This Immortal facts for kids

This Immortal

Cover of the first edition
Author	Roger Zelazny
Cover artist	Gray Morrow
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre	Science fiction
Publisher	Ace Books
Publication date	July 1966
Media type	Print (Paperback)
Pages	174

This Immortal is a science fiction novel written by the American author Roger Zelazny. It was first published in a magazine in 1965, split into two parts, and was called ...And Call Me Conrad.

When it was released as a full book in 1966, the title was changed to This Immortal. This book is very famous because it won the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1966. It even shared the award with another well-known science fiction book, Dune by Frank Herbert.

About the Book's History

When the story first came out in a magazine, some parts were shortened by the editor. Later, when it was published as a paperback book by Ace Books, most of those missing parts were put back. The publisher also changed the title to This Immortal.

Roger Zelazny, the author, actually preferred the original title, ...And Call Me Conrad. Even after the book version came out, some small parts of the story were still missing. It wasn't until a special book club version was printed in the 1980s that the story was finally complete.

What the Story is About

The story takes place on Earth after a big nuclear war. The planet is mostly empty, with only about 4 million people left. It's also filled with strange, mutated creatures.

To make things more complicated, much of Earth is now owned by the Vegans. These are blue-skinned aliens who see Earth mostly as a place for tourists.

The main character is Conrad Nomikos. He's a man with a mysterious past. He's given a job he doesn't want: to show an important Vegan visitor around Earth's old ruins. But soon, Conrad finds himself having to protect this alien. Someone is trying to harm the Vegan, and Conrad needs to figure out why keeping him alive is so important.

Conrad ends up fighting against a group of Earth rebels. This group includes an old friend and a former girlfriend. They don't understand why Conrad would protect an alien who is part of Earth's new rulers. Conrad gets help from another old friend and an older man who is actually one of his sons.

It turns out that the Vegan Conrad is protecting has a big decision to make about Earth's future. The Vegan is confused by Conrad's actions. For example, Conrad starts tearing down the famous pyramids of Egypt! Conrad explains that they are filming the process and will play the film backward to make it look like the pyramids are being built. Along the way, Conrad's wife seems to die in a natural disaster.

In the end, the rebels realize that Conrad has been trying to protect Earth in his own unique way. By doing things like taking apart the pyramids, Conrad shows the Vegans that Earthlings would rather destroy their planet's treasures than let them fall into alien hands. In the final fight to protect the Vegan, Conrad's wife surprisingly appears and helps save the day.

The Vegan sees how strong and determined Conrad is. He decides to leave Earth in the hands of Conrad, believing he is the best person to look after it. So, Conrad becomes the new owner of Earth.

Main Ideas in the Story

Many of Roger Zelazny's heroes are very powerful, almost like gods or demigods. Conrad Nomikos is one of these characters. Early in the book, his girlfriend Cassandra (who can see the future but isn't believed, like the mythical Cassandra) calls him a "Kallikantzaros" (a type of goblin). Later, Conrad is also compared to the Greek god Pan.

The book leaves it unclear if Conrad is truly a god. He has lived an incredibly long time, but this could also be because of mutations from the nuclear war. One idea is that Conrad's face, which is handsome on one side and scarred on the other, shows that he can be both a creator and a destroyer. By the end of the book, this "broken god" can become "healed."

Zelazny himself said he wanted the story to have different meanings. He wanted to mix fantasy with science fiction. He said, "either Conrad is a mutant or he is the Great God Pan. The book may be read either way." Some clues that Conrad might be Pan include his last name, Nomikos, which sounds like Nomios (one of Pan's titles). He also plays a syrinx (panpipes) in the story, might be immortal, and has a unique appearance with a limp, scarred face, and different colored eyes.

Conrad Nomikos is an early version of other famous characters Zelazny created, like Corwin from The Chronicles of Amber and Sam (also known as Mahasamatman) from Lord of Light. These characters are all powerful, but also have their flaws.

Where to Find the Book

As ...And Call Me Conrad

• New York: The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Mercury Press, October and November 1965

As This Immortal

• New York: Ace Books, 1966, paperback
• London: Rupert Hart-Davis, 1967, hardcover
• New York: Ace Books/SFBC, 1988, hardcover
• New York: Baen Books, 1989, paperback

See also

In Spanish: Tú, el inmortal para niños