Status
Available
Call number
Collections
Publication
Signet/New American Library, 1972, paperback
Description
In a world half of light, half of darkness, where science and magic strive for dominance, there dwells a magical being who is friendly with neither side. Jack, of the realm of shadows, is a thief who is unjustly punished. So he embarks on a vendetta. He wanders through strange realms, encountering witches, vampires, and, finally, his worst enemy: the Lord of Bats. He consults his friend Morningstar, a great dark angel. He is pursued by a monstrous creature called the Borshin. But to reveal any more would be to spoil some of the mindboggling surprises Jack of Shadows has in store. First published in 1971 and long out-of-print, Jack of Shadows is one of fantasy master Roger Zelazny's most profound and mysterious books.
User reviews
LibraryThing member MisterJJones
I’m a big fan of Roger Zelazny’s books, mainly because he managed to cram so much into his books. Jack of Shadows is no exception. In a world half in darkness, ruled by magic, half in light, ruled by science, Jack of Shadows challenges the mighty and seeks his revenge.
In a lesser (or, to be
In a lesser (or, to be
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honest, a more recent) author this might take five books and several thousand pages, Zelazny manages to weave a remarkably intelligent yarn. Although simple, the story is not simplistic, and for a thirty year old minor novel, Jack of Shadows takes a view of power and evil that seems remarkably sophisticated when placed next to today’s “epic” fantasy. It was never going to win literary prizes, and contains many elements re-used in his more famous works, but it’s worth picking up if you fancy a short break from farm boys becoming kings. Show Less
LibraryThing member NogDog
As with many of Zelazny's stories, this one walks the line between fantasy and science fiction. Jack is, perhaps, not one of Zelazny's most likable characters, but is still interesting enough that the reader will want to find out what happens to him. In reading it, certain themes and ideas that
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would show up in later books -- especially the second Amber series -- were evident, in particular the idea of using computers to solve magical "equations" along with the concept of the amoral character becoming more moral. All in all a good read, though perhaps not quite up to the quality of his best books. Show Less
LibraryThing member bragan
A short fantasy novel from the early 70s, featuring a world divided into two halves, one of strange magical powers and permanent night and one of science and technology in the light of permanent day, focused on a being from the dark side, a thief called Jack, who has power over shadows.
Which makes
Rating: a bemused and possibly over-generous 4/5.
Which makes
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it sound like a much more mundane kind of story than it actually is. In reality, it has a slightly surreal, slightly myth-like feel to it, and every time I felt like I was getting some kind of handle on the world or the story, it'd go somewhere I wasn't expecting and didn't feel remotely sure about. Most of the way through, I kept thinking that it was interesting and (as is usual for Zelazny) well-written, but that it felt more like an odd little writing exercise than a novel, and there was no way it was going to be entirely satisfying. And yet, in the end... I liked it, possibly more than I feel like I really should.Rating: a bemused and possibly over-generous 4/5.
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LibraryThing member TadAD
I waffled between 3½ and 4 stars on this one. The characters are right up there with Zelazny's best, but I think the plot isn't quite as strong as something like Lord of Light.
LibraryThing member iftyzaidi
This is one of Zelazny's earlier and less well known works, though upon reading it, its apparent that to relegate it as a 'B' list work is to do it a disservice. It is short and perhaps not as well paced as some of his other books, but once it gets going it captures the immagination. The main
The world itself is one where day and night, science and magic are seperated, as some kind of cosmic mechanism is preventing the world from turning, fixing one side (the day/science) facing the sun and the other (night/magic) in darkness. Jack of Shadows is a thief from the dark side who is caught and punished, and vows vengeance upon all who he feels wronged him. Of particular interest is the (seemingly) minor character of Morningstar - an enigmatic figure who has been frozen in punishment by some divine entity in the twilight zone between dark and light and who helps (perhaps instigates) Jack's quest of vengeance. What follows, in my reading anyway, is a retelling of the tale of the Fall from the Garden (in the form of a fantasy quest of course).
Zelazny was not yet at the height of his powers in terms of the writing, but some sections are stylishly written and the trademark energy, imagination and creativity are all on song. This is an entertaining read.
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character, who originally seems somewhat flat gains depth as we gain a greater insight into his world (all other characters remain 2-dimensional though, which is fair enough given the brecity of the book). The plot is indeed an epic one and I think there is very interesting subtext to the straightforward sf/fantasy elements of the story.The world itself is one where day and night, science and magic are seperated, as some kind of cosmic mechanism is preventing the world from turning, fixing one side (the day/science) facing the sun and the other (night/magic) in darkness. Jack of Shadows is a thief from the dark side who is caught and punished, and vows vengeance upon all who he feels wronged him. Of particular interest is the (seemingly) minor character of Morningstar - an enigmatic figure who has been frozen in punishment by some divine entity in the twilight zone between dark and light and who helps (perhaps instigates) Jack's quest of vengeance. What follows, in my reading anyway, is a retelling of the tale of the Fall from the Garden (in the form of a fantasy quest of course).
Zelazny was not yet at the height of his powers in terms of the writing, but some sections are stylishly written and the trademark energy, imagination and creativity are all on song. This is an entertaining read.
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LibraryThing member jimmaclachlan
A very interesting fantasy/SF story. Jack, the hero, is an amoral, immortal whose self-interest leads further & further into an interesting quest that ultimately changes the world. Zelazny blends fantasy with SF until you're not quite sure which label applies. The story is told in his wonderfully
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concise style that makes re-reads a pleasure while the story haunts you in odd moments. Highly recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member questbird
An early Zelazny but still a goodie. I'm a bit surprised that it seems to be out of print. The world is very interesting. One side is blasted by eternal sunlight, inhabited by the technocratic Daysiders, and the other is shrouded in eternal night; the dwelling of the sorcerous many-lived
The story begins intriguingly with Jack's arbitrary execution (and this story is a straightforward narrative with no jumping around in time) and follows Jack's subsequent quest for revenge. He begins the book a fairly amoral fellow (reminded me of Jack Vance's Cugel the Clever, only less glib). By the end of the book Jack has changed his world, and acquired a little bit of morality, enough at least to show some remorse for his misdeeds.
Ultimately this is a good tale, but it could have benefited from more depth (perhaps another volume). More depth to the minor characters, more detail about the world, especially about the Dayside and its people and government (Jack spends a little time Dayside during his adventures). In fact Roger Zelazny did write a prequel episode ('Shadow Jack') for 'The Illustrated Roger Zelazny', which is quite good. More such would have made the plot exposition a bit more subtle and less rushed.
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Nightsiders. Jack of Shadows is a nightsider but only just. He has special power over shadow. The story begins intriguingly with Jack's arbitrary execution (and this story is a straightforward narrative with no jumping around in time) and follows Jack's subsequent quest for revenge. He begins the book a fairly amoral fellow (reminded me of Jack Vance's Cugel the Clever, only less glib). By the end of the book Jack has changed his world, and acquired a little bit of morality, enough at least to show some remorse for his misdeeds.
Ultimately this is a good tale, but it could have benefited from more depth (perhaps another volume). More depth to the minor characters, more detail about the world, especially about the Dayside and its people and government (Jack spends a little time Dayside during his adventures). In fact Roger Zelazny did write a prequel episode ('Shadow Jack') for 'The Illustrated Roger Zelazny', which is quite good. More such would have made the plot exposition a bit more subtle and less rushed.
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LibraryThing member jeanned
This is a story that has so many layers, so many interpretations. Not only the characters, but the plot and settings can be peeled back...all is metaphor for the dualities of existence. Only Jack, who draws his power from shadow, is able to move between the two hemispheres of his planet: light and
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dark, west and east, scientific and magical, progressive and conservative, egalitarian and feudal, mechanistic and organic. I rate this classic of fantasy and science fiction at 10 out of 10 stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member myfanwy
Jack of Shadows is a pleasant fantasy romp. In reading this I remembered just how long it has been since I've read a fantasy novel. The prose seemed so... descriptive. At many points I felt like I should be in a choose-your-own-adventure or videogame. On his trip from West to East he encounters
In any case, I did not intend to criticize this book too harshly. It is a good fantasy novel. I enjoyed it. The character (for there really only was one character with any depth) was an interesting character, and it had a great beginning and ending, which is more than I can say for any Stephenson novel. Overall, a light pleasure. Tasty appetizer. Now, "please, sir, more!"
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various beasties, passing from one realm to the next, and each is described in great detail even down to the smell. The world is split into Dark and Light, Magic and Science, (you can fill in the rest). Zelazny does trip up a bit when he crosses over into the "normal" side. His prose works so well in the fantastical world he has created -- good characters, interesting development and shifting roles -- I just found it difficult to believe that the answer to all power can be found by programming for a few years at a university. I guess there are fantasies (sorcerers, dragons, etc) and there are fantasies ("I'm really gonna be somethin' when I get this PhD in comp sci!") Few authors can achieve a good blend of reality and fantasy, and retain the distinction between the two. Philip Pullman comes to mind in his most excellent His Dark Materials series.In any case, I did not intend to criticize this book too harshly. It is a good fantasy novel. I enjoyed it. The character (for there really only was one character with any depth) was an interesting character, and it had a great beginning and ending, which is more than I can say for any Stephenson novel. Overall, a light pleasure. Tasty appetizer. Now, "please, sir, more!"
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LibraryThing member Jargoneer
Short fantasy by leading SF/Fantasy writer.
In another time and place I used to be quite a fan of Zelazny's but never got round to reading this novel (despite liking the short graphic adventure based on the same character in The Illustrated Roger Zelazny). Years later and probably too late I finally
The action takes place on a planet of two halves, one light and one dark. On the light side humans and technology are the order of the day, on the dark side dark lords with magical power oversee everything. Jack of Shadows is one such dark lord but is unique in that is able to move about, his power not being linked to a specific place but to shadows, without them he is powerless.
The novel opens with Jack being executed for being a potential threat at the Hellgames, i.e., he may steal the jewel that is the Hellflame (which is his aim for with it he will the hand of Evine, the Colonel Who Never Died's daughter). Death is not the end for darksiders though, an unspecified time later they will be reborn in the Pits of Glyve and so Jack lives again. Most of the first section of this novel deals with Jack being resurrected and having to journey through his enemies' lands without being caught. Initially he successfully, being helped by Rosie, a human he loved years ago but who is now an old witch, but eventually the Baron of Bats traps him and he is imprisoned in an amulet in the hope he will go mad. Jack tricks the Baron by using a spell to change the Book of Eils, which lists the seven dark lords that monitor the shield wall that protects the darkside from destruction. By this simple act Jack is made persona non-grata in the darkside.
Travelling to the light Jack visits Morningstar, a creature of immeasurable age trapped in stone. Like most oracles Morningstar is vague about revealing the future, that there are possibilities he cannot foresee but informs Jack he should be wary of travelling the road he is set upon.
At this point the novel changes abruptly. Jack of Shadows is now Jack Shade, a university professor in Darkside Customs, living in a recognisably modern world (and judging by the amount people consume tobacco desperately needing a smoking ban). Jack has adopted this persona to get access to a computer (this is in the era when people had to book computer time) in order to search for the secret darkside weapon, Kolwynia. He has to go on the run again as he has been tracked down by his foes and so heads back to his natural domain.
The novel then jumps again. The Baron of Bats is being attacked by a mountain and none of powers can save him. At the heart of the mountain is Jack, he has found the secret weapon and is bent on using it to destroy all he believes betrayed him and gaining control over all of the darkside. Jack proves to be a particularly heartless ruler; makes a mess of things and ends up having to journey to the centre of the earth to fix everything, although this is a fix with major consequences.
Written in 1969, as a homage to Jack Vance, all this takes place in 200 pages; now Zelazny would be expected to produce a trilogy or an ongoing series and the page count would be in the thousands. This means that the book zips along at pace but the characterisation is close to zero – only Jack exists beyond one dimension, and that is primarily down to the introduction of an external soul (darksiders are supposedly soul-less), which conveniently also provides the hope of redemption, not to mention authorial cop-opt.
Zelazny is an interesting case; he was associated with the American new wave writers of the 1960s and big things were expected of him but as his career developed it was increasingly obvious that he lacked the ambition and technical skill to match his contemporaries (Delany, Disch, Le Guin, for example). He was content to write competent genre novels and stories for most of the time and Jack of Shadows is one of the first of this change of direction. The novel is not bad, the brisk professional style sees to that, but it never threatens to be good, that would require effect than the Zelazny seems willing to put in. In fact it reads like Zelazny put all his effort into the first section of novel and then just dashed the other two off; the middle section set in the 'real world' is especially perfunctory and serves no function other than providing a way (computers) for the author to miss out almost obligatory quest (perhaps we should be grateful for small mercies). Having said that, it's a masterpiece compared to most of the dreck that passes as fantasy nowadays; better written, more inventive and out-of-print. Why? Like Thomas Burnett Swann, one of the best fantasists of the 1960/70s, and much of Fritz Leiber, this novel just doesn't meet the almost completely rigid criteria that publishers have adopted with regards to fantasy. It is ironic that a genre that prides itself on the imagination shows so little imagination when it comes to publishing.
In another time and place I used to be quite a fan of Zelazny's but never got round to reading this novel (despite liking the short graphic adventure based on the same character in The Illustrated Roger Zelazny). Years later and probably too late I finally
Show More
got round to Jack of Shadows.The action takes place on a planet of two halves, one light and one dark. On the light side humans and technology are the order of the day, on the dark side dark lords with magical power oversee everything. Jack of Shadows is one such dark lord but is unique in that is able to move about, his power not being linked to a specific place but to shadows, without them he is powerless.
The novel opens with Jack being executed for being a potential threat at the Hellgames, i.e., he may steal the jewel that is the Hellflame (which is his aim for with it he will the hand of Evine, the Colonel Who Never Died's daughter). Death is not the end for darksiders though, an unspecified time later they will be reborn in the Pits of Glyve and so Jack lives again. Most of the first section of this novel deals with Jack being resurrected and having to journey through his enemies' lands without being caught. Initially he successfully, being helped by Rosie, a human he loved years ago but who is now an old witch, but eventually the Baron of Bats traps him and he is imprisoned in an amulet in the hope he will go mad. Jack tricks the Baron by using a spell to change the Book of Eils, which lists the seven dark lords that monitor the shield wall that protects the darkside from destruction. By this simple act Jack is made persona non-grata in the darkside.
Travelling to the light Jack visits Morningstar, a creature of immeasurable age trapped in stone. Like most oracles Morningstar is vague about revealing the future, that there are possibilities he cannot foresee but informs Jack he should be wary of travelling the road he is set upon.
At this point the novel changes abruptly. Jack of Shadows is now Jack Shade, a university professor in Darkside Customs, living in a recognisably modern world (and judging by the amount people consume tobacco desperately needing a smoking ban). Jack has adopted this persona to get access to a computer (this is in the era when people had to book computer time) in order to search for the secret darkside weapon, Kolwynia. He has to go on the run again as he has been tracked down by his foes and so heads back to his natural domain.
The novel then jumps again. The Baron of Bats is being attacked by a mountain and none of powers can save him. At the heart of the mountain is Jack, he has found the secret weapon and is bent on using it to destroy all he believes betrayed him and gaining control over all of the darkside. Jack proves to be a particularly heartless ruler; makes a mess of things and ends up having to journey to the centre of the earth to fix everything, although this is a fix with major consequences.
Written in 1969, as a homage to Jack Vance, all this takes place in 200 pages; now Zelazny would be expected to produce a trilogy or an ongoing series and the page count would be in the thousands. This means that the book zips along at pace but the characterisation is close to zero – only Jack exists beyond one dimension, and that is primarily down to the introduction of an external soul (darksiders are supposedly soul-less), which conveniently also provides the hope of redemption, not to mention authorial cop-opt.
Zelazny is an interesting case; he was associated with the American new wave writers of the 1960s and big things were expected of him but as his career developed it was increasingly obvious that he lacked the ambition and technical skill to match his contemporaries (Delany, Disch, Le Guin, for example). He was content to write competent genre novels and stories for most of the time and Jack of Shadows is one of the first of this change of direction. The novel is not bad, the brisk professional style sees to that, but it never threatens to be good, that would require effect than the Zelazny seems willing to put in. In fact it reads like Zelazny put all his effort into the first section of novel and then just dashed the other two off; the middle section set in the 'real world' is especially perfunctory and serves no function other than providing a way (computers) for the author to miss out almost obligatory quest (perhaps we should be grateful for small mercies). Having said that, it's a masterpiece compared to most of the dreck that passes as fantasy nowadays; better written, more inventive and out-of-print. Why? Like Thomas Burnett Swann, one of the best fantasists of the 1960/70s, and much of Fritz Leiber, this novel just doesn't meet the almost completely rigid criteria that publishers have adopted with regards to fantasy. It is ironic that a genre that prides itself on the imagination shows so little imagination when it comes to publishing.
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LibraryThing member Karlstar
I found this very interesting and fairly unique. It is a fantasy novel set in a world that is tidally locked to the sun - one side perpetually faces the sun. Lightsiders have technology, darksiders have magic. Jack is from the twilight realm, a little of both. Jack is not a 'good' character
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morally, but the story was still enjoyable. Show Less
LibraryThing member Lyndatrue
Not my favorite work by Zelazny; it's a world inhabited by reason (the daylight side of the earth) and magic (the night). We don't really have a satisfactory answer as to why the earth no longer rotates, and sadly, I prefer answers. The language is rich, the characters engaging, but I think this
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was about the era that Roger started to lose me. Show Less
LibraryThing member wvlibrarydude
A decent read, but Zelazny has better books. Lord of Light and Creatures of Light and Darkness are much better.
Jack is an interesting character. What happens when you separate the soul from the body?
Jack is an interesting character. What happens when you separate the soul from the body?
LibraryThing member ashleytylerjohn
This was kind of fun. Nice and short, not very similar to anything else I can immediately think of, and the the character seemed appropriately motivated to do what was done (half the books I read make me question why on earth characters would behave that way, outside of "the plot requires it.")
Most of all it seemed old-fashioned (in the best possible way) and dreamlike, like an easier-to-read Worm Ouroboros, or a vastly shorter The Night Land, and is slightly episodic (somewhat like Anvil of the World). Hard to describe, worth the effort.
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It's also an elegantly-written, moody sort of a read, and while not particularly comic, it had a certain wry sensibility that can raise a smile from time-to-time. Most of all it seemed old-fashioned (in the best possible way) and dreamlike, like an easier-to-read Worm Ouroboros, or a vastly shorter The Night Land, and is slightly episodic (somewhat like Anvil of the World). Hard to describe, worth the effort.
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LibraryThing member Al-G
The old saying goes that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, But Zelazny raises the question in this book, does power corrupt or does power simply reveal what was already there. Is power the light that reveals what lurks in the shadows? Zelazny's tale of the thief who breaks the
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world has quite a few parallels to his 'Amber' series. For fans of Amber this one has intrigue, magic, as well as plots of double cross, revenge and power. Betrayed by his employer and the one he loves, Jack of the Shadow Guard, one of the Lords of the realm of darkness fights back against impossible odds to reclaim himself and enact his vengeance. But at the height of his revenge and power he earns the title Jack of Evil to replace Jack of Shadows. He is more powerful than all the darksiders - but can he stop the world from ending? This one is out of print and hard to find, but was worth the search. Show Less
LibraryThing member haloedrain
Much of the story has the feel of a fable. Peculiar, but in a good way.
LibraryThing member yuvalro
The most interesting alternative/dark fantasy book I've read. Zelazny does it again.
LibraryThing member cmc
Not one of my favorite Zelazny books, for sure. When we first meet our main character, he seems like the sort of rougish hero Zelazny does so well—he’s a thief on a mission, caught before he’s had a chance to do anything, and surrounded by opponents… who execute him.
But it turns out he’s
But it turns out he’s
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immortal, sort of, and he is resurrected Show Less
Awards
Hugo Award (Nominee — Novel — 1972)
Language
Original publication date
1971
DDC/MDS
| Fic SF Zelazny |