Sign of Chaos
Encyclopedia
Sign of Chaos is the Locus Award nominated third novel in the second Chronicles of Amber series by Roger Zelazny
, and the eighth book overall. The title of this book mirrors that of Sign of the Unicorn
, the third book in the first Amber series.
-induced hallucination made real by Luke's powers over shadow. As a Fire Angel (a vicious creature from Chaos) pursues them, he administers medicine to Luke. The Fire Angel is weakened in a fight with the Jabberwock and Merlin is able to finish it off with the vorpal sword. He leaves Luke to sober up.
He seeks his stepbrother Mandor, who thinks that their half-brother Jurt may be trying to kill Merlin in order to take the throne of Chaos. Fiona contacts them, and they investigate a shadow-storm. Merlin and Mandor return to Amber, and then along with Jasra they wrest the Keep of the Four worlds from Jurt and the sorcerer, Mask. They learn that Jurt has (at least partially) turned himself into a living Trump, as Brand did, and that the sorcerer Mask is in fact Merlin's ex-girlfriend Julia.
.
"Old John," Random's assassin whom Merlin encounters at Bloody Bill's, is a reference to the comic book character Grimjack
. (Old John has a "nasty-looking scar running both above and below his left eye.")
When speaking with Nayda, Merlin remarks, "I'd like to meet the person who wrote the reports. There may be a great creative talent going to waste in a government office." Zelazny worked for several years for the Social Security Administration before quitting to write full-time.
Roger Zelazny
Roger Joseph Zelazny was an American writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for his The Chronicles of Amber series...
, and the eighth book overall. The title of this book mirrors that of Sign of the Unicorn
Sign of the Unicorn
Sign of the Unicorn is the third book in the Chronicles of Amber series by Roger Zelazny. It was first published in serial format in Galaxy Science Fiction.-Plot introduction:...
, the third book in the first Amber series.
Plot summary
Merlin realises that Wonderland, where he and Luke are trapped, is an LSDLSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an...
-induced hallucination made real by Luke's powers over shadow. As a Fire Angel (a vicious creature from Chaos) pursues them, he administers medicine to Luke. The Fire Angel is weakened in a fight with the Jabberwock and Merlin is able to finish it off with the vorpal sword. He leaves Luke to sober up.
He seeks his stepbrother Mandor, who thinks that their half-brother Jurt may be trying to kill Merlin in order to take the throne of Chaos. Fiona contacts them, and they investigate a shadow-storm. Merlin and Mandor return to Amber, and then along with Jasra they wrest the Keep of the Four worlds from Jurt and the sorcerer, Mask. They learn that Jurt has (at least partially) turned himself into a living Trump, as Brand did, and that the sorcerer Mask is in fact Merlin's ex-girlfriend Julia.
Cultural allusions
While fleeing the Fire Angel, Merlin passes through a field of flowers whose scent is intoxicating. This is an allusion to The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz (adaptations)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a 1900 novel by L. Frank Baum, which has been adapted into several different works, the most famous being the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, starring Judy Garland...
.
"Old John," Random's assassin whom Merlin encounters at Bloody Bill's, is a reference to the comic book character Grimjack
GrimJack
Grimjack is the main character of a comic book originally published by First Comics. John Ostrander and Timothy Truman are credited as co-creators of the character, although Ostrander had been developing Grimjack with artist Lenin Delsol before Truman's arrival on the project...
. (Old John has a "nasty-looking scar running both above and below his left eye.")
When speaking with Nayda, Merlin remarks, "I'd like to meet the person who wrote the reports. There may be a great creative talent going to waste in a government office." Zelazny worked for several years for the Social Security Administration before quitting to write full-time.
External links
- Sign of Chaos at Worlds Without End