Zardoz
by John Boorman
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Pub Date 10 Sep 2024 | Archive Date 25 Oct 2024
Repeater Books | Repeater
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Description
In a post-apocalyptic 2393, society is split between an elite group of immortal Eternals and a brutal underclass that live in the outlands and are controlled by the Exterminators. Zed, an Exterminator who has come to question his role and the exact nature of the world he inhabits, stows away in the flying head that descends to issue guns and sermons to the Exterminators, and enters the world of the Eternals: the Vortex. An ostensible paradise of rationality and order, the Vortex is revealed as a place which is itself full of division and intrigue. Has he come here of his own free will? Or is he part of some larger competition among the Eternals? How has the Vortex come about, and what might come after? What is it in Zed that the Eternals lack, and is he there to bring them “the gift of death"? Expanding on and fleshing out the characters' histories and the themes of his riotous, psychedelic cult classic film Zardoz, Boorman’s novelization has become something of a cult itself, a fully realised visionary sci-fi novel by one of the most important directors of the twentieth century.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781915998521 |
| PRICE | US$16.95 (USD) |
| PAGES | 168 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Morgan R, Reviewer
I really enjoyed this! Perfect for fans of the film, but great fun for anyone looking for fast, fun sci-fi.
Let's get the main objection to a novelisation of Zardoz out of the way first: unlike the film, you can't see Sean Connery running around in red underpants. Well, that's what your imagination is for. Use it.
In the future, the bloodthirsty Exterminators are urged to kill by their god, Zardoz, a giant flying stone head. Doubts about his god lead Zed to uncover a conspiracy of Eternals, immortals who live a life of luxury far removed from the brutality Zed knows.
But Zed has been bred to kill...
I really enjoyed this. The story is very close to the film, but as a novel can go deeper into a character's motivations, it adds welcome depth. I never really understood why Zed (Sean Connery) snuck into the head, other than because he can. The novel explains that, as well as the relationships between the Eternals, a bit better.
The story remains as off-the-wall as ever, with a particular 70s vibe to it all. But because of how well it's written, it's not dated, more a time-capsule of the ideas of that period, and a great romp, with some ideas about privilege behind it all.
There isn't much extra information to be gleaned in the forewords or the interview, but it's still well worth a look for being quite a bit unlike anything else you're likely to read!
A fun page-turner that can stand on its own, or be used to watch the film with a slightly different perspective.
I received an advance copy from Repeater via Net Galley - thank you! - but that hasn't influenced my opinion of this wonderfully bonkers book!
