Four for Tomorrow
by Roger Zelazny
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Four for tomorrow by Roger Zelazny (1967)Tags
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Worth picking up for the last story alone - A Rose for Ecclesiastes - as the introduction states, the stories are presented in order of increasing quality, which I generally agreed with. As an introduction to Zelazny, and his, in places quite literary approach to science fiction, this is enough to get the reader looking out for more of his work. Though resting on many of the typical themes of sci-fi, we have a bit more introspection, philosophy, religion and ethics than perhaps typical, which adds some nice depth and a bit more to think about.
Zelazny also has quite a talent for a dazzling turn or phrase here and there, which together with a gift for story telling, and creating interesting and developing characters, makes for an show more engaging read. show less
Zelazny also has quite a talent for a dazzling turn or phrase here and there, which together with a gift for story telling, and creating interesting and developing characters, makes for an show more engaging read. show less
This book was titled "Four for Tomorrow" in the U.S. & both editions contain the same 4 stories.The title story is one of his most famous stories & rightfully so. It's another story set on a fictional Mars, with a dying Martian race & Earthmen to study them. It doesn't sound too appealing - more hackneyed than anything. It is nothing of the kind. It's touching - a romance mystery. 'Rose' also appears in his collection "The Lamps of His Mouth, The Doors of His Face" as well as in a couple of other anthologies.My favorite story in the collection is "The Furies". Imagine the Greek Furies in the far future when man is on many planets.Well worth reading.
It is the hubris of rationalism to always attack the prophet, the mystic, the god. It is our blasphemy which has made us great, and will sustain us, and which the gods secretly admire in us.--All the truly sacred names of God are blasphemous things to speak.
The titular story was rather moving, akin to Babel-17. A polyglot poet goes to Mars, where the natives are gracefully dying out. He translated their epics and in return affords them the bible. The conclusion (and solution to their fate) was less-than-satisfying. I thought this morning about the title and Faulkner. There's something to bed said for dying empires and the Gothic. The other three pieces offered promise but appeared stilted. Couldn't help but think about Francis Parkman show more during the first novella Furies. This detour into the speculative allows the grafting of enormous systems , technologies and philosophies. Unfortunately they appear to be but clay and wire models upon examination. show less
The titular story was rather moving, akin to Babel-17. A polyglot poet goes to Mars, where the natives are gracefully dying out. He translated their epics and in return affords them the bible. The conclusion (and solution to their fate) was less-than-satisfying. I thought this morning about the title and Faulkner. There's something to bed said for dying empires and the Gothic. The other three pieces offered promise but appeared stilted. Couldn't help but think about Francis Parkman show more during the first novella Furies. This detour into the speculative allows the grafting of enormous systems , technologies and philosophies. Unfortunately they appear to be but clay and wire models upon examination. show less
I enjoyed Zelazny's work more in the Chronicles of Amber, but this selection of short stories was still worthwhile. Some of the main characters sounded a bit like Carl Corey, and as seems to be typical of this generation of science fiction writing, the male characters are more completely constructed than the female characters. I didn't enjoy the story about hunting the great beast in the waters of Venus, but found the other stories worthwhile. Zelazny accomplishes a certain amount of horror with these stories and I was able to imagine the world as if it were actually set up as he described in three of these settings. In one story, a select group of humans are regularly frozen, thawed, and refrozen, and Zelazny explores the consequences show more of such a lifestyle. In another, three unlikely allies hunt for a criminal who was also a witness of horrific crimes. In the final story, a poet/Martian translator fulfills a prophecy but feels cheated out of something that has become important to him.
There is something about this acidy-papered book that remains appealing. Zelazny has unique ideas, though his delivery makes his work dated. His work carries with it a sort of nostalgia and I don't want to forget what I have enjoyed in it. I am not well read in the science fiction genre, but did value reading this book and would recommend it to those who are willing to read it in its older sci-fi context. show less
There is something about this acidy-papered book that remains appealing. Zelazny has unique ideas, though his delivery makes his work dated. His work carries with it a sort of nostalgia and I don't want to forget what I have enjoyed in it. I am not well read in the science fiction genre, but did value reading this book and would recommend it to those who are willing to read it in its older sci-fi context. show less
This book had 4 stories that I read over a bunch of years probably starting sometime after 2010, definitely 1 in 2018 and one just last week. I loved "Doors of His Face Lamps of his Eyes" (Amazing writing. Super witty, cool original plot.), couldn't make it through more than the first 4 pages of "Graveyard Heart", and liked the other 2 stories a lot (A Rose for Ecclesiastes AND The Furies).
So now I can finally say I've finished this one. I'd eventually like to read everything Zelazny wrote, but I may have to wait until I retire, since I've only read 8 of his novels and two of his collections. I did get to meet him once a convention in Michigan, seemed like a really nice guy.
So now I can finally say I've finished this one. I'd eventually like to read everything Zelazny wrote, but I may have to wait until I retire, since I've only read 8 of his novels and two of his collections. I did get to meet him once a convention in Michigan, seemed like a really nice guy.
This book was titled "A Rose for Ecclesiastes" in the U.K. & both editions contain the same 4 stories.The title story (in the U.K.) is one of his most famous stories & rightfully so. It's another story set on a fictional Mars, with a dying Martian race & Earthmen to study them. It doesn't sound too appealing - more hackneyed than anything. It is nothing of the kind. It's touching - a romance mystery. 'Rose' also appears in his collection "The Lamps of His Mouth, The Doors of His Face" as well as in a couple of other anthologies.My favorite story in the collection is "The Furies". Imagine the Greek Furies in the far future when man is on many planets.Well worth reading.
Never heard of this, but apparently I own a copy. I will take a quick look at least. I have loved many Zelaznys.
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Author Information
Roger Zelazny was born in Euclid, Ohio on May 13, 1937. After receiving a B.A. from Case Western Reserve University and a M.A. from Columbia University, he began publishing science fiction stories in 1962. He received six Hugo awards, three Nebula awards including one in 1966 for And Call Me Conrad and 2 Locus awards. He died of kidney failure show more secondary to colorectal cancer on June 14, 1995. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Four for Tomorrow
- Original title
- Four for Tomorrow
- Alternate titles
- A Rose for Ecclesiastes
- Original publication date
- 1967
- Dedication
- To My Mother
- First words
- There has been nothing like Zelazny in the science fiction field since -- -- Introduction
As an afterthought, Nature sometimes tosses a bone to those it maims and casts aside. -- The Furies
I'm a baitman -- The Doors of His Face, The Lamps of His Mouth
I was busy translating one of my Madrigals Macabre into Martian on the morning I was found acceptable. -- A Rose for Ecclesiastes - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Grateful. -- Introduction
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)They arise from chaos and deliver revenge; they convey confusion and disaster to those who abandon the law and forsake the way, who offend against the light and violate the life, who take the power of flame, like a lightning-rod to their two too mortal hands. -- The Furies
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)He slept, and the world passed by. -- The Graveyard Heart
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)I don't think, but the rings of Saturn sing epithalamium the sea-beast's dower. -- The Doors of His Face, The Lamps of His Mouth
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Blurred Mars hung like a swollen belly above me, until it dissolved, brimmed over, and steamed down my face. -- A Rose for Ecclesiastes - Original language
- English
- Disambiguation notice
- Four for Tomorrow was first published in the USA with this title, later published in the UK as A Rose for Ecclesiastes.
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- Reviews
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- Rating
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- Dutch, English, French, Polish
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- Paper
- ISBNs
- 12
- ASINs
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