were crap, some I thought amazing. It includes some of his most-recognized works, such as the titular “Unicorn Variations” and “Home is the Hangman”, both among the highlights of the collection.

Often, the things I get caught up on in a book is tied to things I’ve been thinking about elsewhere. In “Home is the Hangman”, for example, a computer expert tries to weasel his way out of a job by arguing that computer people are a dime a dozen. He claims that these days, children are taught computer science from their first year in school, so everyone knows a lot about it. However, this assumption from the seventies and early eighties that computers would be like cars, with everyone being a tinkerer, has not come to pass. Instead, we no longer tinker on either cars or computers, and even computer science majors often aren’t taught the basics. I’m not sure if we’ve lost anything by leaving automotive work to the professionals, but I do think we’ve lost something important by turning computer science into a priesthood.

“Home is the Hangman” is not about this, but it does touch on the priesthood and what it means when their creation begins to question them. The “hangman” in the story is a space probe with uncertain intelligence, built with human flaws and sent to observe the solar system. There’s also a touch of original sin and creator issues.

“Last of the Wild Ones” is another highlight, and it also explores the relationship between man and his creations. Artificial intelligence was a big question in science fiction at the time, and Zelazny was a master at exploiting it. Here, some motor vehicles have gone wild and must be hunted on the southern plains like intelligent buffalo.

“My Lady of the Diodes” is not as compelling as those two, but it is more prophetic. The main character has basically created an iPhone and talks to it to solve problems. Zelazny turns the usual question on its head and asks what happens when the artificial agent becomes attached to the user.

“The George Business” is completely different and is a simple, fun short story with a great trick ending. George makes a deal with a dragon to kidnap a princess and then save her, and the dragon returns the favor. Out of failure comes legend.

However, not all the stories are as successful. “And I Only Am Escaped to Tell Thee” is a less interesting trick-ending story that fails because the author is too focused on getting to the ending and not having fun along the way. It also made me wonder how common knowledge of the Marie Celeste was, even among science fiction readers. Without that knowledge, the story falls flat, especially pre-Internet.

Even where the stories failed, they often did so because they introduced interesting ideas but left them unmined. “Walpurgisnacht”, for example, introduces the idea of artificially-intelligent memorial holograms, but the story doesn’t develop this idea further.

Despite the mixed bag, the highlights of this collection are well worth the time. “The Horses of Lir” is a great example of a story without a traditional plot that is still poignant and fantastic. Overall, this collection is all over the map, but it has some real gems.

Zelazny is in fine form, although perhaps not quite as good as "The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth" or "The Last Defender of Camelot". But there are definitely some gems here and the baseline is high as it should be with this author at the helm. The best novella is probably without much doubt the one that opens the book (the title novella), a dryly humorous fantasy about unicorns that drink beer and play chess.

"The Horses of Lir" is an almost bucolic novella with a surprisingly moving ending and feels almost like one of Lovecraft's dream tales. A recurring favorite is also "The George Business" which is as entertaining now as when I read it the first time. I would really like to know if those who wrote the script for Dragonheart read it, too. "The Last of the Wild Ones" is responsible for the book's best opening, a flowing piece of prose poetry that only Zelazny could have written.

As usual, it is his language that is the greatest asset. Few people can write both so heartrendingly beautifully and poetically; while at the same time being able to write just as beautifully with short and straightforward prose, and at the same time being able to express a fantastically dry humor.

Selection of stories and novels has long achieved an iconic status among the fans of fantasy literature. This is because Zelazny is unique and unrepeatable, breaking genre boundaries and canons, mixing science with mythological archetypes, and garnishing his prose with a unique sense of humor and impressive erudition. (I must admit that precisely because of it, there were works that I didn't fully understand...).

My personal favorites:

"The Variations of the Unicorn" - The title work is an absolute peak in the field of fantasy - as fresh and dosely optimistic as it is seriously thought-provoking.

"The Last Defender of Camelot" - A great post-apocalyptic setting with "animated" and rather dangerous cars.

"Home is the Hangman" - Hard science fiction with a philosophical bent - a story of crime and redemption through a prosthesis.

"And I Have Lived to See" - Ultra-short, but for the sake of it, a higher flight in the "ghostly" genre.

"My Diode Lady" - A breathtaking techno-crime thriller with an impressive finale.

"The Horses of Lir" - A beautiful work with a touch of mythology, as only this author knows how to create.

"Walpugisnacht" - A story about a restless graveyard of the future.

"George's Business" - A humorous fantasy, just to my taste.

An eclectic collection of Zelazny shorts awaits, accompanied by insightful commentary from the author himself. In my view, this isn't Zelazny's most easily readable or accessible collection. It mainly consists of experimental pieces. However, if you're already a devoted Zelazny fan, I highly recommend picking this up. It offers valuable insights into the author's methodology and provides a fascinating glimpse at some of his lesser-known work.

There is so much more to Zelazny than just Amber, Lord of Light, and Rose for Ecclesiastes. He was a hardworking writer who was constantly challenging himself and always eager to experiment. His creativity knew no bounds, and this collection showcases his willingness to push the boundaries of the genre. Whether you're a long-time fan or new to Zelazny's work, this collection is sure to offer something of interest.