Rating: 
Summary: I perfer this to Dune
Review: I always thought Dune was somewhat overated. It's one of the great landmarks of the genre, but it has its flaws. Zelazny's novel is written in a sardonic, but not too cynical voice, is filled with action, and the characters are, in my arbitary opinion, more interesting. Zelazny was one of the great stylist of the genre, Herbert wasn't. Mind you Dune's plot was more complex. Read Dune, but don't let this great work pass you by either.
Rating: 
Summary: Immortal Tale
Review: I guess I should post a spoiler warning here for those people who haven't read these books yet-though I don't think a Zelazny book can be "spoiled." I recently reread This Immortal. I was really impressed. Especially considering this is Roger's first novel. It is in a first person narrative-which seemed strange since so many of his books are all written in third person. But anyway, the book itself is incredible. I can see why it garnered so many awards. The post-apocalyptic themes are mixed with alien culture, futuristic politics, Greek mythology, derring-do and even a mystery to solve. It is a great blend of fantasy and science fiction. The main character, Conrad Nimokos, Karagee, etc., etc., etc., is an immortal who may or may not be Pan, Dionysus, or some other figure from mythology (with the shortened leg I kept expecting Hephastus). The supporting characters are all quiet good, and it is interesting given the length of this short novel how much I came to care for these characters and their welfare. Hassan is the noble eastern assassin. Much like Yama in Lord of Light you come to respect and admire him as much as the main character. The two have a long history and are both formidable warriors. Their inevitable duel with slings is a great bit of writing. I love how Hassan insists on calling Conrad, "Karagee." Some characters I was initially suspicious of-the Vegan Myshtigo, and the poet Philip Graver, end up as heroic figures. I had a huge lump in my throat, and bits of tears in my eyes, as I read Phil's final words to Conrad. Phil is a particularly interesting study. As a man of "half-talent," and more acclaim than skill as a writer, one wonders if Zelazny was doing some soul searching here. There is plenty of that, as Zelazny's pattern of musing over philosophy, religion, politics and art is well established here. As far as the action goes, there is the above mentioned duel, a battle royale between Conrad and a combat robot, a fight between Hassan and The Deadman-- which is cleverly won, and an escape from tribal half-men. Throw in a voodoo ceremony and you begin to wonder how Roger fit it in to 190 pages. But he did, and it reads like a good symphony plays. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: It will haunt you
Review: I haven't read this book in about 10 years, but it is a book that for no good reason you have to read again.It is the man, the myth, the legend all rolled up in a person that you can believe yourself to be.Try it, you'll like it.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book
Review: I recently re-read this after a 20 year hiatus. Good book. I've always found Roger Zelazny's stuff a bit chaotic and somewhat confusing, especially in the early chapters when you don't know what's going on. Now don't get me wrong, I think he's one of the greatest SF writers of all time (especially the amazing Lord of Light and the early Amber books) and his writing style works brilliantly in the context of his other novels. This book, however, is a bit different from those other novels. I was struck by how straight-forward this story was, indeed, how "tight" it seemed. There wasn't a wasted word or phrase. I found it quite refreshing after reading today's bloated epics. My only quibble with the book was that I found the ideas a bit un-original (although they may have been quite unique at the time they were written). Nevertheless, the pacing was perfect, the action was good, it kept my attention and most of all - I wish today's writers would take a lesson from him!
Rating:
Summary: Old memories (and a minor correction)
Review: I'm basing this on memories of the paperback I purchased some 20+ years ago, and the refresh from other reviewers. A confusing book, in a way -- but then, all the better Zelazny works have that same confusion factor. One has almost to reread his works so that information learned later can be applied to actions the characters take earlier -- Zelazny does not pander to the reader with lots of explanatory exposition and background, it has to be absorbed as it happens. (The closest is probably the first book of Amber, where amnesiac Corwyn is bluffing information out of the relatives.) However, the above comments should not scare one off from reading this book. It does deserve all the praise it has been granted through the ages. The "correction": Lest anyone be mislead by another reviewer's mention of J.R.R. Tolkien... LoTR's "Gollum" has absolutely no relationship to the "golem" mentioned in "This Immortal". In a break from the Greek mythology, so heavy in the book, "golem" comes from Jewish mysticism -- a clay figure of a man, animated by the insertion of mystical hebrew writing (the name of God?) inserted into the clay (I'm not clear on inserted into the forehead, or held in the mouth). The golem being created as a near indestructible, defensive, fighter -- wherefore the link to the cybernetic fighter of Zelazny's book.
Rating:
Summary: Feathers or Lead?
Review: If I were to pick a single science fiction author who was the essence of speculative fiction in the 1960's it would be Roger Zelazny. And while he continued to produce quality work, it was this period when both his quality and his intensity were at a peak that few authors ever reach. This Immortal (AKA Call Me Conrad) is his first novel (closely tied with The Dream Master). It remains a masterpiece four decades after winning a Hugo award and in many ways it defined the themes that haunted Zelazny's writing for years to come.
Zelazny is fascinated with a certain form of divinity - not the kind that 'is and has always been,' but with intelligent creatures that somehow 'graduate' from a more normal, mundane state. In this novel the hero is Conrad Nimikos, a Greek, born on Christmas Eve, one leg shorter than the other, and altogether too much hair. In Greek terms, he was one of the kallikanzaroi, mischievous satyrs who exist to irritate both the human and the divine. Zelazny never tells us how old Nimikos is, but he has lived long enough to have had several names and seen the Earth suffer a nuclear war and start to pick up the pieces.
We were saved by the intervention of the Vegans who helped relocate the remnants of Earth's population throughout space and saw to the survival of those who chose to remain. This was a mixed blessing, since the Vegans seems to want to turn Earth into a resort. Nimikos fought that eventuality (under another name) but has merged into the current social framework as the caretaker of the world's antiquities and treasures. Recently married, he is called from semi-retirement to be the guide for a Vegan journalist who might be writing a book, or looking for better places to put a resort, or something equally nefarious. This will be an ill-starred journey, with many wishing Cort Myshtigo (the Vegan) a quick and unpleasant end, as they travel over a world both barren and beautiful, where danger can take epic proportions.
And that's the trick of this particular book. Nimikos no sooner leaves his beloved Cassandra when we realize that this is an Odyssey we have been invited on, and everywhere we look Greek legends will appear just in time to cause unexpected torments and provide opportunities for Herculean efforts. Even though this is a story told in wry fashion, Zelazny manages to use it to explore the meaning of grief. Sorrow for lost friends, loved ones, and an abiding sense of loss for an Earth that at the time of its writing was only showing faint glimmerings of it's future challenges. This is a poignant book where Zelazny manages an exquisite balance between attitude and affection.
Small wonder that the book has been in print since its writing. Or that a host of other writers will confess to having been influenced by it. The layering of action, myth, and symbol that became a Zelazny hallmark began with this story. And it is hardly an insult to say while many of his books are as good there are none that are clearly better (well, I do have a soft spot for Isle of the Dead).
Rating:
Summary: Call him Conrad
Review: One of the early Hugo winners, I wasn't sure why it won at first. The style is very different, almost rambling. Conrad is an immortal who's had a bunch of different names over the years but basically really enjoys living, unlike immortals in other books. Earth has messed itself up and a bunch of aliens have bought it as real estate and Conrad is taking one of them around and showing him the sights to help him with a book he's writing. There's not much in the way of plot, which is what turned me off when I started reading it. Not much happens, true. But Zelanzy has a gift for description and Conrad is one of the fully rounded and complex characters ever. There's a definite sense of humor in the book which is definitely welcome considering the surroundings. The situations they tend to blunder into but the plot is more episodic than anything else, and most of the conflicts are fairly interesting. Mostly it's just the way he describes things, by the time you finish you feel you know Conrad, or whatever he wants to call himself. His world is very detailed and the echoes of the Greek myths are there, sort of like lurking in the shadows behind the rest of the plot but it colors the actions of the characters. All in all, a quick read and worth your time if you can find it used. Probably not as well known as his Amber books but something to look into if you want something that's the same and different. Or something.
Rating:
Summary: One of Zelazny's all-time bests
Review: Read it. It's funny and smart. I notice from the other comments that it may be too smart for some. Oh well, that's what you get from Zelazny.
Rating:
Summary: One of Zelazny's all-time bests
Review: Read it. It's funny and smart. I notice from the other comments that it may be too smart for some. Oh well, that's what you get from Zelazny.
Rating:
Summary: It grows on you
Review: The back cover copy confused me so badly I had to go back and re-read the book as soon as I had finished it--it was a great investment. Conrad is a convincing hero--he is willing to sacrifice anything to save the Earth he believes in--including himself and just about everything else he values. He'll even make a deal with the hated invaders--the Vegans--if it will help him. Not that Earth is any great shakes. After the Vegan invasion and Conrad's nuclear terrorism, radioactivity, poverty, and mutation make this an early distopian vision. Zelazny is an awesome writer. Although his Amber novels are currently more popular, and although LORD OF LIGHT may have appealed more to the 1970s crowd, THIS IMMORTAL has to be ranked as one of his best, and as one of the best of Science Fiction from the 60s. It's hard to find but worth it.
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