Unfinished as of
Zelazny's death in 1995, published in
1997 as completed by
Jane Lindskold.
In light of Zelazny's previous similar work (
Lord of Light,
Jack of Shadows,
Creatures of Light and Darkness),
Donnerjack is something of a disappointment. Whereas his
subtle humor uplifts the latter works, in Donnerjack, it just rings hollow (the sapient magical steam engine, named
The Brass Baboon, comes specifically to mind). As in the second
Chronicles of Amber series, the plot threads become so densely interwoven that it takes some indelicate literary snipping and patching to smooth it all out by the end. Worth reading if you're a Zelazny or
cyberpunk fan, but definitely not his greatest work. I like to think that Lindskold is responsible for the ending, as it seems decidedly non-Zelaznian.