fantasy links
Roger Zelazny
When the american Roger (Joseph) Zelazny (1937-1995) debuted as an sf-writer in 1962 he was seen as one of the most promising authors within the science fiction genre. The following year he published sixteen short stories, some by the name of Harrison Denmark. In 1970 his first novel about Amber (Nine Princes in Amber) was published and he devoted himself to fantasy instead of sf.The Guns of Avalon (1972), Sign of the Unicorn (1975), The Hand of Oberon (1976) and The Courts of Chaos (1978) was the other books in the first series about Amber.
Amber is a fantastic world, of which the earth and other worlds merely are shadows.
During the 80s the second series appeared, with the novels Trumps of Doom (1985), Blood of Amber (1986), Sign of Chaos (1987) and Prince of Chaos (1991).
The first series is about how Oberon, King of Amber, disappear and his nine sons fights about the throne. The story continue and the reader will follow the son Cowrin when he tries to stop the brothers from taking the throne and how he tries to find out what happend to his father.
The novels are original, very describing and imaginative.
It appears as if Zelazny was a bit tired of Amber, as the second series is not as strong as the first one. Zelazny also wrote other fantasy-novels, but none got the same level of fame as the first series about Amber.
- A bibliography over Roger Zelaznys' books
Books at Amazon.co.uk (Europe
Sign of the Unicorn
Trumps
of Doom
Sign of Chaos