Roger Zelazny and "Amber"

[Guest Grand Slam]

I was just wondering if anyoneout there had read any of Zelazny's Amber Series? I love these books and recommend them whenever I can, but for highly acclaimed books, they seem to exist in some weird limbo just under the radar when people start talking about great sci-fi/fantasy series.

 

If you have read them, what did you think?

[Guest monkey]

I do love the whole two series although I do prefer the Corwin saga rather than the second set of five books. As for the rest of Zelanzys stuff it seems a bit hit and miss. Also there is apparently a short story of Amber knocking around although I have never been able to find it.

[Guest Grand Slam]

I agree, I also far prefer Corwin's books to Merlin's. And what I have read of Zelazny's stuff (not as much as I would have like to have read) seems pretty hit-or-miss, although if you read most author's body of work, it generally works out that way.

 

There are actually a few short stories floating around. I think the lineup goes something like:

The Salesman's Tale

The Shroudling and the Geisel

Coming to a Cord

Blue Horse, Dancing Mountains (The return of Corwin!)

And one other whose name I can never remember...

 

Now, there is apparently a prequel called "Dawn of Amber" written by someone else.

[Guest monkey]

As a Zelazny fan has anyone else read the very good Lord of Light. One of my favourite books which I have read and reread far too many times.

[Guest Grand Slam]

I have, but it has been a while. I would love to go back and re-read it again, but I can't find it around here. Bookstores here only stock one or two Zelazny books at a time...

[Guest monkey]

Meant to ask this before but do you know which books or anthologies the short stories of Amber are in. When I went to amazon it brought up almost a hundred books Zelazny was linked too. On a side note the Amber roleplaying game and the supplement Shadow Knight are very useful even if you arent a r.p.g. fan as they summarise the books and list all the major characters and how they fit in with each other.

[Guest Grand Slam]

Off the top of my head, I don't know where all of the short stories are. They have been all over the place. I'll see if I can dig that up for you, I seem to remember seeing the info not all that long ago.

 

The DRPG is the best game I have ever played, to be honest. My biggest issue with using them as a resource for the books is that there are far too many conjectures, assumptions and just flat out strangeness for someone new to the series to use them as an introduction. As a supplement, they kick all kinds of ass, particuarly over the "Visual Guide to Castle Amber" which makes my eyes bleed.