The Best of Michael Moorcock, the Best of Kirby, and, er, Wicked Plants
UPDATE: Review in the Guardian, which reads in part, “The author’s compassion for his fellow humans comes through in every story, from the wrenching study of a mad rock star’s long-suffering girlfriend in ‘The Opium General’ to a gentle vignette of sword and sorcery hero Elric in ‘A Portrait in Ivory’. A long-overdue retrospective.”
The cover, and interior detail, from Tachyon’s The Best of Michael Moorcock, edited by John Davey with assistance from Ann and me. As I discuss in the afterword, it’s nearly impossible to do a 150,000-word best-of for Mike’s short fiction, but we were helped out by Del Rey’s Elric series. It seemed ridiculous to reproduce much Elric material, given that series. So think of this as the best of Moorcock mostly minus Elric–but including a lot of his best mainstream and non-series material–that makes a nice volume to sit alongside the Del Rey volumes. I really love much of the less fantastical stuff, too. Only thing I would’ve wanted to include is “Casablanca,” but it was way too long, and not truly part of the core World War III cycle, since it’s a prequel. John Coulthart did the brilliant interior design.
A couple additional really cool books below…
’scuse my gnarly thumb
April 30, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Really looking forward to the Moorcock book.
April 30, 2009 at 11:07 pm
Got the shipping notice on the Moorcock book this afternoon from Amazon. Should be here tomorrow afternoon. Looking forward to this, as I plan on finishing the final two volumes in the Pyat Quartet this weekend.
April 30, 2009 at 11:53 pm
Moorcock’s “Wizardry & Wild Romance” is also worth a look (non-fiction). IIRC, you have an essay in there too?
May 1, 2009 at 6:46 am
Re: Wizardry and Wild Romance, Jeff did indeed write a short piece for a recent edition. I have a copy of it.
May 1, 2009 at 7:02 am
ok, ok ,ok, i feel like i’ve stumbled upon some kind of secret enclave or fellowship, is there some kind of special handshake i have to learn or an initiation i have to go through…..got some reading/catching up to do, me thinks……i’ve only got your shriek book and am currently halfway through it, but boy, ohboyohboyohboy thankyou so much for writing something so brilliant….
peace and love…..
btw, is there somewhere here in australia that sells your books or do i have to get them over from the usa?
May 1, 2009 at 8:06 am
Thanks for the kind comment about Shriek. Re Australia–it’s been awhile since I’ve had a novel out, so my books may be hard to find there right now. That should change after Finch is released.
Er, no secret society, and no initiation, even though some, like Larry, apparently think that might include tape, grapes, and power bars.
May 1, 2009 at 10:36 am
And the singing of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” while one is ducttaped to a pole with grapes and power bars attached. Not that anything of this sort happened while I was at UT Knoxville *whistles innocently*
May 1, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Oh man! I gotta have the Moorcock book! The cover for it is sooooooo sharp!
May 1, 2009 at 4:56 pm
My copy just arrived. Beautiful as the cover is, the book just “feels” right when I hold it. So many choices to read now! Good thing I’m sick again and it’s the weekend, as I guess I can just read them all, no? :D
May 1, 2009 at 5:00 pm
Cool! Er, not the sick thing. :(
Feel free to hoist us by our petards on the story selection. But, see my afterword first. :)
May 1, 2009 at 5:50 pm
I shall…in all aspects ;) Of course, I highly doubt one of my favorite Moorcock characters, Pyat, could make a full appearance considering the nature of his stories, but I shall read with interest the other stories this weekend. But now, it’s nap time before I debate whether or not to watch the Hawks-Heat game tonight. I’m spoiled after watching that Bulls-Celtics game last night.
May 3, 2009 at 8:58 pm
I will possess that Moorcock book if it costs me my eternal soul! Do have have to kill all the Melniboneans to get it, or can I just get it off Amazon? Either way is fine.