Two new Italian Chronicles of Amber books now available


Italian fans of Roger Zelazny‘s Chronicles of Amber rejoice: the sixth and seventh novels in the series are now available in Italy! Published by Fanucci Editore, here are the details…

The sixth novel in the series is TRUMPS OF DOOM, published in Italy as RITORNO AD AMBRA

Merle Corey è un giovane e brillante designer di computer, ma è anche Merlin, figlio dell’ex principe di Ambra, Corwin, di cui ha ereditato i meravigliosi poteri. Nel tentativo di comprendere meglio suo padre, Merlin ha trascorso gli ultimi anni sulla Terra, a San Francisco, studiando informatica e progettando uno straordinario computer mai visto prima. Adesso è deciso a tornare ad Ambra, ma prima di farlo intende scoprire chi sta cercando di ucciderlo e perché. A tale scopo inizierà una disperata corsa attraverso le ombre, non solo per sfuggire alla misteriosa forza che minaccia la sua vita, ma per proteggere il segreto mortale che potrebbe distruggere entrambi i suoi mondi…

First published in 1985, here’s the English-language synopsis…

Merle Corey is a brilliant young computer designer in San Francisco, but, he is also Merlin, son of Corwin, vanished prince of Amber, and heir to his father’s wondrous powers. And, someone is determined to kill him. Now he will begin a desperate race through Shadow, not only to escape the mysterious force that threatens his life, but to protect the deadly secret that could destroy both his worlds.

The seventh novel is BLOOD OF AMBER, published in Italy as IL SANGUE DI AMBRA

Inseguito da un nemico diabolico, Merle deve affrontare una fitta e intricata rete di omicidi e vendette che lo perseguita anche oltre i confini della baia di San Francisco. Perché Merle Corey, giovane informatico della California, è anche Merlin, figlio di Corwin, lo scomparso principe d’Ambra. Le forze ostili che cercano di distruggere la casa reale e la sua stirpe hanno messo in campo magie che possono colpire ovunque, fino al cuore stesso di Ambra. Imprigionato dai suoi nemici, Merle è costretto a stringere una pericolosa alleanza con un’entità seducente ed enigmatica, l’unica speranza per ridare equilibrio al suo mondo e affrontare una forza misteriosa che minaccia Ambra.

Originally published a year after TRUMPS OF DOOM (1986), here’s the English-language synopsis…

Pursued by a fiendish enemy, Merle must battle through an intricate web of vengeance and murder that threatens more than the San Francisco Bay area. For Merle Corey of California is also Merlin, son of Corwin, vanished Prince of Amber; and the forces, seeking to destroy the royal house, have unleashed sorceries that can strike anywhere, especially at the very heart of Amber.

Fanucci has also published the first five novels in the series in Italy.

Zeno represents Roger Zelazny in Translation, on behalf of the Zelazny Estate.

Prepare for a HARD LANDING tomorrow…


Tomorrow, Blackstone Publishing are due to publish a new audio edition of HARD LANDING by Algis Budrys! Originally published in ??, here’s the synopsis for the classic novel…

A science fiction adventure told from the point of view of aliens who crash-land on Earth and must assimilate in secret — until their human cover is blown

Budrys’s final novel opens with the report of a man found electrocuted on suburban train tracks in Shoreview, Illinois. Neville Sealman appeared to be just another commuter, but after his tragic death, no one comes forward to claim his body. And a routine autopsy reveals some disturbing physiological anomalies. Then a spaceship is unearthed in a New Jersey swamp. It’s the stuff of tabloids — except it’s all true.

Years earlier, a starship crash-landed on Earth. Its passengers, human in appearance, were forced to go their separate ways in an alien world. No one knows that these otherworldly visitors have been living among the human race — but now their cover could be blown.

Told in the form of an investigation reconstructed through direct and indirect witness testimony, Hard Landing takes the listener into the minds of its four protagonists as they struggle with the far-reaching ramifications of discovery. This is a suspenseful and revelatory novel about the elusive, ever-changing nature of identity.

Blackstone has also published three other classic Budrys titles: WHO?ROGUE MOON and MICHAELMAS.

Six of Budrys’s classic books are available as eBooks via Open Road Media: WHO?, FALLING TORCH, ROGUE MOON, THE FURIOUS FUTURE, MICHAELMAS, and HARD LANDING.

In related news, the MIT Technology Review recently ran a lovely profile of Budrys and his work, which you can read here.

‘The fiction Budrys himself began writing as a young man in the 1950s still provides as good evidence as exists that SF can be literary art; at the time, it led his fellow practitioners to regard him as the one among them who was most likely to transform their field into a fully adult literature… Budrys’s science fiction presents an alternative version of the genre–a promise of better possibilities that were never quite realized. Indeed, the bulk of Budrys’s writing was published a half-century ago and isn’t in print, though it’s easily obtainable from online booksellers or brick-and-­mortar secondhand stores. You should make the effort. This is what science fiction can be but hardly ever is.’

Zeno represents Algis Budrys on behalf of the Budrys Estate.

Roger Zelazny’s CHRONICLES OF AMBER now available in Slovakia!


Roger Zelazny‘s classic Chronicles of Amber fantasy series is now available in Slovakia! Published in two volumes by Vydavateľstvo Tatran, here’s the synopsis for the Kroniky Amberu

Roger Zelazny patrí k zakladateľom fantastiky, no svojimi mýtmi a mágiou vtlačil tomuto žánru svojský nenapodobiteľný štýl. Napísal viac ako 50 románov a 150 poviedok, vrcholom jeho tvorby je však desať kníh, ktoré tvoria Kroniky Amberu. Podľa slov Georga R. R. Martina, autora Hier o Tróny, sú Kroniky Amberu najfarebnejšou, najexotickejšou a najnezabudnuteľnejšou ságou, aká sa vo fantasy objavila. Amber je jediný skutočný svet, všetky ostatné vrátane Zeme sú len Tiene. No schyľuje sa tam k bratovražednému boju o moc a vplyv. Amberský princ Corwin sa pre zradu svojich súrodencov ocitne na Zemi a tu pri autonehode utrpí stratu pamäti. Len čo nadobudne vedomie, zapojí sa do obrany Amberu proti netvorom z Čiernej cesty. Žezlo po ňom preberie jeho syn Merlin, v ktorého žilách koluje aj matkina krv z Dvorov Chaosu. Celá sága prekvapuje nezvyčajnými nápadmi. Autor v nich spojil prvky sci-fi a fantasy. Kroniky Amberu predstavujú urban fantasy v drsnom štýle a ostrom tóne, mnohé zápletky pripomínajú detektívny príbeh. Kritici právom označili Zelaznyho dielo za „fantasy najvyššieho kalibru.“

Originally published between 1970-91, the series includes the following novels: NINE PRINCES IN AMBER, THE GUNS OF AVALON, SIGN OF THE UNICORN, THE HAND OF OBERON, THE COURTS OF CHAOS, TRUMPS OF DOOM, BLOOD OF AMBER, SIGN OF CHAOS, KNIGHT OF SHADOWS and PRINCE OF CHAOS. The series has been published widely in translation, with more editions on the way! If you’d like to know more, be sure to check out the author’s page.

Here’s the English-language synopsis for the first novel in the series…

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.

Amber, the one real world, wherein all others, including our own Earth, are but Shadows. Amber burns in Corwin’s blood. Exiled on Shadow Earth for centuries, the prince is about to return to Amber to make a mad and desperate rush upon the throne.

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.

Zeno represents Roger Zelazny in Translation, on behalf of the Zelazny Estate.

WHO are you listening to this December?


Today, Blackstone Audio publishes a new audio edition of Algis Budrys‘s classic, Hugo Award-nominated sci-fi novel WHO? Here’s the synopsis…

Set against a backdrop of Cold War paranoia, this futuristic novel about identity and technology is “one of the unrecognized classics of SF” (Locus).

East and West have fused into separate superstates known as the Allied National Government (ANG) and the Soviet International Bloc (SIB). As the Cold War rages, brilliant scientist Lucas Martino works on a top-secret project known only as K-Eighty-eight that could alter the balance of world power. The project goes horribly awry at an Allied research facility near the Soviet border, and Martino is abducted.

After several months of tense negotiations, he returns severely injured from the lab explosion, and under pressure from America, undergoes extensive reconstructive surgery. He has a mechanical arm. His polished metal skull — a kind of craniofacial prosthesis — contains few discernible features. Several of his internal organs are artificial. While his fingerprints are identified as belonging to Lucas Martino, they could be the result of transplant. Is he the real Martino? Or a technologically altered impostor sent by America’s enemies for the purpose of spying and infiltration? Tasked with uncovering the truth, ANG Security Chief Shawn Rogers makes some shocking discoveries.

Narrated in chapters alternating between Rogers and Martino, Who? poses existential questions about the human condition.

Blackstone has also published Budrys’s ROGUE MOON and MICHAELMAS in audio. (An audiobook edition of HARD LANDING is also on its way, early next year.)

Five of Budrys’s classic novels, and one collection, are published in eBook by Open Road Media.

Zeno represents Algis Budrys on behalf of the Budrys Estate.

Next month, you can listen to WHO?


Next month — December 11th, to be exact — Blackstone Audio are due to publish an audio edition of Algis Budrys‘s classic sci-fi novel WHO? Here’s the synopsis…

Set against a backdrop of Cold War paranoia, this futuristic novel about identity and technology is “one of the unrecognized classics of SF” (Locus).

East and West have fused into separate superstates known as the Allied National Government (ANG) and the Soviet International Bloc (SIB). As the Cold War rages, brilliant scientist Lucas Martino works on a top-secret project known only as K-Eighty-eight that could alter the balance of world power. The project goes horribly awry at an Allied research facility near the Soviet border, and Martino is abducted.

After several months of tense negotiations, he returns severely injured from the lab explosion, and under pressure from America, undergoes extensive reconstructive surgery. He has a mechanical arm. His polished metal skull — a kind of craniofacial prosthesis — contains few discernible features. Several of his internal organs are artificial. While his fingerprints are identified as belonging to Lucas Martino, they could be the result of transplant. Is he the real Martino? Or a technologically altered impostor sent by America’s enemies for the purpose of spying and infiltration? Tasked with uncovering the truth, ANG Security Chief Shawn Rogers makes some shocking discoveries.

Narrated in chapters alternating between Rogers and Martino, Who? poses existential questions about the human condition.

Blackstone has also published Budrys’s ROGUE MOON and MICHAELMAS in audio.

Five of Budrys’s classic novels, and one collection, are published in eBook by Open Road Media.

Zeno represents Algis Budrys on behalf of the Budrys Estate.

Listen to a tale of the ROGUE MOON…


A new audiobook edition of Algis Budrys‘s ROGUE MOON is out now! Published by Blackstone Publishing, here’s the synopsis…

A monstrous apparatus has been found on the surface of the moon. It devours and destroys in ways so incomprehensible to humans that a new language must be invented to describe it and a new kind of thinking to understand it. So far, the human guinea pigs sent there in hopes of unraveling the murderous maze have all died terrible deaths — except the last, now on suicide watch. The ideal candidate won’t go insane, even as he feels the end approaching. And now they think they’ve found their man.

Al Barker has already stared into the face of death — he can handle it again. But Barker won’t merely have to endure the trauma of dying: he will have to endure it over and over again — mentally linked to an ongoing series of duplicates of himself created and sent to the Moon by matter transmission — until the artifact reveals its secret.

With a cast of fascinating characters taking center stage, Rogue Moon is a rare thriller that doesn’t just make you sweat — it makes you think.

Blackstone are also due to publish new audio editions of MICHAELMAS (November), WHO? (December), and HARD LANDING (January). We already have the cover for MICHAELMAS, too…

Six of Algis Budrys’s classic books are published as eBooks by Open Road Media.

Zeno represents Algis Budrys on behalf of the Budrys Estate.

French Zelazny Fans can now learn the secrets of THIS IMMORTAL…


French fans rejoice: Roger Zelazny‘s classic novel THIS IMMORTAL is out now in France! Published by Helios as TOI L’IMMORTEL, here’s the synopsis…

Une catastrophe atomique a détruit pratiquement toute trace des civilisations continentales, provoquant l’exode de la plupart des humains. Mais les quelques individus restés sur Terre ont vu leur espérance de vie considérablement augmenter. Conrad Nomikos est l’un d’entre eux et nul ne connaît son âge. Devenu le conservateur des ruines de la Terre sur une île grecque miraculeusement préservée, il doit servir de guide à un important intellectuel végan, Cort Myshtigo, qui souhaite visiter la planète pour se documenter afin d’écrire un livre sur l’histoire humaine. C’est le début d’une odyssée que Nomikos imaginait certes périlleuse, mais pas à ce point…

En mariant avec audace religion, magie et technologie, Roger Zelazny, avec ce premier roman, est entré immédiatement dans la cour des grands. Il remporte d’ailleurs en 1966 le prix Hugo ex aequo avec Dune de Franck Herbert. Ce texte concentre une grande partie des thématiques que l’auteur ne cessera d’explorer tout au long de ses oeuvres suivantes.

Un nouveau mythe et une quête post-apocalyptique.

THIS IMMORTAL was first published in 1966, and racked up an impressive number of accolades and awards: the novel won the Hugo Award for Best Novel (1966), Geffen Award for Best Translated Science Fiction Book (2009), and the Seiun Award 星雲賞 for Best Foreign Language Novel of the Year (1976). Here’s the English-language synopsis…

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!

Helios has also published Zelazny’s DAMNATION ALLEY (as ROUTE 666) and ISLE OF THE DEAD (as L’ÎLE DES MORTS).

Zeno represents Roger Zelazny in Translation, on behalf of the Zelazny Estate.

New Russian edition of CREATURES OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS


A new edition of CREATURES OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS, one of Roger Zelazny‘s classic stand-alone novels, is available in Russia. Published by Эксмо as ПОРОЖДЕНИЯ СВЕТА И ТЬМЫ, here’s the synopsis…

Далекое будущее.

Ожившие боги Древнего Египта делят власть над освоенным человечеством космосом. Анубис, Повелитель Мертвых, и Осирис из Дома Жизни забывают свою извечную вражду, когда появляется угроза не только мирам, но и их собственному существованию.
Самый поразительный роман Грандмастера НФ Роджера Желязны, изощренный сплав фэнтези и научной фантастики.!

CREATURES OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS was first published in 1969. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

Two gods, two houses, one quest and the eternal war between life and death. To save his kingdom, Anubis, Lord of the Dead, sends forth his servant on a mission of vengeance. At the same time, from The House of Life, Osiris sends forth his son, Horus, on the same mission to destroy utterly & forever The Prince Who Was a Thousand.

But neither of these superhuman warriors is prepared for the strange & harrowing world of mortal life. The Thing That Cries in the Night may well destroy not only their worlds, but all humankind.

As Zelazny did with the Hindu pantheon in the legendary, groundbreaking classic Lord of Light, the master storyteller here breathes new life into the Egyptian gods with another dazzling tale of mythology and imagination.

Эксмо has also published Zelazny’s classic Chronicles of Amber series in Russia, as well as a number of other novels from the author’s classic and beloved backlist.

Zeno represents Roger Zelazny in Translation, on behalf of the Zelazny Estate.

KIRINYA turns 20!


This week marked the 20th anniversary of the publication of Ian McDonald‘s novel KIRINYA, which was described when released as ‘a huge and ambitious novel, the work of a supremely talented writer approaching the top of his game.’ (SFX) The second book in the author’s Chaga series, it was first published by Gollancz in the UK in 1998. Here’s the synopsis…

The end of the universe happened at around ten o’clock at night on 22 December 2032. It’s just that humanity hasn’t realized it yet. And the Chaga, the strange flora deposited from the stars, is still busy terraforming the tropics into someone else’s terra. Gaby McAslan was once a hungry news reporter who compromised her relationship with UNECTA researcher Dr. Shepard for the sake of her story…but Gaby is no longer a journalist and she doesn’t want to be a full-time mother, even though her child Serena is her last link with Shepard. Gaby’s fire has gone out; she’s gone soft. But the massive political and military upheavals that are rocking the world are about to drag her back into the action.

The release of KIRINYA inspired The Times to describe McDonald as an outstanding’ writer with such marvellous talent, so vivid an imagination’ whose prose sings and zings’.

KIRINYA, as well as the other two books in the Chaga series are available as an eBook via the JABberwocky eBook Program, and also via Audible. The first two books have been published in Germany by Heyne.

Ian’s latest series is the critically-acclaimed Luna, published by Gollancz in the UK and Tor Books in the US, as well as in a growing number of translated editions (more details on his author page).

New Italian NINE PRINCES IN AMBER paperback…


A new paperback edition of NINE PRINCES IN AMBER is available now. The first in Roger Zelazny‘s classic Chronicles of Amber fantasy series, it’s published by Fanucci as NOVE PRINCIPI IN AMBRA. Here’s the synopsis…

Chi è l’uomo che giace ferito in un letto d’ospedale? Conosce il suo passato? Sa qual è il destino a lui riservato in un mondo lontano, che un tempo gli apparteneva? Esiliato per secoli nel mondo delle Ombre, il principe Corwin sta per fare ritorno ad Ambra, il mondo perfetto e al contempo sinistro, l’universo dal quale tutti gli altri sono stati generati, per l’ultimo, disperato tentativo di riconquistare ¡1 trono che un tempo gli spettava. Dalla foresta di Arden fino alla Scala per Arbma che sale dal mare, macchiata dal sangue di eroi caduti, il dominio di Eric, Random, Bleys, Caine e degli altri principi distende sui popoli una coltre di oppressione. È su di loro che Corwin dovrà avere la meglio, ma il suo cammino è ostacolato da entità sfuggenti, inquietanti, inimmaginabili, forze insondabili forgiate nel fuoco del terrore, le uniche in grado di resistere all’impeto del principe e alla sua furia sovrumana. Il primo capitolo di un viaggio fantastico ed eroico, l’epopea della riconquista di un mondo e della propria eredità.

The first five novels in the series are available in Italy in eBook format, too. NINE PRINCES IN AMBER was first published in 1970, and has since been made published widely in translation. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

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.

Amber, the one real world, wherein all others, including our own Earth, are but Shadows. Amber burns in Corwin’s blood. Exiled on Shadow Earth for centuries, the prince is about to return to Amber to make a mad and desperate rush upon the throne. 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.

Zeno represents Roger Zelazny in Translation, on behalf of the Zelazny Estate.

NINE PRINCE IN AMBER and GUNS OF AVALON rejacketed in Ukraine


Богдан has re-issued Roger Zelazny‘s NINE PRINCES IN AMBER and GUNS OF AVALON with new covers. Published in Ukraine as Дев’ять принців Амбера and Рушниці Авалону, respectively, here’s the synopsis for book one…

У приватній лікарні після автокатастрофи до головного героя роману — Корвіна, повернулась свідомість. Але він не пам’ятає, хто він. Від лікаря йому вдається дізнатися, що у нього є сестра Евелін. Корвін тікає з лікарні і приходить до неї додому. В домі сестри він натрапив на шокуючу знахідку — колоду карт Таро, на яких зображений він та члени його сім’ї… У нього попереду безліч пригод та небезпек. Чи подолає він їх?

First published in 1970 and 1972, here’s the English-language synopsis for NINE PRINCES IN AMBER

Amber: A kingdom beyond imagination — where brother fights brother to succeed to the throne…

When Corwin awoke in the hospital he remembered very little. Except that he’d been in an automobile accident that wasn’t an accident at all. Then he discovered his name and the fact that his strength was superhuman. And that was enough to send him on a journey that started in New York and swiftly flung him into the fantastic realm of Amber where eight brothers fought for the right to be crowned king. For Corwin was the ninth Prince — his royal colours, black and silver — who had been exiled to the shadow world of Earth. Now Corwin had returned to claim the throne from his sworn enemies, his own flesh and blood…

Zeno represents Roger Zelazny in Translation, on behalf of the Zelazny Estate.

The Early Bird catches the… ROGUE MOON


Today, Algis Budrys‘s classic science fiction novel ROGUE MOON is an Early Bird Books eBook deal! Only $1.99 from most e-tailers, the novel (originally published in 1960) is published by Open Road Media. Here’s the synopsis…

A monstrous apparatus has been found on the surface of the moon. It devours and destroys in ways so incomprehensible to humans that a new language has to be invented to describe it and a new kind of thinking to understand it. So far, the human guinea pigs sent there in hopes of unraveling the murderous maze have all died terrible deaths. The most recent volunteer survived but is now on suicide watch. The ideal candidate won’t go insane even as he feels the end approaching. Al Barker has already stared into the face of death; he can handle it again. But he won’t merely endure the trauma of dying. Barker will die over and over—even as his human qualities are preserved on Earth.

With its cast of fascinating characters — like brilliant scientist Edward Hawks, who is obsessed with rebirth — Rogue Moon is a rare thriller that doesn’t just make you sweat. It makes you think.

Open Road Media have also published a number of Budrys’s other novels: WHO? (1958), FALLING TORCH (1959), THE FURIOUS FUTURE (1963), MICHAELMAS (1977), and HARD LANDING (1993).

Zeno represents Algis Budrys on behalf of the Budrys Estate.

The PRINCE OF CHAOS is coming to Russia…


The final novel in Roger Zelazny‘s classic Chronicles of Amber fantasy epic will soon be available in Russia! PRINCE OF CHAOS will be published by Эксмо as Принц Хаоса. Here’s the synopsis…

“Принц Хаоса” — десятый роман из “Хроник Амбера”. Этой книгой Роджер Желязны завершил свою знаменитую фантастическую эпопею.

Главный герой романа — Мерлин, сын Корвина Амберского и Дары из Владений Хаоса, — понимает, что его появление на свет было не случайностью, а результатом тщательно продуманного плана, осуществление которого должно привести Мерлина к престолу Хаоса…

First published in 1991, here’s the English-language synopsis…

Treacheries, trickeries, assassination attempts and bloody family intrigues have finally manoeuvred Merlin, aka Merle Corey, into the Courts of Chaos — where he is third in line to occupy the throne, thanks to a series of conventionally fatal “accidents” engineered by his mother Dara and uncle Mandor.

But Merlin’s journey to the ultimate rule will not be easy. For dark enchantments still await him. There is murderous discord between Amber and Chaos to be silenced. And a captive royal father, long believed dead, must first be freed from a villain’s magic before a beleaguered Prince can deem his triumph complete.

Эксмо has published the first nine novels in the series, as well. Here are all of the covers together…

Zeno represents Roger Zelazny in translation, on behalf of the Zelazny Estate.

CHRONICLES OF AMBER omnibus out now in Russia!


An omnibus edition of the Chronicles of Amber, Roger Zelazny‘s classic fantasy series, is out now in Russia! Published by Эксмо as Хроники Амбера, here’s the synopsis…

“Хроники Амбера” — цикл романов, созданный Роджером Желязны в 1970-1991 годах, моментально стал классикой фантастики, заслужив признание миллионов читателей. Его многократно переиздавали, адаптировали для исполнения в театрах и по радио, использовали в качестве основы для компьютерных и настольных игр. Кинематографисты дважды (в 1998 и 2002 годах) приступали к экранизации “Хроник Амбера”, но на сегодняшний день эта идея все еще ждет своего воплощения.

Эксмо has also been publishing the novels individually — eight are available now (with two more to come)…

Zeno represents Roger Zelazny in translation, on behalf of the Zelazny Estate.

Spotlight: Zelazny in Germany


In case you missed them, we wanted to draw your attention to six of Roger Zelazny‘s novels that available in Germany! Published by Heyne, here are the details for each of these classics (they deserve individual spotlights, so bear with us).

Let us begin with FLUCH DER UNSTERBLICHKEIT (pictured above)…

… nenne mich Conrad

Nach einem verheerenden Atomkrieg leben auf der Erde jede Menge gefährlicher Mutanten und nur noch knapp vier Millionen Menschen – die als Attraktionen für Besucher von der Wega herhalten müssen. Conrad Nomikos arbeitet als Touristenführer und soll einen einflussreichen Weganer alle Sehenswürdigkeiten der alten Erde zeigen. Als er dahinterkommt, dass die Wega plant, die im Unterhalt ziemlich kostspielige Erde zu vernichten, beginnt für ihn ein Wettlauf gegen die Zeit – und gegen eine Rebellengruppe, die nach dem Leben des außerirdischen Besuchers trachtet…

First published as THIS IMMORTAL in 1966, it won the Hugo Award for Best Novel. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

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 high-level intrigue that has some bearing on the future of Earth itself.

THE DREAM MASTER, first published in 1966, is available in Germany as HERR DER TRÄUME

Das Inferno in uns

Charles Render ist einer der wenigen Psychiater, die imstande sind, sich der sogenannten Neuro-Partizipations-Therapie zu bedienen. Dabei dringen sie in das Innerste der Psyche ihrer Patienten ein und können sie formen, umgestalten und so geistige Schäden beheben. Deswegen nennt man Render auch den “Schöpfer”. Doch diese Arbeit ist gefährlich: Selbst ein starker Geist bietet nicht immer ausreichenden Schutz vor dem Chaos, das in den Tiefen der menschlichen Seele herrscht…

Here’s the English-language synopsis…

His name is Charles Render, and he is a psychoanalyst, and a mechanic of dreams. A Shaper. In a warm womb of metal, his patients dream their neuroses, while Render, intricately connected to their brains, dreams with them, makes delicate adjustments, and ultimately explains and heals. Her name is Eileen Shallot, a resident in psychiatry. She wants desperately to become a Shaper, though she has been blind from birth. Together, they will explore the depths of the human mind — and the terrors that lurk therein

Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel, and nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel, LORD OF LIGHT is HERR DES LICHTS in Germany…

Menschen wie Götter

In ferner Zukunft haben die Menschen einen fernen Planeten besiedelt und sich durch gezielte Mutationen weiterentwickelt. Jetzt herrschen die „Ersten“, die bereits mutiert auf dem Planeten ankamen, über die Sterblichen wie die Götter des hinduistischen Pantheons. Sie unterdrücken jeden Fortschritt, rotten jeden Widerstand aus und halten ihre Nachfahren auf dem Niveau von Barbaren, um ihre Macht nicht zu gefährden. Doch eines Tages kehrt Mahasamatman, der Herr des Lichts, von seiner Festung im Himmel auf die Erde zurück – und stellt sich auf die Seite der Unterdrückten…

LORD OF LIGHT was first published in 1967. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

Earth is long since dead. On a colony planet, a band of men has gained control of technology, made themselves immortal, and now rule 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.

Here’s the synopsis for STRASSE DER VERDAMMNIS

Ein Höllenritt durch einen Albtraum

Südkalifornien in einer düsteren Zukunft: Die Vereinigten Staaten gibt es nach einem Atomkrieg nicht mehr, das Gebiet ist in einzelne Polizeistaaten zerfallen. Gewaltige Stürme machen jede Form von Luftfahrt unmöglich, und auch zu Land sind Reisen dank verstrahlten Gebieten und monströsen Mutationen nicht ungefährlich. Hier einen Alltag zu bestreiten ist jeden Tag die Hölle. Hell Tanner, ein inhaftierter Mörder, bekommt die Chance auf eine Begnadigung, wenn er einen Laster mit Medikamente von LA nach Boston schafft – einmal quer durch die USA auf der Straße der Verdammnis. Natürlich nimmt er an…

DAMNATION ALLEY was first published in 1968, and here’s the English-synopsis…

Hell Tanner isn’t the sort of guy you’d mistake for a hero: he’s a fast-driving car thief, a smuggler, and a stone-cold killer. He’s also expendable — at least in the eyes of the Secretary of Traffic for the Nation of California. Tanner doesn’t care much for those eyes. You’d also never mistake Hell Tanner for a humanitarian. Facing life in prison for his various crimes, he’s given a choice; rot away his remaining years in a tiny jail cell, or drive cross-country and deliver a case of antiserum to the plague-ridden people of Boston, Massachusetts…if anyone is still alive there to receive it, that is. The chance of a full pardon does wonders for getting his attention. And don’t mistake this mission of mercy for any kind of normal road trip – not when there are radioactive storms, hordes of carniverous beasts, and giant, mutated scorpions to be found along every deadly mile between Los Angeles and the East Coast. But then, this is no normal part of America, you see. This is DAMNATION ALLEY…

Here’s the synopsis for TORE IN DER WÜSTE

Zusammenprall der Kulturen

Im Rahmen eines intergalaktischen Kulturaustausches erhalten die Menschen von Aliens symbolische Artefakte, die Rhennius-Maschine und den Sternstein, im Tausch gegen die Kronjuwelen des britischen Königshauses und die Mona Lisa. Doch der Sternstein geht verloren, und der Langzeitstudent Fred Cassidy ist der letzte Mensch, der ihn gesehen hat. Verschiedene Kräfte – legale und illegale, irdische und nicht-irdische – versuchen, den Verbleib des Steins aus Fred heraus zu bekommen, mit ihren eigenen Methoden, die nicht immer menschenfreundlich sind. Fred begibt sich schließlich selbst auf die Suche nach dem Sternstein – und tritt damit eine Reise an, deren Ausgang nicht abzusehen ist…

DOORWAYS IN THE SAND was widely praised at the time of its release (1976), and was nominated for Best Novel Hugo, Nebula and Locus Awards.

Humanity is not alone in the cosmos. The aliens have given a precious relic to the people of Earth: star-stone. The harmony of the galaxy is at stake when they discover the disappearance of their star-stone.

Likeable Fred Cassidy is an eternal undergraduate. All he thinks he knows about the star-stone is that it came to Earth in an interplanetary trade for the Mona Lisa and the British Crown jewels.

Then Fred is accused of stealing the cosmic artifact, and he is pursued from Australia to Greenwich Village and beyond, by telepathic psychologists, extraterrestrial hoodlums and galactic police in disguise; as he enters multiple realities, flipping in and out of alien perspectives, through doorways in the sand.

And last, but by no means least, we have STRASSE NACH ÜBERALLHIN

Jenseits der Zeit

Ein weitverzweigtes Straßennetz, das nur den Eingeweihten zugänglich ist, verbindet Raum und Zeit miteinander. Wer diese Straßen befährt, dem stehen alle Epochen der Geschichte offen. Und wer einmal gelernt hat, sich auf diesen Straßen zu bewegen, der kann nie wieder zurück: Er ist zu einem Zeitlosen geworden und Teil einer eigenen, extratemporalen Gesellschaft. Doch die ist alles andere als eine eingeschworene Gemeinschaft, im Gegenteil: Immer wieder kommt es zu Feindschaften unter den Zeitreisenden. Red Dorakeen ist mit seinem Laster auf den Zeitstraßen unterwegs, um den Griechen Waffen für die Schlacht bei Marathon gegen die Perser zu liefern. Plötzlich wird er angegriffen und entgeht nur knapp dem Tod. Sein Gegner hat eine Schwarze Zehn über ihn verhängt: Zehn Berufskiller, die an den Rändern der Straßen nach überallhin auf ihn lauern…

First published in 1979, here’s the synopsis for ROADMARKS

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!

That’s all we have for you today, but keep checking back — we should have news about more translated editions of Roger Zelazny’s classic, beloved novels over the next few months.

Zeno represents Roger Zelazny in translation, on behalf of the Zelazny Estate.