Lord of Light (1967) is a science fantasy novel by American author Roger Zelazny. It was awarded the 1968 Hugo Award for Best Novel, and nominated for a Nebula Award in the same category. Two chapters from the novel were published as novelettes in the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction – "Dawn" in April 1967, and "Death and the Executioner" in June 1967. The context of the novel – modern western characters in a Hindu-Buddhist-infused world – is reflected in the book's opening lines:
His followers called him Mahasamatman and said he was a god. He preferred to drop the Maha- and the -atman, however, and called himself Sam. He never claimed to be a god, but then he never claimed not to be a god.
2.5 stars. I feel like this book did not age well, or maybe is best read as an impressionable youth. It felt overly wordy and contrived, trying to be both entertaining and deep. Once it was a classic, and many hold it dear. Some classics stand up to rereading better than others. ymmv
