Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Barcelona : Ediciones Martínez Roca, 1977.
Description
The Hugo Award-winning first novel ever written by the bestselling author of The Chronicles of Amber! Conrad Nomikos has a long, rich personal history that he'd rather not talk about. And, as Arts Commissioner, he's been given a job he'd rather not do. Escorting an alien grandee on a guided tour of the shattered remains of Earth is not something he relishes-especially when it is apparent that this places him at the center of high-level intrigue that has some bearing on the future of Earth itself!.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Lyndatrue
This was probably my first encounter with Zelazny, back in the day when he was writing science fiction sans magic, sans fantasy. I really loved this book then, and I still like it very much. It won the Hugo in those long ago days.
LibraryThing member jimmaclachlan
Post apocalyptic earth is being toured by an alien, whose species helped save us after we mostly blew up our home. The tour guide is the main character & most of the trip is through a surreal blending of SF & diverse mythology. It's short, quirky & simple on the surface, but there are offhand
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references, names & partial quotes that make this story a bit of a treasure hunt. Even if you are well read in the classics & mythology, re-reads reveal more each time. It's a lot of fun to read & one of my favorite books of all time. Show Less
LibraryThing member markg80
Funny writing, the why keeps you guessing, nice read.
LibraryThing member TheDivineOomba
This story is quite simple, but at the same time very complex. Its sometime in the future. There has been a horrible war on earth, leaving large amounts of land radioactive. On top of that, an alien species called the "Vegans". Rule the Earth.
Conrad Nimikos is a man of mystery - he has lived a
This is a story of hero's, of ancient myths, of a new future. Zelazny has managed to capture the stories of Greek Mythology and turn them around in a modern setting. The characters are nicely complex. It reads well for being 44 years old.
Conrad Nimikos is a man of mystery - he has lived a
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long time, and fought in the last war with the Vegans. When he is chosen as tour guide to an important Vegan person, he has decisions to make.This is a story of hero's, of ancient myths, of a new future. Zelazny has managed to capture the stories of Greek Mythology and turn them around in a modern setting. The characters are nicely complex. It reads well for being 44 years old.
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LibraryThing member ragwaine
So I have mixed feelings about this one. It's crazy to think that it shared the Hugo award with Dune because it's scope is so much smaller than Dune's. Okay yes the world is mostly destroyed and there's an alien race that has kind of taken over, but the story really zooms in on a kind of
The radiated people with their leader was definitely a homage to Doctor Moreau. I don't know where the dog came from (I assumed it was from myth but google's not coming up with anything). Not sure about the black beast either. The overall story seemed thought out but it seemed at times he just threw this extra stuff in to add some action and mystery. Unfortunately for me it ended up feeling kind of like Stephen King's Dark Tower series, just kind of stream of consciousness with nothing really connected (although King's series may have connected in the end, I only read the first 3).
I'm sure I'll probably hear from some sci-fi elitist about how I have transgressed against Zelazny's the god of sci-fi. Just please remember this isn't a personal insult, I've met the guy, he was one of the nicest guys on the planet. I've liked (and sometimes loved) a bunch of his stuff. But this is two in a row now that didn't really do it for me so I'm starting to worry that I've read all his good stuff.
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action/adventure thing with a main character that is never really defined. Is he a god? A mutant? The child of a god? It's really never figured out.The radiated people with their leader was definitely a homage to Doctor Moreau. I don't know where the dog came from (I assumed it was from myth but google's not coming up with anything). Not sure about the black beast either. The overall story seemed thought out but it seemed at times he just threw this extra stuff in to add some action and mystery. Unfortunately for me it ended up feeling kind of like Stephen King's Dark Tower series, just kind of stream of consciousness with nothing really connected (although King's series may have connected in the end, I only read the first 3).
I'm sure I'll probably hear from some sci-fi elitist about how I have transgressed against Zelazny's the god of sci-fi. Just please remember this isn't a personal insult, I've met the guy, he was one of the nicest guys on the planet. I've liked (and sometimes loved) a bunch of his stuff. But this is two in a row now that didn't really do it for me so I'm starting to worry that I've read all his good stuff.
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LibraryThing member TCWriter
Totally engrossing novel set in a post-apocalyptic earth. As usual, Zelazny's characters offer depth and richness far beyond the few words used to describe them. Often set apart from society in some way, Zelazny's characters never disappoint.
This Immortal draws heavily on Greek mythology,
This Immortal draws heavily on Greek mythology,
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transforming ancient myth into a modern, post-apocalyptic mythology. Show Less
LibraryThing member ispeaknerd
1960s Sci-Fi Novel Checklist:
-creepy gender politics
-Jokes your grandpa would tell
-Aliens that essentially just blue/green/gray/red/purple humans
This Immortal is the most confused attempt at narrative I have recently experienced. It’s hard to even describe it. The best I can do is say it seems
The plot is a jumbled mess with a bunch of pointless tangents. Zelazny frequently forgets to mention which characters are speaking in a dialogue (am I supposed to guess?)
And all this confuses me more because this novel won the Hugo, right? There’s got to be something I am missing here.
Also, tons of typos! I was not reading a first edition!
COME ON.
This whole novel just made my brain hurt.
-creepy gender politics
-Jokes your grandpa would tell
-Aliens that essentially just blue/green/gray/red/purple humans
This Immortal is the most confused attempt at narrative I have recently experienced. It’s hard to even describe it. The best I can do is say it seems
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like a book Don Draper would write on amphetamines.The plot is a jumbled mess with a bunch of pointless tangents. Zelazny frequently forgets to mention which characters are speaking in a dialogue (am I supposed to guess?)
And all this confuses me more because this novel won the Hugo, right? There’s got to be something I am missing here.
Also, tons of typos! I was not reading a first edition!
COME ON.
This whole novel just made my brain hurt.
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LibraryThing member AltheaAnn
It shared the Hugo with Dune the year it came out. While it was an entertaining book (I think it was Zelazny's first novel), it is NOT as good as Dune. Sorry.
LibraryThing member ikeman100
This is a tough one. Zelazny is a good writer and this is an award winning book. Mostly I enjoyed it. Some parts are brilliant SF/Fantasy which takes us into another world and world view. Some of the dialogue is superb. The Greek myth aspect, that was a big feature of the story, was also the part
I keep thinking the next chapter would be the gods looking down and discussing how our hero was doing. I'm still waiting for an arrow to the heel or the release of the Kracken.
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that I pushed to the back of my mind to get on with the plot. Was our hero a god and what does that mean? He was certainly super human.I keep thinking the next chapter would be the gods looking down and discussing how our hero was doing. I'm still waiting for an arrow to the heel or the release of the Kracken.
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LibraryThing member rretzler
Conrad Nimikos, Earth’s Minister of Culture, Arts and Monuments, has been assigned to play tour guide to blue-skinned Vegan, Cort Myshtigo. The Three-Day War, a nuclear event, has left most of the Earth destroyed by radiation, and the Vegan occupation hasn’t helped much either. Myshtigo seems
Let me state right away that I enjoy Zelazny’s work – The Chronicles of Amber series was imaginative and engaging, and the Millenial series co-written with Robert Sheckley was hilarious. I wanted to like This Immortal, and I didn’t dislike it, but I didn’t enjoy it the way I thought I might. Perhaps it was because I listened to the audiobook version, as I found my thoughts drifting away from the book. It seemed like there were loads of characters introduced quickly, and that certainly would have been better in print where I could leaf back through the book to recall who was whom.
This Immortal shared the 1966 Hugo with Frank Herbert’s Dune, which seems to have weathered the years much better than Zelazny’s work. Zelazny was considered a modern sci-fi writer in his time, but from a 50-year distance, the book now seems very dated.
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intrigued by Conrad’s identity and apparent immortality – is he the god Pan, some other superhuman, or just a human affected by nuclear radiation? And why is Myshtigo actually touring Earth – to write a tour book or is there another nefarious reason?Let me state right away that I enjoy Zelazny’s work – The Chronicles of Amber series was imaginative and engaging, and the Millenial series co-written with Robert Sheckley was hilarious. I wanted to like This Immortal, and I didn’t dislike it, but I didn’t enjoy it the way I thought I might. Perhaps it was because I listened to the audiobook version, as I found my thoughts drifting away from the book. It seemed like there were loads of characters introduced quickly, and that certainly would have been better in print where I could leaf back through the book to recall who was whom.
This Immortal shared the 1966 Hugo with Frank Herbert’s Dune, which seems to have weathered the years much better than Zelazny’s work. Zelazny was considered a modern sci-fi writer in his time, but from a 50-year distance, the book now seems very dated.
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LibraryThing member DinadansFriend
The Earth has been devastated by a nuclear war, and the poor ruined place is being toured by a powerful alien visitor. our point of view character is an unusual Terran who in the long run will be able to give the damaged world a better chance for a future. Not his best work, but unusual resonances
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for non-Americans. Show Less
LibraryThing member aeceyton
For a long time, Zelazny was my favorite author and he definitely had much to do with the shaping of my world view. This isn't one of my favorites, although a good read. I find the protagonist's view of women problematic, and every tense violent situation has a 'just in time' rescue. On the other
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hand, his deep Greek folklore in a post-apocalyptic setting is intriguing, if under explored. Show Less
LibraryThing member majkia
Hmm.. Not my favorite Zelazny. Not much of a plot, llthough parts of the story were very good. The mythology mainly.
LibraryThing member AQsReviews
The novel is filled with allusions and hints and name-dropping and metaphors that display Zelazny’s interest and knowledge of ancient Greek (and other) mythologies. Overall, the novel wants you to like it and as a reader I really wanted to, as well. So engaging and breezy, but ultimately
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ridiculous and stupid. It is really quite like taking the well-worn concept of “humans do not treat their planet well” and then turning it into some Edwardian/ancient Greek farce. What did Zelazny want to do with this? He did not know, either, I think. Its mid-1960s sentiment with some leftover 1940s pulp. Good luck, readers. Show Less
LibraryThing member Zare
What a novel. I have to admit I did not expect story this straight-forward from Roger Zelazny. I mean story taking place in time span of couple of days (unlike decades and centuries in "Lord of Light") and without convoluted story-line like one in "Creatures of Light and Darkness".
We follow a
Saved at the very last minute by alien Vegans, humanity found itself in the position that it either needs to go to the stars to seek fortune and prosperity or remain on Earth trying to feel as something more than creatures in the zoo that gets visited by Vegans - The Earth, great monument how deadly and self-destructive civilization can become. This of course gave rise to huge resentment and violence (and our hero is heavily involved in all of this).
Story has it all - immortal hero, one who fought to save and preserve the Earth through force and then decided to play it more clever on psychological level, person who finally found love of his life only to be brought back into the turbulent intergalactic political arena. Entire story is author's nod to Greek mythology.
We have assassins, secret agents, giant war-hounds and mutants from radioactive areas, vast irradiated areas with mutated flora and fauna. Might sound over the top but functions truly beautifully. One of the best book I read so far [but then again I always enjoy stories of old heroes trying to live their lives and get sucked back into conflicts].
Highly recommended to all fans of SF.
We follow a
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mystery man in the [maybe not so far?] future,[way] older than expected as he is faced with a very difficult task - keep an alien ambassador alive while visiting the landmarks of the depopulated and heavily radiated Earth, years after a nuclear war that almost brought end to all life on Earth. He is not sure why he needs to keep the alien alive but he knows something very bad will happen if he fails in his mission.Saved at the very last minute by alien Vegans, humanity found itself in the position that it either needs to go to the stars to seek fortune and prosperity or remain on Earth trying to feel as something more than creatures in the zoo that gets visited by Vegans - The Earth, great monument how deadly and self-destructive civilization can become. This of course gave rise to huge resentment and violence (and our hero is heavily involved in all of this).
Story has it all - immortal hero, one who fought to save and preserve the Earth through force and then decided to play it more clever on psychological level, person who finally found love of his life only to be brought back into the turbulent intergalactic political arena. Entire story is author's nod to Greek mythology.
We have assassins, secret agents, giant war-hounds and mutants from radioactive areas, vast irradiated areas with mutated flora and fauna. Might sound over the top but functions truly beautifully. One of the best book I read so far [but then again I always enjoy stories of old heroes trying to live their lives and get sucked back into conflicts].
Highly recommended to all fans of SF.
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Subjects
Awards
Language
Original publication date
1966
ISBN
8427004265 / 9788427004269