Roger Zelazny

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Science Fiction Writer
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Roger Zelazny
Born:	May 13, 1937 Euclid, Ohio
Died:	June 14, 1995 Santa Fe, New Mexico
Occupation(s):	Author
Nationality:	American
Genre(s):	Fantasy, science fiction
Literary movement:	New Wave
Debut work(s):	"The Dream Master" (1965)
Magnum Opus:	The Chronicles of Amber series

Roger Joseph Zelazny (May 13, 1937 – June 14, 1995) was an American writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels. He won the Nebula award three times and the Hugo award six times, including twice for novels: the novella ...And Call Me Conrad (1966), subsequently published as the novel This Immortal, and the novel Lord of Light (1968).

1 Biography
2 Bibliographies
3 Experimental novels and unpublished sketches
4 Bibliography
5 Awards
6 Trivia
7 References
8 External links

[edit] Biography

Zelazny was born in Euclid, Ohio, the only child of Polish immigrant Joseph Frank Zelazny (Żelazny, Polish for "iron" -adjective) and Irish-American Josephine Sweet. In high school, Roger Zelazny was the editor of the school newspaper and joined the Creative Writing Club. In the fall of 1955, he began attending Western Reserve University and graduated with a B.A. in English in 1959. He was accepted to Columbia University in New York and specialized in Elizabethan and Jacobean drama, graduating with a M.A. in 1962.

Zelazny had a rare gift for conceiving and portraying worlds with plausible magic systems, powers, and supernatural beings. His captivating descriptions of the nuts and bolts of magical workings in his imagined worlds set his fantasy writing apart from otherwise similar authors. His science fiction was highly influenced by mythology, poetry, including the French, British, and American classics of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and by wisecracking detective fiction. His novels and short stories often involved characters from myth, depicted in the modern world.

Zelazny was considered one of the leading lights of the "New Wave" movement in science fiction, which changed the face of the genre in the 1960s. He incorporated elements from literary novels of the mainstream into his fiction, and experimented with allusion, lyricism, and mythic imagery. The mythological traditions his fiction borrowed from include:

Classical Greek mythology, in This Immortal
Native American mythology, in Eye of Cat
Hindu mythology, in Lord of Light
Egyptian mythology and some Greek mythology, in Creatures of Light and Darkness
and even (on a more humorous note) Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos in A Night in the Lonesome October

Additionally, elements from Norse mythology, Japanese mythology and history, and numerous other traditions appear in works such as The Chronicles of Amber (a popular ten novel series) and "24 Views of Mt. Fuji, by Hokusai".

A frequent theme is gods or people who become gods. Another recurrent theme is the "absent father" (or father-figure). This occurs most notably in the Amber novels: in the first Amber series, Corwin searches for his absent, god-like father Oberon; in the second series, it is Corwin himself who is the absent father. This theme recurs in Roadmarks and Doorways in the Sand (in the latter, the main character's parents are dead but his uncle fills the role of the "absent father").

He was a member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America (SAGA), a loose-knit group of Heroic Fantasy authors founded in the 1960s, some of whose works were anthologized in Lin Carter's Flashing Swords! anthologies.

Zelazny died in 1995 of kidney failure due to lung cancer.^[1]

[edit] Bibliographies

Levack, Daniel H. C. Amber Dreams: A Roger Zelazny Bibliography. San Francisco: Underwood/Miller, 1983.
Lindskold, Jane M. Roger Zelazny. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1993.
Sanders, Joseph. Roger Zelazny: A Primary and Secondary Bibliography. Boston: G. K. Hall and Co., 1980.
Stephensen-Payne, Phil. Roger Zelazny, Master of Amber: A Working Bibliography. San Bernardo: Borgo Press, 1991.^[2]

[edit] Experimental novels and unpublished sketches

Zelazny often experimented with form in his novels. The novel Doorways in the Sand practices a flashback technique in which most chapters open with a scene, typically involving peril, not implied by the end of the previous chapter. Once the scene is established, the narrator backtracks to the events leading up to it, then follows through to the end of the chapter, whereupon the next chapter jumps ahead to another dramatic non-sequitur.

In Roadmarks, a novel about a highway that links all times and possible histories, the chapters that feature the main character are all titled "One". Other chapters, titled "Two", feature secondary characters, including original characters, pulp heroes, and real people. The "One" storyline is fairly linear, but the "Two" storyline jumps around in time and sequence.

Creatures of Light and Darkness, a roman à clef based on the Social Security Administration office where Zelazny was employed and featuring characters in the personae of Egyptian gods, uses a narrative voice entirely in the present tense.

He also tended to write a short fragment, not intended for publication, as a kind of backstory for a major character, as a way of giving that character a life independent of the particular novel being worked on. At least one "fragment" was published, the short story "Dismal Light", originally a backstory for Isle of the Dead's Francis Sandow. Sandow himself figures little in "Dismal Light", the main character being his son, who is delaying his escape from an unstable star system in order to force his distant father to come in and ask him personally. While Isle of the Dead has Sandow living a life of irresponsible luxury as an escape from his personal demons, "Dismal Light" anchors his character as one who will face up to his responsibilities, however reluctantly.

[edit] Bibliography

[edit] Amber novels

Nine Princes in Amber

Main article: The Chronicles of Amber

While his earlier works won greater critical acclaim, Zelazny is probably best known for the Amber novels. These fall into two distinct series of novels, together with a set of short stories.

The first five books describe the adventures of Prince Corwin of Amber:

The second series tells the story of Corwin's son Merlin (Merle), a wizard and computer expert. These volumes are:

Zelazny also wrote several short stories set in the Amber multiverse. These include:

1993 "Prologue to Trumps of Doom"
1994 "The Salesman's Tale"
1994 "The Shroudling and The Guisel"
1995 "Coming to a Cord"
1995 "Blue Horse, Dancing Mountains"
1996 "Hall of Mirrors"

All except the first of these short stories form one tale, taking place after Prince of Chaos.

All 10 novels have been published in a single omnibus form as The Great Book of Amber and all six short stories have been collected in Manna from Heaven.

Zelazny also contributed to a spin-off work, The Visual Guide to Castle Amber (1988) which was a reference work detailing biographies of the Amber characters and a detailed guide to Castle Amber itself. Comic book artist Neil Randall illustrated the book.

John Betancourt has written a series of novels set in the Amber multiverse. Betancourt's series tells the story of Corwin's father Oberon, a wizard and shapeshifter. It is set several centuries before Nine Princes in Amber. That the Zelazny estate authorized the series has caused some controversy; see The Chronicles of Amber for more details.

An interactive fiction computer game based on Nine Princes in Amber was released by Telarium in 1987. The Amber novels also inspired a role-playing game, Amber Diceless Roleplaying, published by Phage Press. The game is distinctive in that it suggests that storytellers ignore or alter any rule as they see fit.

[edit] Other novels

The Dream Master (1966) (an expansion of the novella "He Who Shapes" (1965) which was reprinted in Science Fiction Origins (1980), ISBN 0-445-04626-0)
Lord of Light (1967) (Hugo Award winner, 1968)
This Immortal (1968) (initially published as the Hugo Award winning 1966 novella ...And Call Me Conrad)
Creatures of Light and Darkness (1969)
Isle of the Dead (1969)
Damnation Alley (1969) (also a film)
Jack of Shadows (1971)
Today We Choose Faces (1973)
To Die in Italbar (1973)
Doorways in the Sand (1976)
Bridge of Ashes (1976)
Roadmarks (1979)
Changeling (1980)
Madwand (1981) (a sequel to Changeling)
The Changing Land (1981)
Dilvish, the Damned (1982) (a story collection with the same main character as The Changing Land)
Eye of Cat (1982)
A Dark Traveling (1987)
Here There Be Dragons and Way Up High (1992) (children's books illustrated by Vaughn Bode)
A Night in the Lonesome October (1993) (illustrated by Gahan Wilson)

[edit] Collaborations

Deus Irae (1976) (with Philip K. Dick)
Wizard World sequence (with Fred Saberhagen):
- Coils (1982)
- The Black Throne (1990)
The Mask of Loki (1990) (with Thomas T. Thomas)
The Millennial Contest series (with Robert Sheckley):
- Bring Me the Head of Prince Charming (1991)
- If at Faust You Don't Succeed (1993)
- A Farce to Be Reckoned With (1995)
Flare (1992) (with Thomas T. Thomas)
Wilderness (1994) (with Gerald Hausman)

[edit] Posthumous collaborations

A doubly posthumous novel was published as a collaboration after Zelazny's death; it was written between himself and the late Alfred Bester. Zelazny had finished the novel that Bester had begun prior to Bester's own death:

Psychoshop (1998)

Two books were published as collaborations with his companion, novelist Jane Lindskold, after Zelazny's death:

Donnerjack (1997)
Lord Demon (1999)

Also, the adventure game Chronomaster (developed by DreamForge Intertainment, published by IntraCorp in 1996) was designed by Zelazny and Jane Lindskold (who also finished it after his death).

[edit] Collections

Four for Tomorrow (1967, 1991)
The Doors of His Face, The Lamp of His Mouth, and Other Stories (1971, 1974, 2005)
My Name is Legion (1976)
The Illustrated Roger Zelazny (1979)
The Last Defender of Camelot (1980, 1983, 1988)
The Last Defender of Camelot (2002, 2005) Collection has the same name, but different contents.
Dilvish, the Damned (1982, 1986, 1993)
Unicorn Variations (1983)
Frost & Fire (1989)
The Graveyard Heart/Elegy for Angels and Dogs (1992) (with Walter Jon Williams, featuring a sequel to Zelazny's story by Williams
Gone to Earth (1992)
Manna from Heaven (2004)

[edit] Poetry collections

Poems (1974)
When Pussywillows Last in the Catyard Bloomed (1980)
To Spin is Miracle Cat (1981)

[edit] Chapbooks

The Bells of Shoredan (Underwood/Miller, 1979)
The Doors of His Face, The Lamps of His Mouth (Pulphouse, 1991) (just the story)
For a Breath I Tarry (Underwood/Miller, 1980)
The Last Defender of Camelot (Underwood/Miller, 1981) (just the story)
A Rhapsody in Amber (Cheap Street)

[edit] Anthologies

Zelazny was also a contributor to the Wild Cards shared world anthology series, following the exploits of his character Croyd Crenson, the Sleeper.

Zelazny created and edited a shared world anthology called Forever After. The frame story uses preludes, written by Roger, to connect the stories. This shared world involved stories by Robert Asprin, David Drake, Jane Lindskold, and Michael A. Stackpole. Forever After was published by Baen Books posthumously.

Following Zelazny's death, a tribute anthology entitled Lord of the Fantastic was released. This featured stories inspired by Zelazny, and personal recollections by contributors such as Robert Silverberg, Fred Saberhagen, Jennifer Roberson, Walter Jon Williams, Gregory Benford and many others.

[edit] Awards

Winner of 6 Hugo Awards, 3 Nebula Awards, 2 Locus Awards, 1 Prix Tour-Apollo Award, 2 Seiun Awards, and 2 Balrog Awards - very often Zelazny's works competed with each other for the same award.^[3]

...And Call Me Conrad won the 1966 Hugo Award; it tied for novel, as the Hugo Award novella category did not then exist.

"The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth" won the 1966 Nebula Award (novelette).

Lord of Light won the 1968 Hugo Award (novel).

Isle of the Dead won the 1972 Prix Tour-Apollo Award (novel).

This Immortal won the 1976 Seiun Award (foreign novel).

"Home Is the Hangman" won both the 1976 Hugo Award and the 1976 Nebula Award (for novella).

"The Last Defender of Camelot" won the 1980 Balrog Award (short fiction).

"Unicorn Variation" won the 1982 Hugo Award (novelette) and the 1984 Seiun Award (foreign short fiction).

Unicorn Variations won the 1984 Locus Award (collection) and the 1984 Balrog Award (collection/anthology).

"24 Views of Mt. Fuji, by Hokusai" won the 1986 Hugo Award (novella).

Trumps of Doom won the 1986 Locus Award (fantasy novel).

"Permafrost" won the 1987 Hugo Award (novelette).

[edit] Trivia

The ostracod Sclerocypris zelaznyi was named after him.
His book Nine Princes in Amber was used as a major inspiration for the classic computer game Planescape: Torment developed by Black Isle Studios.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] References

^ IMDB Biography [1]
^ Source of bibliographical information. Jane Lindskold via Roger Zelazny. 1993.
^ SF Awards Index [2]

[edit] External links

Phage Press
Roger Zelazny Page
Zelazny & Amber
Author profile at Internet Book List
Roger Zelazny at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
Bibliography including his poetry etc.
First bibliographical page and Second bibliographical page at The Locus Index to Science Fiction
Chronomaster game
The Annotated Amber

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