Looking for great savings on used books? How about almost 3 million books with FREE SHIPPING?

cart Cart 0 items

Buy books by Roger Zelazny

Born: 05/13/1937; Died: 06/14/1995

Roger Zelazny Biography & Notes


Roger Joseph Zelazny (May 13, 1937 - June 14, 1995) was a United States writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels. He won the Nebula award three times and the Hugo award six times, including twice for novels: Lord of Light (1968) and ...And Call Me Conrad (1966) (which was later published as This Immortal). Zelazny was born in Euclid, Ohio, an only child of Josephine Sweet and Joseph Frank Zelazny (Żelazny). His father had emigrated from Poland when he was a young man and met Josephine Sweet in Chicago. In high school, Roger Zelazny was the editor of the school newspaper and joined the Creative Writing Club. In the fall of 1955, he began attending Western Reserve University and graduated with a B.A. in English in 1959. He was accepted to Columbia University in New York and specialized in Elizabethan and Jacobean drama, graduating with a M.A. in 1962.

Zelazny had a rare gift for conceiving and portraying worlds with plausible magic systems, powers, and supernatural beings. His captivating descriptions of the nuts and bolts of magical workings in his imagined worlds set his fantasy writing apart from otherwise similar authors. His science fiction was highly influenced by mythology, poetry, including the French, British, and American classics of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and by wisecracking detective fiction. A frequent theme is gods or people who become gods. His novels and short stories often involved characters from classical myth, depicted in the modern world.

He was a prolific writer and, with the exception of the Amber novels (and the related pairs Changeling/Madwand, Isle of the Dead/To Die in Italbar, and Dilvish the Damned/The Changing Land), created a completely new setting for each book.
While his earlier works won greater critical acclaim, Zelazny is probably best known for the Amber novels. These fall into two distinct series; the second series is widely perceived as being of markedly lesser quality than the first.

The first five books describe the adventures of Prince Corwin of Amber and comprise:

* 1970 Nine Princes in Amber
* 1972 The Guns of Avalon
* 1975 Sign of the Unicorn
* 1976 The Hand of Oberon
* 1978 The Courts of Chaos

The second series tells the story of Corwin's son Merlin (Merle) - a wizard and a computer expert. These volumes are:

* 1985 Trumps of Doom
* 1986 Blood of Amber
* 1987 Sign of Chaos
* 1989 Knight of Shadows
* 1991 Prince of Chaos

An interactive fiction computer game based on Nine Princes in Amber was released by Telarium in 1987. The Amber novels also inspired a role-playing game, Amber Diceless Roleplaying, published by Phage Press. The game is distinctive in that it suggests that players ignore or alter any rule as they see fit.


Suggestions or corrections for the editor? Click here.


The Authorized Illustrated Book of Roger Zelazny by Roger Zelazny, Gray Morrow, Byron Preiss ( 1978)
Black Throne by Roger Zelazny, Fred Saberhagen ( 1990)

While following a childhood friend, a beautiful woman named Annie, who has fled for Europe on a mysterious black ship, Edgar Perry finds himself living out the stories written by his alter ego, Edgar Allan Poe.
The Black Throne The Black Throne by Roger Zelazny, Fred Saberhagen ( 2002)

While following a childhood friend, a beautiful woman named Annie, who has fled for Europe on a mysterious black ship, Edgar Perry finds himself living out the stories written by his alter ego, Edgar Allan Poe, plunging him into a world where apes commit murder, ravens talk, and lead can be turned into gold. Reissue.
Blood of Amber by Roger Zelazny ( 1995)

Surrounded and imprisoned by his enemies, Merle Corey, aka Merlin of Amber, is forced to place his trust in a beautiful shapeshifter in order to restore balance to his world and confronts a force that threatens Earth as well. Reissue.
Books of Magic Books of Magic by Scott Hampton, John Bolton, Roger Zelazny, Todd Klein, Neil Gaiman ( 1993)
Bring Me The Head Of Prince Charming by Roger Zelazny, Robert Sheckley ( 1991)

As the first millennium aproaches, Azzy Elbub, a somewhat bumbling representative of the Powers of Darkness, struggles with the forces of good for control of the universe by persuading a sleeping princess to commit a treacherous act.
Changeling by Roger Zelazny ( 1980)
Changing Land by Roger Zelazny ( 1987)
Coils by Roger Zelazny, Fred Saberhagen ( 1982)

The Angra Energy Corporation kidnaps Donald Belparti's lover in order to force him to use his special ability to directly influence computers.
The Courts of Chaos by Roger Zelazny ( 1997)

Corwin finds his world dissolving around him when his father Oberon, disguised as Corwin's friend, steals the Jewel of Judgment so that he may defeat the evil Brand, in a conclusion to the first Amber series. Reissue.
Creatures of Light and Darkness by Roger Zelazny ( 1970)

Emissaries from the Egyptian gods of life and death enter the middle worlds to destory the Prince Who Was a Thousand.
Damnation Alley Damnation Alley by Roger Zelazny ( 2001)

Facing a life sentence in prison for his various crimes, notorious criminal Hell Tanner is given the chance to escape jail by driving cross-country to deliver a case of antiserum to the plague-ridden people of Boston, confronting radioactive storms, carnivorous predators, mutated scorpions, and other perils along the way. Reprint.
A Dark Traveling by Roger Zelazny, Lebbeus Woods ( 1989)

Jim, a werewolf, his adopted sister Becky, who is a witch, and their foster brother Barry, a master of the martial arts, search for their father, Thomas Wiley, when he disappears while working in his lab.
Deus Irae Deus Irae by Philip K. Dick, Roger Zelazny ( 2003)

In the years following World War III, a new and powerful faith has arisen from a scorched and poisoned Earth, a faith that embraces the architect of world wide devastation. The Servants of Wrath have deified Carlton Lufteufel and re-christened him the Deus Irae. In the small community of Charlottesville, Utah, Tibor McMasters, born without arms or legs, has, through an array of prostheses, established a far-reaching reputation as an inspired painter. When the new church commissions a grand mural depicting the Deus Irae, it falls upon Tibor to make a treacherous journey to find the man, to find the god, and capture his terrible visage for posterity.
Dilvish, the Damned by Roger Zelazny ( 1986)

A collection of 11 linked short stories.
The Doors of His Face, The Lamps of His Mouth The Doors of His Face, The Lamps of His Mouth by Roger Zelazny ( 2005)

A collection of stories by the late Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author, whose work combines the dream-like, disturbing imagery of fantasy with the real-life hardware of science fiction, includes "The Man Who Loved the Faoli," "This Mortal Mountain," " This Moment of the Storm," and "A Rose for Ecclesiastes." Reprint.
The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth by Roger Zelazny ( 2001)

An unusual collection of short stories by the late Nebula and Hugo Award-winning author includes such imaginative tales as the title story, "The Keys to December," "A Rose for Ecclesiastes," "The Monster and the Maiden," "This Moment of the Storm," and other notable pieces. Reprint.
The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth and Other Stories by Roger Zelazny ( 1974)

A collection of short stories by science fiction master Roger Zelazny.
The Dream Master by Roger Zelazny ( 1982)
Elegy for Angels and Dogs/the Graveyard Heart by Roger Zelazny, Walter J. Williams ( 1990)
Eye of Cat by Roger Zelazny ( 1991)

A science fiction novel about a Navajo tracker and his prey, a shape-shifting alien, as they spiral ever closer to each other in a final confrontation.
A Farce to Be Reckoned With A Farce to Be Reckoned With by Roger Zelazny, Robert Sheckley ( 1995)

Hoping to seduce humanity for his own evil purposes, Demon Azzie Elbub, the winner of perdition's Evil Deed Award, commissions a play that will depict the Seven Deadly Sins as the essential elements to a happy life. Original.
Flare by Roger Zelazny, Thomas T. Thomas ( 1992)

As the Titan Cartel brings two hundred trillion tons of liquid natural gas down to Earth, maverick astrophysicist Hannibal Freede searches for signs of strange phenomena on the sun. Original.
Forever After Forever After by Roger Zelazny ( 1995)

In this world the millennial battle against the forces of evil has just been won, and all the hardworking heroes are just about to start living very happily Forever After.
Four for Tomorrow by Roger Zelazny ( 1991)
Frost and Fire by Roger Zelazny ( 1990)

The respected science fiction author presents a selection of his most recent work, in a collection that features two Hugo Award-winning tales and a Nebula Award-winning story.
The Guns of Avalon by Roger Zelazny ( 1996)

Seeking vengeance against his usurping brother, Eric, Corwin, the rightful heir to the throne, ventures into the dark world of Shadow in order to gather ammunition, and is distracted by a beautiful and mysterious woman. Reissue.
The Hand of Oberon The Hand of Oberon by Roger Zelazny ( 1977)

Returning to Shadow Earth to investigate a threat against his life, Corwin discovers that the Jewel of Judgment has been stolen by his traitorous brother, Brand, who plans to use the enigmatic gem to reshape the universe. Reissue.
He Who Shapes, the Infinity Box by Roger Zelazny, Kate Wilhelm ( 1989)

Tells the stories of Dr. Render, who controls his patients' dreams, and Edward Laslow, who encounters mental tranference.
Here There Be Dragons by Roger Zelazny ( 1992)
If at Faust You Don't Succeed by Roger Zelazny, Robert Sheckley ( 1993)

Mephistopheles appears to Mack, a failed monk, and offers to take him through time to turning points in human history, where his moral choices will determine the fate of mankind.
Isle of the Dead by Roger Zelazny ( 1982)
Isle of the Dead/Eye of Cat Eye of the Cat by Roger Zelazny ( 2001)

Francis Sandow is amused when the alien Pei'ans mistake him for Shimbo of Darktree, God of Thunder, until Shimbo's enemy, the god Belion, arrives for a showdown in Isle of the Dead, while Navajo William Blackhorse Singer joins forces with a shape-shifting alien called "Cat" to protect an alien diplomat in Eye of Cat, in an omnibus edition featuring two classic novels. Original.
Jack of Shadows by Roger Zelazny ( 1989)
Knight of Shadows by Roger Zelazny ( 1995)

Confronting his deadliest enemy in a reincarnated Julia, his former lover, Merlin of Amber is forced to choose between the Patterns of Amber and Chaos while continuing his search for his father, Corwin. Reprint.
The Last Defender of Camelot The Last Defender of Camelot by Roger Zelazny ( 2005)

A collection of short fiction by the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author includes the never-before-collected "Come Back to the Killing Ground, Alice, My Love," as well as "For a Breath I Tarry," "Go Starless in the Night," "Unicorn Variations," "Permafrost," "Home Is the Hangman," and "24 Views of Mt. Fuji, by Hokusai." Reprint.
Lord Demon Lord Demon by Roger Zelazny, Jane Lindskold ( 1999)

The great wars between gods and demons began five millennia ago--and ended with the demons' crushing defeat and banishment from their homeland. The demon race would have surely perished in the empty dimension of their exile had they not found a secret conduit to a safe and hidden plane...called Earth.Greatest among the demons was Kai Wren--the Godslayer and Lord Demon--a master swordsman, dreamer, and glassblower who can contain entire universes in bottles of his creation; a legendary warrior who once, long ago, singlehandedly destroyed a god. But now, Kai Wren must seek vengeance for the murder of his devoted human servant, and he fears that this one death heralds the crumbling of a peace that has reigned for a thousand years. Forced into a series of uncomfortable alliances, Kai Wren strives to preserve the Demon Realms. But his heart has become his fatal weakness, growing soft during years of peace. He has given trust where trust should not be given, only to discover that among his closest companions are those who will betray him--even destroy him--unless he can regain that which once made him LORD DEMON.
Lord of Light Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny ( 2004)

Earth is long since dead. On a colony planet, a band of men has gained control of technology, made themselves immortal, and now rules their world as the gods of the Hindu pantheon. Only one dares oppose them: he who was once Siddhartha and is now Mahasamatman. Binder of Demons. Lord of Light.
Madwand The Sequel to Changeling by Roger Zelazny ( 1981)

Raised on Earth, Pol Detson returns home to Rondoval, a world of magic, where he must learn to control his powers in order to survive.
Manna From Heaven Manna From Heaven by Roger Zelazny ( 2003)
The Mask of Loki by Roger Zelazny, Thomas T. Thomas ( 1990)

An eternal duel between good and evil, which began in the thirteenth century, continues as the twenty-first century approaches and Loki tries to put an end to the domination of Ahriman, the Lord of Darkness.
My Name Is Legion by Roger Zelazny ( 1994)

He had destroyed his punchcards and changed his face. There was no credit card, birth record, or passport for him in the International Data Bank. His names were many...any he chose. His occupation was taking megarisks in the service of a vast global detective agency. His interworld assignments were highly lucrative, incalculably vital, and terrifyingly deadly. And more often then not, his life was a living hell!
Nine Black Doves The Collected Stories of Roger Zelazny by Roger Zelazny ( 2009)
Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny ( 1995)

Awakening in an Earth hospital unable to remember who he is or where he came from, Corwin is amazed to learn that he is one of the sons of Oberon, King of Amber, and is the rightful successor to the crown in a parallel world. Reissue.
Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny ( 1998)

Here is the first novel in Zelazny's classic "Amber" series. From Arden to the blood-slippery stairway into the sea, the air is electrified with the powers of Eric, Random, Bleys, Caine and all the princes of Amber whom Corwin must overcome. Yet his savage path is blocked and guarded by eerie structures beyond imagining, impossible realities forged by demonic assassins, and staggering horrors to challenge the might of Corwin's superhuman fury. Unabridged.
Paycheck Paycheck And Other Classic Stories by Philip K. Dick ( 2003)
A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny ( 2010)

Snuff, a guard dog who performs thaumaturgical calculations, accompanies his master, Jack, on collecting expeditions into the Whitechapel slums of nineteenth-century London.
Power & Light Power & Light by Roger Zelazny ( 2009)
Psychoshop Psychoshop by Roger Zelazny, Alfred Bester ( 1998)

The Black Place of the Soul-Changer was doing business in Rome six centuries before Christ. It will probably be there on the last day of the cosmos. You might call it a pawnshop, but its sign has three gold infinity symbols instead of the usual balls, and its Latin motto, Res Ullus, translates as "anything". This is the Psychoshop, where you can dump any unwanted aspect of your spirit as long as you exchange it for something else - arcane knowledge, a change of luck, or a sixth sense. Just remember: All sales are final. In this genuinely mind-boggling novel, two of the most unfettered talents in speculative fiction envision a commercial establishment that attracts customers from Edgar Allan Poe to a sorcerer intent on fabricating the Beast of Revelations.
Roadmarks by Roger Zelazny ( 1994)

"A mindbender of a book, and a treat for Zelazny fans."
ALA BOOKLIST
The Road runs from the unimaginable past to the far future, and those who travel it have access to the turnoffs leading to all times and places--even to the alternate time-streams of histories that never happened. Why the Dragons of Bel'kwinith made the Road--or who they are--no one knows. But the Road has always been there and for those who know how to find it, it always will be!
Roger Zelazny's Visual Guide to Castle Amber by Roger Zelazny, Neil Randall ( 1988)

Provides detailed information on Castle Amber.
Sign of Chaos by Roger Zelazny ( 1991)

Trapped beyond the Looking Glass where he is virtually unprotected, Merlin of Amber meets a host of colorful characters including the Mad Hatter and Cheshire Cat, and he confronts his ultimate enemy, a girlfriend returned from the grave. Reissue.
Sign of the Unicorn by Roger Zelazny ( 1986)

Accepting the responsibilities as ruler to the world of Amber, Corwin finds himself the target of sibling treachery, and must seek guidance in a land of visions, where a sinister prediction foretells his doom. Reissue.
This Immortal by Roger Zelazny ( 1984)
To Die in Italbar/a Dark Travelling To Die in Italbar/a Dark Travelling by Roger Zelazny ( 2002)

Francis Sandow holds the key to the identity of "Mr. H," a mysterious man with the power to heal or kill with a touch and who is desperately sought by countless people when the galaxy is plagued by an unidentifiable disease, in a novel accompanied by a bonus tale, A Dark Travelling. Reprint.
To Reign in Hell To Reign in Hell by Steven Brust ( 2000)

Satan and his angels fight against the power of Yaweh to gain control over the kingdom of Heaven, in the classic novel about the revolt of the angels.
To Rule in Amber To Rule in Amber Book 3, of the New Amer Trilogy by Roger Zelazny, John Gregory Betancourt ( 2004)

As Oberon takes up the reins of leadership to build a new empire on the foundations of that laid by his father, he confronts a host of challenges as he deals with old and new enemies, political intrigue, power-mad siblings, assassins, a mad father, and the King of Chaos.
Trumps of Doom Trumps of Doom by Roger Zelazny ( 1997)

Fighting off an unknown assailant every April 30th, California computer hacker Merle Corey discovers that he is actually Merlin, the son of the missing Prince Corwin of the royal house of Amber. Reissue.
Unicorn Variations by Roger Zelazny ( 1987)

This collection of stories culled from every major science fiction magazine and anthology provides a retrospective of Zelazny's best stories and includes two Hugo award-winners, Unicorn Variation and Home is the Hangman.
When Pussywillows Last in the Catyard Bloomed and Other Poems by Roger Zelazny ( 1985)
Wild Cards Wild Cards Aces High by Roger Zelazny, Walter J. Williams, Stephen Leigh, Victor Milan, Lewis Shiner, Howard Waldrop, Edward Bryant, Melinda M. Snodgrass, John J. Miller ( 2003)

An alien virus arrives on Earth after World War II, killing or transforming into grotesque monsters all those who become infected, except for a lucky few who become superhuman, in a collection of short stories by Roger Zelazny, Melinda A. Snodgrass, Walter Jon Williams, and other masters of the science fiction genre. Reprint.
Amber Collector's Series IV by Roger Zelazny ( 2004)
Threshold Threshold by Roger Zelazny ( 2009)
Wilderness by Roger Zelazny, Gerald Hausman ( 1994)

Two larger-than-life men of the West--John Colter and Hugh Glass--define the spirit of wilderness survival, pushing their minds and bodies to the limit as they each narrowly escape the obstacles of nature and the threats of the western frontier.
Amber Collector's Series II Amber Collector's Series II by Roger Zelazny ( 2004)
The Williamson Effect by ( 1996)

A collection of short stories honoring legendary science fiction writer Jack Williamson or inspired by one of Williamson's own tales includes contributions by Ben Bova, John Brunner, Poul Anderson, Connie Willis, Andre Norton, Mike Resnick, and other notable authors.
Wizard World by Roger Zelazny ( 1991)

An exile from infancy, Pol Detson is unaware of his heritage and his powers until the race that has banished him to Earth returns, begging him to save their magic kingdom from Demon Technology.
Amber Collector's Series I by Roger Zelazny ( 2003)
Amber Collector's Series III by Roger Zelazny ( 2004)
A Rose for Ecclesiastes by Roger Zelazny ( 1969)
Warriors of Blood and Dream by ( 1995)

A collection of stories includes Zen encounters with aliens, wrestlings with shapeshifters, magic and battles in twentieth-century China, trips from exercise rooms into other dimensions, encounters with mystical masters, and more. Original.
Way up High by Roger Zelazny ( 1992)
Wheel of Fortune by ( 1995)

A collection of short tales includes works of alien gambles and fantastic wagers by such authors as Joe Haldeman, Gahan Wilson, and Nina Kirika Hoffman, and highlights such characters as a down-and-out gambler given a final chance by Lady Luck. Original.
Here There Be Dragons and Way Up High Here There Be Dragons and Way Up High by Roger Zelazny ( 1992)
The Road to Amber The Collected Stories of Roger Zelazny by Roger Zelazny ( 2009)

Sign up to receive offers and updates: