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Roger Zelazny


(Roger Joseph Zelazny)
USA flag (1937 - 1995)
Father of Trent Zelazny

aka Harrison Denmark

Roger Zelazny made his name with a group of novellas which demonstrated just how intense an emotional charge could be generated by the stock imagery of sf; the most famous of these is 'A Rose for Ecclesiastes' in which a poet struggles to convince dying and sterile Martians that life is worth continuing. Zelazny continued to write excellent short stories throughout his career. Most of his novels deal, one way or another, with tricksters and mythology, often with rogues who become gods, like Sam in Lord of Light, who reinvents Buddhism as a vehicle for political subversion on a colony planet.

The fantasy sequence The Amber Chronicles, which started with Nine Princes in Amber, deals with the ruling family of a Platonic realm at the metaphysical heart of things, who can slide, trickster-like through realities, and their wars with each other and the related ruling house of Chaos. Zelazny never entirely fulfilled his early promise -who could?- but he and his work were much loved, and a potent influence on such younger writers as George R. R. Martin and Neil Gaiman.

He won the Nebula award three times (out of 14 nominations) and the Hugo award six times (out of 14 nominations). His papers are housed at the Albin O. Khun Library of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).
 

Awards: Hugo (1987), Nebula (1976)  see all

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult Fantasy
 
Series
Francis Sandow
   1. Isle of the Dead (1969)
   2. To Die in Italbar (1973)
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Chronicles of Amber
   1. Nine Princes in Amber (1970)
   2. The Guns of Avalon (1972)
   3. Sign of the Unicorn (1975)
   4. The Hand of Oberon (1976)
   5. The Courts of Chaos (1978)
   6. Trumps of Doom (1985)
   7. Blood of Amber (1986)
   8. Sign of Chaos (1987)
   9. Knight of Shadows (1989)
   10. Prince of Chaos (1991)
   Seven Tales in Amber (2019)
continued in the series by John Gregory Betancourt
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Changeling Saga
   1. Changeling (1980)
   2. Madwand (1981)
     aka Madworld
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Collected Stories of Roger Zelazny
   1. Threshold (2009)
   2. Power & Light (2009)
   3. This Mortal Mountain (2009)
   4. Last Exit to Babylon (2009)
   5. Nine Black Doves (2009)
   6. The Road to Amber (2009)
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Novels
   The Dream Master (1966)
     aka He Who Shapes
   This Immortal (1966)
     aka ...And Call Me Conrad
   Lord of Light (1967)
   Creatures of Light and Darkness (1969)
   Damnation Alley (1969)
   Jack of Shadows (1971)
   Today We Choose Faces (1973)
   Doorways in the Sand (1976)
   Bridge of Ashes (1976)
   Deus Irae (1976) (with Philip K Dick)
   Roadmarks (1979)
   Coils (1982) (with Fred Saberhagen)
   Eye of Cat (1982)
   To Spin Is Miracle Cat (1982)
   A Dark Travelling (1987)
   The Black Throne (1990) (with Fred Saberhagen)
   The Mask of Loki (1990) (with Thomas T Thomas)
   Flare (1992) (with Thomas T Thomas)
   A Night in the Lonesome October (1993)
   Wilderness (1994) (with Gerald Hausman)
   Donnerjack (1997) (with Jane Lindskold)
   Psychoshop (1998) (with Alfred Bester)
   Lord Demon (1999) (with Jane Lindskold)
   The Dead Man's Brother (2009)
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Collections
   A Rose for Ecclesiastes (1965)
     aka Four for Tomorrow
   The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth (1971)
   Poems (poems) (1974)
   My Name Is Legion (1976)
   Unicorn Variations (1977)
   The Illustrated Roger Zelazny (1978) (with Byron Preiss)
   The Last Defender of Camelot (1980)
   When Pussywillows Last in the Catyard Bloomed (poems) (1985)
   Frost and Fire (1989)
   Here There Be Dragons / Way up High (1992)
   Manna from Heaven (2003)
   The Best of Roger Zelazny (2023)
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Novellas and Short Stories
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Anthologies edited
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Series contributed to
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Books containing stories by Roger Zelazny
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Sense of Wonder (2023)
A Century of Science Fiction
edited by
Leigh Ronald Grossman
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The Book of Mars (2022)
An Anthology of Fact and Fiction
edited by
Stuart Clark

More books 


Awards
1987 Hugo Award for Best Novelette : Permafrost
1986 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel : Trumps of Doom
1986 Hugo Award for Best Novella : 24 Views of Mount Fuji, by Hokusai
1984 Locus Award for Best Collection : Unicorn Variations
1982 Hugo Award for Best Novelette : Unicorn Variations [short story]
1976 Nebula Award for Best Novella : Home is the Hangman [short story]
1976 Hugo Award for Best Novella : Home is the Hangman [short story]
1968 Hugo Award for Best Novel : Lord of Light
1966 Nebula Award for Best Novella : He Who Shapes
1966 Nebula Award for Best Novelette : The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth [short story]
1966 Hugo Award for Best Novel : This Immortal

Award nominations
2011 Locus Award for Best Collection (nominee) : The Road to Amber
2011 Locus Award for Best Collection (nominee) : Nine Black Doves
2010 Locus Award for Best Collection (nominee) : Threshold
1994 Nebula Award for Best Novel (nominee) : A Night in the Lonesome October
1990 Locus Award for Best Collection (nominee) : Frost and Fire
1988 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel (nominee) : Sign of Chaos
1987 Nebula Award for Best Novelette (nominee) : Permafrost
1987 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel (nominee) : Blood of Amber
1986 Nebula Award for Best Novella (nominee) : 24 Views of Mount Fuji, by Hokusai
1986 Locus Award for Best Novella (nominee) : 24 Views of Mt. Fuji, by Hokusai
1983 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (nominee) : Eye of Cat
1983 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (nominee) : Coils
1983 Locus Award for Best Collection (nominee) : Dilvish the Damned
1982 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel (nominee) : Madwand
1982 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel (nominee) : The Changing Land
1981 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel (nominee) : Changeling
1981 Locus Award for Best Collection (nominee) : The Last Defender of Camelot
1980 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (nominee) : Roadmarks
1979 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (nominee) : The Courts of Chaos
1977 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (nominee) : The Hand of Oberon
1976 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (nominee) : Sign of the Unicorn
1976 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (nominee) : Doorways in the Sand
1976 Locus Award for Best Novella (nominee) : Home Is the Hangman
1976 Hugo Award for Best Novel (nominee) : Doorways in the Sand
1975 Nebula Award for Best Short Story (nominee) : The Engine at Heartspring's Center
1975 Nebula Award for Best Novel (nominee) : Doorways in the Sand
1974 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (nominee) : Today We Choose Faces
1974 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (nominee) : To Die in Italbar
1974 Locus Award for Best Novella (nominee) : 'Kjwalll'kje'k'koothailll'kje'k
1973 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award (nominee) : The Guns of Avalon
1973 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (nominee) : The Guns of Avalon
1972 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (nominee) : Jack of Shadows
1972 Hugo Award for Best Novel (nominee) : Jack of Shadows
1971 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award (nominee) : Nine Princes in Amber
1971 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (nominee) : Nine Princes in Amber
1969 Nebula Award for Best Novel (nominee) : Isle of the Dead
1968 Nebula Award for Best Novelette (nominee) : The Mortal Mountain
1968 Nebula Award for Best Novelette (nominee) : The Keys to December
1968 Hugo Award for Best Novella (nominee) : Damnation Alley [short story]
1967 Nebula Award for Best Short Story (nominee) : This Moment of the Storm
1967 Nebula Award for Best Novel (nominee) : Lord of Light
1967 Hugo Award for Best Short Story (nominee) : Comes Now the Power
1967 Hugo Award for Best Novelette (nominee) : For a Breath I Tarry
1966 Nebula Award for Best Short Story (nominee) : Devil Car
1966 Hugo Award for Best Short Story (nominee) : The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth [short story]
1964 Hugo Award for Best Short Story (nominee) : A Rose for Ecclesiastes


Roger Zelazny recommends
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The Buried Pyramid (2004)
Jane Lindskold
"One of the brightest new writers to come along in years."
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Jubilee (2003)
Jack Dann
"A reality magician... And just when you think he has inoculated you against surprise, he will surprise you again. He's that good."
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The Wanderer (2001)
(Rulers of Hylor, book 4)
Katya Reimann and Cherry Wilder
"It is a privilege to visit the landscapes of her imagination"

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