Customer Reviews (3)

Not your typical work of fiction
I initially read this book because I came across a review of Grant Morrison's Invisibles in which that person stated the basis for that work plot was taken from "The Final Programme". After reading this book, I can say it is a real head trip. This author's work is very imaginative and crosses a lot of boundaries. The ending is left open so those persons who like clearly defined conclusions will be disappointed. But if you like genre bending weird fiction then you will probably enjoy this book.

Super Reader
Jerry Cornelius may be one of the wackiest and wildest superhero adventurer types ever created. Deliberately created by Moorcock to be the ultimate chameleon, which has seen him featured in many places and times. This leads to people looking for people with similar names in famous events in history.

In the Final Programme he is a swinging super-agent with a needle gun.

His family is no less whacky, given his sister is sometimes his lover, and his brother sometimes his target.

A hero like this must have similarly bizarre antagonists, enemies, and allies.

He certainly does, and Una Persson, a female version of himself, to some degree, is also one of his sister's lovers.

Basically, Jerry stuff is a little hard to explain.

A really weird read...
This book is odd. Very odd. It is probably indescrbable. The Plot, as it is cocerns Jerry Cornelius' hunt for some mysterious data belonging to his father. On the way, he meets various peculiar characters, such as MissBrunner (who has very strange tastes), and witnesses the universe slowlyfalling to bits.

This is a book to read for the style, as the plot isvirtually incomprehensible. Its not unlike the work of JG Ballard in someways, but with more humour. This is really one of those books you eitherlove or hate, and I love it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not so much "Aubec" as "And Other Stories" but still good
The title of this book is a tad deceiving in the sense that in really big letters the cover trumpets "EARL AUBEC" and then in smaller letter smushed underneath the big title you have "and other stories" when really it should be the other way around.The title probably should have been "all the stories we didn't have room to fit in the other books" but that's not as catchy and probably wouldn't sell as well.I can't fault them for wanting to make money.You get the "Earl Aubec" part over with fast, it's the first story and not very long and I really didn't see the point of it other than it's somehow related to the Elric saga, if Mr Aubec is an Eternal Champion, he's not a very memorable one.So if you're buying the book purely for that story you're going to be in for some disappointment.However, the other stories do make up for that somewhat, the rest of the book (and it's hefty, almost six hundred pages) consists of a variety of short stories and longer stories that Moorcock's done over the last thirty years or so.I'm not sure what logic he used in picking these stories over others and they do try to arrange them to give lip service to some kind of overarching "concept" but it really doesn't matter.For the most part the stories are pretty decent, showcasing his imagination and penchant for odd ideas.Some stories are really short, only a few pages and they make their point and move on, while others are much longer and develop over the course of their lengths.There's no real duffers in the lot, though, and everyone could probably pick different favorites from the set, although the quality does tend to bounce up and down.Overall, it's a good collection, only tangentially related to the Eternal Champion concept (that I could tell at least) and not really a definitive collection by any stretch of the imagination, it's more of a clearinghouse for all those stories that really don't fit anywhere else.Which is just fine and the world is a better place for having had these available in one place like this, because Moorcock is worth reading.It's probably not worth paying the ridiculous used prices that I see for the White Wolf editions (what. the. heck?) although the cover painting by Jon Muth (formerly of Epic Comics' Moonshadow, he does the interior sketches as well) is really nice, but if you see it for a reasonable price, I'd say it's worth a shot.There's so many stories in here you'll have to like something, right?Nobody's that picky, eh?

. . . AND OTHER STORIES
Although I have always loved Moorcock's work, and these are fine stories, I believe that a buyer's warning should be attached.The only Aubec story is one that was already in a previous Elric book,and is about 12 pageslong, and the rest of the volume is filled with other old short stories. All good, but nothing new, as I was hoping when I bought the book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

An old-fashioned pulp adventure in a steampunk setting
Sent out to deal with a troublesome warlord on the imperial frontier, Lieutenant Oswald Bastable, an army officer in 1902 India, unexpectedly finds himself in a 1973 where airships ply the skies and the British Empire continues to thrive.Feigning amnesia, he adapts quickly to life in a world which seems nothing less than idyllic.Yet Bastable's path soon leads to a series of adventures that cause him to reexamine his initial assumptions and lead him to embrace a cause very different from the ones he was trained to defend.

The first in "Nomad of Time" trilogy, Michael Moorcock provides readers of this book with an old-fashioned pulp adventure in a steampunk setting.This combination works thanks in no small part to Moorcock's skills as a writer, which produce a novel that transcends the ones that inspired it.He keeps the narrative moving along briskly, and adapts both the tropes of the form and the politics which drive the story in the later chapters to produce a highly entertaining read, one that has aged well in comparison to other novels of its type.This is an excellent starting point for someone wishing to explore the steampunk genre, as well as a fun read for anyone seeking a good book with which to pass the time.

Early Moorcock Steampunk
The Warlord of the Air is the first of a trilogy of steampunk novels (Land Leviathan, The Steel Tsar) by Moorcock collected in the omnibus edition The Nomad of Time and later as The Nomad of the Time Streams. The story follows Oswald Bastable from 1903 who enters a mysterious temple city of Nepalese natives on a military expedition and somehow gets sucked into an alternative 1973. This is not 1973 recovering from the Vietnam War but rather a 1973 where no World Wars happened. Technology has progressed--somewhat--and the British Empire and their dirigibles rule the sky. Bastable, a product of his time (i.e. reluctant Imperialist but ultimately pro-British they-are-doing-their-best-providing-for-the-world's-less-fortune) learns the ropes of dirigible flying. However, he soon beats up an American racist and is forced to join in with some shady anarchist figures and eventually the Warlord of the Air!

Moorcock's novel has an interesting premise. However, the plot lacks detail, compelling characters (besides Bastable), and scenes of Lenin and Guevera bantering are just plain silly. I understand that the genre of steampunk (if we say Verne was not a part of the movement) was just incubating however, Warlord of the Air fails to live up the promise. That said, the anti-imperial and anti-racist message is welcome but the alternative utopia and technology will solve everything premise again, is just plain silly. I will still recommend this novel to anyone who likes a fast read but be warned there isn't much adventure, detail, or world realization to be found.

Early Moorcock Steampunk
The Warlord of the Air is the first of a trilogy of steampunk novels (Land Leviathan, The Steel Tsar) by Moorcock collected in the omnibus edition The Nomad of Time and later as The Nomad of the Time Streams.The story follows Oswald Bastable from 1903 who enters a mysterious temple city of Nepalese natives on a military expedition and somehow gets sucked into an alternative 1973.This is not 1973 recovering from the Vietnam War but rather a 1973 where no World Wars happened.Technology has progressed--somewhat--and the British Empire and their dirigibles rule the sky.Bastable, a product of his time (i.e. reluctant Imperialist but ultimately pro-British they-are-doing-their-best-providing-for-the-world's-less-fortune) learns the ropes of dirigible flying.However, he soon beats up an American racist and is forced to join in with some shady anarchist figures and eventually the Warlord of the Air!

Moorcock's novel has an interesting premise.However, the plot lacks detail, compelling characters (besides Bastable), and scenes of Lenin and Guevera bantering are just plain silly.I understand that the genre of steampunk (if we say Verne was not a part of the movement) was just incubating however, Warlord of the Air fails to live up the promise.That said, the anti-imperial and anti-racist message is welcome but the alternative utopia and technology will solve everything premise again, is just plain silly.I will still recommend this novel to anyone who likes a fast read but be warned there isn't much adventure, detail, or world realization to be found.

A Steampunk Anti-Utopia
Warlord in the Air is an amusing send up of the technological utopianism of Edward Bellamy and - especially - H. G. Wells.The novel follows the story of Oswald Bastable, a British soldier in 1903 who wakes up 70 years in the future. This future is not our own, however: he awakes in a world without war, a world with technological marvels including kinematographs, wireless telephones, and air ships, where neither of the World Wars occurred. But the price of universal peace, it seems, is the continuation of colonialism: none of the empires of the 19th century broke up; none of the revolutions of the 20th transpired; India, most of China, and many other parts of the world remain violently subjugated. Counterfactual versions of Joseph Conrad, Ronald Reagan, Lenin, Mick Jagger, and a number of others appear. All in all, a satisfying Edwardian steampunk novel.

What some other reviewers fail to realize is that the framing story of Oswald Bastable's unexplained time travel to the alternative future is self-consciously patterned on narratives by Bellamy, Wells, and similar utopian authors of the 19th and early 20th century.This conceit - along with the colonial scene it takes place in - is meant to communicate that the novel's future is an extrapolation from the utopias of the time period, one that reveals the racism and imperialism underlying some of their visions.Moreover, since the novel functions as a commentary on Bastable's original era, it would be incomplete without some reference to it.

Super Reader
Oswald Bastable is an English army officer, sent on a mission to the mountains in the Nepal region. It does not go too well, and sick and delirious he stumbles into a citadel that is rumoured to have existed for all time.

When he wakes up, he is several decades in the future and the natives are not disposed to be too friendly. ... Read more

Product Description
The lyrical genius of Michael Moorcock defies categorization; his creations soar to grand and golden places hitherto unimagined and unimaginable. In this, his most heartfelt and astonishing work to date, he carries the reader across mystical thresholds viewed from afar in the brilliant Blood and Fabulous Harbors, and reveals the mighty destinies, exemplary loves, and the true and secret histories of his most beloved and intriguing characters. It is a tale of the incomparable Rose von Bek, who discovers the myriad possibilities that life has to offer in the special, infinitely wondrous places known as the Second Ether--where time has no bounds and existence is a river of endless reinvention. Here, also, is the love of her life--the volatile and enigmatic Sam Oakenburst--and the story of the ill-fated passion of the exotic Colinda Dovero and the swashbuckling gambler Jack Karaquazian. These four together--along with their exceptional companions, including Rose's mad uncle, Michael, late of Texas--will become allies in what some call the great War in Heaven, fighting shoulder-to-shoulder against the agents of evil and stagnation, in a battle whose outcome will determine the very nature of reality itself.Amazon.com Review
The universe is Michael Moorcock's playground in thispicaresque "autobiography" of his putative relation Rose vonBek. Rose, born in London in the mid-20th century to Sir Arthur andLady Eleanor Moorcock, learns her love of wandering from the gypsieswho gather near her father's estate. At 7 she decides on a career as ahighwayman, at 17 she marries the not-entirely-respectable Count vonBek, and soon thereafter she meets her lover and companion-in-arms SamOakenhurst. Rose quickly discovers that she can enter the Second Etherand travel at will between the conventional world and a rollicking,quasi-infinite multiverse where the Chaos Engineers hold sway. At thesame time, Sam's friend Jack Karaquazian and the beautiful ColindaDovero conduct a romantic tragedy on a cosmic scale. It'sScaramouche meets Douglas Adamsas Rose and her friends fight the War in Heaven against the DarkAngel Lucifer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

For Our Edification and Bewilderment
A wonderful autobiographical fiction and spiritual successor to Virginia Woolf's Orlando, Philip K Dick's VALIS, and everything Moorcock, himself, has written before or after this novel. A marvelous achievement in forward-moving sentimentalism and critical enthusiasm, The War Amongst the Angels is unerringly gorgeous and defiantly honest, a topflight example of slipstream fiction at its strongest. The language and structure of the autobiography is simultaneously plain and lush, an embracing embrasure with the cognizance of Kathy Acker's fiction coupled with an earnest impetus resembling the Marryat and Ainsworth works to which it is, in part, a tribute.

Like many lives, honestly examined, linearity and objectivity have less effect than perspective and aesthetic on that of Rose Moorcock (through her times as Rose von Bek, The Rose, Captain Hawkmoon, Michael Moorcock, and so). She lives and recollects her lives as we mostly do, in a affective stream, an atmosphere, and she is effected as equally by the myths, cosmogonies, and fictions of her experience as she is by any stricter redaction. Dick Turpin and Claude Duvall are significant in her life as are horses in fire and unappreciative authority figures, her mother's bounce back to performing just after giving birth, and her father's fly-fishing. The unfairness of her romances do not impede the admitting of them and endings sought are often only ports to leave from on new journeys. An inviting work in a brave voice, its forthrightness does not belie its elegant construction anymore than the careful arrangement of the novel's elements are set against the purity of its shine.

Super Reader
The War Amongst the Angels pretty much makes Fabulous Harbours superfluous, in a lot of ways, as it is considerably better, and very funny at parts. Plenty of lighthearted English political satire, among other things. Some of the fictitious footnotes are hilarious.

Sam, Rose, Jack, Von Bek, Dick Turpin and the Chaos Engineers face off with Lucifer, Quelch and the Singularity over the fate of the Grail, the Multiverse, and the Spammer Game in a climactic confrontation at the end.

Really enjoyable book.

M.M. takes SF to a whole new dimension
This is Moorcock at his best. "The War Amongst the Angels"
has all the complexity and playfulness that we've come to expect from one of SF's proven masters.Long live the multiverse!

Chaos Tapestry
Moorcock's most ambitious fantasy.Goes with Blood and Fabulous Harbors to form a loose trilogy covering every obsession of a forty year career.

All here
Moorcock is so rich it's possible to compare one of his books to
six books by equally good writers!Like the best work, this rewards a lot of rereadings and above all it's FUN. A fine writer at play. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (6)

Solid rundown of 280 years of fantasy literature
The 1980s saw a profusion of works both scholarly and populist on the history and literature of fantasy and science fition; this work came out at about the same time as David Pringle's similar Modern Fantasy: The Hundred Best Novels : An English Language Selection, 1946-1987 which I've also reviewed.The Pringle book restricts itself to the post-World War II era and as such is more concentrated and the author seems to feel less need to try to come across as "definitive"; it's also, I think, better-written with some valuable introductory material that gives the project more weight and a more "intellectual" feel.This volume begins with Swift's "Gulliver's Travels" (1726) and finishes with Tom Holt's "Expecting Someone Taller" (1987); both books are restricted to English-language works.

That's not to say that this volume, co-edited as it is by one of the leading figures in the field, Michael Moorcock (who admits in his modest intro to leaving most of the writing up to James Cawthorn), doesn't have value.It's a reasonably interesting guide to another 100 works in the field, offering little overlap with the Pringle book even over the 40 years of publishing history that the two books share.I like that the authors highlight quite a few fairly obscure books (Richard Garnett's "Twilight of the Gods", William Sloane's "To Walk the Night", two book by Henry Treece, etc) and focus quite a bit on the more "literary" sort of fantasy, though pulp and genre stuff is more in evidence here than in the Pringle book.I do think less space in the short (1-2 page) descriptions needed to be devoted to the plots of the works, and more on the literary qualities; but you can't have it all in such a short representative survey.

Still worth hunting down if you can get it cheap and used; between the Pringle book and this one you'd be missing precious little of importance in the English-language fantasy world dating before the mid-1980s.

Not Free SF Reader
Moorcock and Cawthorn take a look at a list of books.The book itself is around 200 pages, which is basically a couple of pages of trivia, info, book summary and information for each of the 100 titles listed.

He starts with Jonathan Swift, and ends in De Camp Land, and others, by way of Merritt, Lovecraft, Howard, Poe, etc.

A reasonably flexible definition of fantasy, from Flatland to Black Magic.

Highly Useful and Informative
This book gives an excellent and well written overview of Fantasy, spanning stories from the inception of Fantsy thru recent entries. The
notes and reviews of individual books and authors are concise, interesting and informative. Anyone with an interest in Fantasy and/or classic period science fiction would almost certainly find this to be a highly enjoyable volume---like a good roadmap guide on a long trip, it helps show the way and gives valuable insight into the various attractions one might wish to visit!

A wonderful but poorly-titled book
Mr. Cawthorn and Mr. Moorcock do an excellent job of providing something of a running narrative of fantasy, highlighting books which jump-started notable genres such as Gothic, High Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery, and Urban Fantasy.

That said, I think this book might have done better to not imitate its Newman/Jones horror counterpart, and be titled 'A History of Fantasy' or some such. There are a number of books which the two admit are absolutely dreadful reading (like the infamous Castle of Otranto) but have been included because of their importance to the genre.

Enjoy the reading, but don't take an inclusion as necessarily a sign of a book's quality.

An excellent overview of Fantasy novels from 1726 to 1987
Fantasy is much older than Science Fiction and is also much closer to classic literature. The 100 books reviewed here make this quite clear.

Fantasy books by authors from classic literature includes works of Johnathan Swift, Edgar Allan Poe, Charles Dickens, Emily Bronte, Robert Louis Stevenson, Oscar Wilde, and Franz Kafka.

Fantasy books from familiar Fantasy authors include works of Tolkien, Mary Shelley, Lord Dunsany, William Morris, E.R. Burroughs, Fritz Lieber, Ursula K. LeGuin, and many others.

Each review tells about the author, the book, and its significance in Fantasy literature. This book is really an indispensible guide for Fantasy fans looking to find significant Fantasy literature from the earliest works to the contemporary.

The only major flaw in the book is the under-emphasis of Michael Morcook's works. Because Michael Moorcock is a co-author, the authors felt that his works should be de-emphasized as a matter of journalistic integrity. Too bad.

I think you will find this book much more helpful than Pringle's "Modern Fantasy" guide as Pringle's review only covers works since 1946--after so much of the world's innocence and romanticism had been lost. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a novel set at the very heart of Michael Moorcock’s multiverse, in Karadur, city of metal, steam and ancient families, the mighty clans of the metal.In six days, Max Silverskin, thief and trickster, must discover the secrets of his heritage or die from the witch mark – the silverheart – which will devour his heart.Lady Rose Iron, daughter of the leader of the powerful Clan Iron is thrown into an edgy alliance with Max as she searches for the secrets that could save the city’s future.Captain Cornelius Coffin, head of the clans’ security forces, is in love with Lady Rose and obsessed with capturing Max.And there are others, in Shriltasi, Karadur’s underworld twin, who know the prophecy which says that only Max Silverskin can save both realms.

In Silverheart, Michael Moorcock and Storm Constantine have combined their talents to produce a novel which is both surreal and gothic. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Silverheart is diamond in the rough
I've never read a Michael Morecock book before, so i had no expectations coming into this book. I will say that the way it was written was very different, style wise. It read like an entire season of a tv show, with actual puases in the story where you can almost see the credits rolling while you wait for the next episode. It was an interesting take thats for sure & i know it put some readers off.

Max Silverskin is an interesting character with just enough interest to hold the story, which could have been a problem if not for the beautiful tapestry that was the background of this universe. The cities of metal was an interesting concept, as was the idea that when pure metal families inter-marry they take on a composite name based on what there combined elements would form... very clever. Also the concept of a magical item in many parts was an interesting one, if far from unique. Combine this with a city in decline, a multiverse in danger & a plethora of interesting, unique & a little bit cliched cast of characters, you get a generally above average read.

It does get a little slow in places but it works well with the ebb and flow of the narratives pacing. I loved that this book did not try to be a balls to the wall action fantasy, a Tolkien clone, or some other version of a BFFN (Big Flipping Fantasy Novel)

-M

Super Reader
This co-authored book is sort of an adjunct to Michael Moorcock's Multiverse. I think it was written with a computer game in mind, or something like that. Constantine took Moorcock's notes and input and finished off the novel.

The hero of the piece is Max Silverskin, a dodgy bloke who has to remove a magical mark, or he will cark it.

Society is divided by an allegiance to a particular metal, and Lady Rose Iron will be an ally of Max's. This makes him an enemy of her clan's security guy, who has the hots for Rose.

Questing ensues.

Enjoyable and sticks in your head
As a longtime sci-fi fan, I realized that I had never actually read any Moorcock besides Gloriana (which I didn't enjoy).Saw this and thought I'd try it.It was pleasant surprise - sucked me into the story, and I couldn't stop reading once it hit the end.A bit predictable in parts, but done well; the world was very well developed, and the mythos interesting.I find scenes from the book stick into my head now, and keep popping up when I'm trying to work.I'd read it again.

Unfortunately Dull
A fascinating setting marred by dull characterizations and a tiredly familiar rpg-cliche storyline make this book a profound disappointment.Silverheart is an ode to the typically unusual Moorcockian genre with none of the charm or the lyricism that infects the pages of an actual Moorcock novel.One gets the idea while ploughing through the pages that Moorcock's contribution to the book consisted solely of a few notes scrawled on the back of a napkin, giving the finished product the necessary decor yet none of the necessary structure.

Fortunately, its publication is immediately followed by a true-written Moorcock novel, "The White Wolf's Son".

Missed Potential
Initially this story posed some interesting characterisations and settings, hinting at the typicaly Moorcockian underlying brooding nature of the realm, its history and the background of the characters. However as the plot unfolds you might begin to feel that opportunities for the usual intrigue and depth, common in other Moorcock tales, are missed out on and the characters fail to achieve their potential. Not only that, the overall plot seems to suffer from a common problem found in a lot of 'trash fantasies' - things just happen for no apparent reason other than to satisfy some weak twist in the story. And as for the conclusion? what weak nauseating trash!

Having ready this directly after reading 'The Dreamthiefs Daughter', a true-blooded Moorcock novel, its plain to me where the weak link lies: Storm Constantine.

If you're a Moorcock fan then don't waste your money, borrow it from a library.
If on the other hand you're a Storm Constantine fan or like 'trash-fantasy' endings and plot twists then go ahead and buy - after all it may lead you to read further into the Moorcock multiverse and uncover some worthwhile and skillful writing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not Free SF Reader
Gloriana is unfulfilled in that she can't easily get her rocks off, no matter how many bed warmers, gorgeous maids, or sex slaves she has.Even half-men/apes don't necessarily do it.

Her inattention leaves a fair burden on a couple of her employees, one of whom decides to use this for his own rise to power, and to get rid of the queen and destroy her empire.

Long Live Gloriana, Queen of Albion!
If I could only have one volume of Moorcock in my library, I do believe that this would be it. I have heard this exquisite fantasy compared with Peake's Ghormanghast- except that an American will find Gloriana actually readable and enjoyable.

I can't think of a richer fantasy world encompased in a single self-sufficient novel. And while it is fantasy, it is not sugar-sweet and naive, it is fantasy most worldly and sophisticated. This global Elizabethan empire is quite convincingly atmospheric, as is London and the great palace itself. You want it to exist, hell, you want to go there.

You would not hesitate to pledge fealty to Gloriana the First, Queen of Albion, Empress of Asia and Virginia. You want to believe in the ideal she represents, in a world that would otherwise redescend into darkness and madness.... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Super Reader
Count Von Bek this time, and we are closing on the twentieth century, timewise. The Count has come to the famous brothel, and brought along his very young girlfriend. They are out to have some fun, and plenty of s*x, too, of course. Or a combination.

Amidst all the shagging, war and the outside world intervene.

I found this book easily!
I agree that this is one of Moorcock's very best books but I got my paperback copy very easily via Amazon.uk, where it remains in print.It'sworth checking Amazon uk for books that are out of print in America.I hadno trouble using a credit card to buy this book and get it shipped fromEngland.Pretty much all Moorcock's books, it appears, are in print in theUK -- Gloriana, Byzantium Endures, Mother London and all his major works,most of which aren't currently in print in the US.The paperback editionis an elegant book and slightly revised, I understand. Great cover.Youcan see it at the Amazon.uk site! Mary, Austin.

Warning: Genius at Work
For me this was a departure from Moorcock's usual tales of the fantastic. While the reader looking for Elric or Corum-style tales may bedisappointed, the novel itself is far from disappointing.The charactersare some of the strongest Moorcock has developed, from Von Bek and hisyoung lover Alexandra to the various denizens in the Brothel, each onebrings strong feelings and opinions to the war around them.As those inthe brothel use its charms to escape the reality of war, so does Von Bekuse these recollections of his past to escape his inevitable death.Thisnovel is out of print so try used book stores or auction sites on theinternet, which is where I found it.If you can appreciate great writing,then by all means try and get ahold of a copy.

Not for the Faint-Hearted
I sincerely hope The Brothel in Rosenstrasse will someday be reprinted.It is one of the finest works of a literary genius, and I am saddened to think that readers will be deprived of this novel.Moorcock's superhuman knack for vivid description goes into overdrive in this book, as he recreates a series of feverish memories of a time of luxuriant perversities and meager strife, maintaining a brilliant counterpoint throughout.The cast of characters is stunning and real, as if they were transcribed from some party the author had attended.The explicit details of the main character's decline from the role of sexual dominator to sexually dominated parallels the heart-wrenching destruction of the beautiful, ancient city around him, a powerful yet brilliantly subtle device.This is truly a masterwork.It took me three years to track down a used copy of it, but it was worth the search.Absolutely magnificent.Recommended. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A botched and incomplete reissue
This is a very poorly done partial reissue of a great anthology which is still available in its complete form.The print here is reduced in size and very hard on the eyes.Several of the stories have been removed, as has the original editors' (Wise and Cerf) introduction.The only new stuff we get is a painting of a werewolf on the cover and Michael Moorcock's delightful new introduction.Skip this ripoff - go for the original entitled "Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural."Better yet, find the first edition with its beautiful dust jacket. ... Read more

Product Description
Queen Elizabeth I of England (ruled in late 1500's), also known as Gloriana and Good Queen Bess, has been a source of endless fascination for centuries.There are many movies (Elizabeth made Cate Blanchett's career) and dozens of books, not to mention Web sites devoted to her.While there was great strife during her reign, Elizabeth I was one of the most beloved monarchs of all time, and her period is known as the Golden Age of English history. Some of the world's greatest luminaries came from her country in that period, including William Shakespeare, Edmund Spenser, Christopher Marlowe, and Sir Walter Raleigh.
A fable satirizing Spenser's The Faerie Queene and reflecting the real life of Elizabeth I. GLORIANA, OR THE UNFULFILL'D QUEEN tells of a woman who ascends to the throne upon the death of her debauched and corrupted father, King Hern. Gloriana's reign brings the Empire of Albion into a Golden Age, but her oppressive responsibilities choke her, prohibiting any form of sexual satisfaction no matter what fetish she tries.Her problem is in fact symbolic of the hypocrisy of her entire court.While her life is meant to mirror that of her nation¿an image of purity, virtue, enlightenment, and prosperity the truth is that her peaceful empire is kept secure by her wicked chancellor Montfallcon and his corrupt network of spies and murderers, the most sinister of whom Captain Quire, is commissioned to seduce Gloriana and thus bring down Albion and the entire empire. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Yes, unfufilled
I read this becuase my husband's a devoted Moorcock fan (they're on first name terms- isn't this internet thing amazing?) I'll diplomatically say it's just not my cup of tea - there are just too many lists of fabrics, metals, walls that makes the prose unwieldy. I did love the fact that the most powerful character was a woman - exaggerated, but still human and I can't actively dislike a book that concludes that a really good orgasm is good for queen and country. So much SF/ fantasy (especially back when this was written) seemed to be written by men who'd never actually met a real live woman, so I'm impressed by 'Mike's' fem cred.

A book that anyone can enjoy
When lending somebody a Moorcock book, the first one I turn to is always Gloriana. Why?

Like almost any Moorcock novel it can be read as a high-paced roller-coaster ride jam packed with plot ideas that twist with a life of their own and characters that demand your attention; your sympathy; your concern; your disgust. But the same could be said for Elric (as recently republished in a sumptuous set by Del Rey) or that poor excuse for a human being, Maxim Pyat. So why Gloriana?

Let's start with length. While Pyat's 'Between the Wars' quartet is likely Moorcock's best writing to date, the page count is daunting. Gloriana is that rare thing: a book that is just as long as it needs to be: no more, no less.

Then there's subject matter. Let's face it, regardless of the invention and creativity of Elric, your female friends will give take more than a distasteful glance at the cover of any Elric book before ignoring it (not even those covers of Gould or Picacio for shame!), much as many a lad wouldn't be seen dead holding some pastel chick-lit. While this is surely a weakness in ourselves rather than the books, practicality wins and thus so does Gloriana. Who doesn't want to read of court intrigue vs. personal truth; dastardly deeds vs. romance; nobles' pageantry vs. beggars' opera; revolution; murder; slaughter and redemption?

The story is set in a world dominated by the court of Albion and its Queen, Gloriana. Built from the bones Spencer's Faerie Queen and Peake's Gormenghast, the world of Albion is beautifully realised in its Elizabethan charm, its calm acceptance of 'righteous Empire' and the gritty sordid underbelly that supports these grandiose notions. Gloriana declares herself to *be* Albion and it is this notion of union that forms the basis for the book: the battle for Albion - both as a nation and as a person.

Under the book's surface of royal glamour and lowlife scum, Moorcock explores both the myths that underpin our concepts of society and the fictions we tell ourselves (or have created for us should we lack the will) to bind ourselves into the world. In the struggle for the soul of Albion, Moorcock questions if our concepts of national identity are little more than a set of convenient lies. What if they were to change: would we?

It's all to play for as Monfallcon and his web of spies plot to protect the realm - at any cost.

Long Live Gloriana, Queen of Albion!
_If I could only have one volume of Moorcock in my library, I do believe that this would be it. I have heard this exquisite fantasy compared with Peake's Ghormanghast- except that an American will find Gloriana actually readable and enjoyable.

_I can't think of a richer fantasy world encompased in a single self-sufficient novel. And while it is fantasy, it is not sugar-sweet and naive, it is fantasy most worldly and sophisticated. This global Elizabethan empire is quite convincingly atmospheric, as is London and the great palace itself. You want it to exist, hell, you want to go there.

_You would not hesitate to pledge fealty to Gloriana the First, Queen of Albion, Empress of Asia and Virginia. You want to believe in the ideal she represents, in a world that would otherwise redescend into darkness and madness....

It seems many disliked this, but I found it interesting.
I happened to like Gloriana, by Michael Moorcock. Certainly not a brilliant and perfect novel, it was still entertaining to me. I thought it was absolutely creative, and greatly enjoyed the history of Gloriana's Albion. The characters were colorful and interesting, and the idea of a city of a castle was really neat.

The writing to me was fine, and I found myself only marginally confused with which characters were who in Gloriana's court, and I greatly enjoyed the political dishiness of the story.

Some parts were rather graphic, but I still found it to be highly enjoyable. It was really just an interesting "alternate history", if you could even call it that!

Maddeningly Bad Yet Strangely Haunting!
I first read this book as a teenager some twenty five years ago. At that time, I found the haunting atmosphere of Elizabethan sensuality to be extremely arousing and stimulating. Moorcock serves up a rich pageant of decadence, luxury and pleasure, with every variety of sex either shown explicitly or hinted at.

The problem is that Moorcock is the kind of guy who gets all the little things right -- but can't create a big picture story-line to save his life! Tiny episodes are scorchingly erotic, like Queen Gloriana's offhand caressing of Lady Mary, or Captain Quire's hypnotic conquest of pouty-lipped boy Phil Starling.

But the major plot of the book -- Quire ruins Gloriana, then saves her, then seduces her -- just doesn't ring true. Without making any judgments, it's fair to say that Quire is much more convincing as a gay anti-hero than a heterosexual stud for hire. The scenes where he seduces Phil Starling are a lot tighter, realistic, and more convincing than the scenes where he supposedly beds Gloriana. Moreover, Moorcock never succeeds in establishing Quire as a credible tough guy -- all the rowdies in the wrong part of town are supposedly in awe of this guy, but then he shows up to the big infernal jamboree with a teenage boy as his heavy date! You would think some benighted soul would wonder aloud just how masculine Quire really is. Moorcock carefully shields his hero from such impertinence. And believability goes right out the window!

Speaking of believability . . . Gloriana is supposed to be a great queen, an able statesman, and a woman of high principles, but she comes across much more Marilyn Monroe, all jiggles and weepy quivering. Moorcock really has no insight at all into her character. Seems like she'd fall for a stern father figure like Montfallcon much sooner than a closet queen like Quire. All her love scenes are sexy . . . except for the ones with Quire!

The maddening thing is that after you've read this book you keep thinking about all the other, better characters. There were about a dozen people in this book I actually liked, but where did they go? Countess Una of Scaith, Lady Mary Perrott, Tinkler the snaggle-toothed ruffian, Wheldrake the poet, Lady Lyst, . . .

There were enough characters here for a half dozen good novels, but instead they all got stuck in one bad one!



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Product Description
Leaving his cousin Yrkoon sitting as regent upon the Ruby Throne of Melnibone, leaving his cousin Cymoril weeping for him and despairing of his ever returning, Elric sailed from Imrryr, the Dreaming City, and went to seek an unknown goal in the world of the Young Kingdoms where Melniboneans were at best, disliked. Read by Jeff West. Included is a dramatic introduction over 11 mins in length, read by Michael Moorcock. An 1 disc MP3-CD edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Deal
I purchased the MP3 version of this product. I'll leave the storytelling aspects to reviewers of the book because if you are interested in this audiobook you probably read the books years ago and already are a fan.

The audio MP3 version of the Sailor on the Seas of Fate is quality entertainment which I recommend.

The price is low enough to overcome some of the minor shortcomings. These include MP3 files that don't correspond with natural breaks or chapters, rare variations on sound tone of the reader probably due to overdubs and edits, a lower emphasis on background tracks & mood music (than it's predecessor: Elric of Melnibone AudioBook), and finally its lower volume mixing which makes it hard to listen to in a subway car even when the player's volume is turned up all the way.

However, these are minor and most are probably attributed to the MP3 version which as I said is already value priced. If you read these stories as a 10 year old boy and want to hear them again as you drive into work then this is something you should consider. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Super Reader
The titular life remover, is, of course Jerry Cornelius himself. Again this is a book where England is an important part, or the collapse of England under the weight of its problems, and war.

Jerry, in a bad way, will again have to deal with his considerably healthier for a change relatives, and Brunner, Beesley, and others,

The usual happens, with the odd attempt to rule the world.

The English Assassin; what does it mean?
This book is remotely enjoyable, but is hard to understand, due to the way time changes and the plot jumps.I also had a hard time with Michael Moorcock's writing (he had a 27 line sentence) which makes the book evenharder to understand.The sections entitled "AlternativeApocalypse" and "Late News" were enjoyable to read, butfailed in any way to comprehensibly relate to the book. ... Read more

Product Description
Corum of the Silver Hand had slain the gods that Man might rule, and he had earned his rest. However, now the task falls upon him to defeat the mighty Fhoi Myore, the gods who yearn for death but can not be slain. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Corum continued.
This volume collects the second trilogy in the saga of Corum Jhaelen Irsei and consists of "The Bull and the Spear", "The Oak and the Ram", and "The Sword and the Stallion". Corum, for those of you who are not familiar with Moorcock, is an incarnation of the Eternal Champion. In this trilogy, Corum is called into the distant future to assist in the battle against the Fhoi Myore. While there, he learns some important lessons about love and belonging.

I have to confess that Corum is probably my least favorite of the incarnations of the Eternal Champion-- I like both Elric and Hawkmoon better. All the same, you have the general elements of Moorcock greatness-- brooding reluctant hero, the companion & his cat, and a strong tie in to historical myth and legend.

Start with the Swords Trilogy, and not here, if you have read no Corum before. The backstory is helpful to understand character motivation, if nothing else.

Stripped Bare
I first read the Chronicles of Corum when in high school over 25 years ago, and still re-read it every couple of years. It is a brutal sword-and-sorcery tale, but all the more real for its grinding, downbeat story. The exploration of the struggle for balance between chaos and law (allegorical at some level,I am sure) lends a sensibility to the story that is absent from far too many Sw&So tales. If you want gleaming knights in armor, the only one you will find is this book is not rescuing damesels in distress. A fine, disturbing tale.

The second half of the tale of Corum.
Michael Moorcock, The Chronicles of Corum (Berkley, 1973)

Moorcock returns to the world of the Eternal Champion, in the guise of Corum, then rips him out of it. Over a thousand years after the events of the last novels, Corum has become worshipped as a demigod. His followers summon himinto their time to do battle with extraplanar beings of (at most) animal intelligence known as the Cold Gods. The Cold Gods are dying, slowly, but they have every intention of taking all of humanity with them.

Together with the last of the Sidhi, a race of magic-using nonhumans roughly akin to elves in most fantasy worlds, Corum and those who worship him go to do battle with another force bent on destroying the planet.

The plot may get old, especially when so many fantasy novels by so many authors revolve around it. But it's still fun to read and easy to deal with. As with the first part of Corum's epic (The Swords Trilogy), Moorcock doesn't take as many chances with fantasy conventions as he does in the Elric novels, and so these are slightly less challenging to the reader's conceptions of what's "supposed" to happen in fantasy novels. Still, they're quite a bit of fun, for all they they're predictable. *** ½

Swords and Sorcery Tale Of The Eternal Champion
Corum is the Eternal Champion, the last of a species destroyed by the gods (using the barbaric humans known as Mabden), he is doomed to fight against Chaos in different incarnations throughout time. I think Moorcock'smelodramatic swords and sorcery tale is engrossing. Corum changes from asomewhat privileged member of a decadent, spiritual race into abattle-hardened tough survivor capable of defeating gods and arguingagainst "fate." Moorcock tells an old-fashioned tale very well.Not for everyone but I treasure my copy. ... Read more