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purplecatI was interested to read a passing comment in one of ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
parrot_knights recent posts that he is currently reading Michael Moorcock's "The Dancers at the End of Time" sequence. I am also doing this prompted by a review of his work that appeared in SFX last year. I previously read one of his Elric novels but remember absolutely nothing about it at all beyond that it had Elric in it (well *duh*) and that I found the ending vaguely unsatisfying and open ended. "The Hollow Lands" is the second book in the sequence after "An Alien Heart" which I read earlier this year, before I started this blog.
The Hollow Lands suffers, I think, from middle-of-trilogy-itis. We have already been introduced to the world and set-up in the first book and so the *gosh wow* of it all has worn off rather. Moreover, it has to be said that in world-building terms, the End of Time is not all that intricate. By the end of "An Alien Heart" we've pretty much seen all there is to see of society at the end of time. There are some tantalising hints in "The Hollow Lands" of revelations about the power rings and a visit to one of the "Rotten Cities" but no more - any revelation or further exploration presumably being delayed until book three. Obviously the first book in a trilogy also has the problem of open-endings, but An Alien Heart managed this much better, finishing at a point that allowed the book to stand alone in its own right while at the same time portraying an entertaining and imaginative future and contrasting it nicely with 19th century morals and social mores. The Hollow Land seems to just tread water a bit, covering the same ground again, re-iterating its themes and moving the characters forward a little, but not a great deal.
I think the SFX recommendation also used the word "lyrical" or something similar - although I can't find it to check. In his introduction Moorcock compares the sequence to the "inspired dandyism" of Wilde, Beardsley and others. On the whole I think Moorock is the better judge of his work here. I'm not at all sure I'd describe it as lyrical, but it is witty and playful and The Hollow Lands has a particularly inspired set piece in chapter seventeen which I won't spoil here, but is well worth the reading.
I'll save commenting on the sequence as a whole until I've read the final novel, but so far its been entertaining, thought-provoking in a way, and generally well-written so I don't object to having purchased it (although, I have to agree with Bill that its not good enough to merit two copies - I failed to check before ordering it whether we had a copy already).
parrot_knights recent posts that he is currently reading Michael Moorcock's "The Dancers at the End of Time" sequence. I am also doing this prompted by a review of his work that appeared in SFX last year. I previously read one of his Elric novels but remember absolutely nothing about it at all beyond that it had Elric in it (well *duh*) and that I found the ending vaguely unsatisfying and open ended. "The Hollow Lands" is the second book in the sequence after "An Alien Heart" which I read earlier this year, before I started this blog. The Hollow Lands suffers, I think, from middle-of-trilogy-itis. We have already been introduced to the world and set-up in the first book and so the *gosh wow* of it all has worn off rather. Moreover, it has to be said that in world-building terms, the End of Time is not all that intricate. By the end of "An Alien Heart" we've pretty much seen all there is to see of society at the end of time. There are some tantalising hints in "The Hollow Lands" of revelations about the power rings and a visit to one of the "Rotten Cities" but no more - any revelation or further exploration presumably being delayed until book three. Obviously the first book in a trilogy also has the problem of open-endings, but An Alien Heart managed this much better, finishing at a point that allowed the book to stand alone in its own right while at the same time portraying an entertaining and imaginative future and contrasting it nicely with 19th century morals and social mores. The Hollow Land seems to just tread water a bit, covering the same ground again, re-iterating its themes and moving the characters forward a little, but not a great deal.
I think the SFX recommendation also used the word "lyrical" or something similar - although I can't find it to check. In his introduction Moorcock compares the sequence to the "inspired dandyism" of Wilde, Beardsley and others. On the whole I think Moorock is the better judge of his work here. I'm not at all sure I'd describe it as lyrical, but it is witty and playful and The Hollow Lands has a particularly inspired set piece in chapter seventeen which I won't spoil here, but is well worth the reading.
I'll save commenting on the sequence as a whole until I've read the final novel, but so far its been entertaining, thought-provoking in a way, and generally well-written so I don't object to having purchased it (although, I have to agree with Bill that its not good enough to merit two copies - I failed to check before ordering it whether we had a copy already).