Lord of Light

The years have worn heavily on this gem, yet it remains a gem. It's been over thirty years since my first reading, which I still recall as influential. Today I find the sexism uncomfortable (though not overbearingly so) and the dei ex machina over the top, but even so I loved it again. The themes are timeless: how can mortals resist the temptations of power? What is the nature of a Buddha suffering from Impostor Syndrome? Are we enough? Religion, snobbery, kindness, respect, imperfection, impossible decisions. When I read it as a teen I had little understanding of these questions; today I'm no closer to answers—except for kindness, which looms large as an approach, if not necessarily answer, to everything—but I've now spent much of my life facing those questions and I like how Zelazny addresses them. Consider this as a gift for a YA in your life.