HW: Elric and OJ

[Max Wilcox]

Andrew Gilham wrote:
>
> Steve
>
> >I just read _City in the Autumn Stars_, which starts out as a truly
> >wonderful historical adventure, with a very subtle and understated
> >alchemical / mystical subtext.  Then all of a sudden, it turned into
> >another WarHammer-style grotestque and overwrought dark fantasy.  I
> >was hideously disappointed.
>
> The big problem with _City..._ is it was butchered fairly mercilessly by the
> publishers, which renders it incoherent.  Though maybe the Millennium/White
> Wolf _Von Bek_ omnibus restores the cuts?  (Allan?)
>
> FWIW, my favourite MM fantasy is the preceding Von Bek, _The War Hound and the
> World's Pain_, which is (IMO) mature but not decadent (which, I fear, is the
> case with _Blood_ et seq.)
>
> - Andy

        From memory, City in the Autumn Stars, was about twice the size, with a
completely different plot, and much more similar to "Brothel in
Rossenstrasse" than his fantasy novels, untill Moorcock was told by the
publishers that it was meant to be aimed at the fantasy-reading public.
He had to hack away at it quite a lot.
        For the record, my favorite Moorcocks would have to be a tie between
Brothel in Rossenstrasse, The Pyat series, and the Blood series. Oh,
yes, and Jerry Cornelius. Can't forget Jerry....

-Max Wilcox