TCWriter

The first of six large volumes cataloging all of science-fiction writer Roger Zelazny's short fiction (including unpublished stories and notes from Zelazny himself). At 500 pages (remember, this is only Volume One of six), this is clearly aimed at die-hard Zelazny fans. Zelazny was a science fiction writer who burst on the scene in the early 1960s. A member of the sci-fi's new wave, his stories focused on the psychology of his characters instead of the science defining the universe, and his use of mythology frankly dwarfs anyone before or since.As a longtime Zelazny fan, I'd read most of this fiction already, but it had never been placed in the context of his career like this, and the Zelazny's own notes (he died in 1995) made it worth the expense. For example, I didn't realize so many of his jewel-like short stories were generated in the first year of his writing career. Zelazny's notes and the comments of other writers are interesting, though the extensive editor's notes -- which explain every aspect of the related story -- feel trivial and overdone. With five more volumes to go, I won't finish the series anytime soon, but I am impressed by the amount of effort that went into its production. Those who haven't read Zelazny's work would be best served by buying his novels; this series is for Zelazny fanatics.