The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth by Roger Zelazny
Review
“The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth” by Roger Zelazny is a collection of unrelated short stories, which are all in a science fiction setting. The stories range from funny to serious and in a few cases almost hardbreaking. What they all have in common is that they are all quite unique, distinct and well-considered. In many of the cases, I could happily have continued to read an entire book in the settings that were first set out.
The difference in the stories can be quite a rollercoaster ride emotionally, as you can for one moment enjoy the whimsy of one tale, to be followed by immediate heartbreak in the next. Knowing what type of story comes next is completely unknowable, yet the only thing that is known is that the story you are about to be told is clear-cut and considers some aspect of what it means to be human and explores it in a few pages, which allows for reflection.
I don’t often read short stories, so it is difficult to find comparisons. I will however say, that if you like authors like Isaac Asimov, Philip K. Dick or even Roger Zelazny himself, then you will almost certainly enjoy reading this short story collection.
Score: 9/10
Seeing, that this is the second book I’ve read by Roger Zelazny I find that he is strong contender for becomin one of my favourite writers. It’s incredibly difficult to not just desire more of his writing. His settings are engaging and his characters are relatable. Once I pick up his books, I find it very difficult to stop reading again, simply because I want to know where I am to be taken on the next page and the next and then the next…