Jack of Shadows
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 Cover of first edition (hardcover) |
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| Author | Roger Zelazny |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Judith Loeser |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction, Fantasy, novel |
| Publisher | Walker and Company |
| Released | 1971 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover & Paperback) |
| Pages | 207 pp |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-802-75535-6 |
Jack of Shadows is a novel combining elements of both science fiction and fantasy written by Roger Zelazny. It was serialized in F&SF in 1971 and published in book form that same year. It was nominated for a 1972 Hugo Award.
Contents |
[edit] Plot introduction
The novel is set in a world whose rotational period is equal to its revolutionary period. Thus one side of the planet is always in light, and the other in darkness. Science rules on the dayside, while magic holds sway in the night.
Powerful magical entities live on the night side of the planet, and for the most part the entities' magical powers emanate from distinct loci. Jack of Shadows (a.k.a. Shadowjack), the main character, is unique among the magical beings in that he draws his power not from a physical location but from shadow itself. He is nearly incapacitated in complete light or complete darkness, but given access to even a small area of shadow, his potency is unmatched.
The Illustrated Roger Zelazny includes a story, "Shadowjack", that features Jack of Shadows but is not connected with events of the novel. It is illustrated by Gray Morrow.
[edit] Plot summary
Jack's abilities are the physical manifestations of his situation in the world. He is basically a good, albeit flawed character, who is continually thrust into bad situations resulting in decisions, on his part, that cause him to appear evil. For instance, Jack eventually returns to the Sign of the Burning Pestle to take the barmaid Rosie away to his dominion, Shadow Guard. But it has been many years since he made this promise to her, and Rosie is now an old woman. Rosie believes Jack to be a liar, but the truth is that Jack does not age, did not realize the passage of time, and was waylaid by events beyond his control. Such is the life of Jack -- he lives in the gray area (the shadows) where externalities force him to make decisions he does not like.
Jack's only friend, the creature Morningstar, is punished by being trapped in stone at the edge of the night; his torso and head protrude from the rock, and he awaits the sun that will never rise. But as the unthinkable sunrise eventually does happen, it appears that Morningstar will be Jack's salvation.
Jack also seeks the Key That Was Lost, Kolwynia. The Key itself and the consequences of its use parallel Jack's progress in his own endeavors. Ultimately, the Key will be responsible for Jack's salvation and his doom.
Fleeing the dark side, Jack gets access to a computer and uses it to solve Kolwynia. This makes him unbeatable, but not all-powerful. Having made a mess of ruling with his new powers, he seeks the advice of Morningstar - Lucifer? - who advises him to destroy the world's stability and set it rotating. This will produce the world as it is now, we must assume.
The novel ends with Jack falling to his death, but Morningstar has been freed by the Earth's turning and is trying to rescue him. We don't get a final resolution of the fate of this ambiguous hero.
[edit] Allusions/references from other works
A song, Jack of Shadows, based on the novel and written by Dave Brock, Robert Calvert, Simon King and Simon House, appears on the 1979 Hawkwind album PXR5.
In Daniel Keys Moran’s novel, The Long Run, the protagonist Trent Castanaveras is rescued from a low Lunar orbit by a stealth spacecraft from the Spacefarers Collective called the Jack of Shadows.
[edit] References
- Levack, Daniel J. H. (1983). Amber Dreams: A Roger Zelazny Bibliography. San Francisco: Underwood/Miller, 46-48. ISBN 0-934438-39-0.
[edit] External links
- A 2001 Usenet posting (following on an earlier discussion thread) correcting an error in the dialog between Jack and Morningstar in chapter 6, based on the original version of the passage that appeared in F&SF.
