This Immortal

Lore & Background

After a devastating nuclear war, Earth's population is reduced to four million, and much of the planet is owned by blue-skinned Vegans who view it as a tourist destination. Conrad Nomikos, the first-person narrator, is a man over a hundred years old due to an unusual mutation, who hides his age by faking his death and changing identities. He is assigned to show the Vegan Cort Myshtigo the ruins of Earth, while also protecting him from a group of human resistance fighters who want to kill Myshtigo for unknown reasons.

Reader's Guide

The novel's significance lies in its blending of science fiction and fantasy, leaving open whether Conrad is a mutant or the god Pan. Zelazny deliberately allowed both interpretations. The book also explores themes of creation and destruction, embodied in Conrad's disfigured face. Its legacy includes influencing later Zelazny characters such as Corwin of Amber and Sam in Lord of Light. The novel's publication history is notable for its abridgment: the serialized version was cut by the editor, and even the first paperback restored most but not all of the cuts; a complete version did not appear until the 1980s.

Did You Know?

• The novel was originally serialized in two parts in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in October and November 1965 under the title ...And Call Me Conrad.
• The abridged magazine version contains 10 paragraphs of text not found in the book version.
• Zelazny stated he preferred the original title ...And Call Me Conrad over the publisher-changed title This Immortal.
• The novel was rejected by Doubleday editor Lawrence P. Ashmead, who called the plot 'terribly thin and uninteresting.'