A fine selection of short stories from an excellent author if you like Zelazny I would recommend this book

A collection largely composed of quite short work, barring the brilliant Home Is the Hangman novella. In fact, multiple short-shorts to be found here, including a triple that starts with Fire And/Or Ice. A couple of stories rescued from fanzine and other death it seems, too.

Several of these are of the amusing variety.

There is also a sequel to the Devil Car story some people may have come across.

Included also are a couple of essays, one on sf and criticism and related topics, for when he had to think about talking at unis, and another on writing. Some short intros to stories are included.

As such, a little under the mark at 3.45 story average overall.


Unicorn Variations : Unicorn Variation - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : The Last of the Wild Ones - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : Recital - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : The Naked Matador - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : Dismal Light - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : Go Starless in the Night - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : But Not the Herald - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : A Hand Across the Galaxy - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : The Force that Through the Circuit Drives the Current - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : Home Is the Hangman - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : Fire And/Or Ice - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : Exeunt Omnes - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : A Very Good Year - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : My Lady of the Diodes - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : And I Only Am Escaped to Tell Thee - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : The Horses of Lir - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : The Night Has 999 Eyes - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : Angel Dark Angel - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : Walpurgisnacht - Roger Zelanzy
Unicorn Variations : The George Business - Roger Zelanzy


Mythological species replacement with sasquatch chess master.

4 out of 5


Car herd cull history comeback duel failure.

4 out of 5


Singing character end.

3 out of 5


Killer coupling.

3.5 out of 5


Prison project main sequence remains.

3.5 out of 5


Corpsicle history lesson.

3.5 out of 5


Hoping to mug Hercules definitely too Hopeful.

3.5 out of 5


Interstellar foster kid letter.

3 out of 5


Telefactor operation autonomy observation.

3.5 out of 5


Telepresence party prank has terrible results, robot killer wrongly represented afterwards, but does his duty despite detective.

5 out of 5


Twilight of the Gods nookie.

3.5 out of 5


End of play.

3 out of 5


New Year's repeat.

3 out of 5


Crime spree jealous computer chess double cross teamup.

3 out of 5


Flying Dutchman ship change no improvement.

4 out of 5


Taking over the mythic keeping job from uncle.

4 out of 5


Sun maybe not scary.

2.5 out of 5


Agents of 'Death', chosen for exception physical abilities and then enhanced and given cool toys. They also get two coffee breaks a day.

4 out of 5


Talking tomb programs.

3.5 out of 5


Stage fight.

3.5 out of 5




4 out of 5

This is a good book for the water closet or a trip in the car if you don't want to look out the window. The stories are funny, Zelany does a good job of communicating his stories in 10-20 pages, and his ideas are fairly original.

Two of my favorites are Unicorn Variations, mostly because I like chess and beer, and this story has both. The second favorite story is "Go Starless Into The Night", I won't ruin it for you, but I thought it was very intriquing.

Of course, there are a few stories along the way that could probably be considered "filler". Most notably his triple short short stories "fire and ice...a very good year". It's a nice idea, but it just left me feeling like he was trying to experiment with a new style and hadn't quite got the hang of it.

Overall, it's a very good shorts collection, worth the read, but just realize that there are a few stories that look like they were put in there to fill out the volume.

The titular story, Unicorn Variations, is just adorable. It is a delight to read. I love the Bigfoot and the beer drinking Griffin the most! The book's centerpiece, Home is the Hangman is a great novella that I would like to have seen better developed. There are some strong characters that could have stood more development. My Lady of the Diodes is quite good. The George Business seemed to be a direct inspiration for that movie The Last Dragon (with Sean Connery as the dragon's voice). Fire And/Or Ice-- with a different take on Ragnarok is great, but too short. Ditto the one about the Angel of Death (lots of unrealized story potential there!)

My favorite story is The Horses of Lir. Again, there is a lot of potential that I would love to have seen expanded upon. I didn't want this one to end! It has a great feel to it and in a way is a perfect short story. My assessment of this book is primarily a good one. There are some experiments of which some work better than others do. The best stories end too soon and beg for more treatment. The worst, are mercifully short. But nearly all of them made me think, and after all, that's what a science fiction short story should do.

Okay, so I've got a biased view-point. I love Zelazny's work. His "Chronicles of Amber" series was one of the first science fiction/fantasy works on an "adult level" that I read (I was maybe 12 at the time), and his twisted, convoluted style of writing had me turning page after page, unable to put the book down.

"Unicorn Variations" represents much of that style. It examines man's failures under pressure, (and ironically) man's ability to perform extrodinary feats under that same pressure. It uses an oft-humuorous touch to describe a serious subject. It draws upon fantasy to explain reality. Get the picture? Rarely does Zelazny ever come right out and say what he means; it's much more fun to keep the reader guessing the whole way through.

The version I have of the audio tape is read by Star Trek/Deep Space 9's Odo (Rene something-or-other -- sorry, his last name escapes me at this time); I enjoyed listening to it almost as much as reading the story for myself...