Elric in the Dream Realms by Michael Moorcock
reviewed by Sandra Scholes
Elric of Melniboné is a sorcerer, prince of a fallen kingdom, despoiler of women and sometime
physically weak figure, if not for the herbs he consumes to keep him alert and ready to do battle later. It would be
easy to hate such an individual, but Elric is not intentionally cruel, and constantly in mourning for
Cymoril, his wife who just happens to be the only woman he has ever truly loved.
City of the Beast by Michael Moorcock
reviewed by Nathan Brazil
This is the first novel in a trilogy, featuring an incarnation of the author's Eternal Champion,
called Michael Kane, an all-American hero, whose life and times deliberately imitate Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter of Mars. For
readers who have not encountered Burroughs Martian series, the name of the game is pure escapism. Those who
prefer a high degree of scientific accuracy in their fiction will be disappointed. But, if your main priority
is what used to be called a "rip-roaring adventure" then this novel may be just the one for the job.
The Metatemporal Detective by Michael Moorcock
reviewed by Steven H Silver
This is a collection of short stories, many of which follow Sir Seaton Begg, a detective in
the vein of Sherlock Holmes or Sexton Blake, and an albino, Monsieur Zenith. The two men play a game of cat and mouse throughout
the collection, sometimes in opposition to each other and at times on the same side. For all of Begg's detecting abilities, however,
he is never quite sure of Zenith.
Wizardry & Wild Romance by Michael Moorcock
reviewed by Jayme Lynn Blaschke
Nobody has ever accused Michael Moorcock of being afraid to express himself. As one of the
driving forces behind the New Wave, a renowned editor and prolific novelist and commentator, he
has built a career out of not only following his instincts, but by keenly analyzing what he finds in
the exotic locales said instincts lead him. In this collection of essays,
he holds forth on the sub-genre most closely associated with the author of
the enduring Elric of Melniboné series. The resulting commentary isn't always pretty, but it
is invariably interesting and, at the very least, thought-provoking in ways the author surely intended.
The White Wolf's Son by Michael Moorcock
reviewed by Steven H Silver
This novel follows two other Elric adventures, The Dreamthief's Daughter and The Skrayling Tree, all
of which take place while Elric is tied to the rigging of Jagreen Lern's flagship but has managed to send his soul out to the other
realms of the multiverse, most notably our own world. However, while the adventure, which centers on the young Oonagh von Beck,
starts in our world in the twenty-first century, it quickly departs, eventually landing Elric, Oonagh, their allies and
enemies, Klosterheim and Gaynor the Damned, in the world of the Dark Empire of Granbretan.
The Dreamthief's Daughter by Michael Moorcock
reviewed by Alma A. Hromic
He is a pioneering writer of his generation. His tortured prince, Elric of Melniboné, was a lasting memorable
character with a complex, multi-dimensional existence and a brooding central sorrow which wounded his spirit but never dulled
the edge of the warrior prince who continued doing what circumstances demanded of him. This is the
latest novel in the Elric saga, and it plunges its protagonist squarely into the moral morass that was Nazi Germany in the 30s.
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Gloriana or the Unfulfilled Queen by Michael Moorcock
reviewed by David Soyka
For what will prove to be the ominous term of 13 years, unprecedented peace and prosperity characterizes Queen Gloriana's rule over the
Albion empire and its various protectorates and allies, in antithesis to the madness and bloodshed of her father, King Hern. The power
behind the throne, the architect of the elaborate myth of Gloriana that promotes and maintains this Golden Age, is her trusted Chancellor,
Lord Montfallcon, who endured great personal sacrifice to survive the intrigues and purges of, and finally triumph over, Hern's corrupted
court.
Behold the Man by Michael Moorcock
reviewed by Neil Walsh
This 1967 Nebula winner has a very mainstream feel to it. Sure, it begins
with a time machine, and the story, after all, is about a guy who travels
back to 28 AD to meet Jesus, but the flashbacks of that guy are to his
previous life in England -- from the time of his childhood in the late 40s
to his thoroughly mixed up adult life into the early 70s. The character of
Karl Glogauer, the time traveller, is extremely realistic -- complex,
contradictory, multi-layered, and both emotionally and psychologically
messed up big-time.
Michael Moorcock's Multiverse by Michael Moorcock
reviewed by Steven H Silver
The author is known for his ability to recycle his characters and concepts into a variety of
forms. This collection is confirmation of this ability. Originally
published as a series of three tales in the magazine of the same name, this graphic novel weaves
these disparate threads together well.
The War Amongst the Angels by Michael Moorcock
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
Has Moorcock stretched the boundaries of the genre, or is this merely a
semi-autobiographical novel presented in the framework of heroic fantasy? Is
it brilliantly bold literature that redefines fantasy or self-absorbed
drivel masked in complexity? Whatever it is, be prepared for innovative and
experimental fantasy to challenge your humdrum reading, or be prepared for
disapointment.
The Dancers at the End of Time by Michael Moorcock
reviewed by Robert Francis
Jherek Carnelian is one of the last humans alive on Earth.
He lives at the End of Time, and the people of his world have the power
to instantly fulfill their every whim, thanks to millennia-old
technologies. So why does Mrs. Amelia Underwood, reluctant time
traveler and model citizen of Victorian England, stubbornly refuse to
fall in love with him?
Kane of Old Mars by Michael Moorcock
reviewed by Steven H Silver
Steven found this compendium to provide wonderful escapist fantasy set on a Mars that never
was. It stands in marked contrast to more recent realistic depictions like those
of Kim Stanley Robinson or Ben Bova. None can even approach Kane of Old Mars
for sheer fun of the Burroughs-like portrayal of the planet.
Sailing to Utopia by Michael Moorcock
reviewed by Steven H Silver
Steven feels the selections in Sailing to Utopia can be called minor Moorcock.
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