This Immortal by Roger Zelazny
Written: Apr 06 '04 (Updated Nov 25 '04)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Clever, witty, unique blending of history and a possible future.
Cons: Why so few female characters? Odd.
The Bottom Line: Read this book if you would enjoy an intelligent multi-layered story about a man who has lived through so much history he has outgrown his own opinions. Unique science fiction.
|
|
|
| snpmurray's Full Review: This Immortal Books |
Conrad Nomikos has been alive for centuries. Freak genetic changes have stopped the aging of this native of Greece at approximately thirty years of age. Changing names, places and faces, he has played a number of pivotal roles in the fortunes of post-apocalyptic Earth. Currently he is hiding out as a high commissioner for the arts and monuments of Earth…. a job which is both nebulous and non-prescriptive enough for him to hide his identity beneath. And hide he must, he was once a dangerous terrorist and revolutionary, seeking the end of mans association with its newly-found alien contacts.
Our world is fairly well devastated, and so too would be mankind , were it not for the intervention of the inhabitants of the Vegan star system. They came to mankind’s aide, allowing humans to inhabit their worlds alongside them.
Unfortunately, as is often the case in uneven alliances, there was a price….humans are a species of a low caste in the galactic community, and the vegans are condescending, patronizing, and dominators of mankind. Man does the menial or physical work on Vega, and the Earth has become nothing more than a tourist attraction for curious aliens to be shown around. Naturally enough, this is a point of sore displeasure to many surviving humans on Earth.
So then we join the story, and poor Conrad is shocked to discover that Earths absentee government has elected him to provide a personal guided tour of our planet to a V.I.P. Vegan journalist, Cort Myshtigo. Cort is to be shown all the highlights of our cultures, and shown the highest courtesy. Not a comfortable mission for a man who spent several lifetimes hating Vegans, but Conrad accepts. The Vegan dictates his itinerary, and the tour begins.
Conrad's life is to be much further complicated, however. Other factions are involved, and amongst the party of accompanying dignitaries are those determined that the alien will die on Earth. Plagued by his past ,and constantly tested in his affiliations, Conrad must decide whether Earths best interests are served by permitting an assassination, or by foiling one, though he hates the victim as much as his assailants.
“This Immortal” never fails on one single page to weave tension, history and the fantastic into a gripping tale for us. In true Zelazny style, the mythologies of our history are used as both setting an analogy. Conrad as the main protagonist is both a legend in his own lifetime(s) on post-apocalyptic Earth, and is again identified with the ancient Greek gods, of what is now the “old time”, a hero of superhuman strength, the stuff of myths. Roger Zelazny excels at using ancient mythology to tell fantastic tales of the future. The setting of a tour of the monuments of old Earth provides an excellent vehicle, which he exploits to its full potential. This is speculative fiction of a unique and desirable flavor!
The main tension in the book between the old Conrad and the new Conrad….terrorist of old, and now reclusive Bureaucrat who does not wish to rock the boat, is expanded through the range of supporting characters, who, each believable in themselves, act as a magnifying lens for Conrad's inner conflict. This is excellently written, and again the author shows insight into the human condition, and blends it deftly with a light humor…at one point Conrad stays in a hotel room which is a shrine to his former incarnation as revolutionary. Plaques adorn the walls and the bed….the great man slept here, he ate here, etc etc. Zelazny illustrates the passionate conflict of Conrads’ peculiar double viewpoint, and then lightens things up by speculation as to what kind of plaque he might discover in the bathroom! I like humor so gently introduced at a point of profundity. It points up the intelligence of the author.
Scattered throughout the book are various scenes of hand to hand combat. I have observed before that it is not easy to write this form of melee effectively, and it is another talent of Zelazny that the battle scenes in this book are exceptionally clear, and exciting. I was especially enthralled by a hand to hand combat between Conrad and a creature called “Rolem”…Rolem (from Robot Golem) is the robot sparring partner of the enigmatic assassin hired to protect Cort Myshtigo. Faster and stronger than an ordinary man, the battle between it and Conrad moves at breakneck speed, but is written so as to be easy to visualize, and at the same time lose none of its sense of urgent rapidity. I applaud it.
You can probably tell by this point, I enjoyed this book immensely. It is a little bit of a slow starter. Zelazny introduces the characters somewhat as though we should already know who they are, a style I have never seen the wisdom of. Stick with it. Its definitely worth the ride.
I also enjoyed the side-discussion of racism, caste, and class systems in general. Casting all humans into the positions of the underdogs is a good angle from which to tackle the issue.
As I said, there are some scenes of physical violence, and some veiled discussion of drug use. This book is probably suitable for any maturing teen.
Enjoy it, I know I’ll be reading it again. So many layers!
Some of my other science fiction book reviews:
Rama Revealed
Prelude to Space
Stand on Zanzibar
The Demolished Man
The Stars my Destination
Cat's Cradle
The Gods Themselves
Watchmen
A Canticle for Leibowitz
The Hammer of God
The Left Hand of Darkness
Flowers for Algernon
Lord of Light
Rendevous with Rama
The Tombs of Atuan
The Dispossessed
I am Legend
The Einstein Intersection
Earth Abides
Peace on Earth
The Farthest Shore
Methuselah's Children
A Call to Arms
To your Scattered Bodies Go
The Lion of Comarre / Against the Fall of Night
To Say Nothing of the Dog
The Doomsday Book
Frankenstein Unbound
Batman - The Dark Knight Returns
Imperial Earth
A Case of Conscience
Solaris
The Sands of Mars
The Land of Laughs
Eden
His Masters Voice
Citizen of the Galaxy
King David's Spaceship
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch
Double Star
The Fabulous Riverboat
Songs of Distant Earth
Way Station
The Fountains of Paradise
The Long Tomorrow
Lincolns Dreams
Alas Babylon
More Than Human
1984
The Forever War
All the Myriad Ways
I Sing the Body Electric
Gateway
Flow my Tears, the Policeman Said
This Immortal
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
snpmurray
|
 - Top 1000 |
|
Location: Sedona, Arizona
Reviews written: 286
Trusted by: 178 members
About Me:
Compost
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.