#the chronicles of amber

[stainlesssteellocust]

It’s a cruelly insulting way to describe a lovely series of books but if you wanted me to give The Chronicles of Amber a one-sentence elevator pitch tailored to the terminally online it would have to be

“Imagine if the cast of Game of Thrones figured out TikTok-style reality shifting”

#the chronicles of amber #game of thrones #a song of ice and fire #shifting #reality shifting #tiktok

[flofbawtft]

After my Nth re-read of the Chronicles of Amber, I've finally painted my favourite character, princess Fiona

#the chronicles of amber #amber #nine princes in amber #princess fiona #Fiona barimen #fanart #watercolor #the pattern #roger zelazny #scifiart

[izhunny]

The only so-called A.I.s I'll ever support or enjoy are fictional*

*and arguably sentient

#fuck ai everything #except JARVIS and Ghostwheel #the chronicles of amber #I'd tag the other franchise origin but I don't want the hassle #my beloveds #hunny posts nonsense

[chroniclesofamber]

Zelazny's 'Shadows', NyCon 3, The Statler Hilton, September, 1967

"Literature, of necessity, contains shadows"

[O]ne of his most crucial self-critiques was [Zelazny's] decision that he was “overexplaining” to the reader and should instead “avoid the unnecessarily explicit” and not “go on talking once a thing had been shown.” In a speech given at a 1967 science fiction convention he elaborated on this insight, declaring, “Literature, of necessity, contains shadows … A writer never writes an entire story … You live part of it yourself.” He went on to identify these shadows, gaps that the reader fills in, with the fabled “sense of wonder” that, to science fiction readers, defines the texts they love:

“Writing involves your taking everything in through those little cryptic bugs that crawl across the page and construct things around them. This is where that strange thing called ‘sense of wonder’ comes into play … It sort of enfolds this shadow area. Into those shadows you project those things you are looking for.”

Krulik considers this determination to avoid overelaboration “a central philosophy” of Zelazny’s writing. But what Zelazny posits in his speech, and what remains foregrounded even in a linear, plot-heavy work such as The Chronicles of Amber, is that readers experience the magic of shadow, and thus the sense of wonder, through language. Readers can imagine the streets, the plumbing, the business models of Amber as they see fit; the “emotional archetype” of the fantasy novel derives from Corwin’s story and how he tells it — both the worlds themselves and the ellipses that lie between.

Just as the reader experiences Amber through Corwin’s voice, the fate of Amber lies in Corwin’s hands, even after he decides he doesn’t want to be in charge any more. The outcome of the first half of The Chronicles of Amber comes down to learning who among the scheming, self-involved members of the royal family can master the Pattern — can, that is, control and focus their actions to execute a careful plan in order to achieve a goal.

"...the Pattern I drew to the sound of pigeons on the Champs-Elysées..."

By walking the Pattern, Corwin regains his memory and Dara assumes her true form; by failing to master the Pattern, Brand is defeated; by failing to repair the Pattern, the patriarch Oberon is doomed. And when Corwin gains access to the Courts of Chaos, enabling his ultimate victory, he does so not through the old, broken Pattern but by making a new one, a process that calls forth memories of a happy interlude in his past — on Earth in 1905 Paris — even as it demands an excruciating precision:

“I did not meet with the physical resistance that I did on the Pattern … a peculiar deliberation had come over all my movements, slowing them, ritualizing them. I seemed to expend more energy in preparing for each step — perceiving it, realizing it and ordering my mind for its execution — than I did in the physical performance of the act. Yet the slowness seemed to require itself, was exacted of me by some unknown agency which determined precision and an adagio tempo for all my movements.” (542)

Could there be a better description of the act of writing? If Zelazny began The Chronicles of Amber struggling to find his preferred artistic path, he ended the series’ first half with a reminder of the difficult requirements of both creative process and practical accommodation, and, arguably, a more mature vision of both. For Corwin, if Amber is not what you thought it was, it is well worth preserving. If the Pattern you thought was your legacy no longer works, the only thing to do — the only way to defeat the forces of Chaos — is to draw a new Pattern of your own.

— Cox, F. Brett, “A Series of Different Endeavors 1972-1979”, Roger Zelazny: Modern Masters of Science Fiction, 99-101, Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2021

#chronicles of amber #roger zelazny #the chronicles of amber

[lonesomedreamer]

“Amber” • “Through the shadows” • “Rebma” by Firsin

#amber #The Chronicles of Amber #roger zelazny #fanart #art #fantasy art #fantasy #high fantasy #firsin #these are amazing I had to share even though there are like 5 people in the amber fandom here haha

[burningthemidnightcityoil]

THE MIND ASPECT AND THE CONCEPT OF SHADOW

“There is Shadow and there is Substance, and this is the root of all things.” - The Chronicles of Amber, the Nine Princes of Amber

The Mind Aspect is an interesting aspect, given that its considered one of the most mysterious aspects. There’s not a whole lot to garner, and we’re given only one confirmed Hero of Mind, Terezi Pyrope.

And when it comes to heroes of an aspect, its very difficult to find where interpretation ends and meaning begins--just ask for the differences between Vriska Serket (Thief of Light) and Rose Lalonde (Seer of Light).

So let me dive into the Mind aspect. Let’s dive into Possibility, Interpretation, and Shadow.

And there is no series more worthy of the Mind Aspect, then Roger Zelanzy’s The Chronicles of Amber.

The Chronicles of Amber detail the idea that there is one True Universe, and the rest of the Multiverse are merely its various Shadows casted by a metaphysical construct known as the Pattern.

And if you succeed in walking the True Pattern, you can travel to any place in the multiverse, provided you can imagine it.

In the books, this true universe is represented by the “true city” of Amber. And its royal family, plotting scheming cut-throats of very questionable morals (and with a lot of comparisons to the Greek Pantheon regarding their attitude to things), are the only ones capable of walking the Pattern and traveling through Shadow.

And when one of these Royals reside in a Shadow for long enough, that Shadow becomes more Real and more Tangible. (In-Universe, its debated whether or not the shadows actually exist, and if the royal responsible actually created it or not).

Our Earth is one of these Shadows. Made Real by the Prince Corwin of Amber.

So what does this have to do with Homestuck’s Mind Aspect?

The Mind Aspect’s Cardinal Neighbor is Space. Its reflection across Breath-Blood is Light, and its the Descending Aspect below the Spacetime is Void. The Mind Aspect in direct opposition to the Heart aspect.

Those aspects that are closest to Space are more Worldly. Their concepts affect the Environment more than the Individual.

Those Aspects who reside on Breath’s side of the Spacetime Line, are more Ideal in Concept. They’re the Ascending Aspects. Mind’s Descending Aspect is Void; in order to drop ideas or thoughts to meaninglessness, one has to conceive / think of them first.

“Amber casts an infinity of shadows. A child of Amber may walk among them, and such was my heritage. You may call them parallel worlds if you wish, alternate universes if you would, the products of a deranged mind if you care to. I call them shadows, as do all who possess the power to walk among them. We select a possibility and we walk until we reach it. So, in a sense, we create it. Let’s leave it at that for now. “ - The Chronicles of Amber, The Guns of Avalon

By its Cardinal Neighbor, Space, The Mind Aspect deals in the Multiverse. In its Descent to Void, the Mind Aspect deals in Cause and Effect, Action and Consequences, where an Artifact / Actor can be. In its reflection with the Light Aspect, both Aspects deal in Meaning. Where Light deals in the meaning of Symbols, Mind deals in the Meaning of Action. Where light deals in Fortune, Mind deals in Karma.

With its Neighbor Hope, Mind deals in Possibility. But unlike Hope, Mind’s possibility is weighed. It is balanced based on sensory information taken from the evidence at hand, to give the most LIKELY Possibility, as opposed to simply Imagined Ones.

There’s a good reason that Mind details heavily in Detectives and Investigators, and Noir Monologues.

Of which, in irony, the Chronicles of Amber have a lot of.

“In my heart, there was something like a bit of joy that I had undone at least a small portion of the rottenness I had wrought. Evil? Hell, I’ve done more of it than most men, but I had picked up a conscience too, somewhere along the way, and I let it enjoy one of its rare moments of satisfaction. “ - The Chronicles of Amber, The Guns of Avalon

Remember that Mind’s Descending Aspect is Void.

Yes, in Homestuck, all possibilities exist. These possibilities exist in separate timelines and spaceplaces, and thus the multiverse is born.

But they are not real unless you make them real.

And just as in the Chronicles of Amber, the Possible Reality (The Shadow) doesn’t stop being a Shadow unless you go there and make it real.

This concept of making reality as you experience it, is not a new concept nor one that resided in fiction.

This is Solipsism.

“The notion that nothing exists but the self, or, at least, that we cannot truly be aware of anything but our own existence and experience. I can find, somewhere, off in Shadow, anything I can visualize. Any of us can. This, in good faith, does not transcend the limits of the ego. It may be argued, and in fact has, by most of us, that we create the shadows we visit out of the stuff of our own psyches, that we alone truly exist, that the shadows we traverse are but projections of our own desires....” - Chronicles of Amber, the Sign of the Unicorn

Solipsism is the idea that only the Mind exists, and anything outside of it is uncertain, and that because a thing is perceived by the Mind but not of the Mind (It can’t be truely known), then it can’t seem to truly exist.

I think therefore I exist.

But... there’s a flaw in here. The Mind Aspect is a Worldly Aspect, its hardly personal. There is no “I” here, for one must contrast their actions with their consequences, and the reality of others help define the reality of you.

At best, something is doing the thinking. Something drew the True Pattern, the true thing that all shadows reflect upon.

Who is this “I”?

And what lies in the Darkness beyond Shadow and beyond the Pattern?

“Yet—yet there is a disturbing element in the picture. There is a place where the shadows go mad.... When you purposely push yourself through layer after layer of Shadow, surrendering—again, purposely—a piece of your understanding every step of the way, you come at last to a mad place beyond which you cannot go. Why do this? In hope of an insight, I'd say, or a new game ... But when you come to this place, as we all have, you realize that you have reached the limit of Shadow or the end of yourself—synonymous terms, as we had always thought. Now, though... Now I know that it is not so, now as I stand, waiting, without the Courts of Chaos, telling you what it was like, I know that it is not so.“ - The Chronicles of Amber, the Sign of the Unicorn

In the Chronicles of Amber, there is a force that is the reflect opposite of Amber. That once you reach the end of Shadow and enter the “Darkness”, that is where you find the origin of Existence.

The Courts of Chaos.

The closer to Chaos you get, the faster Time seems to run. A year could go in Amber, and Decades could happen in the Courts. The inhabitants of the Courts are capable of shapeshifting into ever more demonic and monstrous shapes, and the Shadows close to Chaos start losing laws of reality.

The Inhabitants shapeshifting only appeals to what forms they personally desire and want. Their Realms are made of bits of reality they desire and like. There is Order here, but its Personal Order. And in contrast to the Pattern, Chaos has the Logrus, a twisting changing thing that once walked, will allow you to not only travel “Shadow” but will also allow you to take any item you imagine from “Shadow”.

This... is the I in I think therefore I am, to the Chronicles of Amber and possibly the Mind Aspect there in. That is what the Mind sees of the Heart, a chaotic place that lacks Order and Law. All Possibility all the time, but that is the kicker here. This would be why Mind and Heart are in opposition.

And if Amber is the Mind that cast Shadow.

... Chaos is the Heart of Darkness.

“If you had a choice between the ability to detect falsehood and the ability to discover truth, which one would you take?” - The Chronicles of Amber, the Sign of Chaos

#homestuck #the chronicles of amber #the courts of chaos #classpect #the mind aspect #the heart aspect #mind/heart #terezi pyrope #theories and analysis

[hornsofhell]

Nine Princes in Amber 1970 first edition by Roger Zelazny

Art by Amelia S. Edwards

#nine princes in amber #the chronicles of amber #roger zelazny #;; oberon

[chrisullrich]

Weekly Roundup 2.24.24

New On the Blog - Weekly Roundup 2.24.24 #anime #lordoftherings #demonslayer

Wow, The last time I updated here was on 2.2.24 and now it’s 2.24.24. I find that weird . . . and kinda cool. How about you? I’ll bet you do also. Maybe? A little? Okay. Whatever. I’m just trying to keep it light. Or lite. Or, you know, the opposite of heavy . . . or serious. You get the idea. Anyway. What have I been watching, reading, listening to or otherwise distracting myself with lately?…

View On WordPress

#Andy Serkis #Audiable #Audio Books #Christopher Lee #Demon Slayer #Elijah Wood #Fran Walsh #Ian McKellen #J.R.R. Tolkien #Kimetsu No Yaiba #Liv Tyler #Lord of the Rings #Orlando Bloom #Peter Jackson #Philippa Boyens #Ralph Bakshi #Register to Vote #Roger Zelazny #Sean Bean #The Chronicles of Amber #Viggo Mortensen #Vote

[lordgaloshes]

Roger Zelazny is a god among men, and any person on this website to dare oppose me in this statement shall be cast into the nethermost pits of hell and rent asunder forevermore. oogie woogie boogie.

#sci fi books #authors #fantasy books #fantasy book recs #fantasy novel #high fantasy #sci fi and fantasy #roger zelazny #the chronicles of amber

[dwellerinroots]

While going through my notes today, I noticed a big ol' pile on Zelazny's Amber series. Anyway, instead of writing, I went down memory lane and reminded myself of just how much Amber and Gormenghast influenced a young sprout to love Big Messy Books that say 'fuck you' to editing and just tell the stories they want to tell. While I could recommend Gormenghast easily enough to modern readers - that is, those who can stand chaotically ordered prose that goes in every direction all at once - Amber definitely has some issues that may be more challenging. That said, it's also fucking fantastic, ahaha, and I had to pull myself away from a re-read I - don't have the time, or do I........ In general, though, I realise that 1X-year old me being cheesed off at Corwin stuck into how I wrote a one-off character I planned to axe, snrk. Could it be because a tiny portion of my heart will always belong to Moire of Rebma? No! Never... Nuh-uh...

#the chronicles of amber #roger zelazny #writing about writing and literature #maybe i'll just go on about books some time #no promises... #also i should add as a note - both books i'm sure had kickass editors #who gave their all - ahaha #gormenghast of course refuses to be contained by mere concepts #and amber just is amber.

[stainlesssteellocust]

We’re coming up to 40 years since Highlander which is maybe for the best, since one of these days I hope they make a tv adaptation of The Chronicles of Amber and the only song suitable for the theme is, of course, Princes of the Universe

#queen #the chronicles of amber #roger zelazny

[flofbawtft]

Sometimes it feels like my whole online presence is screaming into the void "PLEASE READ THE CHRONICLES OF AMBER" and only the void answering me back "no. no.. no... no.... no....." no......."

#the chronicles of amber #roger zelazny #nine princes in amber #the pattern

[davvid-b]

Reading Nine Princes in Amber as Oberon (by name not by kin, i mean same thing) is very....interesting

Like rn i've disowned Eric, he no longer my child

#and i know they are all like that or something but i don't care #im at page 152 btw #nine princes in amber #the chronicles of amber

[chroniclesofamber]

Stephen Colbert + George R.R. Martin = The Chronicles of Amber on TV

‘Colbert will now executive produce the potential series under his Spartina production banner. Spartina joins Skybound Entertainment and Vincent Newman Entertainment (VNE) on the series version of the beloved fantasy novels, with Skybound first announcing their intention to develop the series back in 2016. The books have been cited as an influence on “Game of Thrones,” with author George R.R. Martin recently stating he wanted to see the books brought to the screen...’

That’s from Stephen Colbert to Produce ‘Chronicles of Amber’ TV Series Adaptation (Variety by Joe Otterson, Jan 17, 2023).

‘It comes seven years after The Walking Dead creator [Robert] Kirkman announced that he was developing a series based on the books with Vincent Newman Entertainment...’

[The Chronicles of Amber] follows the story of Corwin, who awakens on Earth with no memory, but soon finds he is a prince of a royal family that has the ability to travel through different dimensions of reality, called shadows, and rules over the one true world, Amber.

The books, which have sold over 15M copies, are one of the inspirations for Game of Thrones, whose author George R.R. Martin is a noted fan...’

And that’s from Stephen Colbert Boards Series Adaptation Of Roger Zelanzny’s Sci-Fi Novels ‘The Chronicles Of Amber’ (Deadline by Peter White, January 17, 2023).

‘Ask, and (if you’re George R.R. Martin ceaselessly campaigning for an adaptation of Roger Zelazny’s The Chronicles Of Amber) ye shall receive. One of Martin’s all-time favorite fantasy novels might finally be headed to the small screen thanks to a decidedly unexpected bedfellow: Stephen Colbert...

“Most of all, I want Roger Zelazny’s NINE PRINCES IN AMBER,” Martin wrote. “I will never understand why Corwin and his siblings are not starring in their own show. Hey, if epic fantasy continues to do well, maybe we will finally get that. A boy can dream”...

When announcing his own project, Colbert directly referenced Martin’s “dream.”

“George R.R. Martin and I have similar dreams,” Colbert shares in a statement via The Hollywood Reporter. “I’ve carried the story of Corwin in my head for over 40 years, and I’m thrilled to partner with Skybound and Vincent Newman to bring these worlds to life. All roads lead to Amber, and I’m happy to be walking them”...

From One of George R.R. Martin's favorite fantasy novels is finally getting a TV adaptation, thanks to Stephen Colbert (The A.V. Club by Hattie Lindert, January 17, 2023).

It’s been four months since this announcement. Nothing new has been announced, and this comes at a time of uncertainty for the global economy and for streaming services in particular. But this dream of Amber being brought to the screen, in some form or another, could maybe, possibly, eventually, one day happen..?

#roger zelazny #george rr martin #stephen colbert #robert kirkman #the chronicles of amber #chronicles of amber #skybound entertainment

[ec-machlan]

First part of my nightmare blunt rotation (color wheel challenge)

#color wheel challenge #genshin impact #neon genesis evangelion #tears of the kingdom #tsubasa reservoir chronicle #genshin fanart #childe #diluc ragnvindr #asuka langley soryu #kurogane #genshin klee #amber genshin impact #kaveh fanart #anime #manga #procreate

[mirensiart]

Did the twitter steven meme lol

#fire emblem #fire emblem engage #amber fire emblem #xenoblade chronicles #riki xenoblade #xenoblade chronicles 1