science fiction

ROGER ZELAZNY is an expatriate Ohioan who now resides on a mountaintop in New Mexico with his wife, Judy; sons Devin and Trent; daughter, Shannon; assorted typewriters, oriental rugs, unanswered letters, and science fiction awards. The awards, which he keeps close on hand in his office-„Never can tell when you might need one in a hurry“-consist of three Hugs, three Nebulas, a Balrog, and the mystical presence of the Prix Apollo. He has had 26 boo…

Po půl hodině se noc začala vzdávat vlády nad horami. Napravo, daleko nad Planinou, explodovalo ráno a roztříštilo oblohu na barvy podzimních stromů. Murdock vytáhl z palubní desky tlakovou láhev s horkou kávou, jakou kdysi používali kosmonauti. / „Same, mám dojem, že jsem něco našla.“ / „Co? Kde?“ / „Před námi, nalevo od toho velkého balvanu, je svah, který končí nějakým otvorem.“ / „Výborně, lásko, jedeme tam. Připrav si rakety.“ / Protáhli se kolem balvanu, …

4. kapitola / Zastavil jsem džíp před jediným vchodem, který jsem znal. Braxa, která spatřila růži ve světle reflektoru džípu, chovala teď krabici na klíně, jako by to bylo naše dítě, a neříkala nic. Na tváři měla překrásný a odevzdaný výraz. / „Jsou teď v chrámu?“ chtěl jsem vědět. / Výraz madony se nezměnil. Opakoval jsem otázku. Pohnula se. / „Ano,“ řekla jakoby z velké dálky. „Ale ty se dovnitř nedostaneš.“ / „Uvidíme.“ / Obrátil jsem se a pomohl jí vystoupit.

Jela, proplétala se snem o času a prachem, pod oblohou chladnou jako jezero a stejně modravou a hlubokou, na slunci, které jako nabouraný, hořící vrak stálo nad západními horami, větrem coby náhončím štvavých písečných démonů, chladným tyrkysovým větrem od západu, hltavým. Měla sjeté pneumatiky, nakláněla se na prasklých pružinách, těla měla otlučená, nátěry vybledlé, okna popraskaná, a černé, šedé a bílé výfukové stopy se za nimi táhly k severu,…

Když jsem se probudil, nacházel jsem se v nějaké tmavé místnosti a miloval se s dámou, kterou jsem v životě neviděl. Život dokáže tropit všelijaké podivnosti. Někdy i příjemné. Nenalezl jsem v sobě vůli tu příjemnou činnost přerušit, a tak jsem v ní pokračoval dál, a ona také, až jsme dospěli do okamžiku náhlého dávání a braní, onoho okamžiku harmonie a klidu. / Udělal jsem levou rukou gesto a nad našimi hlavami se rozzářilo malé světélko. Měla dlou…

The land was known as Avernus, and the assembled troops were not quite men. I reviewed them the following morning, walking behind Bleys. They were all of them around seven feet in height, had very red skins and little hair, catlike eyes, and six-digited hands and feet. They wore garments that looked as light as silk, but were woven of something else and were mainly gray or blue in color. Each bore two short blades, hooked at the end. Their ears w…

The wagon creaked, monotonously, and the sun was already well into the west, though it still poured hot streams of daylight upon us. Back among the cases, Ganelon snored, and I envied him his noisy occupation. He had been sleeping for several hours, and this was my third day without rest. / We were perhaps fifteen miles out of the city, and heading into the northeast. Doyle had not had my order completely ready, but Ganelon and I had persuaded him t…

Out of every life a little blood must spill. Unfortunately, it was my turn again, and it felt like more than a little. I was lying, doubled up, on my right side, both arms clutching at my middle. I was wet, and every now and then something trickled along the creases of my belly. Front, lower left, just above the beltline, I felt like a casually opened envelope. These were my first sensations as consciousness came around again. And my first though…

I kept the light away from my face, kept my voice low. / „Not quite,“ I said. „Not quite.“ / He sighed. / „You remain unconvinced.“ / He looked forward and cocked his head, peering down at me. / „Why must you spoil things?“ he said. / „I’ve spoiled nothing.“ / He lowered the lamp. I turned my head again, but he finally got a good look at my face. He laughed. / „Funny. Funny, funny, funny,“ he said. „you come as the young Lord Corwin, thinking to sway me with family sen…

A bowl of cotton candy. / Having traversed the pass, I regarded the valley that lay before me. At least, I assumed that it was a valley. I could see nothing below its cover of cloud/mist/fog. / In the sky, one of the red streaks was turning yellow; another, green. I was slightly heartened by this, as the sky had behaved in a somewhat similar fashion when I had visited the edge of things, across from the Courts of Chaos. / I hitched up my pack and began hi…

Random looked startled as the two of us came through into the library. He rose to his feet, which still left him shorter than either of us, and he shifted his attention to Bill. / „Merlin, who’s this?“ he asked. / „Your attorney, Bill Roth,“ I said. „You’ve always dealt with him through agents in the past. I thought you might like to-“ / Bill began dropping to one knee, „Your Majesty,“ on his lips, but Random caught him by the shoulders. / „Cut the crap,“ he…

„It’s about time,“ I said, to whatever lurked in the shad / ows. The sound that followed was not human. It was a low / snarl. I wondered what manner of beast I confronted. I was certain an attack was imminent, but it did not come. Instead the growl died down, and whatever it was spoke again. / „Feel your fear,“ came the whisper. / „Feel your own,“ I said, „while you still can.“ / The sounds of its breathing came heavy. The flames danced at my back. Smoke had dr…

After a pleasant time with a pretty lady, a series of stimulating hallway conversations, and a relaxing dinner with family and friends, it seemed almost fitting that it be time for something different and distracting. The idea of a small war seemed, at least, better than a big one, though I did not say that to Vialle. A moment’s careful thought, and I shaped the query: / „What’s going on?“ / „Dalt’s men are dug in near the western edge of Arden,“ she s…

Her name was Julia, and I’d been damn certain she was dead back on April 30 when it all began. My finding her grisly remains and destroying the doglike creature which I’d thought had killed her were pretty much the way it started. And we had been lovers, which I suppose was how things had really commenced. Long before. / Perhaps I could have trusted her more. Perhaps I should never have taken hex on that shadow-walls which led to denials that took h…

As I probed forward with two of the more lethal energies of the spikard the Logrus image intercepted them and turned them off. / „I didn’t save him for you to take him out this easily,“ I said, and just then something like the image of the Pattern but not really the same flashed into existence nearby. / The Sign of the Logrus slid to my left. The new thing-whatever it was-kept pace with it, both of them passing silently through the wall. Almost immedia…