Roger Zelazny discussion

I've confused myself. It looks like there are more than one version of this collection. Or rather, two versions of the first version, and then another collection with the same title. Ack.

The first was put out in 1980. The second was a limited edition of that one, in 1981. It had a few bonus stories.

Then there was one released in 2002, with a completely different lineup. It looks like some of the stories were the same, but not most.

I had no idea, Chris. Can you post the different table of contents? I'd be really interested. I don't have a limited edition, I'm sure. I would guess I had the 1980 lineup.

Contents

This is a list of the short stories included in the 1980 edition. The ones with UM were only in the limited Underwood-Miller editions.

* "Passion Play"
* "Horseman!"
* "The Stainless Steel Leech"
* "A Thing of Terrible Beauty"
* "He Who Shapes"
* "Come now the Power"
* "Auto-Da-Fe"
* "Damnation Alley"(magazine version)
* "For a Breath I Tarry"
* "The Engine at Heartspring's Center"
* "The Game of Blood and Dust"
* "No Award"
* "Is there a Demon Lover in the House?"
* "The Last Defender of Camelot"
* "Stand Pat, Ruby Stone"
* "Half Jack"
* "Exeunt Omnes" (UM)
* "Fire And/Or Ice" (UM)
* "Shadowjack" (UM)
* "A Very Good Year" (UM)

(From Wikipedia)

The Last Defender of Camelot is a collection of short stories written by science fiction writer Roger Zelazny. It was published by ibooks in 2002 and has an identical title to an earlier collection.
[edit:] Contents

* "Introduction" by Robert Silverberg
* "Comes Now the Power"
* "For a Breath I Tarry"
* "Engine at Heartspring's Center"
* "Halfjack"
* "Home is the Hangman"
* "Permafrost"
* "LOKI 7281"
* "Mana from Heaven"
* "24 Views of Mt. Fuji, by Hokusai"
* "Come Back to the Killing Ground, Alice, My Love"
* "The Last Defender of Camelot"

Wow! That's a huge difference. How can they do that?!!! That's not quite as bad as the new 'I, Robot' or 'I am Legend' books - they named the novels based on the crappy movies the same as the original classics. Flogging seems an appropriate penalty.

I guess I have the 2002 version because I don't recall it having 2 novellas in it, which the 1980 version has; "He Who Shapes" & "Damnation Alley". I could have sworn I read this collection way before then, but I'm rotten with time, so who knows? (My wife HATES it when I say, 'the other day' & it was a decade or so ago.)

I wonder if 'Shadowjack' is a short version of 'Jack of Shadows'? There is a short story that was written after the novel & it was mentioned in the Collected Works - I think #3, which I just read. I thought it said the story was only published in the "Illustrated Roger Zelazny", though.

I'll have to look at this more when I get home. Thanks, Chris!

Shadowjack is a prequel to Jack of Shadows. I must own the non UM 80's version of Last Defneder since I don't have Shadowjack.

More from Wikipedia:

The Illustrated Roger Zelazny includes a short story, "Shadowjack", that is a prequel to the events of the novel. It is in graphic novel format and was illustrated by Gray Morrow.

The Last Defender of Camelot (1981, Underwood-Miller) reprints the tale "Shadowjack" but without the illustrations. This was in the Underwood-Miller edition of the collection, but not the Pocket Books version.

Oooohhh! I have The Illustrated Roger Zelazny & have read "Shadowjack" but I would love to read it in short story form. Another Zelazny book to collect, unless it is in the Collected Works. Probably is. They've collected poems of his that were never published in High School. They wouldn't leave out something like this!

Thanks for all the info, Chris!

I got Pocket version from 1980 you sent me, its more than good enough for me. Looking forward to read He Who Shapes,Last Camelot etc.

I read the two introductions to it which were great. The instinct of a great writer and how he became a writer was interesting read. The introduction to Passion Play he talked about how he started out.

Must say he made a fast track career in the start. Almost shocking it took him a month to get published. I have read great writers who talked about the 100s rejections they got. Heinlein,REH etc

Yes, I do have the 1980 version & it does have those two novellas in it. Bad memory.

Jim,

I saw it on the Collected Works list:

http://www.nesfa.org/press/Books/Zela...

Cool! Next up for me then. Thanks, Chris.

The comic book version is pretty neat, but Zelazny creates much better artwork in my head than anyone has ever been able to draw.

Hehe having read Passion Play,Horseman,Steelless leach(sp?) funny how two of those are about robots POV that they almost sound human.

I liked the fantastical writing in the few pages of Horseman.

My first taste of RZ in short story collection is a really good read. I didnt know it was a collection with his earliest stories.

Jim wrote: "Cool! Next up for me then. Thanks, Chris.

The comic book version is pretty neat, but Zelazny creates much better artwork in my head than anyone has ever been able to draw."

A beautiful [and accurate:] comment. A sign of a great writer.