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Moorcock's alternative histories were infinitely better than all that "Harry Turtledove" junk, that's for sure.
 
OK the first batch of answers are in and SK is prepping the followups so speak up now or forever hold your peace.

Make them as general or specific as you want (I've passed along a few more general ones for him to ask).
 
Gleaned from Michael Moorcock and the www.multiverse.org Site:

Michael Moorcock's 'final' Elric and Eternal Champion novel came out this summer, The White Wolf's Son (June 2005), Which about wraps it up for Elric (and possibly Mike's adventures in Fantasy?). His fourth Colonel Pyat novel, The Vengeance of Rome, comes out in January, 2006. He's working on several projects, especially, a book about Mervyn and Maeve Peake, which sounds very interesting.

Mike doesn't seem to be a big believer in things Fortean, but telepathy in some form, or another, crops up as a motif in both, Mother London (1988) and King of the City (2000), both fairly serious novels, so might be worth asking Mike about?

Mike's been around long enough to have been friends with, or the editor of writers like, Brian Aldiss, JG Ballard, Philip K. Dick, Harlan Ellison, John Brunner, Thomas M. Disch, William Burroughs, Storm Constantine and many more. New Worlds Magazine, was only one of a string of comics, short story mags (Tarzan, Sexton Blake, etc.) and fanzines Mike was involved in. Before he turned seriously to writing he was a serious fan. :)

Music wise he's been around since the days of the trad jazz and R&B revivals, back when it mattered in London. Hawkwind and the Deep Fix are only a small part of his musical history. Back in the heyday of 'Swinging London' the pop elite were reading New Worlds. Mick Jagger turned down the chance of playing Jerry Cornelius in a movie version of The Final Programme (1965), to be made by the Performance (1968) team, because it was too freaky!

Some more background stuff:
http://www.multiverse.org/content-58.html
http://mike.whybark.com/archives/000644.html

There's been serious interest and options bought, by Universal, on an Elric movie:
http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hp&cf=prev&id=1808502990
http://www.multiverse.org/forum29.html
These things take serious time.

Don't ask Mike about Grant Morrison! :twisted:

AM. :)
 
I think maybe in some short stories he touched on things like pyrokinesis, alien abduction, time travel, probably a few other vaguely Fortean topics.
 
It would be hard to avoid some Fortean phenomena while writing sci-fi and fantasy, especially considering his output. But I can write about Christianity without believing ...
;)
 
Nearly forgot to mention this programme, about British SF, on BBC Radio4! :shock:

Imagining Albion (Prog. 3, of 4)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/imaginingalbion/pip/jgive/
Monday 10 July 2006 0:15-0:45 (Radio 4 FM)

Francis Spufford charts the history of Britain through its Science Fiction. Francis won't quite be arguing that every starship in British SF is a milkfloat in disguise, but the diversity of ideas in British SF means that these novels do give startling alternative snapshots of Britain down the years. Science Fiction has always been a genre of ideas, and so, contrary to its escapist image, can provide a hugely evocative record of the time in which it was written.

In the work of HG Wells, therefore, we find Fabian dreams of a future without poverty, nightmares about overpopulation and dark eugenic designs; in Huxley, a fascination with intelligence, and how it can be achieved; in Iain M Banks, curious echoes of the benign Wilson-era Britain in which the author grew up. This series features some of the biggest names in British Science Fiction, past and present, including Arthur C Clarke.

In the 1960s, JG Ballard and Michael Moorcock rebelled against the rocket dreams of much contemporary science fiction, and chose instead to explore 'inner space' - the darker recesses of the human soul. Francis charts the relationship between science fiction and rebellious counterculture from its earliest days.

Listen Again:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/shows/rpms/radio4/imagining_albion.ram

Pedantic Note:
Well worth a listen, but Jerry Cornelius first turned up in 1965 NOT 1968!
 
Michael Moorcock talks to Alan Moore about London

This may be of interest to fans of Michael Moorcock, Alan Moore and, or, London.
Michael Moorcock said:
http://www.multiverse.org/fora/showthread.php?p=159655#post159655

Moorcock's Miscellany. 04-02-2009

While you're here -- just to let people know that Alan Moore and I will be having one of our conversations at The British Library, June 29th, 2009. I'm much looking forward to this.
And, from the British Library website.
http://www.bl.uk/whatson/events/event92528.html

Michael Moorcock and London

Mon 29 Jun 2009, 18.30 – 20.00

Conference Centre, British Library
Price: £6 / £4 concessions
Coming soon for 29 Jun 2009, 18.30 – 20.00


Michael Moorcock is one of the most popular and prolific writers in the English language, bringing vast literary invention to a host of genres. Best known for his fantasy and science fiction, he edited New Worlds from 1964 to 1980, making it into one of the truly important and experimental magazines of its time. Among his most acclaimed novels is Mother London, a triumph of the imagination delving deep into the multiplicity of London life. On a rare visit to the capital, the city and his relationship with its forms will comprise the core of the evening’s conversation.

Tickets for this event will go on sale at the start of May.

This event is part of The Story of London, a month long festival celebrating London’s past, present and future.

Please see below for other Story of London events at the British Library.

That Rose Red Empire: Hackney and London’s East End
Doctor Who? In search of Samuel Johnson
Southall: Music and Life

Could be v.good! :yeay:
 
I love The Final Programme.
It certainly has it's idiosyncrasies,but I find it terribly interesting.
I think it reminds us of the Avengers because the man who directed or producted it worked on the Avengers....? :)
 
I'll actually be in London, then. Not sure I want to carry around a bunch of Jerry Cornelius books to get them signed, though.
 
Anome_ said:
I'll actually be in London, then. Not sure I want to carry around a bunch of Jerry Cornelius books to get them signed, though.

I use Jerry Cornelius as an online identity occasionaly. Would love to see The Final Programme on a big screen.
 
Anome_ said:
I'll actually be in London, then. Not sure I want to carry around a bunch of Jerry Cornelius books to get them signed, though.
You could always bring your favourite. :)
 
I'd always recommend Moorcock. Do you want to start with just one, like a taster?
 
Haha, reminds me of the time I asked my then boyfriend if he'd ever read a Lovecraft book. He thought I was impugning his sexual competence bless him, for a few seconds anyway, till he remembered what a geek I was.

As for Moorcock, I would highly recommend The Black Corridor, since it's the only book by him I've ever really liked. Unless you think you'll like all the "Carnaby Street in the year 5000" stuff he churned out in the 60s, personally I feel it's dated horribly, and I read a lot of old SF. The Black Corridor is an excellent study of a man's breakdown in the face of solitude.
 
I'd suggest, Behold the Man it's one of his non-series novels, about a time traveller to the Holy Land circa 30 AD....

The Elric of Melibone, novels are as good as place as any to start with his fantasy novels, thought I prefer the Chronicles of Corum.

If you want to try the Jerry Cornelius Novels, start with "The Final Programme" or you won't have clue what's going on.

He's also written three steam-punkish/parallel universe stories, The Warlord of the Air, The Land Leviathan, and The Steel Tsar.
 
Or, you could try his London novels, especially, 'Mother London'. Not science fiction, but a truly great tale of the city, told through the interconnected lives and relationships of some of its inhabitants,

:yeay:
 
Timble2 said:
I'd suggest, Behold the Man it's one of his non-series novels, about a time traveller to the Holy Land circa 30 AD....

The Elric of Melibone, novels are as good as place as any to start with his fantasy novels, thought I prefer the Chronicles of Corum.

If you want to try the Jerry Cornelius Novels, start with "The Final Programme" or you won't have clue what's going on.

He's also written three steam-punkish/parallel universe stories, The Warlord of the Air, The Land Leviathan, and The Steel Tsar.

Great suggestions.

Esp the steam punk. I also use Oswald Bastable as an online identity.
 
Timble2 said:
If you want to try the Jerry Cornelius Novels, start with "The Final Programme" or you won't have clue what's going on.
Some might contend even if you start with The Final Programme you won't have a clue what's going on.
 
Oh!

Give me `Dancers at the end of Time` any day

but all his stuffs enjoyable, seldom great, but almost always a good story
 
Kondoru said:
Give me `Dancers at the end of Time` any day

Loved that trilogy, but loved the Corum books even more. Anyone remember the quote from "The Only Autumn Flower"? Damn those rascally Mabden!

And the Dorian Hawkmoon series? Baron Meliadus of Kroiden?

Moorcock is great. He was virtually all that I read during my teenage years. :D
 
Just a heads up, to let everybody know that Michael Moorcock is doing some signings to tie in with the publishing of his new Doctor Who novel, 'The Coming of the Terraphiles', starting on Sunday.
http://www.multiverse.org/?q=node/195

Doctor Who: The Coming of the Terraphiles by Michael Moorcock is published by BBC Books on 14th October 2010, £16.99

Sunday 17 October

Cheltenham Festival

4-5pm The Inkpot, Imperial Gardens, Cheltenham – British sci-fi panel event with Iain M Banks, Gwyneth Jones and China Miéville
6-7pm Town Hall, Cheltenham – talk and signing

For tickets, please visit http://cheltenhamfestivals.com/

Tuesday 19 October

Signing

6.30pm Waterstone’s Manchester Deansgate

91 Deansgate
Manchester M3 2BW

For further details, please call 0843 290 8485

Thursday 21 October

Signing

6-7pm Forbidden Planet, London Megastore, Shaftesbury Avenue

179 Shaftesbury Avenue
London WC2H 8JR

For further details, please call 0207 803 1900

...
The book's been getting some quite decent reviews. There's even one on 'Den of Geek'.
http://www.denofgeek.com/comics/632799/doctor_who_the_coming_of_the_terraphiles_book_review.html
 
There's a nice interview with writer, Hari Kunzru, talking to Michael Moorcock, at home, in Texas, on the Guardian website, at the moment.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/feb/04/michael-moorcock-hari-kunzru

There's a link to the full (8000 word) interview, on Hari Kunzru's website, too.

http://harikunzru.com/archive/interview-michael-moorcock-2010

It's a really excellent interview with Mike and also covers quite a bit of modern British SF history.

Apparently, the interview is also in print, in today's Guardian Review section. :yeay:
 
Bit late, but there's an event at the British Library, on the 21st of June, an evening with Michael Moorcock, Brian Aldiss, John Clute and Norman Spinrad. All mainstays of the 'New Worlds SF (science, or speculative, fiction) magazine, back in its heyday.

I can't make it to this gig, which makes me very sad. Should be worth the £7.50 for a ticket and no mistake.

More Details:
http://www.bl.uk/eccles/events.html#ootw
 
Thanks for posting that, Pietro.
I might be interested in that.
 
I'm kind of disappointed I can't make it. £7.50 isnquite reasonable, but the A$2000 minimum to get there and back again make it unlikely.

If only it were nearer UnCon, when I was going to be there anyway.
 
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