Rating: 
Summary: Masterpiece
Review: Rare among the works of Science Fiction are books that have achieved the masterful integration of wonderful prose language, adventerous spirit, compelling charachters and thought provoking social commentary. A study in man's ability to deal with power, as well as the ties between religion and power, Lord of Light prevails in effectively communicating its point through a truly intriguing setting. A unique premise, combined with Zelazny's engrossing language and imagination serve to create a novel that is just as enjoyable when read the tenth time as it is the first. Challenging in language, thought, and structure, the reader must be quick, intelligent and capable of inferring details Zelazny has omitted so that he could create a mood that transcends the boundaries of science fiction, fantasy and modern prose.
Timeless in its ideas and brilliant in execution, Lord of Light is simply, a masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: I read this book to pieces
Review: Funny, poignant, inventive. A rare winner of both the Hugo and the Nebula awards. Every SF fan should own it.
Rating: 
Summary: "...as western as they come"
Review: The first chapter of "Lord of Light" intentionally confuses the reader; Zelazny starts his novel near the end of his tale and provides little in the way of background or explanation. Mahasamatman ("Sam") is resurrected from the ether by the artificer Yama, whose technical skills at reincarnating the human form is unsurpassed among the inhabitants of this alien planet. Yama, with help from the goddess Ratri and from Tak (who is currently banished to the form of an ape), have recalled Sam from eternal peace to help them confront several gods who struggle for control of the world.
From this opening, the books shifts to a series of tales, in flashback form, recounting Sam's past and explaining the history of the battles among the gods. Although these divine rulers share the names and personae of the Hindu pantheon, it soon becomes apparent that the "gods" are simply the original colonists who came from Earth millennia earlier, who keep the planet's present occupants in a sort of medieval fiefdom, and who have acquired immortality by transmigrating from body to body. But there is an ongoing struggle in "heaven" between the Accelerationists (led by Sam), who want to share technology with the rest of mankind, and the Deicrats, those gods who want to maintain their lives of luxury and oppression.
Many of the earlier chapters are told in the form of disjointed legends, but halfway into the book the pace evolves into a continuous storyline. Those readers who argue that "Lord of Light" belongs to the fantasy genre more than to science fiction have a point: beyond the futuristic technology practiced by the "gods" (which is more of a sideshow than a major plot element), the novel's prose style, structure, characters, and action resemble what you'd find in many a medieval saga. (One surprising aspect, however, that distinguishes these tales from many fantasy novels are their often sarcastic and occasionally slapstick humor.) Because of its kings-and-swords plot, Zelazny's work recalls epics like "Dune" or dystopian/political works like "The Dispossessed" rather than "hard" sci-fi.
As for the novel's much-hyped Hindu aspects, I think David Brin (a great admirer of this book) says it best: "For all of the clearly genuine empathy he finds in other cultures and conveys so well in his works, Roger Zelazny is as western as they come.... He'd be kicked out of the ashram for asking too many questions." This is no primer on Hinduism; in spite of the author's fascination with Eastern mysticism, it's no coincidence that religion is presented both as a means of enlightenment and as a form of oppression. Instead, Hinduism serves as a vehicle for a futuristic parable of all-too-human foibles.
Rating:
Summary: I just read this book.
Review: This book starts off a bit slow, but it does build quickly. It can be hard to understand as well at times, but that's only because there is no distinction as to when it has flashed back and it has not. Just remember, most of the book is a flashback to before when the book begins. Most of this book is good, and just reaffirms that Zelazny is a pretty good sci fi writer. However, there is one section of this book, and when you read it you will know which part, that is just incredible. It makes you rethink everything that you had thought about all the characters before that moment, and it makes you want to reread just that part over and over again. That one part shows what Zelazny can do with a well thought out and planned out book. But I think he must love to confuse his readers a bit at first, get you all confused and not sure what's happening, so he can then just smack you with a great story. Nine Princes In Amber does this too, another great book. So just stay with this book when you start it, just keep reading it, even through parts that you may think are boring and have nothing to do with the plot. Believe me, they come into play later, they're just setting something up for later on. That's how he writes, never showing you his full hand until the end.
Rating:
Summary: A first time Zelazny reader (will not be the last)
Review: The only bad thing that I can think to say of this book is that is a bit disjointed (ok, a lot disjointed). But I'm used to reading John Barth and Philip K. Dick novels; they are good preparation for the jumpy narrative and time line. If you can stand to be perplexed for the better part of each chapter (as to exact time and character/s that your dealing with), than you'll absolutely love this book. If you're easily confused or are looking for a quick read, than you may want to look else where.
With that aside, I would compare the battle scenes to a more poetic Robert Jordan. You know...back when his novels had action in them. Zelazny truly has command of the language he uses to describe fighting.
I'm a Sci-Fi fan and I highly recommend this.
Rating:
Summary: The Lord of Light must defeat the Hindu Gods...
Review: Earth is long gone and mankind has spread out into space. On one planet, a colony is under the rule of a band of men who have used their control of technology to make themselves immortal. Now they rule using the names of the Hindu Gods and Goddesses. Few dare oppose them, but there is one who not only dares, but plans to win. A man of many names, a binder of demons and also known as the Lord of Light. Sam, which is the name he prefers, will fight them all. No matter how many times he has to die to do it!
Rating: 
Summary: Psychedelicized Gita
Review: Sorry but I just can't quite jump on the bandwagon behind this novel. I know I shouldn't be second-guessing a "classic" - and this book does deserve this consideration because Zelazny was a truly visionary writer and the setting and characterizations of this book are very unique. However, the problem here is a style of writing and plot development that is very much a product of its time, and is not really that different from much of what was being cranked out by the sci-fi intelligentsia of the late 60's. Here style has taken on a little too much importance. Because of this, it is difficult to decipher what this novel is really about through the reading of it, unless you already know beforehand - through the reviews of those who have read it many times, or the publishers' descriptions which become more like clarifications than summaries. The true plot of this novel is certainly what you've read about - human colonists on an alien world have made use of advanced technology to give themselves godlike powers, have created a society based on Hindu mythology, and the new "gods" have oppressed both their fellow humans and the world's original inhabitants. Religion, godliness, and life itself have been reduced to technological determinism and have also been politicized and bureaucratized. This leads to many possible insights into these issues in our modern world. Unfortunately, these fantastic and creative plot elements are not spelled out adequately for the reader, instead being trickled out only in passing, usually through the conversations of the new demigods, who speak either in hip small talk or gigantic theological speechifying. The plot elements are consequently fighting for air beneath a story that is mostly action and movement, with repetitive battle scenes that I suspect were inspired by the scriptural tomes of the East (which Zelazny was surely familiar with, to his credit). This neglect of plot development and explanation, which must be implausibly inferred by the reader, makes this novel less readable than it is awesomely creative. [~doomsdayer520~]
Rating:
Summary: deep science fiction
Review: Humanity defeats the native "energy" beings that populated the orb and establishes a colony on the planet with a Hindu like societal order. Using advanced technology, the crew of the ship transfers their minds into a new body when theirs is near death. They also develop other advances that enable them to form a pantheon with god-like powers. Beneath them are the colonists and even further below in this pyramid of power are the natives. No one bucks the leadership as not only can they technology reincarnate they can convert others into animals. One of these techno-Gods, preferring to be called Sam rather than Mahasamatman, feels that the mistreatment of others is morally wrong. He thinks that he and his peers should share their technology with the lower strata. His peers insist those beneath them are incapable of dealing with godlike powers and need their hand to guide them. Sam never claimed the mantle and though he hates what he feels he must do, this "fallen angel" leads a revolt against his ruling brothers and sisters as he wants to establish a different world order. This is a deep science fiction novel with religious and social overtones. The story line is loaded with action, but also takes its time to defend critical arguments set forth by author Roger Zelazny. The cast fosters the concepts of the plot so that development is targeted more towards an idea than a character. Still with all that this is a cerebral tale that will have readers pondering a host of subjects from comparative religions to white man's burden to fostering American style democracy in Iraq, etc. in a clever novel that will require concentration or one will miss a point. Harriet Klausner
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