Michael Moorcock Books

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.

I found this book in a box of books I picked up at a garage sale. The author, Michael Moorcock has a wonderful way of captivating the mind and taking the reader on a journey of excitment. I enjoyed the way he introduced you to the main character,Michael Kane. Through the eyes of a reporter who you felt also began to be lured into the story. The author paints pictures of Mars as a futuristic city with marbel buildings and wonderful strange animals rooming through forest of nearly the same but different plants then earth. In this past the martians are far more advanced than we earth people but can not fix their own machinery. Tecnology seems to be a thing of it's past. When it is gone the machine is junked. The beautiful characters become a partner in creating the atmosphere. They go about with what I gather very little clothing. Each holstering a sword or old musket of sorts. I wanted to stay in this world as did Kane. I hope I can find the other two books of this trilogy. Warriors of Mars

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.

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.

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".

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.

I do not believe it is accurate to blame the failings (if so they are) of this book entirely on Storm Constantine. This was a collaborative effort. While Constantine may have essentially written the story, she was in liaison with Moorcock for its conception through to its completion, and Moorcock would have undoubtedly read all the drafts and given his approval, seeing as it has his name on the cover. I doubt Moorcock would have blindly allowed Constantine to write what ever she wanted, at the sake of his own reputation.

As for my opinion of the story, I found it a tad laboured and in places quite boring. Conversely, I found it in places unusual and interesting. In other words, it is an uneven story and thus difficult to review or to describe. I will however say that there are much worse examples of fantasy on the market. Silverheart is just unremarkable, but passable. I found Silverheart more enjoyable a second time. There is a lot of detail to absorb - possibly too much, as Storm backfills at every opportunity she gets, laying it on a little too thickly. Probably it could have used some slimming down.

I am not a Moorcock fan, but it seems Moorcock fans are not thrilled with this book. As a former Constantine reader (I've gone off her a bit since the mid-nineties), I can say I am disappointed though not surprised at the outcome.

The plot: In six days Max Silverskin, thief and trickster, must discover the secrets of his heritage or perish from the witch mark - the Silverheart - on his chest which will devour his heart. Lady Rose Iron, daughter of the leader of the mighty Clan Iron in Karadur, city of metal, steam and ancient secrets, is thrown into an uneasy alliance with Max as she searches out the secrets which may 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.

And a note to Amazon: Silverheart is a COLLABORATION between Michael Moorcock AND Storm Constantine. For reasons unknown Amazon omitted Ms Constantine below the title of this book. Not very fair considering she is responsible for fleshing out the story - you know, the difficult bit.

This book, written by a proven SF/Fantasy author, is not his best work, but has a definite interest for the reader who has knowledge of the band Hawkwind and would like to see its members immortalized in fiction. The plot moves along slowly, and it has not aged well. The hippy vs straight concept is well outdated, but it is a amusing blast from the past for the readers of more current styles of SF.

The Time of The Hawklords is but a collection of space dreaming sequences based upon the ideas of the rock group Hawkwind, with the seed of Michael Moorcock on some of its compositions and in the mood of the group as well, that is why you cannot speak about the book without referring to the music. The book itself is an exercise of baroque descrptions and actions depicting the band members as psychedelic characters travelling through the Universe in a decadent space-hulk, armed with musical weapons. The visual imaginery of the story relates it to similar parallel universes as those of the 2000 A.D. or Warhammer 40K wargaming series.

Jerry and Catherine Cornelius are intrepid space explorers of the United Nations Space Command.

The married couple are to take the spaceship The Hope of Man to Alpha Centauri, to check it out.

When they arrive, amazingly they find other humans there, with a completely different society. They run into problems with the local customs and have to leave.

The title of this review says exactly how I feel about this novel.The two heroes are sent in a spaceships to a nearby star to find habitable planets. They find humans there!. there is no explanation whatsoever how this has occurred, no new ideas, no antastic setting or fantastic aliens and no interesting plot. It feels like a bedtime story to be told to children. A complete waste of effort.

If someone else has said that this is disappointing, sub-par or not well-received, then, they are right. Absolutely below average. (Average story rating, 2.8) Not sure what the editor was thinking, but having a bunch of writer joke Jerry Cornelius stories in what is ostensibly on the surface suggested to be an Elric collection = very bad idea. Throw in Glogauer, and even worse. Likely to annoy everyone, then.


Pawn of Chaos : 01 Sir Milk and Blood - Michael Moorcock
Pawn of Chaos : 02 The Enquiry - Matthew J. Jorgensen
Pawn of Chaos : 03 The War Skull of Hel - C. Dean Andersson
Pawn of Chaos : 04 Fiery Spirits - Colin Greenland
Pawn of Chaos : 05 In the Cornelius Arms - John Shirley
Pawn of Chaos : 06 Sign of the Silver Hand - Nancy A. Collins
Pawn of Chaos : 07 Acorns - Richard Lee Byers
Pawn of Chaos : 08 Dragging the Line - Mike Lee
Pawn of Chaos : 10 To Speak with Men and Angels - Roland Green and Frieda Murray
Pawn of Chaos : 11 Giants in the Earth - Caitlín R. Kiernan
Pawn of Chaos : 12 The Festive Season - David Ferring
Pawn of Chaos : 13 Halfway House - Peter Crowther
Pawn of Chaos : 14 Evening Odds - Gary Gygax
Pawn of Chaos : 15 The Captive Soul - Bill Crider
Pawn of Chaos : 17 In the Machinery of Dreams - Thomas E. Fuller
Pawn of Chaos : 18 Even the Night - Don Webb
Pawn of Chaos : 19 Isle of Lost Souls - Robert E. Vardeman
Pawn of Chaos : 20 Raiders from the Ghost World - Brian Herbert and Marie Landis
Pawn of Chaos : 21 The Last Short Story Writer at the End of Time - Brad Linaweaver
Pawn of Chaos : 22 Angel of War - James Lovegrove
Pawn of Chaos : 23 Editor - Dafydd ab Hugh


A pair of IRA bombers don't realise that their 'release from active duty' iinvolves The Black Sword.

4 out of 5


Elric entertains himself with serpents and fire, a rather forthright Moonglum with booze and girls, as Jhary tries to hold together the Balance.

3 out of 5


Urlik Skarsol, transported to another world, shows another Champion, the shapeshifter woman Bloodsong that even the Goddess of Death fears The Black Sword. A ship soon comes for him.

3.5 out of 5


Hawkmoon fancies Italian, and some hot pink flamingoes.

2 out of 5


Jerry, his pub, goth rock and Vampire LARP, with some surprised self-reference.

3 out of 5


An explorer named Bekk descends into trouble, but at World's End, discovers he is actually somewhat more of an Irsi. A Champion returns to deal with a Chaos Lord.

4 out of 5


A chaos demon tricks a callow Hawkmoon into confronting another Champion, but Urlik's recognition leads this to backfire, but not without cost.

3.5 out of 5


Some travellers in India gain Karl Glogauer as a companion.

2 out of 5


A Von Bek meets a devil of Lucifer in the pointless conflict of WWI and becomes a Grail defender.

3.5 out of 5


A young Jherek soirees through paleontology.

3 out of 5


Konrad: Cold draining. So are dolls.

3 out of 5


Glogauer: Space is big and black. Captain Obvious, him.

2.5 out of 5


A couple of minor Champion incarnations do some Balancing on Venice Beach.

3 out of 5


A wizard and his servant lay a trap for Elric. Yeah, mistake. Neither he nor Moonglum are what you call slow on the uptake.

3 out of 5


Even Elric is a little taken aback by cavalier griffin duo's comedy act, cat woman, and computer skeletons.

4 out of 5


Corpse to Cornenstein.

3 out of 5


Seduced into Stormbringerlessness.

3 out of 5


Future Cop Ultor Champion.

2.5 out of 5


Hollywood harem not as good as sister, but head certainly better than a load of writer guff.

2 out of 5


Bastable should shoot both writers in pubs and politician Beatles.

2.5 out of 5


Fought for Law, knife cranium.

3 out of 5

This is the second book in Michael Moorcock's Chronicles of Corum series. The book continues the adventures of Prince Corum first begun in 'The Knight Of Swords'. In this book Prince Corum travels too a different plane to try and end the hegemony of The Queen of Swords, and thus save his own plane from the forces of Chaos. With him is the eternal companion of Champions,Jhary-a-conel and his winged cat.
I don't know if this story was originally written for a magazine format, but it certainly reads like it. This is probably the weakest of the swords trilogy, and like all three books in the sword trilogy, the pace is breakneck. One has no time to appreciate the dangers Corum finds himself in, before he is immediately rescued and moved on to the next predicament.

This is the US title of the MOVIE of the Final Programme. Moorcock had nothing to do with the US title (Last Days) and disassociated himself from the movie. Not the book. The books is THE FINAL PROGRAMME, part of The Cornelius Quartet (Orion, UK, still in print).