Unsolved Amber Mysteries

[weilide]

What are the main mysteries that Zelazny leaves unanswered? I can think of several. What am I forgetting? How do people answer these?

• The mystery wizard from the short stories: Just who is and what is he up to?

• The stationary shadow storm that Merlin, Mandor, and Fiona investigate: is it, as Mandor suggests, a chaos phenomenon, perhaps related to the mystery wizard?

• The Jewel of Judgment: just what is Dworkin up to when he implants it in Coral's eye-socket?

• In the short story Blue Horse, Dancing Mountains Dworkin and Suhuy meet to play a chess-like game that seems to correspond to actual events in some way. During the game Dworkin moves a Chaos piece instead of one of his own. When Suhuy objects Dworkin points out that they set no rule against it. What is going on here?

• Eric: When he died on Kolvir why did Caine not permit Fiona to conduct an autopsy? What does it mean when his pattern ghost tells Merlin, "I know you?"

• What is the nature of the universe produced by Corwin's pattern?

• What ultimately is the role of the Spikards? How do Bleys, Delwin, Sand, the mystery wizard, and the pattern swords fit in?

• What is the meaning of the duel between Corwin and Luke at the end of the short story The Hall of Mirrors? How do Mandor and Fiona relate? What is the meaning of Flora's comment at the end that Castle Amber is waking up and becoming involved?

[finarvyn]

I think you have made a nice list.

The biggest mystery, to me, is simply where Roger was going with the short stories. I mean, he builds up plot threads with several characters and you wonder where he's going with the whole thing.
** Is there a master plan as far as protagonist goes? I understand that Roger was planning additional books, but the short stories are from the POV of Luke, Frakir, Merlin, and Corwin.
** Which of these characters would eventally emerge as the focus of the new storyline.

I'd also be interested in how (if at all) he had intended to resolve some of the contradictory statements in the novels. For example, he has stated a couple of different family tree scenarios and they can't both be correct. Is it simply Corwin's amnesia, or is there something deeper that might suggest that Corwin was misled somehow?

Why did he change his mind on Coral's pregnancy? It's a detail which is there in an early draft, then not there in the final version. Are there other details that he had considered in drafts that didn't make it to the final novels?

[weilide]

The biggest mystery, to me, is simply where Roger was going with the short stories. I mean, he builds up plot threads with several characters and you wonder where he's going with the whole thing.
** Is there a master plan as far as protagonist goes? I understand that Roger was planning additional books, but the short stories are from the POV of Luke, Frakir, Merlin, and Corwin.
** Which of these characters would eventally emerge as the focus of the new storyline.

I don't know how reliable it is but I once heard or read a rumor––I can't recall where––that he was planing a final five series of books with a focus on either Fiona or Dworkin. It's kind of amazing to think about, if true.

[Trevelyan]

It's criminal that he didn't spill the beans to someone before he died! Even Robert Jordan managed that much. :mad:

[Seanchai]

I like this thread! It's been almost two decades since I read the stories, so I can't add any of my own, but this is awesome...

Seanchai

[Croaker]

It's criminal that he didn't spill the beans to someone before he died! Even Robert Jordan managed that much. :mad:

Yup. Problem is, the estate would have used it to create "new amber books".

Still, I'd loved to know where he was headed. Note that is is very well possible that he himself didn't knew.

Oh, and do the jordan books have an end at all?

[Trevelyan]

Yup. Problem is, the estate would have used it to create "new amber books".

It didn't really stop them, though, did it

Which raises another question, of course - why didn't Roger do something about the rights to his work as well?

Still, I'd loved to know where he was headed. Note that is is very well possible that he himself didn't knew.

That's a view I'm inclined to share, and it would explain why he didn't tell anyone. But he must have known something!

Oh, and do the jordan books have an end at all?

Well, "there are no beginnings and no endings to the wheel of time", but I believe that the final book was dictated before he died and will be published posthumously.

I imagine it will involve Rand being indecisive, Matt being afraid of magic, the other one being quiet, and plenty of carbon copy, stereotypical women smoothing their skirts and being generally exasperated at the behaviour of men. Possibly good will triumph in the end.

[Nihilistic Mind]

Zelazny's change of heart about Coral's pregnancy may very well have to do with whom he had in mind to narrate the next five books. My guess would have been Merlin and Coral's child, but if the rumor above is correct, he may have changed his mind about slipping the clue about a possible child for Merlin and Coral (we already knew what the Pattern wanted anyway so he could have explained a thing or two at the beginning of a new series), in favor of Dworkin or Fiona. (Or a prequel with Oberon as narrator! Gasp...).

What is funny about some of these mysteries is that the short novels were sort of meant to explain a lot of the loose ends of Merlin's series.

Could the piece Dworkin moved as one of Suhuy's be Merlin? The neutral piece, easily used by either masters of the Greater Powers?

[weilide]

Could the piece Dworkin moved as one of Suhuy's be Merlin? The neutral piece, easily used by either masters of the Greater Powers?

Actually, my guess has always been Dara but it's based on nothing more than a hunch.

[RPGPundit]

Interesting stuff, guys.

RPGPundit

[gabriel_ss4u]

yes!
an interesting list too Wielide.
My guesses would have been the lineage of the 1st 2 series as narration;
Merlin's child, Oberon, or Dworkin.
I tend to lean towards the story of Dworkin leaving Chaos and the events surrounding it.
THAT would have been awesome from RZ's POV.


The Pattern in the Jewel as wielded by a Pattern user would give them great protection from Logrus and Logrus wielders, if in Coral's eye, and pergnant... this may be sufficient protection against Chaos for her, and her baby...
which would be the next logical step for the Logrus to abduct or wield.

[RPGPundit]

I don't think Zelazny would have written a prequel.  I think he was clearly setting up to move FORWARD in the plot.

RPGPundit

[Croaker]

+1

Old stories are old stories, it es difficult to expand your universe and surprise people. Amber is all about discovering that the world is bigger than you think, even the novels go that way.

[Trevelyan]

Actually, my guess has always been Dara but it's based on nothing more than a hunch.

Along those lines, why not Mandor? Mandor has not direct connection to Dworkin in the way that Dara might be said to have, so is less likely to be one of Dworkin's pieces, yet he has recently taken an interest in events around Amber, and is now acquainted with several Amberites, suggesting the possibility that an outside force is bringing him into play.

[weilide]

Along those lines, why not Mandor? Mandor has not direct connection to Dworkin in the way that Dara might be said to have, so is less likely to be one of Dworkin's pieces, yet he has recently taken an interest in events around Amber, and is now acquainted with several Amberites, suggesting the possibility that an outside force is bringing him into play.

Part of the consideration for me was Dara's dual-heritage.