Two New French eBook Editions: LORD OF LIGHT and DILVISH, THE DAMNED


We’re very happy to report that two classic Roger Zelazny novels have been published in France as new eBook editions, both published by Denoël!

LORD OF LIGHT, one of Zelazny’s best-loved stand-alone novels, is available now as SEIGNEURS DE LUMIÈRE. Translated by Luc Carissimo, Mélusine Claudel, and Claude Saunier, here’s the synopsis…

Mondialement connu pour sa saga d’Ambre, Roger Zelazny ne s’est pas contenté de réinventer la mythologie celtique, comme le prouvent brillamment les trois romans au sommaire de ce volume, tous proposés dans des traductions révisées.

Dans Seigneur de lumière (prix Hugo 1968), sans doute son roman le plus ambitieux, Zelazny revisite le panthéon hindou ert replace la quête mystique de Siddhartha sur une planète extraterrestre dirigée par une caste d’immortels.

Dans Royaumes d’ombre et de lumière, il décrit loin dans le futur la lutte d’Osiris et Anubis,la vengeance d’Horus et les visions d’apocalypse d’Isis.

Dans L’Œil de Chat, un de ses romans les plus sous-estimés, il lance un pisteur navajo à la poursuite de la plus dangereuse des créatures intelligentes – Chat – un extraterrestre télépathe capable de changer de forme à volonté.

Winner of the 1968 Hugo Award (also nominated for the Nebula Award), LORD OF LIGHT is available in the UK as part of Gollancz’s SF Masterworks series. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

Imagine a distant world where gods walk as men, but wield vast and hidden powers. Here they have made the stage on which they build a subtle pattern of alliance, love, and deadly enmity. Are they truly immortal? Who are these gods who rule the destiny of a teeming world?

Their names include Brahma, Kali, Krishna and also he who was called Buddha, the Lord of Light, but who now prefers to be known simply as Sam. The gradual unfolding of the story – how the colonization of another planet became a re-enactment of Eastern mythology – is one of the great imaginative feats of modern science fiction.

DILVISH, THE DAMNED is published as DILVISH LE DAMNÉ, and was translated by Michelle Charrier. Here’s the synopsis…

Il s’appelle Dilvish de Sélar, mais les vieilles chansons parlent plutôt de lui comme de Dilvish le Libérateur. Vaincu par Jélérak, il a été exilé plusieurs siècles durant aux enfers. Un séjour qu’il a mis à profit pour apprendre les douze Abominables Formules de la magie noire. Chevauchant un sombre cheval d’acier capable de cracher du feu, chaussé de bottes d’elfe qui ne laissent aucune empreinte derrière elles, armé de l’Épée Invisible, Dilvish est de retour. Et la route qui le mène de la résurrection à la vengeance lui fera traverser un monde magique où derrière chaque rencontre se cache un danger mortel ou un faux-semblant.

Dans ce volume est publiée pour la première fois en France l’intégralité des aventures de Dilvish le Damné, soit onze nouvelles et un roman. Au carrefour de la sword & sorcery classique et de l’hommage à H. P. Lovecraft, Dilvish le Damné fait partie des fantasies les plus assumées de Roger Zelazny.

First published in 1982, here’s the English-language synopsis for DILVISH, THE DAMNED

Dilvish, the Damned is a collection of fantasy stories first published in 1982. Its contents were originally published as a series of separate short stories in various fantasy magazines.

The protagonist, Dilvish, was sent to Hell by the dark sorcerer Jelerak when he interrupted one of Jelerak’s rituals. The stories recount his adventures after he escapes Hell two hundred years later, with a handful of awesome, but impractical destructive spells and a sapient Steed named Black, and sets out for revenge on Jelerak.

ICYMI: Roger Zelazny’s DILVISH, THE DAMNED is Available in Czechia!


We just wanted to take this opportunity to share that one of Roger Zelazny‘s classic novels, DILVISH, THE DAMNED, has been re-issued in Czechia! Published by Straky na vrbě, as PROKLETÝ DILVISH, here’s the synopsis…

Na svém jak půlnoc černém oři se Proklatec Dilvish žene fantaskní krajinou.

Hledá pomstu a nalézají jej potíže všelikého zrna.

Nechce ublížit nikomu vyjma černého mága, jehož jméno není radno vyslovit: A přece se zaplétá do potyček, které nejsou jeho bojem, a svým ostřím si klestí cestu vpřed.

Příběhy rychlé jako Black s dialogy břitkými jak hrdinova čepel!

Klasická fantasy okořeněná humorem i téměř keltským smutkem.

DILVISH, THE DAMNED was first published in 1982. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

Escaping from Hell was only the beginning for Dilvish and Black, his demonic metal horse. Finding Jerelak, the evil sorcerer who sent him to two hundred years of torture, was the only thing that interested him. But Fate had other plans.

The armies of Colonel Lylish attacked his homeland, and only Black could carry Dilvish through the enemy lines to warn the king. The city of Dilfar was under siege, and only Dilvish, descendant of Selar, could raise the ghostly legions of Shorendan and bring them to its aid.

Then a damsel in distress cried out for his help – but really wanted his blood! Twin sorcerers needed him as a pawn in a deadly game for power. An ancient forgotten goddess tried and failed to stop his quest for vengeance, while a werewolf almost succeeded.

Then, when Dilvish finally climbed to Jerelak’s stronghold in the tower of ice, he found nothing but greater perils separating him from his ancient enemy.

Straky na vrbě has published a few of Zelazny’s novels in Czechia — more details can be found here.