The Rod Of Light

Robot #2

by Barrington J. Bayley

"Barrington J. Bayley, whom Michael Moorcock has called 'the most original SF writer of his generation,' is the author of such well-nown novels as 'The Garments of Caean' and 'The Soul of the Robot.' Now he has written a visionary adventure novel that places him in the front rank of SF innovators. It is a future so distant that our own era is lost in the archeological past. Robot evolution has advanced to the point that intelligent robots have liberated themselves against the humans who work to exterminate them using super-machines........."

Genres: Science Fiction

193 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Barrington J. Bayley published work principally under his own name but also using the pseudonyms ofAlan Aumbry, Michael Barrington (with Michael Moorcock), John Diamond and P.F. Woods.

Bayley was born in Birmingham and educated in Newport, Shropshire. He worked in a number of jobs before joining the Royal Air Force in 1955; his first published story, "Combat's End", had seen print the year before in UK-only publication Vargo Statten Magazine.

During the 1960s, Bayley's short stories featured regularly in New Worlds magazine and later in its successor, the paperback anthologies of the same name. He became friends with New Worlds editor Michael Moorcock, who largely instigated science fiction's New Wave movement. Bayley himself was part of the movement.

Bayley's first book, Star Virus, was followed by more than a dozen other novels; his downbeat, gloomy approach to novel writing has been cited as influential on the works of M. John Harrison, Brian Stableford and Bruce Sterling.

Reviews

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Rod of Light is Bayley’s sequel to his SF classic, Soul of the Robot. It picks up with Jasperodus, the robot who wanted to have consciousness, visiting the last Zoroastrian temple. There the priest expounds on the nature of the cosmic struggle between light and dark, spirit and matter. He makes it pretty clear that for followers of Ahura Mazda’s light, robots are from the dark.

http://fireandsword.blogspot.com/2007...

[Naomi Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting story, absolutely loved it.

[Andy]

SEQUEL/CONTINUATION OF THE SOUL OF THE ROBOT. 1ST BRITISH EDITION. EX-LIB.