ROADMARKS

Zelazny moves now from sword-and-sorcery to a literary time-travel/quest frolic that's only slightly less giddy than the hijinks of George Alec Effinger. Red Dorakeen and ""Flowers of Evil,"" his book-shaped electronic assistant, travel back and forth on the Road, ""an organic thing"" which ""only certain people or machines can find . . . and travel . . . The Road traverses Time--Time past, Time to come, Time that could have been and Time that might yet be."" Along with having to deal with such mock-profundities, Red and Flowers (in Red's Dodge pickup) are being pursued by a varied band of assassins sent by Red's old partner, rich and affable Chadwick. These include: a Skinnerized bionic brute; a man who changes colors; a wizard; Timyin Tin the kung fu monk; a Tyrannosaurus controlled by the Marquis de Sade (that's right); and a gaseous dragon who's just about as formless as the book itself. Also pursuing Red, for other reasons, is his long-lost son from the real world of Cleveland, Ohio, who catches up with him in time for the contrived finale. A confusing, meandering lightweight -- but Zelazny's bright imagination and wry wit are in top working order; so readers who fancy erudite diversion may want to travel this road, even if it goes nowhere in particular.