Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny

Hello, Stranger.

Let's talk about Roger Zelazny's Lord of Light

The Short of It

Plot: The Hindu gods have kept the world in the Dark Ages: it is time for them to die.

Page Count: 319

Award: 1968 Hugo

Worth a read: Yes
Primary Driver: (Plot, World, or Character)
Bechdel Test: Fail
Technobabble: Minimal
Review: A fascinating depiction of religion and reincarnation supported by technology. Multiple stories (7) of varying quality come together well, though pacing can be a bit all over. Superb world-building and novel use of Hindu myths. 

The Medium of It

Spoiler Free!

There are a handful of quotes in this part of the review. They all come from the first ten pages, so fear not that all shall be spoilt. It shall be alright.

The opening scene of Lord of Light is an excellent hook.

His followers called him Mahasamatman and said he was a god. He preferred to drop the Maha- and the -atman, however, and called himself Sam. He never claimed to be a god. But then, he never claimed not to be a god. 

Within the first five pages we have an abbreviated but engaging look at the world. Technology and religion work hand in hand. One person has a machine with which he works to resurrect the Buddha.

For six days he had offered many kilowatts of prayer, but the static kept him from being heard On High. 

This is the central conflict of the book: Sam, the Buddha, versus the Hindu Pantheon. And all supported in the cycle of karma by technology. We are also offered some morsels of the stories to come. It is a similar beginning to The Name of the Wind: we know of various titles earned and adventures had, but none of the details. Those details, of course, are the content of the later stories. 

Again, from the very beginning of the first chapter:

"I am" - he squinted again "-Sam. I am Sam. Once-long ago… I did fight, didn't I? Many times…"

"You were Great-Souled Sam, the Buddha. Do you remember?"

"Maybe I was…" A slow fire was kindled in his eyes.

"Yes," he said then. "Yes, I was. Humblest of the proud, proudest of the humble. I fought. I taught the Way for a time. I fought again, taught again, tried politics, magic, poison… I fought one great battle so terrible the sun itself hid its face from the slaughter-with men and gods, with animals and demons, with spirits of the earth and air, of fire and water, with slizzards and horses, swords and chariots-"

"And you lost," said Yama.

"Yes, I did, didn't I? But it was quite a showing we gave them, wasn't it?"

It is rare to encounter the Hindu pantheon in Western literature, which sets this book apart from the start. It is not always a one to one match, but there are some interesting nods to earlier myths. The world-building here is superb, among the best I've encountered so far. It is sprinkled well throughout the text and never comes across as heavy handed. It is one of the few "lived in" worlds I have read thus far. I won't spoil it, as that is the lion's share of the fun in reading this book.

There is a sizable host of characters to keep track of, including some who change identity over time. This can get a bit messy, as the story is divided into seven separate episodes. Easily my favorite is the third, the story of Rild, who is also without competition the best character in the book. Some characters have decent characterization; the majority are interchangeable.

Zelazny takes his time at the oddest moments. Pacing occasionally hits a brick wall, pauses, then gallops ahead. The tone of the book is distinct. It is serious, though not heavy, and with a continual undercurrent of humor. Writing quality is excellent and consistent; even in slower sections the text itself is good.

I would recommend this one for its engaging world and thought provoking mix of religion and technology. 

If you're gonna pick it up, consider using the link below! I'll get a few cents, at no additional cost to you!

I am the Lord of Links!

The Long of It

Spoilers Ahead!

What a cool book. Not a perfect book, but extremely cool. Sure, Zelazny plays it quick and loose with Hinduism and Buddhism. Sure, the previous denizens of this planet are made of pure energy, which we really don't explore enough. 

The central concept - using technology for rebirth, and using it to control a populace - is excellent. The fact that the first settlers have decided that Hindu deities are the best way to do this? Also clever. And to fight it we need Buddhism? Right on. One of my favorite comments is the following:

"I feel it is only part of a larger plan you have laid, and that for all these years – while you pretended to be a saint and preached sermons in which you did not truly believe yourself-you have been making other plans. An army, great in space, may offer opposition in a brief span of time. One man, brief in space, must spread his opposition across a period of many years if he is to have a chance of succeeding."

This falls towards the middle of the book; we have already seen multiple episodes at multiple periods of time. It is a perfect summation of Sam's work.

As noted above, the most interesting character is Rild. His story is one of redemption, and not a particularly new one - the butcher turned shepherd. It is, however, vividly executed. And has the most satisfying ending of any. 

"Are you not the Buddha?"

"I have been called Buddha, and Tathagatha, and the Enlightened One, and many other things. But, in answer to your question, no, I am not the Buddha. You have already succeeded in what you set out to do. You slew the real Buddha this day."

"My memory must indeed be growing weak, for I confess that I do not remember doing this thing."

"The real Buddha was named by us Sugata," replied the other. "Before that, he was known as Rild."

"Rild!" Yama chuckled. "You are trying to tell me that he was more than an executioner whom you talked out of doing his job?"

"Many people are executioners who have been talked out of doing their jobs," replied the one on the rock. "Rild gave up his mission willingly and became a follower of the Way. He was the only man I ever knew to really achieve enlightenment."

The middle of the book is definitely a bit of a hump to get over; both the story of Hellwell and of the wedding are not nearly as engaging. The Hellwell portion long overstays its welcome; we learn that the natives of this planet were made of energy, which is fine and dandy, but we don't learn much more, and then we just stay with that idea.

I am unsure what more to say about this book. I have thought more about this book than many of the others thus far. It has a very different feel and some unique ideas, though it is not without flaws. It is not the first book that I would recommend, but I would certainly recommend it. 

Maybe we'll both be reincarnated as dogs, Stranger.

And don't forget to read a book!