A Night in the Lonesome October (Rediscovered Classics)

by Roger Zelazny

Gahan Wilson (Illustrator)

"One of Zelazny's most delightful books: Jack the Ripper's dog Snuff narrates a mad game of teams to cause or prevent armageddon." NEIL GAIMAN

All is not what it seems.

In the murky London gloom, a knife-wielding gentleman named Jack prowls the midnight streets with his faithful watchdog Snuff - gathering together the grisly ingredients they will need for an upcoming ancient and unearthly rite. For soon after the death of the moon, black magic will summon the Elder Gods back into the world. And all manner of Players, both human and undead, are preparing to participate.

Some have come to open the gates. Some have come to slam them shut. And now the dread night approaches - so let the Game begin.

Praise for A Night in the Lonesome October:

". . . this book is unique; the premise, Zelazny's writing and the atmosphere conjured up are something very special indeed."

"A geek fest extraordinaire with huge wit, warmth and intelligence."

"An absolute gem - how can you not to like something written from the perspective of Jack the Ripper's super-intelligent dog?! An outstanding example of truly original fiction."

"This is pure brilliance . . . Highly recommended."

Editorial reviews:

"The last great novel by one of the giants of the genre." George R.R. Martin

"A madcap blend of horror tropes and fantasy. . . There aren't many authors who would set out to write a novel in which the Wolfman and Jack the Ripper were the two heroes . . . And I'm not sure anyone else could have made it work." Science Fiction Chronicle

"Sparkling, witty, delightful. Zelazny's best for ages, perhaps his best ever." Kirkus Reviews

"A cheerful, witty, well-crafted fantasy . . . Its deft, understated good humor and spare, poetic prose reaffirm Zelazny as one of fantasy's most skilled practitioners." Publishers Weekly

• ISBN10: 1857232178
• ISBN13: 9781857232172
• Publish Date: 19 May 1994 (first published 1 January 1993)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 31 December 2009
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Orbit
• Format: Paperback (A-Format (178x111 mm))
• Pages: 280
• Language: English

Reviews

[empressbrooke]

I'm not sure how to describe this book, although the phrase "a fun romp" pops into my head. I'm not sure why, since I'd never use "a fun romp" in a verbal conversation, but I can't think of anything more appropriate. The story starts off vague as we follow a dog through the days of October as his companion, Jack the Ripper, participates in a sort of scavenger hunt for reasons not revealed until much later. Dracula, Dr. Frankenstein, the Wolfman, and other classic horror creatures join in as well.

My previous experience with Zelazny was his Amber novels, so this was a little different. I can't say I thought it was especially deep or well-written, but it's a nice Halloween sort of book that goes by really quickly. Using the POV of Snuff the dog and his encounters with the other animal familiars was nicely unique; even though they had human-like mental abilities, they were still limited by their animal bodies.

I do feel like it got a bit repetitive - Snuff has a bit of a routine that gets detailed in each chapter - but it moved quickly enough that I didn't feel like it affected my enjoyment overall.