Creatures of Light and Darkness

📘 About This Book

In the House of the Dead he has been given a name. That name is Wakim, but Wakim knows that this name is not his true name not the name that he carried with him in life. Wakim has been commanded by his master Anubus to find and destroy The Prince Who Was A Thousand. Wakim leaves the House of the Dead intent on carrying out his mission to destroy The Prince Who Was A Thousand, but he has a second, personal mission...to find his true name. And if he does Wakim cannot even imagine how that will change everything... Roger Zelazny was a science fiction and fantasy writer, a six time Hugo Award winner, and a three time Nebula Award Winner. He published more than forty novels in his lifetime. His first novel This Immortal, serialized in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction under the title "...And Call Me Conrad," won the Hugo Award for best novel. Lord of Light, his third novel, also won the Hugo award and was nominated for the Nebula award. He died at age 58 from cancer. Zelazny was posthumously inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2010. "A storyteller without peer. He created worlds as colorful and exotic and memorable as any our genre has ever seen." -George R.R. Martin ". . . his performance was never anything other than dazzling." -Robert Silverberg "Roger Zelazny's work excited me. It was intoxicating and delightful and unique. And it was smart." -Neil Gaiman

📖 Summary

Roger Zelazny's Creatures of Light and Darkness is a captivating and inventive work that blends elements of science fiction, mythology, and existential mystery across its 176 pages. The narrative begins in the House of the Dead, where an entity is given the name Wakim by his master, Anubis. However, Wakim recognizes that this moniker is not his true name, nor is it the identity he carried with him in life. Bound to the service of Anubis, Wakim is commanded to embark on a perilous mission to find and destroy a mysterious figure known as The Prince Who Was A Thousand. Leaving the dark confines of the House of the Dead, Wakim sets forth to fulfill this divine command, but he harbors a deeply personal quest of his own. Alongside his hunt for the Prince, Wakim is desperate to uncover his true name, suspecting that reclaiming his genuine identity will fundamentally alter everything he knows and is. Zelazny, a celebrated master of the genre and a multiple-time winner of both the Hugo and Nebula Awards, brings his signature poetic prose and philosophical depth to this compact novel. Originally published earlier in his illustrious career and reissued in 2021, the book showcases his remarkable ability to weave ancient pantheons with futuristic concepts. Throughout the narrative, readers are treated to a kaleidoscopic journey through strange realms where gods and mortals collide, cosmic forces clash, and the nature of identity is constantly questioned. Wakim's odyssey forces him to confront powerful adversaries and unravel layers of deception, all while inching closer to the truth of who he really is. The tension between his forced servitude and his internal desire for self-discovery drives the narrative forward at a breathless pace. Zelazny's imaginative world-building is on full display here, offering a dense, atmospheric experience that rewards close reading. As Wakim draws nearer to his target and the revelation of his true name, the boundaries between light and darkness begin to blur, leaving both the protagonist and the reader to ponder the weight of names, memories, and destiny. This edition preserves the unique charm and enduring legacy of one of speculative fiction's most revered authors, cementing the book's place as a fascinating artifact of imaginative literature that continues to intrigue new generations of readers.

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