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Isle of the Dead / Eye of Cat
Isle of the Dead: Centuries in the future, Francis Sandow is the only man alive who was born as long ago as the 20th century. His body is kept young and in perfect health by advanced scientific methods; he has amassed such a fortune that he can own entire planets; and he has become a god. No, not a god of Earth, but one of the panetheon of the alien Pei'ans: he is Shimbo of Darktree, Shrugger of Thunders. Yet he doesn't believe that his personality has merged with the ancient consciousness of Shimbo, that he really can call down the skies upon his enemies. The time comes, however, when Francis Sandow must use these powers against the most dangerous antagonist in the universe: another Pei'an god -- Shimbo's own enemy, Belion. And Belion has no doubt whatever of his own powers....
Eye of Cat: A retired hunter of alien zoo specimens, William Blackhorse Singer, the last Najavo on a future Earth, is called upon by the World Government to aid in protecting an alien diplomat from a powerful and hostile member of his own species. Singer, in turn, seeks the aid of a shape-shifting alien known as "Cat" in carrying out the mission. Cat accepts, with one condition: when the mission is over, he wants a return bout with the man who captured him -- a chase with Singer as the hunted instead of the hunter....
Eye of Cat: A retired hunter of alien zoo specimens, William Blackhorse Singer, the last Najavo on a future Earth, is called upon by the World Government to aid in protecting an alien diplomat from a powerful and hostile member of his own species. Singer, in turn, seeks the aid of a shape-shifting alien known as "Cat" in carrying out the mission. Cat accepts, with one condition: when the mission is over, he wants a return bout with the man who captured him -- a chase with Singer as the hunted instead of the hunter....
351 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 27, 2001
151 people are currently reading
256 people want to read
About the author
Roger Zelazny
746 books3,894 followersRoger Joseph Zelazny was an American fantasy and science fiction writer known for his short stories and novels, best known for The Chronicles of Amber. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nominations) and the Hugo Award six times (also out of 14 nominations), including two Hugos for novels: the serialized novel ...And Call Me Conrad (1965), subsequently published under the title This Immortal (1966), and the novel Lord of Light (1967).
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 1, 2013
In this edition, two Zelazny novels are paired together. While initially seeming quite distinct in style and plot, both are interpretations of the theme of reflecting on an unusually long life veiled in the conflict of the chase. One primarily explores the inward journey and the other the outward journey, but both arrive at spiritually satisfying conclusions.
Eye of Cat... eenterestinnng. Written in 1982 and supposedly one of Zelazny's top five favorites (according to the Wikipedia who knows all). The story's setting is foreshadowed by Zelazny's dedication to Tony Hillerman and his heroes, Chee and Leaphorn.
Billy Singer, also known as Star Tracker, is a Native American tracker who specialized as an intergalactic tracker/hunter who captured beasts alive for zoological specimens. Recently returned home to his native southwest America to reflect and connect, he is plagued with feelings of isolation. As a Navajo, family is everything; his family has long since died out as he was traveling the stars. His attempt at a spiritual quest is interrupted by a corps of diplomats visiting Earth who solicit him, along with a team of psychics, to protect an ambassador and to capture an assassin. Acting on moment of intuition, Billy visits one of his prior captures at the zoo, a shape-changing alien who has developed communication skills, and solicits the alien's help. In the course of their discussion, they discover they are both the last of their kind. The alien, also known as 'Cat,' agrees, with a dangerous stipulation for Billy.
While that summary implies an active, external conflict, there is a deeper exploration of Billy's alienation from his own self and heritage. Ultimately, the story reminds me of a dreamquest, undoubtedly an effect Zelazny was trying to achieve, a mythic journey meant to create spiritual change. Stylistically, Zelazny creates the journey by intermixing time, narrative style and structure. The present time of Billy and the alien hunt is interspersed with his personal history, Native American mythology, dream sequences and poetry/prayer. As a result, pacing and conflict felt uneven; first the tight focus on the inner search for peace, then a longer hunt-driven focus that ends up leading back to the inner conflict. Disjointed and highly metaphorical, it was a style that generally does not appeal to me, although I do like think Zelazny perfected it later in a number of his shorts and novellas in Frost and Fire.
Despite a collage of narrative styles, the language is sparsely beautiful, and if no phrase in particular stands out for it's perfection, I will say that he captures setting and melancholy in a way that has me longing for desert skies and the smell of sage. I also felt the story was respectful of Native American culture and not merely appropriative. Although it probably deserves a thoughtful re-read from me, I'm not sure it will make it to the top of the to-read pile.
More of a two-star read for me.
Actual story: lib.ru/ZELQZNY/eyeofcat.txt
****************************************************
Isle of Dead... a more traditional Zelazny sci-fi, nominated for a Nebula for Best Novel in 1969. A galactic world-builder is reluctantly pulled out of a luxurious retirement by an unknown nemesis to deal with his past.
Francis Sandow is the last remaining man from twentieth century due to a strange intersection of technology and timing. Emotionally lost, he became one of the only non-natives trained by a race of world terraformers, and his skills have made him wealthy. They have also made him a god in the terraformers' religion.
We first meet Francis luxuriating on his own planet, when he is jolted out of retirement by a request for help from a friend as well as mysterious photographs of people he knows have been long dead. Investigators from Earth soon visit him to request his help as well, as certain genetic samples have been stolen from Earth prime--perhaps not coincidentally, samples from people that were significant in Francis' life. In the midst of investigating, his alien teacher requests his assistance in administering the terraformers' death rituals.
Apparently the inspiration was partly the issue of time dilation and partly a painting by Arnold Bocklin. According to Wikipedia, it's also a tribute to Hemingway. It resonates with typical Zelazny themes, however, of creation opposing destruction, love lost/betrayed, and female redemption. It has a feel very similar to the Amber books for me, especially with the world-shaping, and Francis is very similar to Corwin. The slowly unfolding conflict between Francis and his antagonist also reminds me of Corwin and the conflict with his brothers. Francis shows up in at two other stories, the book Zelazny most hated, To Die in Italbar, and a short story in Unicorn Variations.
Also deserves a re-read. The stronger of the pair, this was a three-and-half star read.
Eye of Cat... eenterestinnng. Written in 1982 and supposedly one of Zelazny's top five favorites (according to the Wikipedia who knows all). The story's setting is foreshadowed by Zelazny's dedication to Tony Hillerman and his heroes, Chee and Leaphorn.
Billy Singer, also known as Star Tracker, is a Native American tracker who specialized as an intergalactic tracker/hunter who captured beasts alive for zoological specimens. Recently returned home to his native southwest America to reflect and connect, he is plagued with feelings of isolation. As a Navajo, family is everything; his family has long since died out as he was traveling the stars. His attempt at a spiritual quest is interrupted by a corps of diplomats visiting Earth who solicit him, along with a team of psychics, to protect an ambassador and to capture an assassin. Acting on moment of intuition, Billy visits one of his prior captures at the zoo, a shape-changing alien who has developed communication skills, and solicits the alien's help. In the course of their discussion, they discover they are both the last of their kind. The alien, also known as 'Cat,' agrees, with a dangerous stipulation for Billy.
While that summary implies an active, external conflict, there is a deeper exploration of Billy's alienation from his own self and heritage. Ultimately, the story reminds me of a dreamquest, undoubtedly an effect Zelazny was trying to achieve, a mythic journey meant to create spiritual change. Stylistically, Zelazny creates the journey by intermixing time, narrative style and structure. The present time of Billy and the alien hunt is interspersed with his personal history, Native American mythology, dream sequences and poetry/prayer. As a result, pacing and conflict felt uneven; first the tight focus on the inner search for peace, then a longer hunt-driven focus that ends up leading back to the inner conflict. Disjointed and highly metaphorical, it was a style that generally does not appeal to me, although I do like think Zelazny perfected it later in a number of his shorts and novellas in Frost and Fire.
Despite a collage of narrative styles, the language is sparsely beautiful, and if no phrase in particular stands out for it's perfection, I will say that he captures setting and melancholy in a way that has me longing for desert skies and the smell of sage. I also felt the story was respectful of Native American culture and not merely appropriative. Although it probably deserves a thoughtful re-read from me, I'm not sure it will make it to the top of the to-read pile.
More of a two-star read for me.
Actual story: lib.ru/ZELQZNY/eyeofcat.txt
****************************************************
Isle of Dead... a more traditional Zelazny sci-fi, nominated for a Nebula for Best Novel in 1969. A galactic world-builder is reluctantly pulled out of a luxurious retirement by an unknown nemesis to deal with his past.
Francis Sandow is the last remaining man from twentieth century due to a strange intersection of technology and timing. Emotionally lost, he became one of the only non-natives trained by a race of world terraformers, and his skills have made him wealthy. They have also made him a god in the terraformers' religion.
We first meet Francis luxuriating on his own planet, when he is jolted out of retirement by a request for help from a friend as well as mysterious photographs of people he knows have been long dead. Investigators from Earth soon visit him to request his help as well, as certain genetic samples have been stolen from Earth prime--perhaps not coincidentally, samples from people that were significant in Francis' life. In the midst of investigating, his alien teacher requests his assistance in administering the terraformers' death rituals.
Apparently the inspiration was partly the issue of time dilation and partly a painting by Arnold Bocklin. According to Wikipedia, it's also a tribute to Hemingway. It resonates with typical Zelazny themes, however, of creation opposing destruction, love lost/betrayed, and female redemption. It has a feel very similar to the Amber books for me, especially with the world-shaping, and Francis is very similar to Corwin. The slowly unfolding conflict between Francis and his antagonist also reminds me of Corwin and the conflict with his brothers. Francis shows up in at two other stories, the book Zelazny most hated, To Die in Italbar, and a short story in Unicorn Variations.
Also deserves a re-read. The stronger of the pair, this was a three-and-half star read.
November 3, 2020
A digital double, the electronic successor to the old Ace doubles that I cut my sci-fi teeth on.
Isle Of The Dead 4.4⭐
I originally read this novel, separately, decades ago, and reviewed it as such. Please check that review for the details. I did find it was worth the reread.
Eye Of The Cat 3.6⭐
My first time reading this one.
William (Billy) Blackhorse Singer is a Frank ("Bring 'Em Back Alive") Buck type trapper of exotic animals, except of the extraterrestrial rather than African type. Because he's the best at it he is asked to help stop an alien assassin who has targeted Earth's leader. In order to do so he must go deep into his dark past and his Navajo roots. It's a decent yarn that bears a passing resemblance to Clifford D Simak's classic Outer Limits tale, The Duplicate Man. However Zelazny dives deep into the myths of the indigenous peoples of the American southwest, to give his story a peyote trance feel to it.The reader is required to wade through a lot of Zelazny's poetry, chants and stream of consciousness prose to make it through to the story (most of them can be safely skipped). It's not his best work but still a fair enough tale, once you make it past the excess verbiage.
Isle Of The Dead 4.4⭐
I originally read this novel, separately, decades ago, and reviewed it as such. Please check that review for the details. I did find it was worth the reread.
Eye Of The Cat 3.6⭐
My first time reading this one.
William (Billy) Blackhorse Singer is a Frank ("Bring 'Em Back Alive") Buck type trapper of exotic animals, except of the extraterrestrial rather than African type. Because he's the best at it he is asked to help stop an alien assassin who has targeted Earth's leader. In order to do so he must go deep into his dark past and his Navajo roots. It's a decent yarn that bears a passing resemblance to Clifford D Simak's classic Outer Limits tale, The Duplicate Man. However Zelazny dives deep into the myths of the indigenous peoples of the American southwest, to give his story a peyote trance feel to it.The reader is required to wade through a lot of Zelazny's poetry, chants and stream of consciousness prose to make it through to the story (most of them can be safely skipped). It's not his best work but still a fair enough tale, once you make it past the excess verbiage.
November 18, 2022
The protagonist of the first short novel in this omnibus--which is in fact Eye of Cat--is William Blackhorse Singer, a Navaho born in the 20th century, and still alive, and fit and healthy, almost two centuries later. This is at least in part due to Singer making use of his tracking skills to hunt and capture alien animals to stock interstellar zoos, as soon as that became a possibility, and thus spending a good deal of time in relativistic travel,
But Singer is now retired, and is very, very reluctant when Earth's government comes calling to recruit him to protect an alien diplomat on her way to Earth, being pursued by a deadly killer from her own world. He recruits in turn one of the last of the alien "animals" he captured; he has realized that this one was actually a person he badly wronged.
This isn't the story. The story is that the bargain with the alien, Cat, includes agreeing that after the killer is stopped, Cat will hunt Singer. Singer doesn't see the problem. All his family and friends from his own time are gone, and the Navaho of this time are the products of almost two centuries of adaptation to a changing world, as the Navaho always have. They're not Singer's people anymore, not really. Cat has a challenge just getting Singer to flee so he can be hunted, rather than just killed. As he finally flees, and finds his will to live kicking in, we learn a lot about Singer, his character, his personal demons, and his beliefs and rituals and what they mean to him. Singer grows a lot in the process.
I have no real idea how right Zelazny gets the Navaho and their beliefs, but from the dedication it at least appears he did research, and nothing about this feels disrespectful or ignorant. No warrantees stated or implied!
However, this novel does feel oddly old-fashioned. I can't quite put my finger on why. Yes, 1982 was forty years ago, but I had the feeling I was reading a book from the sixties (which, to be clear, I do with enjoyment, still, from time to time, but they do have a different feel that more recent works.) And I can't easily blame it on the portrayal of the few women in the story. They have careers and accomplishments and two have been called in specifically because they have relevant skills. Yet for reasons I can't quite put my finger on, it doesn't quite work for me.
Yet most of the story is Wllliam Blackhorse Singer's contest of survival against Cat, and his personal growth in understanding of himself and the culture he has always given his love and devotion, yet not fully understood the meaning of. And that is extremely well-written, absorbing, and ultimately satisfying.
Isle of the Dead is the story of Francis Sandow, also a man originally of the 20th century, and now around a thousand years old. His great age is also due in part to relativistic travel before the invention of FTL space drives. Sandow is a very different man than Singer; he's a businessman, a very successful businessman, and the jewel in the crown of his conglomerate is worldscaping. He makes worlds--anything the client wants them to be. He lives on one of his own creations, Homefree, where he's safe from any enemies because in addition to all the normal forms of security, the world's own creatures will protect him.
Yes, he has enemies. Over the last thousand years, both friends and enemies have died, Those who died on Earth after the invention of the Recall technology died with a chip in their brains that recorded their entire brains. This was transferred to tape, and stored for thirty days, in case there was a question about events surrounding their deaths. At the end of the thirty days, the tapes were destroyed.
Or that's the theory. Someone has been sending Sandow pictures of both friends and enemies who died on Earth after the invention of Recall technology. There's no message, just the pictures.
He ahs received messages, though, three of which matter. One is from Marling of Megapei, the Pei'an scholar and worldscaper who taught him to be a worldscaper. Marling is old, approaching the end, and wants Sandow to visit him "before the end of the fifth season." The next is from Earth's Central Intelligence Department, asking him to come to Earth to consult "on a matter vital to planetary security." It's not the first such request, and he's not going. The last is from an old friend, Ruth Laris, who says she's facing serious trouble and asks him to come help her. Of the two requests he cares about, Marling gives a time frame that means he has plenty of time to visit Ruth first. So off he goes to Aldebaran V.
It's on Aldebaran V where he starts to get the first real clues about why the pictures are being sent to him, and who his unknown enemy is. When he moves on to Megapei and his old teacher, Marling, he learns more, and is soon off on a journey to face his secret enemy, to attempt the rescue of his old friends and enemies, and to confront his ideas and beliefs about his worldscaping abilities, where they come from--and who his real friends and enemies are.
While, like Eye of Cat, this also feels like it was written in the sixties, it's rather less of a challenge to my ability to enjoy it, because it was written in the sixties. It's not that the women in it are handled better; they're actually handled somewhat worse. But all the skills I developed for reading sf in the 1960s kick in, because it's legitimately a product of the 1960s.
You may call this "making excuses for sixties sexism," and you wouldn't be wrong. I offer two arguments in my defense. One, I was a reading-obsessed kid in the 1960s, and it was hard to find enough sf that had genuinely good female characters to properly supply my reading habit. Developing mental work-arounds that let me enjoy otherwise very good stories was essential. And two, this is otherwise a really excellent story.
Recommended.
I bought this book.
But Singer is now retired, and is very, very reluctant when Earth's government comes calling to recruit him to protect an alien diplomat on her way to Earth, being pursued by a deadly killer from her own world. He recruits in turn one of the last of the alien "animals" he captured; he has realized that this one was actually a person he badly wronged.
This isn't the story. The story is that the bargain with the alien, Cat, includes agreeing that after the killer is stopped, Cat will hunt Singer. Singer doesn't see the problem. All his family and friends from his own time are gone, and the Navaho of this time are the products of almost two centuries of adaptation to a changing world, as the Navaho always have. They're not Singer's people anymore, not really. Cat has a challenge just getting Singer to flee so he can be hunted, rather than just killed. As he finally flees, and finds his will to live kicking in, we learn a lot about Singer, his character, his personal demons, and his beliefs and rituals and what they mean to him. Singer grows a lot in the process.
I have no real idea how right Zelazny gets the Navaho and their beliefs, but from the dedication it at least appears he did research, and nothing about this feels disrespectful or ignorant. No warrantees stated or implied!
However, this novel does feel oddly old-fashioned. I can't quite put my finger on why. Yes, 1982 was forty years ago, but I had the feeling I was reading a book from the sixties (which, to be clear, I do with enjoyment, still, from time to time, but they do have a different feel that more recent works.) And I can't easily blame it on the portrayal of the few women in the story. They have careers and accomplishments and two have been called in specifically because they have relevant skills. Yet for reasons I can't quite put my finger on, it doesn't quite work for me.
Yet most of the story is Wllliam Blackhorse Singer's contest of survival against Cat, and his personal growth in understanding of himself and the culture he has always given his love and devotion, yet not fully understood the meaning of. And that is extremely well-written, absorbing, and ultimately satisfying.
Isle of the Dead is the story of Francis Sandow, also a man originally of the 20th century, and now around a thousand years old. His great age is also due in part to relativistic travel before the invention of FTL space drives. Sandow is a very different man than Singer; he's a businessman, a very successful businessman, and the jewel in the crown of his conglomerate is worldscaping. He makes worlds--anything the client wants them to be. He lives on one of his own creations, Homefree, where he's safe from any enemies because in addition to all the normal forms of security, the world's own creatures will protect him.
Yes, he has enemies. Over the last thousand years, both friends and enemies have died, Those who died on Earth after the invention of the Recall technology died with a chip in their brains that recorded their entire brains. This was transferred to tape, and stored for thirty days, in case there was a question about events surrounding their deaths. At the end of the thirty days, the tapes were destroyed.
Or that's the theory. Someone has been sending Sandow pictures of both friends and enemies who died on Earth after the invention of Recall technology. There's no message, just the pictures.
He ahs received messages, though, three of which matter. One is from Marling of Megapei, the Pei'an scholar and worldscaper who taught him to be a worldscaper. Marling is old, approaching the end, and wants Sandow to visit him "before the end of the fifth season." The next is from Earth's Central Intelligence Department, asking him to come to Earth to consult "on a matter vital to planetary security." It's not the first such request, and he's not going. The last is from an old friend, Ruth Laris, who says she's facing serious trouble and asks him to come help her. Of the two requests he cares about, Marling gives a time frame that means he has plenty of time to visit Ruth first. So off he goes to Aldebaran V.
It's on Aldebaran V where he starts to get the first real clues about why the pictures are being sent to him, and who his unknown enemy is. When he moves on to Megapei and his old teacher, Marling, he learns more, and is soon off on a journey to face his secret enemy, to attempt the rescue of his old friends and enemies, and to confront his ideas and beliefs about his worldscaping abilities, where they come from--and who his real friends and enemies are.
While, like Eye of Cat, this also feels like it was written in the sixties, it's rather less of a challenge to my ability to enjoy it, because it was written in the sixties. It's not that the women in it are handled better; they're actually handled somewhat worse. But all the skills I developed for reading sf in the 1960s kick in, because it's legitimately a product of the 1960s.
You may call this "making excuses for sixties sexism," and you wouldn't be wrong. I offer two arguments in my defense. One, I was a reading-obsessed kid in the 1960s, and it was hard to find enough sf that had genuinely good female characters to properly supply my reading habit. Developing mental work-arounds that let me enjoy otherwise very good stories was essential. And two, this is otherwise a really excellent story.
Recommended.
I bought this book.
February 6, 2020
In this double book, Zelazny does what he does best, mixes science fiction, myth, fantasy and spirituality to stunning affect. While I thought "Eye of the Cat" was a great story, with it's use of native American mythology, I enjoyed "Isle of the Dead" just a little more. Highly recommended!
April 6, 2024
I loved Roger Zelazny when I was much younger, he was easily my favorite author; but as I aged and moved away from SF and Fantasy, and Zelazny seemed to be endlessly pumping out the Lords of Amber series, I slipped away. When I saw this 2-fer reissue at a local store I thought what the heck - let's see if he really was anything of substance. I had possibl read, and forgotten them, back in the day, so who know what was there.
Eye of Cat - I give this one 3 stars - a Navajo vs alien fantasy that is strong at times, but gets a little bogged down in the modernism - free form text, garbled language, beat poetry - that was once the cutting edge of literary experimentation, but which doesn't seem so daring in this distant future.
Isle of the Dead - 5 stars - an absolute banger of a novel, witty and funny and a truly compelling protagonist; clever, fast-paced and totally unique. I loved it. Zelazny's strong influence on Neil Gaiman is clearly visible in this witty - jaunty - adventure, absolutely zany enjoyment.
I wasn't just a youth under the influence, this guy can write. Maybe I will revisit more of this great fantasist. If you love SF or Fantasy, Roger Zelazny is a reasonable candidate for GOAT.
Maybe it is time to
Eye of Cat - I give this one 3 stars - a Navajo vs alien fantasy that is strong at times, but gets a little bogged down in the modernism - free form text, garbled language, beat poetry - that was once the cutting edge of literary experimentation, but which doesn't seem so daring in this distant future.
Isle of the Dead - 5 stars - an absolute banger of a novel, witty and funny and a truly compelling protagonist; clever, fast-paced and totally unique. I loved it. Zelazny's strong influence on Neil Gaiman is clearly visible in this witty - jaunty - adventure, absolutely zany enjoyment.
I wasn't just a youth under the influence, this guy can write. Maybe I will revisit more of this great fantasist. If you love SF or Fantasy, Roger Zelazny is a reasonable candidate for GOAT.
Maybe it is time to
May 11, 2022
I've owned both these novels in paperback for years, but suffering from insomnia and far away from my home library, I picked up the ebook combination of Eye of Cat/Isle of the Dead for two bucks. It's worth two bucks, especially if you are a fan of Zelazny's unique voice. At normal price (6.99 if I recall correctly) this would still be an enjoyable read, though both books are fairly short, and each could be read through during a long afternoon in a comfortable armchair.
December 24, 2017
Meh
Pretty weak... not a page turner. Some books do well at displaying the introspection of the narrator/main characters but this dragged and lost my interest many times. Some scenes were pretty impactful though like the stuff with Belion.
Pretty weak... not a page turner. Some books do well at displaying the introspection of the narrator/main characters but this dragged and lost my interest many times. Some scenes were pretty impactful though like the stuff with Belion.
May 9, 2022
When Roger Zelazny died the world lost one of its very bright lights.
It's hard to categorize his work, but the two stories in this collection both deal with revenge and regret.
Very highly recommended.
It's hard to categorize his work, but the two stories in this collection both deal with revenge and regret.
Very highly recommended.
July 27, 2018
The review that shows when I click on the book cover says everything I was going to say.
December 12, 2018
I am not qualified...
What can one say? This is a Zelazny creation. A jewel in the English language, by a real master. Here’s to you, Roger.
What can one say? This is a Zelazny creation. A jewel in the English language, by a real master. Here’s to you, Roger.
March 27, 2019
Retrieved stories
Recently found — earlier zelazny, well worth the wait. Makes me wish to find more that I missed. I will.
Recently found — earlier zelazny, well worth the wait. Makes me wish to find more that I missed. I will.
August 19, 2023
Not my cup of tea
June 20, 2021
3.0 out of 5 stars
Two Mismatched Stories in One Book
July 19, 2006
I feel sort of bad about rating this book at only 3 stars. But, the two stories in this book are just worlds apart in how good they are. The 2nd story (though listed first on the cover) is "Isle of the Dead," which is a really good story in classic Zelazny fashion. The other story, "Eye of Cat," is not that good at all. Now, if the publisher had put "Isle of the Dead" together with its sequel, "To Die in Italbar," I'd have given the compilation a 5 star rating. But, since the actual two stories have nothing in common, I'm forced to just take an average of my two ratings. For ease of reference, here are my write-ups for the individual stories:
Isle of the Dead: This is classic Zelazny: the merging of man and mythology. In this case, the mythology is entirely alien (the Pei'an pantheon), and, as seems to be the norm for Zelazny, the man (Francis Sandow) is darn near immortal. Also, as usual for Zelazny, the magic is there. My only complaint with the book is that I wish there were more of it. There's an awful lot of stuff that Zelazny hints at that could form entire books on their own. Unfortunately, the only other book with this main character in it is "To Die in Italbar." It's been a while since I read that book, but I remember it as also being very good. Wishing for more, I rate this book at a Very Good 4 stars out of 5.
Eye of Cat: Usually, I really like Zelazny's work. Unfortunately, in this case, he's just gone too far with his mythological basis. I'd estimate that more than half of this book consists of nothing but his interpretation of snippets from Navajo mythology stuck smack in the middle of a story. There IS a decent action-packed plot buried in there, but it's just overwhelmed by the mythology. By the end, the whole thing becomes a psychological "experience" as Zelazny basically drops the plot so the protagonist can confront himself. Even worse, the very last pages leave me unsure about whether or not he succeeds. With a tighter linkage between mythology and plot, this could have been an excellent book. But, because the two elements are so disjoint, and because Zelazny emphasizes the mythology over the plot, it just fails. So, unfortunately, I have to rate this book at a Not Very Good 2 stars out of 5.
Two Mismatched Stories in One Book
July 19, 2006
I feel sort of bad about rating this book at only 3 stars. But, the two stories in this book are just worlds apart in how good they are. The 2nd story (though listed first on the cover) is "Isle of the Dead," which is a really good story in classic Zelazny fashion. The other story, "Eye of Cat," is not that good at all. Now, if the publisher had put "Isle of the Dead" together with its sequel, "To Die in Italbar," I'd have given the compilation a 5 star rating. But, since the actual two stories have nothing in common, I'm forced to just take an average of my two ratings. For ease of reference, here are my write-ups for the individual stories:
Isle of the Dead: This is classic Zelazny: the merging of man and mythology. In this case, the mythology is entirely alien (the Pei'an pantheon), and, as seems to be the norm for Zelazny, the man (Francis Sandow) is darn near immortal. Also, as usual for Zelazny, the magic is there. My only complaint with the book is that I wish there were more of it. There's an awful lot of stuff that Zelazny hints at that could form entire books on their own. Unfortunately, the only other book with this main character in it is "To Die in Italbar." It's been a while since I read that book, but I remember it as also being very good. Wishing for more, I rate this book at a Very Good 4 stars out of 5.
Eye of Cat: Usually, I really like Zelazny's work. Unfortunately, in this case, he's just gone too far with his mythological basis. I'd estimate that more than half of this book consists of nothing but his interpretation of snippets from Navajo mythology stuck smack in the middle of a story. There IS a decent action-packed plot buried in there, but it's just overwhelmed by the mythology. By the end, the whole thing becomes a psychological "experience" as Zelazny basically drops the plot so the protagonist can confront himself. Even worse, the very last pages leave me unsure about whether or not he succeeds. With a tighter linkage between mythology and plot, this could have been an excellent book. But, because the two elements are so disjoint, and because Zelazny emphasizes the mythology over the plot, it just fails. So, unfortunately, I have to rate this book at a Not Very Good 2 stars out of 5.
July 15, 2014
6 eye of a cat deviating writing style which makes it harder to read. Expect to have read it also in dutch. Indian hunter frees alien prey to help alien murderer. Killed by alien cat. Price is that she will hunt him. Final show down acceptance of his heritage and manages to kill cat.
6.5 isle of the dead: Human got god like powers from alien race. Excluded power name wants to kill him. Catches his past friends and foes. Final clash of powers. Can't save his girlfriend but helps a former fiend.
6.5 isle of the dead: Human got god like powers from alien race. Excluded power name wants to kill him. Catches his past friends and foes. Final clash of powers. Can't save his girlfriend but helps a former fiend.
August 30, 2007
So my boyfriend is a science fiction junkie and I have pretty much steered away from the genre completely. But The novel wasn't too bad, certainly imaginative, which I do enjoy. Apparently Zelazny is the most prolific scifi writer ever and he does have a unique style and philosophical perspective. I wouldn't mind checking out more of his work.
June 18, 2015
Awesome...
The subtle craftsmanship Zelazny puts into the sci-fi genre is refreshing and quite exceptional. These are two quick reads, but must reads particularly for those who like Zelazny. Some of his best.
The subtle craftsmanship Zelazny puts into the sci-fi genre is refreshing and quite exceptional. These are two quick reads, but must reads particularly for those who like Zelazny. Some of his best.
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