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3.5 

Unicorn Variations

By Roger Zelazny
Unicorn Variations by Roger Zelazny digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

Collected here are twenty-one of Roger Zelazny’s brilliant short stories chosen from throughout his career. The two longest stories “Home is the Hangman” and Unicorn Variation” both won the coveted Hugo Award. Chess playing unicorns, Time travel, alternate realities, evil sentient cars, jealous computers, enterprising dragons, and space exploration are just a few of the subjects Zelazny explores in this exceptional collection.


Roger Zelazny was a science fiction and fantasy writer, a six time Hugo Award winner, and a three time Nebula Award Winner. He published more than forty novels in his lifetime. His first novel This Immortal, serialized in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction under the title ...And Call Me Conrad, won the Hugo Award for best novel. Lord of Light, his third novel, also won the Hugo award and was nominated for the Nebula award. He died at age 58 from cancer. Zelazny was posthumously inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2010.


“An explosion of style and personality unique in science fiction, Zelazny is a law unto himself, driving over and through the conventional forms of science fiction . . .” Speculative Bulletin

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16 Reviews

3.5
“Imagine this: a unicorn challenges you to a game of chess. No, seriously. That’s the premise of Unicorn Variations, and trust me, it's as delightfully strange as it sounds. Zelazny delivers a story where a man and a unicorn sit down for the ultimate battle—not with swords, but with strategy, staring each other down across a chessboard. It’s like The Queen’s Gambit, but with way more magical creatures. Naturally, you think, “A unicorn? What’s next, a centaur playing poker?” (Honestly, don’t rule it out.) The stakes are high because, as it turns out, winning this game of chess is more important than just bragging rights. The fate of the world kind of depends on it, no pressure though! Zelazny weaves in his trademark wit and some surprisingly deep philosophical musings. One minute you’re contemplating the existential weight of mythical creatures, the next you're wondering if chess might actually be the secret weapon to surviving a fantasy apocalypse. In short, Unicorn Variations is like getting invited to a magical chess tournament hosted by your most eccentric friend—the one who always has a weird story up their sleeve. If you’ve ever wanted to see a unicorn and a human settle cosmic affairs over pawns and rooks, this is the bizarre, brilliant tale for you.”

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