So the first time I've ever read Zelazny's work was through a short story featured in the first volume of Harlan Ellison's "Dangerous Visions", and of course he is also one of the authors associated with New Wave SF and Fantasy. So I've finally got to read one of his novels, and is one of his shorter ones, "Jack of Shadows".
Set in a world that is half light and half darkness, a place where science and magic are striving for dominance, there lives one man that is never friendly with either side. His name is Jack, from a realm of shadows, and he is a thief who has been wrongly punished. This sets off a vendetta that he undertakes that would make him the most prominent and, maybe, perhaps a hero.
Wandering through strange realms where he encounters witches, vampires and his greatest enemy, the Lord of Bats. He is also friends with a cast down angel named Morningstar, and pursued by the monstrous Borshin.
This forces him to seek shelter in the regions of light where he spends years as an instructor at a college. And with access to a computer, he gains the weapon that he needs to allow him to return to his own country.
Through fighting and scheming he achieves the power he desires, power he feels is necessary to have for his purposes. Only to learn that with such power, comes immense responsibilities.
"Jack of Shadows" is a short, and pretty dark, piece of science-fantasy. Really cuts to the chase ate the first chapter and is completely relentless, and rarely slows down. And since it is also a novel from one of the figures of the New Wave, it has some serious themes like religion for example.
To call Jack a hero is quite a long stretch, since he is no friend to the world of darkness or to the world of light. And when he is pushed to the limit, he goes on a destructive path of revenge that has only one tragic conclusion.
I find this one to be a pretty decent novel, might not be great but it's not even that bad for the most part. There are still some other novels by him that I still haven't read or even gotten yet, especially his Amber books. Love to get my hands on that particular series!
by i-the-muso-1968