Science fiction, mythology, Greece, actually the topic is a perfect match.

But I think there is a problem in the translation.

....

A science fiction book adorned with mythological elements. This year, after reading all of them, as a person who was amazed, when Dante, Homer, Joyce were mentioned, I said 'heh,' and thought 'they won't leave you alone!':))

Every time he talked about the shores of Kos, I missed our pre-pandemic days. I also thought he could have written about Kios, Lesvos, etc. My troubles are only this much for now. If we return to the book;

As a result of nuclear disasters, nothing remains of the known world, the human population is very small, and people have emigrated to other planets.

Our character Conrad is an immortal person (also from Athens) in a dying world. He has dedicated himself to protecting the world.

He is given the task of showing the world to a journalist from the Vega planet. And he is trying to solve the purpose of this blue race on Earth.

I don't know what took me so long to read Zelazny. It was actually the Dickheads podcast series on the Hugo winners of the 60's that finally motivated me to do so. You see, this book shared the 1966 Hugo award for best science fiction novel. I will have more detailed thoughts when we record the podcast. When that is released, I will add it to this review.

Thanks to the shared award with Dune, it is impossible not to compare the two. That is really too bad because no science fiction novel should have to be compared to one of the greatest masterpieces of the genre. I don't know what the voters were thinking this year, but This Immortal does not hold a candle to Dune, not then or ever. Is it better than some of the others that won that decade? Sure, This Immortal is sneaky weird, and I think some of the merits of the novel are easy to miss. I mean, this novel is certainly better than Fritz Lieber's The Wanderer, but it came out the same year as Dune.

I mean, Shawshank Redemption didn't win shit at the Oscars thanks to Forrest Gump coming out the same year. It happens.

To be honest, I was not a huge fan of this book. But that could've been because I just re-read Dune for this same series. There is a lot of cool stuff in this story. It takes place decades after a three-day war and a decades-long occupation by aliens from Vega. That sets up all kinds of unintentional humor as the aliens are referred to as Vegans. In one sense, it is cool that RZ had them coming from a real star you can see on any clear night, but why would their species go by the name we have for their star?

The story is about a Vegan who wants a tour of the earth ruins so he can write a history of our species. There are spies from many different worlds, assassins, mutants, genetically engineered monsters, and plenty of action. I think there are lots of classical references that went straight over my head. Some of my favorite moments came when you saw RZ stretch his imagination with some of the descriptions of the vegans or the alien landscapes.

This is a short read, so I think it is important for completionists and serious students of the genre. But I am not sure I would recommend it for general readers. More thoughts will come on the podcast.

This 5-star rating is not just about how much I relished this book; it's more about the book itself. Set in a post-apocalyptic Earth, it has a basic, yet epic, journey as its central plot, featuring only one truly captivating character. And what a remarkable Kallikanzaros he proves to be!

Conrad, the narrator, returns to the radioactive Earth to guide an alien Vegan on a tour of Mediterranean ruins. The mutations and alien species introduced after the nuclear conflagration have rendered most of the world inhospitable. Man-eating monsters and mutant cannibals plague the travelers. During the journey, he stumbles upon a plan that could impact the planet's future, and it's intertwined with the Vegan.

Zelazny's phrases like "The screen was sucked upwards." and "The grey green sea was like a carpet being pulled out from under us" keep the reader constantly guessing. The first-person perspective immerses everything in the "now", yet in his stream of consciousness narrative, the character hints at events dating back to the days of Hercules. The writer keeps explaining, but it's about questions the reader isn't asking, leading to even more queries. The story draws inspiration from Prometheus Unbound and even Heart of Darkness, with the main character named Conrad. In Conrad, there's resignation, rage, frustration, and that tough cowboy detachment born of having seen it all more than once. The world is both fantastical and terrifying. Interactions with other characters, like the knife conversation with the assassin Hussan, are as cool as any from the 60s.

This book elevates science fiction literature to the literary realm. It differs from Zelazny's more fantasy-oriented Amber series in that the mythological references and Conrad are more engaging. By referencing legend, he adds nuances impossible in a completely fabricated world. As artistic as Junot Diaz and with a unique voice like Ntozake Shange, it was the co-winner of the 1968 Hugo, along with Dune. While the latter's Space Opera has captured the popular imagination over the past 40 years, this book's introspection and world weariness truly leave you breathless. I believe this book will have a longer-lasting impact.

I couldn't quite decide between awarding this novel three or four stars. Maybe it leans a little more towards three. The story is indeed enjoyable, but I had the sense that Zelazny could have delved deeper and done more with the plot. Conrad, or the Kalikantzaros as he is also known, is responsible for safeguarding the treasures of the Earth. However, during a Vegan's tour of the planet, Conrad finds himself not only protecting the Vegan but also dealing with the complex situation that has arisen. The Vegans, who are from the star system Vega (and not to be confused with those who avoid good food), have purchased most of the Earth after humans nearly destroyed themselves and the planet in a three-day nuclear war. In the end, and here comes a spoiler, the Vegans are so impressed with Conrad that they decide to turn the Earth over to his custody. It's an interesting twist, but I couldn't help but feel that there was more potential that could have been explored.

Zelazny won the Hugo for this novel, and it's not hard to understand why. Conrad, with his many names, is a captivating figure. The immortal of the title traverses a vividly and poetically portrayed post-apocalyptic earth. Economically, this earth is almost entirely supported by alien tourists who are fascinated by earth's history and the near destruction of the planet in the Three Day War. There is a depth of thought about this future society that is evident on almost every page. Yet, I never once had the experience of wondering, “Why is Zelazny telling me this now? Why can't we get on with the story?”

The plot centers around a wealthy Vegan who desires to write a travel guide to earth's most significant sightseeing spots, beginning with Egypt and the Great Pyramids. Conrad is an official in the government agency responsible for protecting the historical monuments. He has no inclination to play tour guide, especially when it becomes clear that some of the humans attached to the tour wish to see the Vegan die before leaving earth. They worry that the alien's true purpose is to lay the groundwork for the Vegans to purchase the rest of the planet.

This is where Zelazny truly showcases his depth. Much of the plot revolves around a political terrorist group that has adopted the ideology of Returnism—wanting all humans to return to earth and make it an independent planet once again. Conrad actually initiated this movement and led the terrorist cell in an earlier life. However, he reached a point where he believed it was incapable of achieving the Returnist aim and instead began exploring other paths. As with many diasporas, most humans no longer live on the planet. The sad truth that the Returnists refuse to face is that second and third generation humans who have never seen earth have no desire to return there at all. Their lives are now elsewhere, but the fanatics cannot abandon the dream and have become convinced that killing this Vegan is the key to earth's eventual independence.

To achieve their objective, they have hired a captivating assassin named Hasan. Due to a peculiar reaction to a longevity procedure, he is also effectively immortal (at least he has lived for a very long time as a young man). Conrad and he know each other well, but now they are reluctantly on opposite sides of the Vegan problem.

As if this tension weren't sufficient, the post-apocalyptic earth is an extremely dangerous place, with mutations giving rise to legends from myth and other monsters. Overall, it's simply a delightful tale filled with Zelazny's impressionistic characterizations that linger in the mind years after reading the piece.

This time, I listened to an audio edition narrated by Victor Bevine. At first, I thought his slow speaking rate would ruin the novel. (I never consider Zelazny's books to be slow-paced.) Fortunately, I quickly grew to love the nuance with which he presented Zelazny's prose and brought his characters to life. Whether in print or audio, this book is deserving of its Hugo and well worth your time.

If you enjoyed this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.

"This Immortal" tied with "Dune" for the 1966 Hugo for best novel. Who knew? It's quite an interesting fact.

While "Dune" is a lengthy, dense, sequel-spawning juggernaut, "This Immortal" is a relatively short story based around an interesting premise. They are really not on the same scale.

"This Immortal" is well written, with a humorous protagonist. It has a certain charm that reminds me more of Zelazny's "Lord of Light" which I loved deeply. On the other hand, it has less resemblance to "Nine Princes in Amber" which didn't quite capture my fancy.

The two works that tied for the Hugo Award in 1966 are so different in nature. "Dune" has its grandeur and complexity, while "This Immortal" has its own unique allure with its concise storytelling and engaging protagonist. It makes one wonder about the diverse range of优秀 works in the science fiction genre and how different they can be while still being highly regarded.

This is a great book. It has many interesting aspects and engaging storylines.

However, I have to say that in my opinion, "Lord of Light" was slightly better. The world-building in "Lord of Light" was truly remarkable. It created a vivid and immersive universe that captured my imagination from the very beginning.

The characters in "Lord of Light" were also more complex and well-developed. They had their own motives, desires, and flaws, which made them feel more real and relatable.

While this book is great, it just couldn't quite match up to the excellence of "Lord of Light" in my eyes. Nevertheless, it is still a book that I would highly recommend to others.

This is a rather entertaining sci-fi story.

It is set on the future Earth, which has endured a nuclear holocaust, leaving only 4 million inhabitants, a significant number of whom have mutated.

The Earth has now become a vacation destination for an alien race known as Vegans. The main protagonist, Conrad, a mutant with incredible strength, has been entrusted with the duty of escorting one of the Vegans around to visit ancient sites.

The story is somewhat confusing, filled with intense and violent action scenes between Conrad and other mutant creatures as well as humans.

While I can understand why many readers have given this book a high rating, it really isn't the kind of thing that I personally enjoy.

I prefer stories that focus more on character development and less on mindless violence. However, for those who love action-packed sci-fi adventures, this book might be a great choice.

The article was rather amusing and satirical, filled with some truly witty writing.

However, as the story progressed, events just seemed to occur somewhat randomly.

It was as if they were happening simply because it was a cool sci-fi concept, without much in the way of a clear or logical reason.

This lack of a solid narrative thread sometimes made it difficult to fully engage with the story.

Despite the clever writing and interesting sci-fi elements, the randomness of the events detracted from the overall impact.

It would have been nice to see more thought put into the sequencing and causation of the events, so that the story felt more cohesive and satisfying.

Perhaps with a bit more work on the narrative structure, this could have been a truly great piece of sci-fi literature.

As it stands, it has its moments of entertainment, but also leaves something to be desired in terms of a fully developed and engaging story.

Meh. Zelazny.

He is a Hugo award co-winner, having tied with Dune.

One would think that I was supposed to love his work.

However, for some reason, I just have a meh feeling about it.

Maybe it's because I had such high expectations going in, or perhaps it's that his style just doesn't quite click with me.

Either way, it's a bit disappointing.

I keep trying to give his books a chance, hoping that I'll suddenly have that "aha" moment and understand why so many people rave about him.

But so far, it hasn't happened.

Still, I'm not giving up.

There's always the possibility that the next Zelazny book I pick up will be the one that changes my mind.

Until then, I'll just have to keep saying meh.

This Immortal was my very first foray into the world of sci-fi books.

Initially, I really struggled to get into it. There were simply too many strange names and places that seemed to jumble together in my mind.

But as I persisted, something wonderful happened. I discovered that beneath the initial confusion lay a truly good story.

Zelazny's writing style is quite unique and definitely takes some time to get accustomed to. He peppers his work with numerous references to classical literature and mythology.

To be honest, a great deal of it went right over my head. However, once I managed to immerse myself fully in the story, I began to appreciate the finer details.

His dialogue was exceptionally well done, often laced with a healthy dose of humor that added an extra layer of enjoyment.

Moreover, his descriptions were so vivid that they painted a clear picture of the strange other-world characters that populated the story.

I have to admit that I really liked the ending.

Zelazny's writing can, at times, seem rather cryptic. Fortunately, I had a friend who was familiar with his work and was able to help me understand some of the more puzzling aspects.

PS - I thoroughly enjoyed James Wong's review of this book. Below is a link to his review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

This is Zelazny's first novel - and, unfortunately, it shows.

There is a certain amount of plot that could potentially form the basis of a taut novella. However, in this case, it has been expanded to twice that size. This inflation is achieved through lengthy and dull conversations that seem to go on and on without adding much value. Additionally, there are superfluous or overly emphasized fight scenes that further contribute to the bloat.

The characters in the novel are not particularly interesting. They lack depth and complexity, making it difficult for the reader to become invested in their stories. The plot, such as it is, is basically incomprehensible until a large amount of exposition is provided at the end. This makes the reading experience rather frustrating, as the reader is left confused and struggling to make sense of what is happening for much of the book.

Overall, I can't really recommend this novel even to Zelazny fans. While it may have some redeeming qualities, such as Zelazny's unique writing style, the flaws in the plot, characters, and pacing are too significant to overlook.