Synopses & Reviews
Voted by the London Times as one of the best writers since 1945, Michael Moorcock has long been considered one of the top names in science fiction and fantasy. Here, Moorcock has personally selected his best published and unpublished essays, articles, reviews, and opinions—all uncensored. Covering a wide range of topics including books, films, politics, reminiscences of old friends, and attacks on new foes, this collection is the definitive compilation for any serious fan of Moorcock, or science fiction in general. Drawn from more than 50 years of writing, including Moorcocks most recent work from the Los Angeles Times and the Guardian—along with obscure and now unobtainable sources—the prose in this compendium showcases Moorcock at his sharpest.
Review
"Moorcock's writing is top-notch." Publishers Weekly
Review
"A prime selection of Moorcock's articles, reviews and opinions selected by the man himself. Moorcock writes with fondness and verve about his home city, his life as a writer, and about literature and culture." —www.SFSignal.com
Review
"Whether he is describing the bleakness of 50s London ('all my girlfriends wore black and thought a lot about suicide') or the 'smugness' and conformity of modern London ('I like my classes mixed'), Moorcock writes with genuine love for the city." —Guardian (April 11, 2012)
Review
Moorcock's reviews and critical essays seem to me exemplary. They are never routine, never obligatory, never tired. They seem to me to be models of what a creative writer should do when producing critical prose. His writing here is always a conversation, never a monologue . . . we feel lucky to be listening in.” Alan Wall, author, The School of Night
Review
"It's invaluable for the Moorcock enthusiast, but even a newcomer will find a lot to enjoy here. Like a map or a guidebook, it's filled with irresistible routes and destinations, from London to Melniboné to Mars and beyond. And you'll want to follow, whether you've traveled those paths before or are lucky enough to be visiting them for the first time." —www.tor.com
Review
"It's a privilege to have such a collection of humanistic and touching articles between the covers of one book." —West End Extra (March 9, 2012)
Review
"Moorcock's prose is as limpid and fluid as a mountain stream, carrying the reader along effortlessly, while still achieving poetic effects that a lesser writer would strain for with pyrotechnics. In all cases, his voice rings out with sincerity, forcefulness, authority and passion." —www.LocusMag.com
Review
"Moorcock's charming curmudgeonliness makes this collection a true pleasure, balancing scathing wit with flashes of nostalgia and melancholy." —www.PublishersWeekly.com (May 8, 2012)
Review
"At a moment when so many of us have lost faith in our country and our ourselves, it's nice to have a science fiction writer from the UK remind us that a better world is still possible and ours to make." —www.lit.newcity.com
Synopsis
Voted by the London Times as one of the best writers since 1945, Michael Moorcock has long been considered one of the top names in science fiction and fantasy. Here, Moorcock has personally selected his best published and unpublished essays, articles, reviews, and opinions--all uncensored. Covering a wide range of topics including books, films, politics, reminiscences of old friends, and attacks on new foes, this collection is the definitive compilation for any serious fan of Moorcock, or science fiction in general. Drawn from more than 50 years of writing, including Moorcock's most recent work from the Los Angeles Times and the Guardian--along with obscure and now unobtainable sources--the prose in this compendium showcases Moorcock at his sharpest.
Synopsis
Voted by the London Times as one of the best writers since 1945, Michael Moorcock was shortlisted for the Whitbread Prize and won the Guardian Fiction Prize. He has won almost all the major Science Fiction, Fantasy, and lifetime achievement awards including the "Howie," the Prix Utopiales and the Stoker. Best known for his rule-breaking SF and Fantasy, including the classic Elric and Hawkmoon series, he is also the author of several graphic novels.
Now, in London Peculiar and Other Nonfiction, Michael Moorcock personally selects the best of his published, unpublished, and uncensored essays, articles, reviews, and opinions covering a wide range of subjects: books, films, politics, reminiscences of old friends, and attacks on new foes. Drawn from over fifty years of writing, including his most recent work from the pages of the Los Angeles Times, and the Guardian, along with obscure and now unobtainable sources, the pieces in London Peculiar and Other Nonfiction showcase Moorcock at his acerbic best. They include:
- "London Peculiar," an impassioned statement of Moorcock's memories of wartime London. The architectural "improvements" wrought by the rebuilding of the city after World War Two brought cultural changes as well, many to the detriment of the city's inhabitants.
- Review of R. Crumb's Genesis, previously unavailable in English, this lengthy review of the underground comic artist's retelling of the first book of the Bible leads Moorcock to address nostalgia for the sixties.
- "A Child's Christmas in the Blitz"--An autobiographical recounting of Moorcock's childhood in wartime London, with memories of the freedom and hardships he encountered during the bombings, and the happy times he spent with his parents.
These, along with dozens more, make this a collection Moorcock fans won't want to miss, and the perfect introduction for new readers who will soon discover why Alan Moore (Watchmen) says: "Moorcock seizes the 21st century bull by its horns and wrestles it into submission with a Texan rodeo confidence."
About the Author
Michael Moorcock is an award-winning author who has written more than 80 works of fiction and nonfiction, including The Cornelius Quartet, Doctor Who, and Elric: The Stealer of Souls. His nonfiction has appeared in Financial Times, the Guardian, and the Los Angeles Times. He lives in Bastrop, Texas. Allan Kausch is the editor of more than 1,100 projects for Lucasfilm Ltd., and has also edited five volumes of Selected Letters of Philip K. Dick, in addition to 80 other books. He lives in San Francisco. Iain Sinclair is the author of Lights Out for the Territory, London Orbital, and A Walk Around the M25.