Garland of forgotten dreams. Leviathan walks the earth

born on December 18, 1939 in the small town of Mitcham (Surrey) in the family of an engineer. As a child, he moved to London and lived there until 1993. The writer’s childhood and youth occurred during a special period - the collapse of the British Empire (not so long ago we ourselves experienced something similar - just yesterday we lived in a powerful state, and suddenly, in a couple of years, the empire crumbles to dust). It is from here that the roots of one of the main themes in his work grow - the idea of ​​an eternal, incessant struggle against the advancing Chaos, the story of the destruction of the familiar system of the universe and a long, painful adaptation to a new one.

In fact, having lost his family early (his parents divorced), Moorcock began as a teenager independent life. After serving in the Royal Air Force, he graduates from the prestigious Pitmans College, after which he plunges headlong into bohemian life.

From a young age, Moorcock played the guitar and other instruments well, and the Beatlemania that swept England and the entire Western world at that time influenced his choice of life path - he participated in the activities of the group “Hawkwind” (“Hawk Wind”), the repertoire of which included many of his own songs and compositions, organized group Deep Fix, with which he released the album “New World Fair”. Moorcock was also interested in politics. In the early 1960s, he joined the radical left and edited the Liberal Party's publication, Current Topics, for two years. Later, he became an anarchist altogether and even published a harsh journalistic book in 1983, “The Retreat from Freedom: The Erosion of Democracy in Modern Britain.”

In the early 1960s, the future editor and writer married for the first time (he was married 4 times in total; last time- in 1983) - on journalist and science fiction writer Hilary Bailey. He lived with her for 16 years, becoming the father of two daughters and a son. Although the Hawkwind group released about 50 albums, and during the peak of its popularity attracted a considerable audience of fans, finest hour Moorcock did not step on the stage. Science fiction future writer greedily devoured (and peed) since early childhood. At the same time, Michael very early discovered a rather rare gift in himself - he turned out to be a talented editor.

At first he worked in amateur fanzines, where he actively published himself (his first magazine was called “The Adventures of Tarzan,” and Moorcock headed it at the age of 18). It was on the pages of this self-made publication that Moorcock’s first series in the genre of “heroic fantasy” was released, which began in the May 1957 issue with the story “Sojan the Sword-Bearer” (in 1977, the stories in the series were combined under one cover in the collection “Sojan”) . However, music continued to provide the main means of livelihood (he also worked as an editor in a publishing house detective literature).

Everything changed when Michael met Ted Carnell, editor of many professional British fantasy magazines, spiritual leader and unquestioning authority of British fandom. This meeting became fateful both for Moorcock and for Carnell himself and his brainchild - the leading English science fiction magazine New Worlds, founded back in 1946. At first, Michael himself began to regularly write to the magazines then headed by Carnell - “SF Adventures” and “Science Fantasy”, and quickly achieved some success among readers - the volumes of the “Martian” trilogy, created in imitation of E.R. Burroughs, were immediately published in book editions, and not in periodicals (it was published in 1965 . under the pseudonym Edward P. Bradbury). And in 1964, the journal New Worlds unexpectedly closed, and Carnell left his editorial post. But a few months later, the publication resumed work with a new editor - twenty-four-year-old Michael John Moorcock.

After that, over the course of seven years that shook the world of science fiction, New Worlds became the mouthpiece of an entire literary movement - the so-called. "New Wave". Even in his youth, Moorcock argued heatedly with other fans, arguing that modern science fiction lacked general literary literacy and culture, as well as a “human dimension,” to be called Literature. What he meant by these concepts became clear as soon as he had the opportunity to demonstrate it on the pages of his own magazine. The main basis The New Wave had a sharply aggressive rejection of “classical” science fiction. Therefore, the writers-apologists of the movement represented a rather motley palette of various fashionable at that time literary movements. The most famous representatives of the movement, besides Moorcock himself, were: the British Brian Aldiss, James Graham Ballard, John Brunner, Michael John Harrison, John Sladek, Christopher Priest and the Americans Thomas Disch, Norman Spinrad, Samuel Delaney, Roger Zelazny and Harlan Ellison (as you can see , very different authors in style).

Throughout the years that Moorcock edited New Worlds, he never stopped writing. But only in the mid-1970s, when the Wave subsided, critics and readers “discovered” a new writer - very prolific, diverse, consistent in pursuing some of his obsessions, as well as intelligent, ironic and stylistically “equipped” for every taste. From the very first works, he began to create a completely unprecedented super series, covering, according to the author's plan, all of his works. To do this, however, it was necessary to develop the concept of the Multiverse (the term was borrowed from the prominent English prose writer John Cowper Powis), in which various Parallel Worlds, constantly intersecting with each other. The novels of this megacycle are written in different genres - here there is “hard” SF, and fantasy, and an absurdist novel, and alternative history, and decadence, and “space opera”, and even detective or realistic prose. The characters of the books migrate freely from novel to novel, ultimately forming a rich polyphonic whole (which was greatly facilitated by the author’s frequent rewriting of early works). [All this makes compiling a bibliography of Moorcock's books a hell of a job!]

Moorcock created several series of rather specific “heroic fantasy”. However, the writer never hid the fact that he wrote fantasy series for the sake of money, which he mainly needed to keep his magazine afloat. However, his series turned out to be very unconventional and meaningful. One has only to take a closer look at his heroes - unlike the doubtless supermen of Burroughs, Howard and other founders of “heroic fantasy”, Moorcock’s heroes are usually restless, lonely, obsessed with dark passions, phobias and other clearly non-Superman qualities. In short, they are people without any prefixes “super” (one can say that it is Moorcock who stands at the source of modern “heroics”).

Moorcock also penned a critical work on the fantasy genre, “Wizardry and Wild Romance: A Study of Epic Fantasy” (1989). Moorcock currently lives in a small town in Texas (USA, since 1993), collecting rare books in his free time. late XIX- early 20th century, also enjoys hiking, music and drawing. He is a winner of the Nebula, the World Fantasy Award and three times the British Fantasy Award. A number of comics and video games have been created based on his books.

Michael Moorcock - Brothel on Rosenstrasse

Michael John Moorcock(Michael John Moorcock) was born on December 18, 1939 in the small town of Mitcham (Surrey) in the family of an engineer. As a child, he moved to London and lived there until 1993. The writer’s childhood and youth occurred during a special period - the collapse of the British Empire (not so long ago we ourselves experienced something similar - just yesterday we lived in a powerful state, and suddenly, in a couple of years, the empire crumbles to dust). It is from here that the roots of one of the main themes in his work grow - the idea of ​​an eternal, incessant struggle against the advancing Chaos, the story of the destruction of the familiar system of the universe and a long, painful adaptation to a new one.

In fact, having lost his family early (his parents divorced), Moorcock began an independent life as a teenager. After serving in the Royal Air Force, he graduates from the prestigious Pitmans College, after which he plunges headlong into bohemian life. From a young age, Moorcock played the guitar and other instruments well, and the Beatlemania that gripped England and the entire Western world at that time influenced his choice of life path - he organized and led the group "Hawkwind", whose repertoire included a lot of him own songs and compositions. Moorcock was also interested in politics. In the early 1960s, he joined the radical left and edited the Liberal Party's publication, Current Topics, for two years. Later, he became an anarchist altogether and even published a harsh journalistic book in 1983, “The Retreat from Freedom: The Erosion of Democracy in Modern Britain.”

In the early 1960s, the future editor and writer married for the first time (he was married 4 times in total; the last time in 1983) - to journalist and science fiction writer Hilary Bailey. He lived with her for 16 years, becoming the father of two daughters and a son. Although the Hawkwind group left behind several albums, and during the peak of its popularity gathered a considerable audience of fans, Moorcock's finest hour did not come on stage. The future writer greedily devoured (and wrote about) science fiction from early childhood. At the same time, Michael very early discovered a rather rare gift in himself - he turned out to be a talented editor.

At first he worked in amateur fanzines, where he actively published himself (his first magazine was called “The Adventures of Tarzan,” and Moorcock headed it at the age of 18). It was on the pages of this self-made publication that Moorcock’s first series in the genre of “heroic fantasy” was released, which began in the May 1957 issue with the story “Sojan the Swordbearer” (in 1977, the stories in the series were combined under one cover in the collection “Sojan”) . However, music continued to provide his main means of livelihood (he also worked as an editor in a detective literature publishing house). Everything changed when Michael met Ted Carnell, editor of many professional British fantasy magazines, spiritual leader and unquestioning authority of British fandom. This meeting became fateful, both for Moorcock and for Carnell himself and his brainchild - the leading English science fiction magazine New Worlds, founded back in 1946. At first, Michael himself began to regularly write for the magazines then headed by Carnell, - "SF Adventures" and "Science Fantasy", and quickly achieved some success among readers - the volumes of the "Martian" trilogy, created in imitation of E.R. Burroughs, were immediately released in book editions, and not in periodicals (it was published in 1965 under the pseudonym Edward P. Bradbury). And in 1964, the New Worlds magazine unexpectedly closed, and Carnell left his editorial post. But, a few months later, the publication resumed work with a new editor - twenty-four-year-old Michael John Moorcock.

After that, over the course of seven years that shook the world of science fiction, New Worlds became the mouthpiece of an entire literary movement - the so-called. "New Wave". Even in his youth, Moorcock argued heatedly with other fans, arguing that modern science fiction lacked general literary literacy and culture, as well as a “human dimension,” to be called Literature. What he meant by these concepts became clear as soon as he had the opportunity to demonstrate it on the pages of his own magazine. The main basis of the "New Wave" was a sharply aggressive rejection of "classical" science fiction. Therefore, the writers-apologists of the movement represented a rather motley palette of various literary trends that were fashionable at that time. The most famous representatives of the movement, besides Moorcock himself, were the British Brian Aldiss, James Graham Ballard, John Brunner, Michael John Harrison, John Sladek, Christopher Priest and the Americans Thomas Disch, Norman Spinrad, Samuel Delaney, Roger Zelazny and Harlan Ellison (as you can see , very different authors in style).

Throughout the years that Moorcock edited New Worlds, he never stopped writing. But only in the mid-1970s, when the Wave subsided, critics and readers “discovered” a new writer - very prolific, diverse, consistent in pursuing some of his obsessions, as well as intelligent, ironic and stylistically “equipped” for any taste. From the very first works, he began to create a completely unprecedented super series, covering, according to the author's plan, all of his works. To do this, however, it was necessary to develop the concept of the Multiverse (the term was borrowed from the prominent English prose writer John Cowper Powis), in which various parallel worlds coexist, constantly intersecting with each other. The novels of this megacycle are written in different genres - here are “hard” SF, and fantasy, and an absurdist novel, and alternative history, and decadence, and “space opera,” and even detective or realistic prose. The characters of the books migrate freely from novel to novel, ultimately forming a rich polyphonic whole (which was greatly facilitated by the author’s frequent rewriting of early works). [All this makes compiling a bibliography of Moorcock's books a hell of a job!]

Moorcock created several series of rather specific "heroic fantasy". However, the writer never hid the fact that he wrote fantasy series for the sake of money, which he mainly needed to keep his magazine afloat. However, his series turned out to be very unconventional and meaningful. One has only to take a closer look at his heroes - unlike the doubtless supermen of Burroughs, Howard and other founders of “heroic fantasy”, Moorcock’s heroes are usually restless, lonely, obsessed with dark passions, phobias and other clearly non-Superman qualities. In short, they are people without any prefixes “super” (one can say that it is Moorcock who stands at the source of modern “heroics”).

Moorcock also penned a critical work on the fantasy genre, “Wizardry and Wild Romance: A Study of Epic Fantasy” (1987). Moorcock currently lives in a small town in Texas (USA, since 1993), in his spare time collecting rare book editions of the late 19th - early 20th centuries, and also enjoys hiking, music and drawing. He is a winner of the Nebula, the World Fantasy Award and three times the British Fantasy Award. A number of comics and video games have been created based on his books.

Biography

Michael John Moorcock was born on December 18 in the small town of Mitcham (Surrey) into the family of an engineer. As a child, he moved to London and lived there for up to a year. The writer’s childhood and youth occurred during a special period - the collapse of the British Empire (not so long ago we ourselves experienced something similar - just yesterday we lived in a powerful state, and suddenly, in a couple of years, the empire crumbles to dust). It is from here that the roots of one of the main themes in his work grow - the idea of ​​an eternal, incessant struggle against the advancing Chaos, the story of the destruction of the familiar system of the universe and a long, painful adaptation to a new one.

In fact, having lost his family early (his parents divorced), Moorcock began an independent life as a teenager. After serving in the Royal Air Force, he graduates from the prestigious Pitmans College, after which he plunges headlong into bohemian life. From a young age, Moorcock played the guitar and other instruments well, and the Beatlemania that gripped England and the entire Western world at that time influenced his choice of life path - he organized and led the group “Liberal Party”, “Current Topics” magazine. Later, he generally became an anarchist and even published a sharp journalistic book in the city, “The Departure from Freedom: The Erosion of Democracy in Modern Britain.”

In the early 1960s, the future editor and writer married for the first time (he was married 4 times in total; the last time in 1983) - to journalist and science fiction writer Hilary Bailey. He lived with her for 16 years, becoming the father of two daughters and a son. Although the Hawkwind group left behind several albums, and during the peak of its popularity gathered a considerable audience of fans, Moorcock's finest hour did not come on stage. The future writer greedily devoured (and wrote about) science fiction from early childhood. At the same time, Michael very early discovered a rather rare gift in himself - he turned out to be a talented editor.

At first he worked in amateur fanzines, where he actively published himself (his first magazine was called “The Adventures of Tarzan,” and Moorcock headed it at the age of 18). It was on the pages of this self-made publication that Moorcock’s first series in the genre of “heroic fantasy” was released, which began in the May 1957 issue with the story “Sojan the Sword-Bearer” (in 1977, the stories in the series were combined under one cover in the collection “Sojan”) . However, music continued to provide his main means of livelihood (he also worked as an editor in a detective literature publishing house). Everything changed when Michael met Ted Carnell, editor of many professional British fantasy magazines, spiritual leader and unquestioned authority of British fandom. This meeting became fateful, both for Moorcock and for Carnell himself and his brainchild - the leading English science fiction magazine New Worlds, founded back in 1946. At first, Michael himself began to regularly write for the magazines then headed by Carnell, - “SF Adventures” and “Science Fantasy”, and quickly achieved some success among readers - the volumes of the “Martian” trilogy, created in imitation of E.R. Burroughs, were immediately released in book editions, and not in periodicals (it was published in 1965 under the pseudonym Edward P. Bradbury). And in 1964, the journal New Worlds unexpectedly closed, and Carnell left his editorial post. But, a few months later, the publication resumed work with a new editor - twenty-four-year-old Michael John Moorcock.

After that, over the course of seven years that shook the world of science fiction, New Worlds became the mouthpiece of an entire literary movement - the so-called. "New Wave". Even in his youth, Moorcock argued heatedly with other fans, arguing that modern science fiction lacked general literary literacy and culture, as well as a “human dimension,” to be called Literature. What he meant by these concepts became clear as soon as he had the opportunity to demonstrate it on the pages of his own magazine. The main basis of the New Wave was a sharply aggressive rejection of “classical” science fiction. Therefore, the writers-apologists of the movement represented a rather motley palette of various literary trends that were fashionable at that time. The most famous representatives of the movement, besides Moorcock himself, were the British Brian Aldiss, James Graham Ballard, John Brunner, Michael John Harrison, John Sladek, Christopher Priest and the Americans Thomas Disch, Norman Spinrad, Samuel Delaney, Roger Zelazny and Harlan Ellison (as you can see , very different authors in style).

Throughout the years that Moorcock edited New Worlds, he never stopped writing. But only in the mid-1970s, when the Wave subsided, critics and readers “discovered” a new writer - very prolific, diverse, consistent in pursuing some of his obsessions, as well as intelligent, ironic and stylistically “equipped” for any taste. From the very first works, he began to create a completely unprecedented super series, covering, according to the author's plan, all of his works. To do this, however, it was necessary to develop the concept of the Multiverse (the term was borrowed from the prominent English prose writer John Cowper Powis), in which various parallel worlds coexist, constantly intersecting with each other. The novels of this megacycle are written in different genres - here there is “hard” SF, and fantasy, and an absurdist novel, and alternative history, and decadence, and “space opera,” and even detective or realistic prose. The characters of the books migrate freely from novel to novel, ultimately forming a rich polyphonic whole (which was greatly facilitated by the author’s frequent rewriting of early works).

Moorcock created several series of rather specific “heroic fantasy”. However, the writer never hid the fact that he wrote fantasy series for the sake of money, which he mainly needed to keep his magazine afloat. However, his series turned out to be very unconventional and meaningful. One has only to take a closer look at his heroes - unlike the doubtless supermen of Burroughs, Howard and other founders of “heroic fantasy”, Moorcock’s heroes are usually restless, lonely, obsessed with dark passions, phobias and other clearly non-Superman qualities. In short, they are people without any prefixes “super” (one can say that it is Moorcock who stands at the source of modern “heroics”).

Moorcock also penned a critical work on the fantasy genre, “Wizardry and Wild Romance: A Study of Epic Fantasy” (1987). Moorcock currently lives in a small town in Texas (USA, since 1993), in his spare time collecting rare book editions of the late 19th - early 20th centuries, and also enjoys hiking, music and drawing. He is a winner of the Nebula, the World Fantasy Award and three times the British Fantasy Award. A number of comics and video games have been created based on his books. (Information taken from the Tanelorn website with the permission of its administrator Mara).

Bibliography

1. Master of the Air (1971)
2. Leviathan Walks the Earth (1974)
3. Steel King (1980)

1. City of the Beast (1965)
2. Lord of the Spiders (1965)
3. Masters of the Pit (1965)

1. Sojang the Swordsman (1957)
2. Sojan, Swordsman of Zilor (1957)
3. Sojang and the Sea of ​​Demons (1957)
4. Sojan and the Mysterious Steppes (1958)
5. Sojan and the Sons of the Serpent God (1958)
6. Sojan and the Monstrous Hunters of Norge (1958)
7. Clam the Predator (1958)
8. Dec of Nutara (1957)
9. Rence Carto from Bursnall (1958)

1. Jewel in the Skull (tetralogy - Runestaff) (1967)
2. Amulet of the Mad God (tetralogy - Rune Staff) (1968)
3. Sword of the Dawn (tetralogy - Runestaff) (1968)
4. The Secret of the Runestaff (tetralogy - Runestaff) (1969)
5. Count Brass (trilogy - Castle Brass) (1972)
6. Defender of Garatorm (trilogy - Brass Castle) (1973)
7. The Quest for Tanelorn (trilogy - Brass Castle) (1973)

1. Knight of Swords (trilogy - Lords of Swords) (1971)
2. Queen of Swords (trilogy - Lords of Swords) (1971)
3. King of Swords (trilogy - Lords of Swords) (1971)
4. Bull and Spear (trilogy - Corum the silver hand) (1973)
5. Oak and Aries (trilogy - Corum the silver hand) (1973)
6. The Sword and the Stallion (trilogy - Corum the silver hand) (1973)

1. Elric: Birth of a Sorcerer (graphic novel) (2005)
2. Elric of Melnibone (1972)
3. Fortress of the Pearl (1986)
4. Song of the White Wolf (Summoning the Black Sword) (1994)
5. Sailing the Seas of Fate (1976)
6. Elric at the Edge of Time (1984)
7. Dreaming City (1977)
8. When the Gods Laugh (1977)
9. The Singing Citadel (1977)
10. The Sleeping Sorceress (The Vanishing Tower) (1971)
11. Rose's Revenge (1991)
12. Soul Stealer (1977)
13. The Last Spell (Chaos Jokes) (1977)
14. Kings in the Dark (1977)
15. A Series of Forgotten Dreams (The Fire Bringers) (1977)
16. Stormfly (1965/1977)
17. Portrait from Ivory (2007)
18. The Wandering Forest (2007)
19. Black Petals (2008)

1. Dog of War and Pain of the World (1981)
2. Brothel on Rosenstrasse (1982)
3. City in Autumn Stars (1989)
4. Flow(?)
5. The strange garden of Filipe Sagittarius (?)
6. Breakfast with the Antichrist (1994)
7. Daughter of the Dream Thief

1. Blood: Southern Fantasy (1994)
2. Incredible Harbors (1995)
3. War Among Angels (1996)

1. Eternal Warrior (1956)
2. Phoenix in Obsidian (1970)
3. Dragon in the Sword (Order of Darkness) (1981)
4. Swords of Heaven: Flowers of Hell (graphic novel) (1983)

1. Byzantium Commands (1981)
2. Carthage Laughs (1984)
3. Jerusalem Commands (1992)
4. Rome's Revenge (2005)

1. Final program (1968)
2. A Cure for Cancer (1971)
3. English Assassin (1972)
4. Muzak's Condition (1977)
5. Entropy Tango (1981)
6. The Adventures of Una Person and Katherine Cornelius in the Twentieth Century (1976)
7. The Life and Times of Jerry Cornelius (collection of short stories; expanded edition - The New Nature of Disaster) (1976/1993)
8. The Great Rock'n'Roll Fraud (1977)
9. The Alchemist's Question (1984)
10. Spencer's Inheritance (1998)
11. Salute to the Rockets (1998)
12. Burning of the Cathedral (2002)

1. Chinese Agent (formerly Somewhere in the Night) (1966/1970)
2. Russian Intelligence (formerly Printer's Apprentice) (1966/1980)

1. Alien Heat (1972)
2. Hollow Lands (1974)
3. The End of All Songs (1976)
4. Pale Roses (1976)
5. White Stars (1976)
6. Ancient Shadows (1976)
7. Miss Ming's Transformation (Messiah at the Edge of Time) (1977)
8. Luxury Dress: A Question of Size on The Edge of Time (2008)

1. The Dream Thief's Daughter (2001)
2. The Skraeling Tree (2003)
3. Son of the White Wolf (2006)

1. Xie - The Man (1969)
2. Breakfast in the Ruins (1972)

1. Dweller of Time (?)
2. Running from Sunset (?)

1. Dark Worlds (1965)
2. Fire Clown (Winds of Limbo, Windy at the Gates of Hell) (1965/1969)
3. The Twilight Man (Shores of Death) (1966/1970)
4. Clash of Times (1967)
5. Ice Schooner (1969)
6. Black Corridor (1969)
7. Distant Suns (with F.K. Dick) (1975)
8. Saving Tanelorn (1977)
9. Count Aubeck's Dream (Chaos Conqueror) (1977)
10. Gloriana, or the Failed Queen (1978)
11. Golden Barka (1980)
12. Crystal and Amulet (with J. Kawthorn) (1986)
13. Mother London (1988)
14. Silver Heart (with Storm Constantine) (2000)
15. Sorceress of the Silent Citadel (2002)

Music

• Blue Öyster Cult (UK). Moorcock wrote three songs for this group: “The Great Sun Jester” (“Great Sun Jester”), dedicated to Michael’s friend Bill Butler, who died from drugs, and has obvious allusions to the Fire Jester, a character in the novels “The Winds of Limbo” (1969) and “ The Transformation of Miss Mavis Ming" (1977), and included in the album "Mirrors" (1979); "Black Blade" from the album "Cultosaurus Erectus" (1980); and “Veteran of a Thousand Psychic Wars” from the album “Fire of unknown Origin” (1981), for which a clip presentation was made by unknown authors using paintings based on Moorcock’s work.

• Michael Moorcocks Deep Fix (UK). Michael Moorcock's own musical project. In addition to being the founder, leader and vocalist of the group, he owns approximately half of the lyrics from the only official album, “The New Worlds Fair” (1972), including the song “The Brothel In Rosenstrasse”, the same name from the novel from the series "Chronicles of the Von Beck Family" (1982). In addition, the group released an album called “Elric live at the BBC” (1992), which included 8 compositions, about which, unfortunately, there is no information.

• Nick Turner (UK). The solo project of Nick Turner, a former member of the band Hawkwind. While recording the album “Past or Future?” Moorcock performed the lyrics to "Warriors on the Edge of Time".

• Robert Calvert (UK). Solo project of Robert Calvert, former member of Hawkwind. When recording the album "Hype", Moorcock played a twelve-string guitar, while recording the album "Lucky Leif & The Longships" - on a banjo.

• The Bellyflops (UK). This group got together in 1965 to record an album that they were going to distribute at the Science Fiction Convention. Moorcock played in it along with some of the musicians who were permanently or occasionally involved in Hawkwind.

In addition, many songs and instrumental compositions have been written based on Moorcock’s work by various rock bands and solo performers from different countries.

• 3 Inches of Blood (Canada). The song "Sailor on the Seas of Fate" is based on the novel of the same name from the Elric Saga (1976), which features Elric and other Moorcock characters, as well as the "Upon The Boiling Sea" trilogy. In the Boiling Sea" - after one of the geographical names of Elric's world) - songs "Fear On The Bridge", "Lord Of The Storm" and "Isle Of Eternal Despair") from the album "Advance And Vanquish" (2004) and the mini-album "Upon" The Boiling Sea."

• Agnes Vein (Greece). The song "Sailor on the Seas of Fate" from the album "Chaos And Law" is about Elric and his Sword.

• An Albatross (USA). The song “Stormbringer” (“Stormbringer” - after the name of the Black Sword and last novel The Elric Sagas, 1977) from the album "Blessphemy" (2006).

• Apollo Ra (USA). The song "Bane Of The Black Sword" - by novel of the same name about Elric, 1977) from the album "Ra Pariah" (1989).

• Assedium (Italy). The song "The Messenger of Chaos" from the album "Rise of the Warlords" (2006), dedicated to Elric.

• Battleroar (Greece). The songs "Mourning Sword" ("Sword of Sorrow" - the name of the twin Stormcloak) from the album "Battleroar" (2003) and "Dyvim Tvar" ("Dyvim Tvar" - the lord of the Dragon Caves, a character in the Saga of Elric) from the album "Age Of Chaos" (“Times of Chaos”) (2005). The cover of the album "Battleroar" apparently depicts the battle from the novel "Stormbearer", as indicated by the Chaos Stars on the flags. Perhaps some of the group's other songs were written under the influence of Moorcock.

• Blind Guardian (Germany). The songs "Damned for All Time" about Hawkmoon and "Fast to Madness" about Elric from the album "Follow the Blind" (1989), "The Quest for Tanelorn" (after the title of the last novel in the Hawkmoon series, 1975) from the album "Somewhere Far Beyond" (1992), "Imaginations from the Other Side" (Corum mentioned) from the album "Imaginations from the Other Side" (1995). In addition, one of the songs of “Blind Guardian” - “Journey through the Dark” from the album “Somewhere Far Beyond” (1992), - according to the leader of the group Hansi, is dedicated to Geri-a-Conel.

• Blood Arkin (Norway). The song “Blood Arkin” (“Bloody Arkin” - after one of the Lords of Order, Lord Arkin) from the album “The Death is dead” (2006), which is a rather strange interpretation of the personality of this character.

• BloodHad (USA). The song “Michael Moorcock” (“Michael Moorcock”) from the album “Hellbent For Letters” (2006), belonging to a large cycle of songs dedicated to various science fiction writers (including Stephen King, H. P. Lovecraft, Ursula Le Guin and many others) .

• Cirith Ungol (USA). The songs “Black Machine”, “Master Of The Pit” (apparently, these two songs are related to the novel “Masters of the Pit” - “Masters of the Pit” - from the series about Michael Caine, 1971), “Death Of The Sun "(possibly based on the novel "Phoenix in Obsidian" from the series about Erekoz, 1970, or based on some stories by Moorcock), "King Of The Dead" (based on the story "Kings in the Dark", 1977) from the album "King Of The Dead" (1984); "Chaos Descends", "Nadsokor" ("Nadsokor" - Beggar's City in Elric's Saga; there is also a cover version of this song by DoomSword), "The Fire" (apparently about Chekalakh - the Fire God from the novel “The Sleeping Sorceress”, 1971) from the album “One Foot In Hell” (1986); "Chaos Rising" from the album "Paradise Lost" (1991). The album covers feature illustrations by Michael Whelan for the Elric Saga: “Frost and Fire”, “ The Last King Orga (King Of The Dead), Demon Guardian (One Foot In Hell) and Sailing The Seas Of Doom (Paradise Lost).

• Dark Moor (Spain). The song "The Fall Of Melnibone" from the album of the same name (2000), also a bonus track on the album "Hall of the Olden Dreams" released in Japan and included in the album "Between Light and Darkness". The album cover for The Fall Of Melnibone appears to feature Arioch.

• Deep Purple (UK). The song "Stormbringer" from the album of the same name (1974). There are also cover versions of this song by the groups “Whitesnake” (album “Live in the Shadow of the Blues”), “Sandler” (collection “People about To Purple”), “John Norum & Glenn Hughes” (collection “Smoke” On The Water - A Tribute To Deep Purple"). In addition, the song “Perfect Strangers” from the album of the same name is sometimes called as a song related to Elric (the group “Dream Theater” has a cover version). On the group's official website, the eight-pointed Chaos Star is used as a list marker.

• Defenders Of Tanelorn (Georgia). The songs "Defenders Of Tanelorn" and "The Apocalyptic Powerhead" (apparently from the end of the novel "Stormbearer") from the single "Defenders Of Tanelorn" (2003).

• Diamond Head (UK). The song "Borrowed Time" from the album of the same name (1982), written from Elric's point of view, as well as the song "Knight Of The Swords" ("Knight of Swords" - the title of Arioch and the title of the first novel in the Corum series, 1971) from the album "Canterbury" (1983). Elric is featured on the cover of the Borrowed Time album.

• DoomSword (Italy). The song "Return to Imryyr" from the album "DoomSword" (1999), as well as a cover version of the Cirith Ungol song "Nadsokor".

• DragonLord (Italy). The band's name ("Dragonlord") is likely an allusion to the Elric Saga. Some songs may also have been influenced by Moorcock.

• Dragonlords (USA). The band's name ("Dragon Lords") is likely an allusion to the Elric Saga.

• Elysian Fury (USA). The song “The Nomad of Time” (“Nomad of Time” - after the title of the cycle about Oswald Bastable).

• Far East Ghost (Japan). The song "Hishiryo Vs Far East Ghost - Stormbringer" from the album "Welcome To Psychedelic Hell" (2007).

• Gandalf. The song “End Of Time” (“End of Time” - based on the cycle about the Edge of Time) from the album “Deadly Fairytales” (1998).

• Highland Glory (Norway). The song "Edge Of Time" from the album "Forever Endeavor" (2005).

• Kendra Smith (USA). The song “Valley of The Morning Sun” (based on the “Nomads of Time” cycle) from the album “Five Ways of Disappearing”. Also related to Moorcock’s work, the song “The Wheel Of The Law” is called.

• Lorien (Spain). The song “The Island Of The Dragon” (“Dragon Island” is an epithet of Melnibone) from the album “Secrets Of The Elder” (2002).

• Magnum (UK). The song "Stormbringer", included in the albums "Vintage" (2002) and "Kingdom of Madness".

• Mekong Delta (Germany). The song "Heros Grief" from the album "Mekong Delta" (1987), dedicated to Elric.

• Mournblade (UK). The group is named after Stormbringer's twin sword ("Blade of Sorrow").

• M. T. Wizzard (Germany). The song “The Flowers Of Bannon Brae” (“Flowers from Bannon Brae”, mentioned in the poetic fragments of the novel “Rose’s Revenge”, 1991) from the album “Berlin-Instanbul”

• Necronomicon (Germany). The song "Stormbringer" from the album of the same name (2004).

• Panacea (Germany). The song "Stormbringer" from the album "Low Profile Darkness".

• Roanoke (USA). Half-hour composition "Stormbringer", released as a separate album (2005).

• Stuart Smith. Instrumental composition "Road to Melnibone" from the album "Heaven and Earth" (2005).

• Tanelorn. The group is named after the Eternal City of Tanelorn from Moorcock's works.

• Turmion Katiliot (Finland). Song "Stormbringer".

• Tygers of Pan Tang (UK). The group "Tigers of Pan-Tang") is named after the fighting tigers of Pan-Tang Island, a theocratic state from the Elric Saga. The song "Fireclown" ("Fire Clown" is the second title of the novel "The Winds of Limbo", 1969, and the name of its main character) from the album "Wild Cat" (1980). Perhaps some of the group's other compositions were inspired by Moorcock.

• Valensia (UK). The song "The Realm of Nature" from the album "Gaia II" (2000), apparently, was written based on the cycle about the Edge of Time.

• Yyrkoon (France). The group is named after Yyrkoon, Elric's cousin. Many of the band's songs are likely inspired by Moorcock; for example, "Elemental Storm]" and "Runic Art" from the album "Oniric Transition" (1998), "Stolen Souls" (probably based on the novel "Soul Stealer", 1971) and "Dying Sun" from the album "Dying Sun" ( 2002), "Temple Of Infinity" (possibly based on the novel "Rituals of Infinity", 1971) from the album "Unhealthy Opera" (2006).

• Zakas (USA). The song “Hounds of the Horn” (“Dogs of the Horn” - about Kerenos’ dogs from the second trilogy about Corum) from the album “Shunk Daddy Grind” (2001). On the cover of this album, as well as the album “Illegitimus Non Carborundum” (2003), are illustrations by Gerald Brom, respectively, of the Corum and Elric Sagas. In addition, many other illustrations for Moorcock’s books are associated with the work of this group (The Tree of Chaos, The Dogs of Kerenos, Foy-Miore, etc.).

• Boris Grebenshchikov and Aquarium (Russia). Only one song has an officially confirmed connection with Moorcock - “Misha from the City of Creaking Statues” (named after the City of Screaming Statues - the capital of Pan-Tang) from the album “Triangle” (1981). Boris Grebenshchikov is also recognized in connection with the work of Moorcock's album "Hyperborea", as well as indirectly influencing many other songs. Some researchers believe that, in addition to obvious Christian allusions, the title of the album, “Songs of the Fisherman,” may be associated with the wandering fisherman god Rinn from the Corum cycle.

• Scarlet Archer (Kaliningrad). Songs "Soldier of Tanelorn" and "Tanelorn must be...". In addition, the Scarlet Archer is the author of many other works, parodies, games and jokes based on Moorcock, and also actively participates in the work of the Tanelorn website (http://moorcock.narod.ru/), dedicated to creativity Moorcock.

• Andrey Markelov (Russia). Instrumental composition “Black Sword”.

• Illet (Russia). The song “Eternal Warrior” from the album “Wolf Sun” (2000).

• Laura Moskovskaya (Russia). The song “Sword of Sorrow” (same as Sword of Sorrow) from the album “Witch” (2000).

• Loriel (Russia). The songs “Under the Unkind Sun”, “Lullaby to the Hero” and “Shari”, the lyrics of which were included in the collection of poems “The Edge of the Great Crystal”. In addition, the music for the first two songs was written by Mara, the Guardian of the Tanelorn website.

• Martiel (Russia). The song “In Search of Tanelorn” (after the title of the last novel in the Hawkmoon series). In addition, there is her own parody of the same music, as well as a parody song by Assidi - “In Search of Zucchini” - which retains allusions to Moorcock.

• Nella (Kaliningrad). The song “With Fire and Sword”, dedicated to Elric.

• Prince Corum (Russia). Instrumental album “Lords of Swords” (based on the first trilogy about Corum), including several compositions.

• Roman Shebalin and Nav (Russia). The suite “The Stones of Crag-Don” (based on the trilogy about Corum “The Silver Hand”), the composition “Lullaby for Corum”, as well as the composition “The Land of the End Time” (in addition to the possible connection of the name with the Edge of Time, the text is a list of names in the spirit Eternal Warrior, including the names of Moorcock's characters: Corum, Munglum, Oswald, Hawkmoon), the backing track of which was included in the album “Favorite Days in the Life and Death of King Haggard” (2002). In addition, many of “Navi’s” performances are accompanied by quotes from “The Edge of Time,” and Roman Shebalin is the author of crossover works with great allusions to Moorcock - “The Saga of Folco of Ea, or DND on DB” and “The Book of the Echidna of the White Flame.”

• Yuri Melisov and Epidemic (Russia). The song “At the Edge of Time” from the album of the same name (1999), as well as the rock opera “Elven Manuscript” (2004) and, in particular, the song “Eternal Warrior”. In addition, the song “Life in Twilight” from the album of the same name (2005), according to Yuri Melisov, was written about Limbo.

There are also “purple” parodies of various authors (Scarlet Archer, Assidi, Vadim Rumyantsev, Werther de Goethe, Loving Chaos, May Minstrell; most of them are regular visitors to the Tanelorn site and forum) on well-known and not so well-known songs.

see also

Links

• Michael Moorcock Official Website

Multiverses by Michael Moorcock. Interview for Radio Liberty

16.12.2009 21:00

Anna Aslanyan (London), Dmitry Volchek

Dmitry Volchek: The issue of Over the Barriers was prepared for the 70th birthday of Michael Moorcock, a writer who has a great many fans in Russia. Moorcock began to be published in Russian in 1990, and the list of his books published since then takes up seven pages in the Ozon online store. This list, of course, does not take into account underground Soviet publications - in the early 80s I read the saga about the adventures of the albino prince Elric, Moorcock’s most famous hero, in samizdat translations, and I well remember the scarlet covers of these homemade typewritten brochures, which were somewhere my classmate, who was fond of science fiction, was bothering me. Moorcock's bibliography includes almost a hundred works, most of them addressed to teenagers, but British critics note not only his achievements in genre literature: the book “London, My Love,” for example, was included in the list of the best novels published this year in the London Times written over the past 60 years. Angela Carter defined Moorcock's work as: “giant theatrical performance about the struggle between good and evil.” Speaking about the secret of his success, she came to the conclusion that “it’s all about hard work, enthusiasm and high writing speed.” Moorcock himself claims that better times he produced up to 15,000 words daily. Freedom correspondent Anna Aslanyan met with Michael Moorcock in Paris and first of all asked how he managed to write so many books.

Anna Aslanyan: Is such super-performance possible?

Michael Moorcock: I grew up around authors—mostly light fiction authors—who could write at such speed. And there was nothing so unusual about it - no, seriously. I also knew writers who could finish a book in two days. I remember I also said: in fact, it takes two days, but another third is needed to polish everything properly. However, I have never re-read any of those books—not even once. Somehow, you know, it’s boring... I actually don’t particularly like genre literature. It’s a strange situation – I don’t read fantasy at all. We are talking here, of course, about genre books: thrillers, fantasy - in a word, some separate genre. But the genre as such doesn’t really appeal to me. I'm interested in the stage when the book is just beginning to take shape; even before it takes shape in a certain genre; when the thing itself is just trying to fit into some genre. And it’s also interesting when satire of a genre comes into play, in one form or another; that is, when the result is something completely different - a book dedicated to the genre itself. Take the Western, for example. You know the movie “Blazing Saddles”, it’s a parody of a Western; I liked him. Although I actually like westerns in general, so this is a bad example - the western is probably the only genre I like, so... But I don't like detective stories. If I have written detective novels, they have always been either comic - again, a parody of the form - or they have somehow used the form as a kind of, well, intellectual joke or something.

Anna Aslanyan: You have often emphasized how important structure is to a book, once remarking that “morality and structure are inextricably linked.” Do you have any rules about this?

Michael Moorcock: In all my books, there is some kind of mathematics behind the structure - my own invention. If I tried to explain this to anyone, it would probably seem like some kind of madness. Why, I tried it once, and it seemed so to me. Structure - according to at least, in some cases - I define it this way: first you need to decide which number to take as a basis and which units of measurement to use in individual parts of the book. Usually I decided in advance how many words there would be in the book, and how to divide this number into chapters. So, in the novel “London, my love” (Mother London), if I remember correctly, there... yes, everything is divided into six and twelve: each chapter has six or twelve thousand words.

Anna Aslanyan: I would never have guessed - it would never have occurred to me to start counting them.

Michael Moorcock: Yes, I didn’t even expect that you would start! This is my own way, this is not for the reader - you see, I don’t expect anything like that from the reader. The last thing I would want is for the reader to begin exploring the book in this way. All I try to do is create as much of a sense of spontaneity as possible. You see, art is not spontaneous; well, yes, certain elements of it, maybe... But you can’t just take it and throw it all out on paper – at least I can’t do that.

Anna Aslanyan: So you're trying to put yourself in a straitjacket to avoid the danger of getting too carried away?

Michael Moorcock: A person who is naturally inclined towards romanticism - if, like me, he is drawn to romance - there is a lot of all sorts of material inside, and everything is boiling... You have to restrain it - of course, otherwise something huge, shapeless will spill out. At least that’s how it seems to me – not everyone experiences this.

Anna Aslanyan: Many people switch to another language in such situations. For example, Samuel Beckett began writing in French for the sake of greater rigor. In English - and the point here is not that Beckett knew it better - you allow yourself much more. They say that writing in English is like walking barefoot, but in French there is no such freedom: you always wear shoes, and tightly laced ones.

Michael Moorcock: Well, you know, this is a very individual matter. This is what I meant when I said that on paper such reasoning looks crazy. I know - I tried, and indeed, there is a feeling of complete madness if you try to explain something like this. In fact, what a difference! In my opinion, there are writers - and among them there are wonderful writers - for whom the romantic spirit is difficult. They, in fact, admire romance and strive for it with all their might. In a sense, they are already in a straitjacket. I don’t at all object to the straitjacket, I don’t want to say that it’s bad - it’s a question of personality, character. But since they already have a straitjacket on, they try to break out of it. But for me - as, I suppose, for most of my writer friends - the situation is different: you try to find a straitjacket that fits you, one that will fit what you are trying to say.

Anna Aslanyan: I try, but I can’t imagine a writer who was born in a straitjacket. Do you have any examples?

Michael Moorcock: I think that was the case with Angela [Carter]. In my opinion, Angela was drawn to romance and admired it. But at the same time, her last works, where she chose topics much more ordinary than in her earlier books, were in some sense the best. This is not what I mean at all... I love her books, I loved Angela - the point here is not at all that it is better, which is worse... As far as I can judge, among my acquaintances the writers, those who praised me - you know , I don’t want to say that I am worthy of praise, but they themselves expressed it - among them there are many representatives of the so-called social literature. Angus Wilson, for example... I once told Angus Wilson that I was writing a social novel, and he was horrified. He persuaded me: quit this occupation, go back to your people... at that time I was writing books about Jerry Cornelius. So, he said: why should you step on the throat of your own song! I really admired Angus Wilson. And in general, I read much more social books than... how can I put it here... romantic literature.