Manna from Heaven

Rating:
Summary: Manna From Heaven
Review: Roger Zelazny has been gone for nearly ten years. During that time I am not the only reader who has scoured fanzines, websites, second-hand book stores, and occasionally friends' libraries for anything I could find of his that I had not already read. Here is is, Manna from Heaven. Who but Roger Zelazny writes so beautifully as he ascribes personality and character to natural formations, machines, or even physical principals? Having included the most amazing plot twists, he writes fluidly to mindbending conclusions. Although I've already read some of the short stories in Manna, there is enough new material in the collection to allow me to feel the sheer joy of reading something new and wonderful by Zelazny. I rated Manna From Heaven at five stars because it is his work, and feels like it. Some of the tribute fiction written in his honor is good reading, especially as it gives one the clear opportunity to evaluate those other writers in comparison to the master. Of course, nobody else comes close. Reading Manna From Heaven was a rewarding experience. There is a downside, however. I used to realize how silly it would be to hope for more new stories or books from Roger Zelazny. Now I'm not so sure... some of his characters have made difficult returns...

Rating:
Summary: At Last! All of the 'Amber' short stories under one cover!
Review: This book was eagerly anticipated by fans of Zelazney's 'Amber' fiction, because all of the 'Amber' short stories had been out of print for years. "Manna From Heaven" places all of the 'Amber' short stories-- along with a number of Zelazney's other uncollected pieces-- together under a single cover.

If the 'Amber' stories were ALL that this edition offered, I'd still give the book three or four stars. What a joy to discover that "Manna From Heaven" is FULL of quality fiction by Roger Zelazney, and that many of the other stories in this book even manage to surpass its 'Amber' material! I've read several anthologies of Zelazney's short stories, and I've enjoyed them all, but "Manna From Heaven" EASILY takes the cake!

Aside from the 'Amber' shorts, which were great by the way, I particularly enjoyed "Kalifriki of the Thread" and the title story, "Mana From Heaven" [sic]. These stories were so good that I was surprised not to have seen them collected elsewhere. (Makes you wonder what other Zelazney goodies may still be lying around in the vault???). Naturally, some of the tales in this collection are more compelling than others, but not a single story falls flat. Each carries its own weight. This is unusual enough for any collection of short stories, but as a fan of Roger Zelazney's work, I was also intrigued by the fact that these selections represented a fair cross section of his work as an adult author-- several of the short stories in this volume were from Zelazney's later years, but "Manna From Heaven" also includes a couple of wonderful unpublished pieces from Roger's pre-fame college days!

I would recommend this collection for all readers, whether they're already fans of Zelazny's work, or merely readers who enjoy a well-crafted short story. There's truly something for just about everybody between these two covers.