What do you think?
Rate this book
My Name is Legion
Science Fiction
213 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
35 people are currently reading
1269 people want to read
About the author
Roger Zelazny
749 books3,918 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).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
March 7, 2024
A spy story with no messages that I could puzzle out!
I don't mind admitting it! MY NAME IS LEGION is a bit of a puzzle for me. I haven't been able to decide if there was a message of some kind that I missed or whether Zelazny was just having fun writing a few short stories in a spy vs spy mode built around a character with no name.
Nobody who has read science fiction is under any illusion about the loss of privacy we are suffering with the advent of the internet, computerized databases and national identification programs. Long before any of that came along, Zelazny prepared a story about a murky hero (or is it anti-hero) who managed to destroy his punch cards (what does that tell you about how long ago this story was written?), eliminate his credit cards, destroy his birth records and passport and simply drop out of society and into the mists of living by his wits taking on mercenary government jobs from time to time under different aliases for every case.
MY NAME IS LEGION is actually a collection of three novellas separately written and related to one another only to the extent that the man with no name is the hero in each of the stories.
The first in the collection, RUMOKO revolves around the rather frightening prospect of the use of nuclear bombs blasting a hole in the Moho layer to create artificial volcanoes. The idea is to release magma to create artificial land surface which can then be made habitable in an attempt to deal with earth's apparent population problem. Some pretty exciting stuff for those sci-fi lovers that like their plots hard and tech-oriented!
The second story (with a title that is quite unpronounceable) moves to the far opposite end of the hard-soft sci-fi spectrum - we're talking here about the sentience of dolphins; whether they dream, compose music or are capable of murder; and even whether they have a concept of philosophy and religion!
The third and final story in the collection, HOME IS THE HANGMAN, was, in my opinion, the most interesting story of the three. Dealing with artificial intelligence and robotics, it broached that always interesting subject of a robot's possible self-awareness, whether it could be capable of murder and whether it could feel emotion of any kind. Unlike the rather pretentious feel of the philosophy in the central dolphin story, Zelazny's use of Gödel's unprovability theorems and Turing's Test for artificial intelligence made HOME IS THE HANGMAN a much more convincing story. I suspect that Asimov who virtually made a career out of writing about robotic behaviour would agree.
Three stars for RUMOKO, two stars only for KJAWLLL'KJE'K'KOOTHAI'LLL'KJR'K, and four stars for HOME IS THE HANGMAN. Overall rating averaged out at three stars.
Recommended.
Paul Weiss
I don't mind admitting it! MY NAME IS LEGION is a bit of a puzzle for me. I haven't been able to decide if there was a message of some kind that I missed or whether Zelazny was just having fun writing a few short stories in a spy vs spy mode built around a character with no name.
Nobody who has read science fiction is under any illusion about the loss of privacy we are suffering with the advent of the internet, computerized databases and national identification programs. Long before any of that came along, Zelazny prepared a story about a murky hero (or is it anti-hero) who managed to destroy his punch cards (what does that tell you about how long ago this story was written?), eliminate his credit cards, destroy his birth records and passport and simply drop out of society and into the mists of living by his wits taking on mercenary government jobs from time to time under different aliases for every case.
MY NAME IS LEGION is actually a collection of three novellas separately written and related to one another only to the extent that the man with no name is the hero in each of the stories.
The first in the collection, RUMOKO revolves around the rather frightening prospect of the use of nuclear bombs blasting a hole in the Moho layer to create artificial volcanoes. The idea is to release magma to create artificial land surface which can then be made habitable in an attempt to deal with earth's apparent population problem. Some pretty exciting stuff for those sci-fi lovers that like their plots hard and tech-oriented!
The second story (with a title that is quite unpronounceable) moves to the far opposite end of the hard-soft sci-fi spectrum - we're talking here about the sentience of dolphins; whether they dream, compose music or are capable of murder; and even whether they have a concept of philosophy and religion!
The third and final story in the collection, HOME IS THE HANGMAN, was, in my opinion, the most interesting story of the three. Dealing with artificial intelligence and robotics, it broached that always interesting subject of a robot's possible self-awareness, whether it could be capable of murder and whether it could feel emotion of any kind. Unlike the rather pretentious feel of the philosophy in the central dolphin story, Zelazny's use of Gödel's unprovability theorems and Turing's Test for artificial intelligence made HOME IS THE HANGMAN a much more convincing story. I suspect that Asimov who virtually made a career out of writing about robotic behaviour would agree.
Three stars for RUMOKO, two stars only for KJAWLLL'KJE'K'KOOTHAI'LLL'KJR'K, and four stars for HOME IS THE HANGMAN. Overall rating averaged out at three stars.
Recommended.
Paul Weiss
March 29, 2012
Eve of RUMOKO: Someone is attempting to sabotage the RUMOKO project, a project that creates volcanoes on the ocean floor for the purpose of creating more land for an overpopulated Earth. Albert Schweitzer, an engineer, tips to what is happening. Only, Schweitzer's not an engineer and doesn't even exist at all...
For a story written forty years ago, the tone is pretty relevant today. The man with no name, the protagonist, is a former computer programmer that erased himself from a global database so he couldn't be tracked and goes around doing good deeds for exorbitant sums of money. Although the future of 2007 isn't quite accurate, the undersea domes, for example, the idea of a huge database containing ever bit of available data known to man seems spot on. Our nameless hero seems like he might be an inspiration for Repairman Jack. The story itself isn't fantastic but I'm a big fan of the ideas presented within, both the creation of artificial islands (didn't Stephenson do that in The Diamond Age?) and the man who doesn't officially exist.
Kjawlll'kje'k'koothai'lll'kjr'k: Two men are dead and it looks as if a dolphin is to blame. Our nameless hero begins poking around, leading him into a plot involving adultery, diamonds, and questions about dolphins and their culture...
I didn't enjoy the second story as much as the first but it was still good. While the plot wasn't spectacular, the conjectures about dolphins and their society and/or religion made up for it. I didn't expect Martha Millay to play such a prominent role when she was introduced.
Home is the Hangman:An artificially intelligent planet exploring robot, the Hangman, has returned to earth to exact vengeance on his creators. Or has he...
This was quite a yarn. For a novella, it sure had a lot of twists. Our nameless hero continues taking megarisks for his client, Don. The Hangman's creators were an interesting bunch and, as I said, it had enough twists to rise above its seemingly simple plot.
While My Name is Legion isn't my favorite Roger Zelazny book, it's also far from my least favorite. I'd recommend it to fans of spy novels, since the nameless protagonist is more of a spy than anything else. The man with no name reminds me of John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee at times and Repairman Jack at others. He should be a well-received character by fans of either.
For a story written forty years ago, the tone is pretty relevant today. The man with no name, the protagonist, is a former computer programmer that erased himself from a global database so he couldn't be tracked and goes around doing good deeds for exorbitant sums of money. Although the future of 2007 isn't quite accurate, the undersea domes, for example, the idea of a huge database containing ever bit of available data known to man seems spot on. Our nameless hero seems like he might be an inspiration for Repairman Jack. The story itself isn't fantastic but I'm a big fan of the ideas presented within, both the creation of artificial islands (didn't Stephenson do that in The Diamond Age?) and the man who doesn't officially exist.
Kjawlll'kje'k'koothai'lll'kjr'k: Two men are dead and it looks as if a dolphin is to blame. Our nameless hero begins poking around, leading him into a plot involving adultery, diamonds, and questions about dolphins and their culture...
I didn't enjoy the second story as much as the first but it was still good. While the plot wasn't spectacular, the conjectures about dolphins and their society and/or religion made up for it. I didn't expect Martha Millay to play such a prominent role when she was introduced.
Home is the Hangman:An artificially intelligent planet exploring robot, the Hangman, has returned to earth to exact vengeance on his creators. Or has he...
This was quite a yarn. For a novella, it sure had a lot of twists. Our nameless hero continues taking megarisks for his client, Don. The Hangman's creators were an interesting bunch and, as I said, it had enough twists to rise above its seemingly simple plot.
While My Name is Legion isn't my favorite Roger Zelazny book, it's also far from my least favorite. I'd recommend it to fans of spy novels, since the nameless protagonist is more of a spy than anything else. The man with no name reminds me of John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee at times and Repairman Jack at others. He should be a well-received character by fans of either.
May 14, 2020
This is an absolute classic of science fiction by one of my all time favourite authors. First published in 1979 it was pure science fiction in it's day though these days some may be more inclined to class it as speculative fiction. It was really quite prescient in its time, because in the 1970's the future of computers was speculative. The book comprises three stories with a central character and the title of the book sugests that this person is nameless. In fact Zelazny had a genius for titles and this title is instantly exciting.
Our hero then, is a person with no name. In the back history, we learn that he was a computer man when a central computer was being set up, a kind of world wide supercomputer that would know everything about everyone. This is where the speculative fiction creeps in, as in the 1970's people were playing a lot with this concept that has never quite materialised. Sure, a lot is computerised, personal private and freedom are certainly more limited that before computers in some ways, but we don't have quite the centralisation that sci-fi was predicting. Our hero decided to opt out, he eradicated his personal data and now exists outside the system. As such, he can perform covert missions for his contact that would be impossible for someone within the system.
The three stories are each unique and each looks at some aspect of science and technology that was around or hypothesised and bases the story around it.
In the first, our hero is called Schweitzer and is working on a deep ocean rig called RUMOKO as a technician. A series of sabotages have occurred and through the interesting story we find out that the rig is planning to detonate nuclear charges at depth to create a new volcanic island. Technology that is an excitingly uncontrollable notion even today. Now deep sea topography is still being explored, volcanic action in the ocean is still exciting and plate tectonics as a theory only started to gain acceptance in the 1960's so this is hot stuff for its time and it is still exciting and interesting to read.
The next story has our hero masquerading as a technician again in order to work at a maritime facility where two men allegedly met their deaths by being murdered by dolphins. This story was excellent as well. Dolphin intelligence was only starting to be explored around then, there were a lot of people ready to credit than with much more intelligence and culture that they are currently credited with. I really enjoyed the location for this story, it is a complicated scenario of greed and murder in which Spoiler - the dolphins are exonerated - but the complicated web is excellent to read.
In the second story I especially loved the descriptions of diving (which was also in it's infancy in the 1970's, of underwater work and the bends. As a diver that was totally fascinating. Throughout the book Zelazny references the underwater human cities, where people live in bubbles. This technology was also explored back in the 70's and was ultimately discontinued for a lot of reasons, but I loved the speculation of what it might have become.
The third story is the most thrilling in many ways, this is an exploration of artificial intelligence and describes a scenario where one was created, almost accidentally, perhaps and then sent out into space to explore the planets. Out there it seemed to go mad and then lost contact with earth but now it's ship has crashed into the ocean in the gulf of Mexico. While this is an exciting story a lot of the initial part is Zelazny, through his main character telling us about computers and relevant technology, theories of intelligence and so forth. This was always something I loved about classic science fiction, I am not sure how well it would translate to some modern readers but I loved every bit of it. I originally read this book years ago, I am very glad to have found it and read it again.
Our hero then, is a person with no name. In the back history, we learn that he was a computer man when a central computer was being set up, a kind of world wide supercomputer that would know everything about everyone. This is where the speculative fiction creeps in, as in the 1970's people were playing a lot with this concept that has never quite materialised. Sure, a lot is computerised, personal private and freedom are certainly more limited that before computers in some ways, but we don't have quite the centralisation that sci-fi was predicting. Our hero decided to opt out, he eradicated his personal data and now exists outside the system. As such, he can perform covert missions for his contact that would be impossible for someone within the system.
The three stories are each unique and each looks at some aspect of science and technology that was around or hypothesised and bases the story around it.
In the first, our hero is called Schweitzer and is working on a deep ocean rig called RUMOKO as a technician. A series of sabotages have occurred and through the interesting story we find out that the rig is planning to detonate nuclear charges at depth to create a new volcanic island. Technology that is an excitingly uncontrollable notion even today. Now deep sea topography is still being explored, volcanic action in the ocean is still exciting and plate tectonics as a theory only started to gain acceptance in the 1960's so this is hot stuff for its time and it is still exciting and interesting to read.
The next story has our hero masquerading as a technician again in order to work at a maritime facility where two men allegedly met their deaths by being murdered by dolphins. This story was excellent as well. Dolphin intelligence was only starting to be explored around then, there were a lot of people ready to credit than with much more intelligence and culture that they are currently credited with. I really enjoyed the location for this story, it is a complicated scenario of greed and murder in which Spoiler - the dolphins are exonerated - but the complicated web is excellent to read.
In the second story I especially loved the descriptions of diving (which was also in it's infancy in the 1970's, of underwater work and the bends. As a diver that was totally fascinating. Throughout the book Zelazny references the underwater human cities, where people live in bubbles. This technology was also explored back in the 70's and was ultimately discontinued for a lot of reasons, but I loved the speculation of what it might have become.
The third story is the most thrilling in many ways, this is an exploration of artificial intelligence and describes a scenario where one was created, almost accidentally, perhaps and then sent out into space to explore the planets. Out there it seemed to go mad and then lost contact with earth but now it's ship has crashed into the ocean in the gulf of Mexico. While this is an exciting story a lot of the initial part is Zelazny, through his main character telling us about computers and relevant technology, theories of intelligence and so forth. This was always something I loved about classic science fiction, I am not sure how well it would translate to some modern readers but I loved every bit of it. I originally read this book years ago, I am very glad to have found it and read it again.
January 16, 2023
This is a collection of three sequential stories featuring the same unnamed protagonist. In 2007, we are supposed to have collected all information on everyone into computers (Google?) and a few select folks (we never know how many) are left out such as our protagonist (thus the lack of a name). The book talks of his adventures as a sort of super detective sent on missions by a mysterious Don who he meets in bars every so often. The first mission involves undoing a terrorist plot that would sabotage the creation of new vulcanos by creating underwater explosions. In the second, he needs to acquit dolphins of murder. And lastly, he must save four scientists from their Frankenstein-like Hangman, an Intersolar AI they created. I really enjoyed Zelazny's prose and the plots were really interesting in that some information was always withheld to maintain an atmosphere of suspense. I am looking forward to reading more of his work, probably starting with Lord of Light.
December 14, 2021
My Name is Legion has been on my TBR (mental) list since I was, oh, maybe twelve and I saw it on the shelves of the local secondhand bookstore. I didn't know the title was biblical, nor what the mad robot on the front was up to, or that Zelazny wold become one of my favorite authors ever, but I knew a Legion was a lot...
And I finally got around to reading it! This is Zelazny stepping manfully into a 40/50s-style SF mode -- "our hero is thrust into a problem which he solves with Science." Of course, Mr. Z was a more thoughtful and humanistic writer, so there is quite a bit of the human side, contemplative mode going on beneath the surface as well.
We discover that Our Hero -- "Nemo", French for "no one", is sometimes cited in reviews as the narrator's name -- has made himself truly nameless in a society much like our own here in 2021, except that all computerized records have been tied together in a central database. Hating the totalitarianism that could follow, he was able to rig the system so he could be no one, and anyone.
I have to break off here, and finish later, but the three stories in the collection are:
The Eve of RUMOKO, 1969 novella
'Kjwalll'kje'k'koothaïlll'kje'k, 1973 novella
Home Is the Hangman, 1975 novella
And I finally got around to reading it! This is Zelazny stepping manfully into a 40/50s-style SF mode -- "our hero is thrust into a problem which he solves with Science." Of course, Mr. Z was a more thoughtful and humanistic writer, so there is quite a bit of the human side, contemplative mode going on beneath the surface as well.
We discover that Our Hero -- "Nemo", French for "no one", is sometimes cited in reviews as the narrator's name -- has made himself truly nameless in a society much like our own here in 2021, except that all computerized records have been tied together in a central database. Hating the totalitarianism that could follow, he was able to rig the system so he could be no one, and anyone.
I have to break off here, and finish later, but the three stories in the collection are:
The Eve of RUMOKO, 1969 novella
'Kjwalll'kje'k'koothaïlll'kje'k, 1973 novella
Home Is the Hangman, 1975 novella
October 23, 2014
This is a collection of 3 stories with a central character, a man with no name. Sound familiar? Well, it's not a Clint Eastwood western, but it is a fun set of SF-Mystery stories. I get the impression that Zelazny was wondering about some things, kind of thinking out loud.
In the first story, "Rumoko", we meet the head programmer of the world bank database. He decided that the system he labored on so long, a database that contains every fact about every person on Earth, might not be such a good thing, so he drops out of the system & becomes a wandering troubleshooter. He's tough, smart & can be anyone he wants to be thanks to his backdoor into the database. He takes on interesting jobs such as protecting a project which is creating a new island chain by blowing holes in the Earth's crust with atomic weapons. But should he?
The second story has an unpronounceable name, "Kjawlll'kje'k'koothai'lll'kjr'k", & explores dolphin intelligence, philosophy & possibly their religion.
The last story is "Home is the Hangman" which was also published as a separate novella & with some short stories in another book. A deep space exploration robot is more intelligent than its creators counted on.
All in all, not his favorite work of mine, but a good read.
In the first story, "Rumoko", we meet the head programmer of the world bank database. He decided that the system he labored on so long, a database that contains every fact about every person on Earth, might not be such a good thing, so he drops out of the system & becomes a wandering troubleshooter. He's tough, smart & can be anyone he wants to be thanks to his backdoor into the database. He takes on interesting jobs such as protecting a project which is creating a new island chain by blowing holes in the Earth's crust with atomic weapons. But should he?
The second story has an unpronounceable name, "Kjawlll'kje'k'koothai'lll'kjr'k", & explores dolphin intelligence, philosophy & possibly their religion.
The last story is "Home is the Hangman" which was also published as a separate novella & with some short stories in another book. A deep space exploration robot is more intelligent than its creators counted on.
All in all, not his favorite work of mine, but a good read.
August 28, 2017
Tenemos, por tanto, una obra con forma de novela de acción y aventuras, pero inconfundiblemente de ciencia ficción por su temática. Tiene un toque de fantasía en su estilo y un importante trasfondo de reflexión filosófica, que tal vez nos pueda pasar desapercibida a algunos lectores en medio de las conspiraciones y misiones de nuestro endurecido protagonista. Es una obra entretenida en la que apenas tienes un momento de descanso, pues la tensión es casi constante, si bien puede resultar un poco complicada de seguir. Esto se debe sobre todo a la forma de narrar, que recuerda al fluir del pensamiento siendo un tanto caótica. Como lectora, hubiera agradecido que el autor profundizase más en ciertos aspectos morales del mundo que crea y en algunos adelantos técnicos y nuevas formas de poblar el planeta como las “ciudades- burbuja” (asentamientos submarinos), sin embargo el resultado es bastante satisfactorio.
Crítica completa en: https://alibreria.com/2017/08/28/%E2%...
Crítica completa en: https://alibreria.com/2017/08/28/%E2%...
May 3, 2025
Z minusem. Aż sprawdziłem bibliografię, bo byłem skłonny podejrzewać że to debiut, bo jest typowy Żelazny styl, ale mniej i słabiej. Ale nie, miał już wówczas na koncie wiele swoich najlepszych tytułów. Nie wiem co tu zaszło.
March 23, 2021
My Name Is Legion collects three great novellas by the late Roger Zelazny including the Hugo winning Home Is the Hangman. The hero of all three is a man who managed not to be recorded in a global database that is supposed to track everything humans of the future do. This puts him in a situation where he can become anyone, which makes him an excellent and very highly paid detective. Each novella is a mystery which Zelazny unfolds with his trademark style. So if you are interested in finding out why people want to stop nuclear weapons from being used to create volcanic islands in the Atlantic to help solve the need for more landmass, or if dolphins murdered two scuba divers, or why a space probe has come home and begun to murder the men and women who created it, you should definitely give this collection a try.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
December 9, 2011
A marvelous book. Roger Zelazny's 3 tales written some 20 years apart featuring the same character. All 3 are enjoyable adventure yarns. The first is only that, the second, written years later adds much more interesting speculation and emotional depth, the last, again written years later, is so good that the first page makes you lean back in your chair and exhale mightily and the theme is worthy of the wonderful style--a yarn truly worthy of its Hugo. Rarely does one get the chance to see the growth of a writer demonstrated so clearly.
March 7, 2017
This is a collection of three novellas that combine the science fiction and mystery/thriller genres similar to the Gil Hamilton stories by Larry Niven. Zelazny's work hasn't aged as well here, but his style and characters are still delightful. The first story is the weakest of the trio, and the third, Home in the Hangman, is an award winning classic. (Everyone should attempt to pronounce the title of the second story in the dolphin!) Zelazny was at the top in his time.
October 13, 2010
Three stars is a gift. Better than most Zelazny, which isn't saying much. "Home is the Hangman" is the only novella of the three that is worth reading.
Despite writing this forty years ago, Zelazny avoided the obvious technology and historical problems.
Hard to believe the Brothers Hidebrandt did that insipid cover art.
Despite writing this forty years ago, Zelazny avoided the obvious technology and historical problems.
Hard to believe the Brothers Hidebrandt did that insipid cover art.
July 1, 2015
Tre racconti con protagonista il tecno-mercenario senza fissa identità.
Non dei grandi racconti, ma gradevoli. Ci si interroga su cosa sia la persona, cosa ci renda ciò che siamo e cosa sia l'intelligenza e tutti i soliti interrogativi della fantascienza, dagli anni sessante del novecento in poi.
Il protagonista è poco credibile, ma penso sia la parte meno importante dei racconti :)
Non dei grandi racconti, ma gradevoli. Ci si interroga su cosa sia la persona, cosa ci renda ciò che siamo e cosa sia l'intelligenza e tutti i soliti interrogativi della fantascienza, dagli anni sessante del novecento in poi.
Il protagonista è poco credibile, ma penso sia la parte meno importante dei racconti :)
December 30, 2018
5/10. Media de los 11 libros leídos del autor : 6/10
Nada menos que seis Hugos ganó el Sr Zelazny, y sin embargo de sus novelas realmente solo me gustaron “Tú, el inmortal” (se llevó el Hugo) y la serie de Ambar. El resto un 5/10 en le mejor de los casos, pero en general suspensos.
Esta tb se llevó el Hugo y ya veis, aprobadillo raspado.
Nada menos que seis Hugos ganó el Sr Zelazny, y sin embargo de sus novelas realmente solo me gustaron “Tú, el inmortal” (se llevó el Hugo) y la serie de Ambar. El resto un 5/10 en le mejor de los casos, pero en general suspensos.
Esta tb se llevó el Hugo y ya veis, aprobadillo raspado.
March 9, 2024
Disfrute enormemente de la imaginación y creatividad del autor; los personajes, la trama y el argumento me han parecido brillantes, los he gozado.
Greatly enjoy the author's imagination and creativity; I found the characters, the plot and the argument brilliant, I enjoyed them.
Greatly enjoy the author's imagination and creativity; I found the characters, the plot and the argument brilliant, I enjoyed them.
April 15, 2024
This read a bit like an old pulp detective novel - clever, fast-talking man does manly things. Despite that, I still enjoyed it for what it was, although it's certainly dated in some aspects. I bought it in used bookstore solely for the shitty cover, never expecting to read it. So, here we are!
February 23, 2018
My Name is Legion is an interesting trilogy about a man with no identity. Sure, the content is interesting, but what makes it so fascinating is how the quality of the three stories are so different. You have one amazing story, one average story, and one that is best to be swept underneath the carpet and never heard from again.
The Eve of Rumoko is the carpet sweeper. The dialog is a mess, the story is a mess and is incredibly ranty. Seriously, my eyes glossed over several times and I was reading during the day with what I thought was good sleep. I almost felt like this was taken from Zelazny's high school days when he was starting to find his gift.
Kjwalll'kje'koothai'lll'kje'k (don't ask me to spell that ever again) would be the average story. Actually any story that involves dolphins is probably average at best. It's almost a progression from the last tale. The dialog is slightly better, the rants are still pretty bad but this time we have content which leads to a decent conclusion.
Finally, we have Home is the Hangman. The amazing piece, the one that won a Nebula, the one that won a Hugo too. From the first page, it is easy to see that this story jumps off the page, right into your lap and nuzzles up to you for the hour, hour and a half that you will read it. The dialog is perfect and the few rants actually make sense to the story. The ending is well thought out and it's one of the best short stories I have ever read. It probably is the best "novella" length story I have ever read. Why it hasn't been made into a movie is beyond me.
Thankfully, Home is the Hangman is available elsewhere like Volume 4 (in Hardback) of the Roger Zelazny collection of stories. (Last Exit to Babylon) That way at least you don't have to go through two stinkers to get to the good parts. Amazing, even. But, much like life...sometimes you have to go through something awful to get to something good. Enjoy.
The Eve of Rumoko is the carpet sweeper. The dialog is a mess, the story is a mess and is incredibly ranty. Seriously, my eyes glossed over several times and I was reading during the day with what I thought was good sleep. I almost felt like this was taken from Zelazny's high school days when he was starting to find his gift.
Kjwalll'kje'koothai'lll'kje'k (don't ask me to spell that ever again) would be the average story. Actually any story that involves dolphins is probably average at best. It's almost a progression from the last tale. The dialog is slightly better, the rants are still pretty bad but this time we have content which leads to a decent conclusion.
Finally, we have Home is the Hangman. The amazing piece, the one that won a Nebula, the one that won a Hugo too. From the first page, it is easy to see that this story jumps off the page, right into your lap and nuzzles up to you for the hour, hour and a half that you will read it. The dialog is perfect and the few rants actually make sense to the story. The ending is well thought out and it's one of the best short stories I have ever read. It probably is the best "novella" length story I have ever read. Why it hasn't been made into a movie is beyond me.
Thankfully, Home is the Hangman is available elsewhere like Volume 4 (in Hardback) of the Roger Zelazny collection of stories. (Last Exit to Babylon) That way at least you don't have to go through two stinkers to get to the good parts. Amazing, even. But, much like life...sometimes you have to go through something awful to get to something good. Enjoy.
July 14, 2022
This is my first look at Zelazny's writing and I had a pretty good time with it. A collection of three short scifi detective stories, it has some dark themes about it, but they're handled in a light-hearted way. The characters are all a bit zany, this did appear at the tail end of the 60s after all. Our hero is a clever dick who won't hesitate to shoot you but will then clean the wound out for you afterwards.
"If you have to murder a man - have to, I mean, like no choice in the matter - I feel that it should be a bloody and horrible thing, so that it burns itself into your soul and gives you a better appreciation of the value of human existence."
The main character in these three adventures has erased himself from the system and simultaneously given himself access to any personal history that he can imagine. Apparently scifi readers have dubbed him "Nemo" which I think I read is the Latin word for "nobody" and I'm just going to roll with that for this review.
Nemo is involved with the organisation that is compiling everyone's personal data into a centralised system and at first he is a proud proponent of the work. He considers all of the many benefits which the collated data will bring to areas such as medicine and economics and so on. A friend makes a few contradictory points and the result of that passing conversation is that Nemo's doubts ultimately lead him to abandon his part in the project and his place in the new system.
I'm going to interject here with my own controversial thoughts, so skip the next three paragraphs to focus on the book review.
Unlike most people I'm all for getting a chip in my wrist and having all my data stored and never having to carry money and not having to recall the name of a drug that my doctor prescribed 10 years ago and yeah, I love it. Sign me up for the New World Order folks.
Look, we're all much more familiar with this type of invasion of privacy right here in 2022 than we were in 1969 when the first Nemo novelette came out. Our movements are tracked, our opinions and preferences are recorded and then that data is sold around the place. People are making money off of knowing things about us. So? But really, so what?? I personally prefer that the ads I see are tailored to my interests.
In Australia we have begun the process of collating medical information, only the process is voluntary and you have to request to have your data added to your file after each visit, so it's really not functioning well enough for my liking yet.
Ooops, I nearly forgot to review the book. Well, I've thrown my two cents in just to say that although I wouldn't have made the same choice as Nemo, I appreciate the vitality of the questions asked in this book. I should emphasise that the stories don't focus heavily on those issues after the initial set up.
Now, back to the stories at hand.
1. The Eve of Rumoko
It took me a few pages to get into it, but after that I was hooked. The dialogue is full of witty banter and the scenario rapidly counts down to the climax, like a time bomb has been set under the plot, there is constant momentum and a real sense of urgent energy to this adventure.
Nemo gets himself involved in Project Rumoko, a secret operation to create a new volcanic island. Woah! Along the way he generates a bit of unwanted attention and when some thugs break into his room to press him for information we get the backstory of how he became Nemo.
Nemo's task is to ensure the project goes ahead without delay and I'll let you read the book to find out how he handles his job.
"I returned to the Proteus and practiced meditation for a few days. Since it did not produce the desired results, I went up and got drunk with Bill Mellings."
I really liked Bill too, or rather the relationship that he has with Nemo. I hoped that he would be a recurring character.
The story brings up population concerns in a way that perhaps seems farcical now. It does so very cynically but I think it remains a clever plot device.
Speaking of cynical. The whole thing is giving me like a darker James Bond vibe. Everything does not come out rosy at all.
2. Kjwalll'kje'koothai'lll'kje'k
Ok. I'm going to say it. I think this story has a stupid name. But! You're not going to believe this, the text-to-speech engine on my ereader will ignore many much simpler words, opting instead to spell them out and yet, it decided to give this a go. And I'm actually impressed, I wish I could show you as part of this review. I barely looked at what letters it contains myself and I certainly didn't try to assign any sounds to it, but there you go.
"Curiosity may ultimately prove nature's way of dealing with the population problem."
This story is ridiculous in concept, to those of us not lucky enough to live in Nemo's enlightened future. I'm listening to the start of this, while two guys talk about how likely it is that the dolphins are responsible for the murder, and I'm thinking that it's all a gag. And then I'm thinking it's been going on for a few pages without a punchline, so I do, I check the synopsis and there it is: "and [Nemo] defends a group of dolphins accused of murder." So we're doing this. Law and Order, Special Aquariums Unit.
Well, I'm taking the piss, but I thought this was fantastic. I am a fan of Douglas Adams and that's where my thoughts went immediately. Keep in mind that this one preceded Hitchhiker's by a decade.
"Paul's dead," he said.
"What?"
"You heard me. Dead."
"How'd it happen?"
"He stopped breathing."
"They usually do."
This was pretty consistently entertaining. You'll probably learn a number of dolphin facts, but bear in mind that it's all mixed in casually with plenty of dolphin speculation.
3. Home is the Hangman
Nemo is hired to find a rogue robot that may or may not have achieved a level of sentience and may or may not be out to murder its creators. This one is perhaps a better detective story but not quite as whacky or fun. Still an enjoyable read with its funny moments, especially in the dialogue.
"If the liberal arts do nothing else, they provide engaging metaphors for the thinking they displace."
In this final story Nemo is at greater risk of being found out because one of the scientists that he is hired to protect is a past acquaintance.
"If you have to murder a man - have to, I mean, like no choice in the matter - I feel that it should be a bloody and horrible thing, so that it burns itself into your soul and gives you a better appreciation of the value of human existence."
The main character in these three adventures has erased himself from the system and simultaneously given himself access to any personal history that he can imagine. Apparently scifi readers have dubbed him "Nemo" which I think I read is the Latin word for "nobody" and I'm just going to roll with that for this review.
Nemo is involved with the organisation that is compiling everyone's personal data into a centralised system and at first he is a proud proponent of the work. He considers all of the many benefits which the collated data will bring to areas such as medicine and economics and so on. A friend makes a few contradictory points and the result of that passing conversation is that Nemo's doubts ultimately lead him to abandon his part in the project and his place in the new system.
I'm going to interject here with my own controversial thoughts, so skip the next three paragraphs to focus on the book review.
Unlike most people I'm all for getting a chip in my wrist and having all my data stored and never having to carry money and not having to recall the name of a drug that my doctor prescribed 10 years ago and yeah, I love it. Sign me up for the New World Order folks.
Look, we're all much more familiar with this type of invasion of privacy right here in 2022 than we were in 1969 when the first Nemo novelette came out. Our movements are tracked, our opinions and preferences are recorded and then that data is sold around the place. People are making money off of knowing things about us. So? But really, so what?? I personally prefer that the ads I see are tailored to my interests.
In Australia we have begun the process of collating medical information, only the process is voluntary and you have to request to have your data added to your file after each visit, so it's really not functioning well enough for my liking yet.
Ooops, I nearly forgot to review the book. Well, I've thrown my two cents in just to say that although I wouldn't have made the same choice as Nemo, I appreciate the vitality of the questions asked in this book. I should emphasise that the stories don't focus heavily on those issues after the initial set up.
Now, back to the stories at hand.
1. The Eve of Rumoko
It took me a few pages to get into it, but after that I was hooked. The dialogue is full of witty banter and the scenario rapidly counts down to the climax, like a time bomb has been set under the plot, there is constant momentum and a real sense of urgent energy to this adventure.
Nemo gets himself involved in Project Rumoko, a secret operation to create a new volcanic island. Woah! Along the way he generates a bit of unwanted attention and when some thugs break into his room to press him for information we get the backstory of how he became Nemo.
Nemo's task is to ensure the project goes ahead without delay and I'll let you read the book to find out how he handles his job.
"I returned to the Proteus and practiced meditation for a few days. Since it did not produce the desired results, I went up and got drunk with Bill Mellings."
I really liked Bill too, or rather the relationship that he has with Nemo. I hoped that he would be a recurring character.
The story brings up population concerns in a way that perhaps seems farcical now. It does so very cynically but I think it remains a clever plot device.
Speaking of cynical. The whole thing is giving me like a darker James Bond vibe. Everything does not come out rosy at all.
2. Kjwalll'kje'koothai'lll'kje'k
Ok. I'm going to say it. I think this story has a stupid name. But! You're not going to believe this, the text-to-speech engine on my ereader will ignore many much simpler words, opting instead to spell them out and yet, it decided to give this a go. And I'm actually impressed, I wish I could show you as part of this review. I barely looked at what letters it contains myself and I certainly didn't try to assign any sounds to it, but there you go.
"Curiosity may ultimately prove nature's way of dealing with the population problem."
This story is ridiculous in concept, to those of us not lucky enough to live in Nemo's enlightened future. I'm listening to the start of this, while two guys talk about how likely it is that the dolphins are responsible for the murder, and I'm thinking that it's all a gag. And then I'm thinking it's been going on for a few pages without a punchline, so I do, I check the synopsis and there it is: "and [Nemo] defends a group of dolphins accused of murder." So we're doing this. Law and Order, Special Aquariums Unit.
Well, I'm taking the piss, but I thought this was fantastic. I am a fan of Douglas Adams and that's where my thoughts went immediately. Keep in mind that this one preceded Hitchhiker's by a decade.
"Paul's dead," he said.
"What?"
"You heard me. Dead."
"How'd it happen?"
"He stopped breathing."
"They usually do."
This was pretty consistently entertaining. You'll probably learn a number of dolphin facts, but bear in mind that it's all mixed in casually with plenty of dolphin speculation.
3. Home is the Hangman
Nemo is hired to find a rogue robot that may or may not have achieved a level of sentience and may or may not be out to murder its creators. This one is perhaps a better detective story but not quite as whacky or fun. Still an enjoyable read with its funny moments, especially in the dialogue.
"If the liberal arts do nothing else, they provide engaging metaphors for the thinking they displace."
In this final story Nemo is at greater risk of being found out because one of the scientists that he is hired to protect is a past acquaintance.
May 12, 2016
An excellent selection of short stories by one of my favorite writers. Great reading if you need something for short periods of time. Very recommended
November 26, 2008
19 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
Almost great stories, August 25, 2008
My name is legion is a collection of three stories by Roger Zelazny.
* The Eve of RUMOKO - three stars
* Kjwalll'kje'koothai'lll'kje'k - four stars
* Home Is the Hangman - five stars
The stories revolve around a mercenary secret agent that has erased his identity and makes a living doing dangerous investigative jobs using fake names. He can basically assume any identity (legion--many names).
The first story is set in the year 2007. The technology in 2007 is quite astounding with cities on the Ocean bottom, advanced space exploration, and the existence of truly intelligent super robots (the hang man). At the same time as the story is referring to tape drive and punch cards. Predicting the future is difficult. This is a little funny from a 2008 perspective. However, this is to expect. When people attempt to make predictions they typically extrapolate current technology and make the assumption that existing technology will be extremely advanced in the near future (in the 30's people said all cars would be flying by the 1970's). At the same time it is near impossible to predict entirely new technologies.
In the first story the agent is trying to solve a mystery regarding terrorist attempts against the project RUMOKO in which nuclear bombs are used to blast holes in the Moho layer below the Ocean bottom to create artificial volcanoes that will create new land (like Surtsey, Iceland) to mitigate earth's over population problem. Even though the story itself was not bad, I had a few problems with its context that I could not easily accept.
First, creating artificial land by having magma bubble up from the Ocean bottom is most likely counter productive since the magma below the Ocean surface is likely to push away enough water to reduce the coast line land area in excess of the tiny land you gain from the new Islands. To gain land the average depth of the Ocean must actually increase (because the Ocean water will not vanish). Let's make a calculation.
If we put 100 cones that are 5km tall and has a bottom radius of 50km in 4km deep water (crust is thin in deep water, like the Atlantic crust) then the amount of water pushed away is 100*(50^2*5*pi/3 - 10^2*pi/3) = 1,298,525 km3 of water. 50km radius at the bottom makes a steep slope (10%) so this is probably an under estimation. Reality would likely be worse. The Ocean surface is around 361 million km2 so we get that the Ocean rises 1,298,525/361,000,000 = 0.0036km = 3.6 meters. According to GIS statistics the World's coast line is around 900,000km. Since it is flat coast land that will be flooded, not the fjords of Norway, it is the flat coast land we should consider. If we assume 200 meters rise on 100 km for flat land (actually not very flat) we get 0.15 degrees. 3.6 meters (12 feet) divided by the sine of 0.15 yields 1.375km and assuming half of all coast line is flat land we get a land loss of 1.375 * 450,000 = 619 thousand km2 (size of Texas). If we use the formula for the lateral surface of a cone (the 100 volcanic cones we added) we get that we just added 100*315.7 km2 of land area to the world which is about 20 times less than what we lost on the coast line.
Secondly, exploding nuclear bombs on the Ocean floor and allowing massive amount magma to flow up into the Ocean cannot be good for the eco system of the Ocean, and the people living on the Ocean bottom (the Ocean bottom cities) are likely to complain.
Thirdly, you can much more easily create new land by building floating cities which will not push away lots of water, and you can irrigate the Sahara desert and other deserts. New volcanic islands have to be made fit for life anyway. Allowing this to happen naturally will take a very long time. These other approaches would be cheaper, quicker, safer, and not likely to be counter productive (in the sense described above). So why would anyone choose this silly and dangerous approach? I don't buy it. I say three stars.
The second story "Kjwalll'kje'koothai'lll'kje'k" was beautiful, thought provoking, and philosophical. This story revolved around the sentience of dolphins and whether they can compose ideas or music or have a concept of spirituality, and also whether they are capable of murder. If you love Dolphins you will love this charming story, but I found the story to be a little bit too "dreamy" and speculative for me. If you love Dolphin salad you will not like this story (since it humanizes Dolphins).
The third story "Home Is the Hangman" was my favorite story. The "Hangman" was a space robot possessing what seemed to be "real autonomous intelligence" and perhaps self awareness. Having worked in the fields of robotics and artificial intelligence myself I had a few objections, but not anything that most readers would care about. The story was believable (if set in the year 2057 or 2107 instead of 2007), and very exciting. The story took a few unexpected turns that took me by surprise, and explained the story at a deeper level. I love that sudden moment of dawning comprehension that explains what is going on and makes the story better. It shows that the plot was very well thought through.
Overall this was a good book, but not good enough to go on my list of favorite classic Science Fiction, and the author does not match up to Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, James Blish, and Robert Heinlein in my opinion. Well, I have only read one Zelazny book, so far, so that may be a hasty judgment. The book is recommended to hard core Science Fiction fans but not recommended to those looking for only the best of Classic Science Fiction.
Almost great stories, August 25, 2008
My name is legion is a collection of three stories by Roger Zelazny.
* The Eve of RUMOKO - three stars
* Kjwalll'kje'koothai'lll'kje'k - four stars
* Home Is the Hangman - five stars
The stories revolve around a mercenary secret agent that has erased his identity and makes a living doing dangerous investigative jobs using fake names. He can basically assume any identity (legion--many names).
The first story is set in the year 2007. The technology in 2007 is quite astounding with cities on the Ocean bottom, advanced space exploration, and the existence of truly intelligent super robots (the hang man). At the same time as the story is referring to tape drive and punch cards. Predicting the future is difficult. This is a little funny from a 2008 perspective. However, this is to expect. When people attempt to make predictions they typically extrapolate current technology and make the assumption that existing technology will be extremely advanced in the near future (in the 30's people said all cars would be flying by the 1970's). At the same time it is near impossible to predict entirely new technologies.
In the first story the agent is trying to solve a mystery regarding terrorist attempts against the project RUMOKO in which nuclear bombs are used to blast holes in the Moho layer below the Ocean bottom to create artificial volcanoes that will create new land (like Surtsey, Iceland) to mitigate earth's over population problem. Even though the story itself was not bad, I had a few problems with its context that I could not easily accept.
First, creating artificial land by having magma bubble up from the Ocean bottom is most likely counter productive since the magma below the Ocean surface is likely to push away enough water to reduce the coast line land area in excess of the tiny land you gain from the new Islands. To gain land the average depth of the Ocean must actually increase (because the Ocean water will not vanish). Let's make a calculation.
If we put 100 cones that are 5km tall and has a bottom radius of 50km in 4km deep water (crust is thin in deep water, like the Atlantic crust) then the amount of water pushed away is 100*(50^2*5*pi/3 - 10^2*pi/3) = 1,298,525 km3 of water. 50km radius at the bottom makes a steep slope (10%) so this is probably an under estimation. Reality would likely be worse. The Ocean surface is around 361 million km2 so we get that the Ocean rises 1,298,525/361,000,000 = 0.0036km = 3.6 meters. According to GIS statistics the World's coast line is around 900,000km. Since it is flat coast land that will be flooded, not the fjords of Norway, it is the flat coast land we should consider. If we assume 200 meters rise on 100 km for flat land (actually not very flat) we get 0.15 degrees. 3.6 meters (12 feet) divided by the sine of 0.15 yields 1.375km and assuming half of all coast line is flat land we get a land loss of 1.375 * 450,000 = 619 thousand km2 (size of Texas). If we use the formula for the lateral surface of a cone (the 100 volcanic cones we added) we get that we just added 100*315.7 km2 of land area to the world which is about 20 times less than what we lost on the coast line.
Secondly, exploding nuclear bombs on the Ocean floor and allowing massive amount magma to flow up into the Ocean cannot be good for the eco system of the Ocean, and the people living on the Ocean bottom (the Ocean bottom cities) are likely to complain.
Thirdly, you can much more easily create new land by building floating cities which will not push away lots of water, and you can irrigate the Sahara desert and other deserts. New volcanic islands have to be made fit for life anyway. Allowing this to happen naturally will take a very long time. These other approaches would be cheaper, quicker, safer, and not likely to be counter productive (in the sense described above). So why would anyone choose this silly and dangerous approach? I don't buy it. I say three stars.
The second story "Kjwalll'kje'koothai'lll'kje'k" was beautiful, thought provoking, and philosophical. This story revolved around the sentience of dolphins and whether they can compose ideas or music or have a concept of spirituality, and also whether they are capable of murder. If you love Dolphins you will love this charming story, but I found the story to be a little bit too "dreamy" and speculative for me. If you love Dolphin salad you will not like this story (since it humanizes Dolphins).
The third story "Home Is the Hangman" was my favorite story. The "Hangman" was a space robot possessing what seemed to be "real autonomous intelligence" and perhaps self awareness. Having worked in the fields of robotics and artificial intelligence myself I had a few objections, but not anything that most readers would care about. The story was believable (if set in the year 2057 or 2107 instead of 2007), and very exciting. The story took a few unexpected turns that took me by surprise, and explained the story at a deeper level. I love that sudden moment of dawning comprehension that explains what is going on and makes the story better. It shows that the plot was very well thought through.
Overall this was a good book, but not good enough to go on my list of favorite classic Science Fiction, and the author does not match up to Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, James Blish, and Robert Heinlein in my opinion. Well, I have only read one Zelazny book, so far, so that may be a hasty judgment. The book is recommended to hard core Science Fiction fans but not recommended to those looking for only the best of Classic Science Fiction.
January 23, 2025
There’s nothing like Golden Age scifi to quench the thirst of nostalgia. For this book, the first two stories read like, and reminded me of Dome by Michael Reeves, with all the dolphins and underwater happenings. It also reminded me faintly of The Merman’s Children by Poul Anderson. We don’t often see many scifi books take place on Earth and it’s oceans anymore and that’s a shame.
The stories were fun and imaginative, they kept me hooked on the writing and the author. A scifi secret agent novel is an itch that I didn’t know needed scratching. I am continuously surprised at Zelazny’s ability to punch through the narrative to deliver emotional breakthroughs within this stories. He has quickly become one of my favorites.
The stories were fun and imaginative, they kept me hooked on the writing and the author. A scifi secret agent novel is an itch that I didn’t know needed scratching. I am continuously surprised at Zelazny’s ability to punch through the narrative to deliver emotional breakthroughs within this stories. He has quickly become one of my favorites.
October 18, 2022
The government is creating a system to track all of its citizens and you are writing the program. Naturally , you could write yourself out o& the program. This is what happens in this book. You have three short stories about a person who has done just that. The stories are interesting and in fact the third story won both a Hugo and a Nebula award. The reading is sometimes philosophical and harder to read, but it does make you think. Some may say this book is better read stoned, so that was the Seventies.
September 14, 2018
A surprisingly engaging trilogy.
The prose was a little choppy at times, and sometimes a bit disconnected, but not too bad. Reminds me a bit of steven king.
The prose was a little choppy at times, and sometimes a bit disconnected, but not too bad. Reminds me a bit of steven king.
December 29, 2022
Three novellas that aren't particularly remarkable, more suitable as a light summer read if anything.
October 26, 2024
Slick, punchy, stylish.
June 17, 2018
Originariamente pubblicati come tre racconti separati dello stesso personaggio, qui vengono raccolti come se fossero un romanzo. Fantascienza in parte datata e in parte invece attualissima (telepresenza) resta una lettura più che gradevole.
October 26, 2016
Перфектен Зелазни, както почти винаги. Три криминални истории, писани в период от 20 години с един общ герой с неизвестно име.
Успял да се заличи сам от общата база данни и пътуващ през света, без да хвърля сянка. Легион(така ще го наричаме)не одобрява глобализацията на личната информация, за това, след като е успял да се изтрие, си намира подходящ източник на пари, така че да се възползва от свободата си. А именно изпълнява специални задачи към частна детективска агенция, която не задава въпроси и плаща доволно. Типичен за ранния Зелазни образ - Пуши като комин, склонен към поетично съзерцание на природата, меланхолични самоанализи и разсъждения върху различни философии, начетен и способен да оцелява. Няма как да не ти стане симпатичен, но накратко:
1. "Навечерието на Румоко"(или "Пробуждането на Румоко" в друг превод) - Програма за изграждане на острови в океана, чрез контролирани атомни взривове, целящи да предизвикат вулканична дейност. Кой е против и се опитва да саботира проекта? Това, което изглежда добро за част от човечеството, не е ли лошо за също толкова г��ляма част от него?
2. "'Кйваллл'кйе'к'куутай'ллл'кйе'к" - Едно убийство във водна база, което сякаш е извършено от делфини. Дали? Разберете сами.
Малко са качествените неща писани за делфините. Сещам се за леко наивният "Островът на делфините" на Кларк и фантасмагориите на Дейвид Брин. Това е супер.
3. "Палачът се завръща у дома"(или "Удома си е палача" според превода) - Отнесъл куп награди този разказ е превеждан май 4 пъти на български. Този превод на Комата е чук.
Космическа програма за изследване на планети се обърква сериозно. Дали притежаващият интелект "Палач" не се е върнал на земята, за да накаже "възпитателите" си за грешка в миналото?
Този сборник от три разказчета на Зелазни се приближава най-много от цялото му творчество до това, което аз скептично наричам "научна фантастика". Сюжетите, писани преди около 40 години, звучат реално. Светът се отклонява от действителността само на една молекула и тази разлика носи удоволствие от четенето и повод за доста размисли. Авторът, както винаги, създава илюзията, че има дълбоки познания по темите които засяга(може и да има). А те са многообразни и всестранни, което придава пълнота на образите му. Интелигентни делфини, телепатия, изкуствен интелект, сеизмология, вулканология(това току що си го измислих), джудо, компютри, електроника... всичко за което се сетите.
Не знам кога го четох за пръв път, не бяха и по едно и също време различните разкази, но с кеф ги препрочетох този следобед. Което също трябва да ви говори нещо.
Пет звездички и е от задължителните.
Разкошен превод на Комата.
Т'ва е :)
Успял да се заличи сам от общата база данни и пътуващ през света, без да хвърля сянка. Легион(така ще го наричаме)не одобрява глобализацията на личната информация, за това, след като е успял да се изтрие, си намира подходящ източник на пари, така че да се възползва от свободата си. А именно изпълнява специални задачи към частна детективска агенция, която не задава въпроси и плаща доволно. Типичен за ранния Зелазни образ - Пуши като комин, склонен към поетично съзерцание на природата, меланхолични самоанализи и разсъждения върху различни философии, начетен и способен да оцелява. Няма как да не ти стане симпатичен, но накратко:
1. "Навечерието на Румоко"(или "Пробуждането на Румоко" в друг превод) - Програма за изграждане на острови в океана, чрез контролирани атомни взривове, целящи да предизвикат вулканична дейност. Кой е против и се опитва да саботира проекта? Това, което изглежда добро за част от човечеството, не е ли лошо за също толкова г��ляма част от него?
2. "'Кйваллл'кйе'к'куутай'ллл'кйе'к" - Едно убийство във водна база, което сякаш е извършено от делфини. Дали? Разберете сами.
Малко са качествените неща писани за делфините. Сещам се за леко наивният "Островът на делфините" на Кларк и фантасмагориите на Дейвид Брин. Това е супер.
3. "Палачът се завръща у дома"(или "Удома си е палача" според превода) - Отнесъл куп награди този разказ е превеждан май 4 пъти на български. Този превод на Комата е чук.
Космическа програма за изследване на планети се обърква сериозно. Дали притежаващият интелект "Палач" не се е върнал на земята, за да накаже "възпитателите" си за грешка в миналото?
Този сборник от три разказчета на Зелазни се приближава най-много от цялото му творчество до това, което аз скептично наричам "научна фантастика". Сюжетите, писани преди около 40 години, звучат реално. Светът се отклонява от действителността само на една молекула и тази разлика носи удоволствие от четенето и повод за доста размисли. Авторът, както винаги, създава илюзията, че има дълбоки познания по темите които засяга(може и да има). А те са многообразни и всестранни, което придава пълнота на образите му. Интелигентни делфини, телепатия, изкуствен интелект, сеизмология, вулканология(това току що си го измислих), джудо, компютри, електроника... всичко за което се сетите.
Не знам кога го четох за пръв път, не бяха и по едно и също време различните разкази, но с кеф ги препрочетох този следобед. Което също трябва да ви говори нещо.
Пет звездички и е от задължителните.
Разкошен превод на Комата.
Т'ва е :)
July 31, 2021
4 / 5 for 'My Name Is Legion' by Roger Zelazny
So, in the process of broadening my SF horizons (as well as my horror horizons) this year, I am working my way through different notable authors from sci-fi's Golden Age (1920s-1950s) as well as the New Wave (1960s-1980s) too. Roger Zelazny is one of the USA's New Wave sci-fi authors, and this is the first book I have read by the author.
From the cover blurb - "As Albert Schweitzer, his first assignment was to find and destroy the power behind attempts to sabotage a top-secret nuclear project. The price of success was high - Schweitzer would have to kill himself in order to win through. On the second mission, they called him Madison when he joined the team at the Institute of Delphinological Studies. A gang of dolphins were accused of murder and it was Madison's delicate job to clear them of all charges. Finally, he took the name of Donne on the deadliest mission of all. A quasi-human telefactor called the Hangman had returned to Earth to wreak vengeance on its four human programmers. Donne had to eliminate the Hangman, whatever the cost, which was going to be difficult as telefactors never die..."
A lot of reviewers have mentioned Zelazny's wit and humour, and that is definitely the first thing that struck me when reading this book - Zelazny has an excellent way of using humour through every facet of his storytelling. Whether that is via the snarky, witty personality of the book's mysterious protagonist, or the light-hearted tone of the narration, right down to how his prose is filled with wonderful little moments of wordplay, or synergistic back-and-forths within the dialogue. I don't think there were many pages in this book that DIDN'T make me smile.
Whilst reading this book I could really feel the influence of Jack Vance, who is Zelazny's favourite author and self-confessed biggest influence, in the whimsical and humorous storytelling, but also in Zelazny's often poetic prose. I could also feel a little bit of Harry Harrison, but with more weight to the stories themselves. Despite Harrison's usual lightweight stories, I feel both of these comparisons are complimentary to Zelazny's writing.
The book itself is essentially three shortish novellas, all from the POV of some kind of snarky, scientifically-minded secret agent of the future, who lives off the grid and takes jobs through regular meetings with a PI contact.
Of the three stories, the third (Home Is The Hangman) is without a doubt the best - I believe this one won a Hugo award when it was first published. HITH is based on the premise that a semi-sentient automaton, used for solar system exploration, and who dropped off the radar by choice years ago, has returned to Earth unexpectedly and appears to be murdering the three scientists that helped his development by imprinting their thoughts onto his infant, artificial brain. This story is quite fast-paced, and quite thrilling too - it really feels like a race against time. The science regarding the automaton is solid (if a little outdated now) and easy to understand, and the book has a thrilling finale.
The second story (Kjawlll'kje'k'koothai'lll'kjr'k) was based around the death of a couple of workers at a marine / science habitat, where a gang of dolphins are the accused murderers. This was the weakest of the three stories for me - the story was original and interesting, but it was filled with info-dumpy exposition about dolphins, and these sections felt overlong and clunky, spoiling an otherwise interesting story. The story did get quite exciting towards the end and there is a cracking twist in the tale, but in comparison to the other stories, it felt a little lightweight.
The first story (Eve of RUMOKO), was almost as good as HITH. This was a truly engrossing story about the deep-sea activities of a science station attempting to create new landmasses for Earth's over-populated countries, by atom-bombing deep-sea volcanos. The science was really well explained and interesting, and there was a fair bit of action throughout the story, with an enjoyable finale.
Zelazny's writing style is very enjoyable; as I mentioned earlier, I felt elements of Jack Vance and Harry Harrison in his humorous and whimsical stories, but his actual writing style reminded me of Stephen King. Zelazny has a similar relaxed, conversational style of storytelling, which feels very comfortable, and very easy to get into. Add to this the moreish nature of his plotting and the largely fast pace of the three stories, the short, punchy sentences and snappy dialogue, and you've got an engrossing, swift and enjoyable book on your hands. Zelazny's humour and wordplay just add icing to the top of the cake.
Even though we never learn a massive amount about the narrator's true identity and past, we do get to know his personality well through the course of the book - he is well characterised and his snarky, prickly nature becomes truly endearing by the end. The supporting cast for each story are similarly interesting characters who all feel like individuals, with unique voices, but obviously, due to the short length of these stories, there isn't very much room for characterisation of the supporting cast, but that's fair enough. If this was a 1000 page epic, I'd be more disappointed with the supporting cast's characterisation, but it's not, so I'm not.
I have to be honest - I enjoyed this book so much, it was very nearly a 5/5, but there are a couple of things that spoil the flow, and the enjoyment, of the book as a whole. First, in all three stories, but mostly in story 2, there are massive page-long paragraph's of exposition which all feel really clunky and info-dumpy; considering the swift pace of the book otherwise, these sections really slam the reading brakes on. Secondly, across the book, Zelazny has a tendency to suddenly drop into a preachy monologue - again, this slows the pace right down, and takes you out of the story somewhat, as it doesn't feel like you're listening to the character anymore, it just feels like you're listening to Zelazny's opinions, which he delivers in a very preachy manner. Lastly, and this is only really a negative for the first story, but the jumping around of memories and flashbacks early on gets quite confusing - these attempts at providing history and backstory feel a little bit messy, and I had to re-read a couple of brief sections as I didn't realise the setting and timeframe had changed. This spoils the flow of the story somewhat.
However, other than those three smallish niggles, I can honestly say that I really, really enjoyed this book. It is an exciting, engrossing read, filled with humour and wonderful prose. The sci-fi is all very solid and believable, and easy to understand. None of the endings felt forced or rushed and the stories played out excellently. I look forward to reading more by Zelazny.
4 / 5
So, in the process of broadening my SF horizons (as well as my horror horizons) this year, I am working my way through different notable authors from sci-fi's Golden Age (1920s-1950s) as well as the New Wave (1960s-1980s) too. Roger Zelazny is one of the USA's New Wave sci-fi authors, and this is the first book I have read by the author.
From the cover blurb - "As Albert Schweitzer, his first assignment was to find and destroy the power behind attempts to sabotage a top-secret nuclear project. The price of success was high - Schweitzer would have to kill himself in order to win through. On the second mission, they called him Madison when he joined the team at the Institute of Delphinological Studies. A gang of dolphins were accused of murder and it was Madison's delicate job to clear them of all charges. Finally, he took the name of Donne on the deadliest mission of all. A quasi-human telefactor called the Hangman had returned to Earth to wreak vengeance on its four human programmers. Donne had to eliminate the Hangman, whatever the cost, which was going to be difficult as telefactors never die..."
A lot of reviewers have mentioned Zelazny's wit and humour, and that is definitely the first thing that struck me when reading this book - Zelazny has an excellent way of using humour through every facet of his storytelling. Whether that is via the snarky, witty personality of the book's mysterious protagonist, or the light-hearted tone of the narration, right down to how his prose is filled with wonderful little moments of wordplay, or synergistic back-and-forths within the dialogue. I don't think there were many pages in this book that DIDN'T make me smile.
Whilst reading this book I could really feel the influence of Jack Vance, who is Zelazny's favourite author and self-confessed biggest influence, in the whimsical and humorous storytelling, but also in Zelazny's often poetic prose. I could also feel a little bit of Harry Harrison, but with more weight to the stories themselves. Despite Harrison's usual lightweight stories, I feel both of these comparisons are complimentary to Zelazny's writing.
The book itself is essentially three shortish novellas, all from the POV of some kind of snarky, scientifically-minded secret agent of the future, who lives off the grid and takes jobs through regular meetings with a PI contact.
Of the three stories, the third (Home Is The Hangman) is without a doubt the best - I believe this one won a Hugo award when it was first published. HITH is based on the premise that a semi-sentient automaton, used for solar system exploration, and who dropped off the radar by choice years ago, has returned to Earth unexpectedly and appears to be murdering the three scientists that helped his development by imprinting their thoughts onto his infant, artificial brain. This story is quite fast-paced, and quite thrilling too - it really feels like a race against time. The science regarding the automaton is solid (if a little outdated now) and easy to understand, and the book has a thrilling finale.
The second story (Kjawlll'kje'k'koothai'lll'kjr'k) was based around the death of a couple of workers at a marine / science habitat, where a gang of dolphins are the accused murderers. This was the weakest of the three stories for me - the story was original and interesting, but it was filled with info-dumpy exposition about dolphins, and these sections felt overlong and clunky, spoiling an otherwise interesting story. The story did get quite exciting towards the end and there is a cracking twist in the tale, but in comparison to the other stories, it felt a little lightweight.
The first story (Eve of RUMOKO), was almost as good as HITH. This was a truly engrossing story about the deep-sea activities of a science station attempting to create new landmasses for Earth's over-populated countries, by atom-bombing deep-sea volcanos. The science was really well explained and interesting, and there was a fair bit of action throughout the story, with an enjoyable finale.
Zelazny's writing style is very enjoyable; as I mentioned earlier, I felt elements of Jack Vance and Harry Harrison in his humorous and whimsical stories, but his actual writing style reminded me of Stephen King. Zelazny has a similar relaxed, conversational style of storytelling, which feels very comfortable, and very easy to get into. Add to this the moreish nature of his plotting and the largely fast pace of the three stories, the short, punchy sentences and snappy dialogue, and you've got an engrossing, swift and enjoyable book on your hands. Zelazny's humour and wordplay just add icing to the top of the cake.
Even though we never learn a massive amount about the narrator's true identity and past, we do get to know his personality well through the course of the book - he is well characterised and his snarky, prickly nature becomes truly endearing by the end. The supporting cast for each story are similarly interesting characters who all feel like individuals, with unique voices, but obviously, due to the short length of these stories, there isn't very much room for characterisation of the supporting cast, but that's fair enough. If this was a 1000 page epic, I'd be more disappointed with the supporting cast's characterisation, but it's not, so I'm not.
I have to be honest - I enjoyed this book so much, it was very nearly a 5/5, but there are a couple of things that spoil the flow, and the enjoyment, of the book as a whole. First, in all three stories, but mostly in story 2, there are massive page-long paragraph's of exposition which all feel really clunky and info-dumpy; considering the swift pace of the book otherwise, these sections really slam the reading brakes on. Secondly, across the book, Zelazny has a tendency to suddenly drop into a preachy monologue - again, this slows the pace right down, and takes you out of the story somewhat, as it doesn't feel like you're listening to the character anymore, it just feels like you're listening to Zelazny's opinions, which he delivers in a very preachy manner. Lastly, and this is only really a negative for the first story, but the jumping around of memories and flashbacks early on gets quite confusing - these attempts at providing history and backstory feel a little bit messy, and I had to re-read a couple of brief sections as I didn't realise the setting and timeframe had changed. This spoils the flow of the story somewhat.
However, other than those three smallish niggles, I can honestly say that I really, really enjoyed this book. It is an exciting, engrossing read, filled with humour and wonderful prose. The sci-fi is all very solid and believable, and easy to understand. None of the endings felt forced or rushed and the stories played out excellently. I look forward to reading more by Zelazny.
4 / 5
May 23, 2012
I have been in the mood to re read Roger Zelazny books lately. I'm currently re-reading My Name is Legion. The hero who, like Zelazny, worked for the government. I believe Zelazny got the idea for this character while working for the Social Security Administration. His character is able to completely wipe out any record of his existence from the new "world data base" that he was involved with creating and programming. As a result, he is also able to create new lives for himself at will. He uses this tool to become a sort of super-spy trouble shooter for hire on "impossible type missions". This book has three related stories or missions. All are superb...
The first is "The Eve of RUMOKO" about a plan to use nuclear explosives to create artificial islands but there is a saboteur on the project that he has been hired to identify and stop. "'Kjwalll'kje'k'koothai'lll'kje'k" is about a diver who has been apparently killed by dolphins at a research station in the Bahamas and our hero has been hired to clear the dolphins of wrongdoing and find the real culprit.
"Home Is the Hangman" is about a space-exploration robot lost in space years before who has become sentient and has returned to Earth to apparently kill his creators. Our hero must find the Hangman and stop it with time running out. This is the best of the 3 stories and won a Hugo and Nebula Awards for best novelette.
The first is "The Eve of RUMOKO" about a plan to use nuclear explosives to create artificial islands but there is a saboteur on the project that he has been hired to identify and stop. "'Kjwalll'kje'k'koothai'lll'kje'k" is about a diver who has been apparently killed by dolphins at a research station in the Bahamas and our hero has been hired to clear the dolphins of wrongdoing and find the real culprit.
"Home Is the Hangman" is about a space-exploration robot lost in space years before who has become sentient and has returned to Earth to apparently kill his creators. Our hero must find the Hangman and stop it with time running out. This is the best of the 3 stories and won a Hugo and Nebula Awards for best novelette.
November 23, 2016
Het las als een ineen geflanste reeks verhaaltjes.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews