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It's time once again for leaves to turn, nights to get colder, and me to listen to Roger Zelazny's masterwork, A Night in the Lonesome October. It is RZ's last novel, and some have called it his best; he was clearly at the peak of his writing powers. What's not to love about a Lovecraftian battle against the Elder Gods, involving a Great Detective, a werewolf, a witch, a Count, a mad monk, a Good Doctor and his Experiment Man, all narrated by Jack the Rippers' faithful dog?
The book came about because RZ and Gahan Wilson happened to have the same agent, and he took them to lunch in NYC one day. The idea of a collaboration grew out of the table conversation. This illustration is from the back cover of the book, showing RZ as the Great Detective and Wilson as his companion; I treasure it.
Zelazny recorded an audiobook version of Lonesome October weeks before he passed. He did it all in one take. There are other narrations out there; the one on Audible is acceptable, but once you've heard RZ's performance nothing else comes close. He recorded it for a little company in his New Mexico home called Sunset Productions, and they produced a six-cassette set. There were plans for a downloadable version, but the fellow who owned the company was in a serious car accident and everything stopped. Years later the master tapes were discovered in a storage locker. Speaking Volumes has published the audiobook as downloadable MP3 files or on CD; I recommend the files. They also have most of RZ's recordings of his Amber books, but be aware that the later volumes have missing pieces filled in by other voice artists, and RZ never had the chance to record the tenth Amber book.
Happy Fall, y'all.
Discussion (10)
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Zelazny is my favorite fiction author. I remember A Night in the Lonesome October as a fast moving easy read. It definitely is time for a re-read.
It's good to know about the MP3 files. I think I'll stick with text for now.
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Sounds like a lot of fun. I will try to find it. Thanks for the recommendation.
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You won't be sorry you did.
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People who've read Zelazny envy those about to start their first one. A Night in the Lonesome October might be the best first dose, although now that I think about it ...
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I agree, because it's easily approchable. Books where Zelazny was experimenting, like Roadmarks, in which Chapters 1 and 2 alternate, or Creatures of Light and Darkness, with some chapters in verse and one as a play script, may take a while to appreciate. The Amber books are just plain fun; I love 'em all, and disagree with the people who think the Merlin stories are poor. A personal favorite of mine is Doorways in the Sand, where RZ is just having a grand old time; it's probably his funniest book. The idea of a young man whose uncle's will pays him handsomely to get a good education, so he stretches out college as long as possible, never quite getting a degree and becoming an over-educated savant without realizing it, is delightful.
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