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SFReader Forums > Book, Magazine, and eZine Publishers > Flashing Swords > New Michael Moorcock Article

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jonesha
Forum Moderator

Date Joined Jun 2004
Total Posts : 655

Posted 9/3/2005 6:52 AM (GMT -4)

Hello all,

I've just posted an overview of one of Michael Moorcock's first characters, Sojan Shieldbearer, written by S.C. Bryce.

I'd hoped to post more this week, but I am out of time! I'm readying the next issue of Flashing Swords, struggling like mad to check over the copyedits on almost a half million words for the first two Harold Lamb reprints, and devote time to my actual day job... Oh, and my family, somewhere.

Hope you are all well.

best,
Howard

Managing Editor
www.swordandsorcery.org
Flashing Swords E-Zine

Jay Stevol
Neophyte

Date Joined May 2005
Total Posts : 154

Posted 9/3/2005 3:27 PM (GMT -4)

Interesting article. Unfortunately it only confirms my lukewarm feelings about Moorcock as a so-called great fantasy writer. I was never overly impressed with Moorcock's earlier S&S; the Elric stories, for instance, I found extremely overrated and suffering from many of the flaws that seems to have appeared in his earliest work. "Fight sequences and plot lines suffer from logical leaps, an excess of convenience or "luck," and abrupt endings."

I don't deny that his later work was very good, and he has never suffered from lack of imagination. But in terms of sheer, basic storytelling prowess, I think Moorcock in his early years couldn't hold a candle to other young S&S writers, most especially Howard, whom Moorcock claims to be a somewhat average writer.

AndyBow
Acolyte

Date Joined May 2005
Total Posts : 267

Posted 9/3/2005 4:31 PM (GMT -4)

SC, thanks for the review on Sojan. I had not heard of this before. The tales also came out as a separate book by itself titled, simply, SOJAN and was published in Britain. I guess I missed the British version when it came out in the 70s. I just ordered this British version from Abebooks.com.

It sounds like it may be a pastiche of Burroughs' sword&planet tales, which would not be unusual since other well-known writers also wrote pastiches early in their career. If it is a pastiche of Burroughs, it might explain in part the issues you raise, Jay, since some of those issues could also be attributed to Burroughs to some degree. For me, however, these "flaws" are what add a sense of appeal and fascination to the tales.

By the way, SC, the last paragraph in this review is one that was left over from your previous review of the Elric Saga. Did you have a concluding paragraph that should have been there instead?

Thanks again, SC.

Andy Beau,
columnist of Forgotten Stories of Fantastic Sword-fighters @
www.swordandsorcery.org

SC Bryce
Aspiring Hammock Tester

Date Joined Jan 2005
Total Posts : 1089

Posted 9/3/2005 5:07 PM (GMT -4)

Thanks for bringing to attention the coding issue with the last paragraph. You're right that it's from the Elric article.

The Sojan stories have been collected outside Elric at the End of Time. I mentioned that work in particular because it seems to be the most readily available way to get the stories, at least in my neck of the woods, since it still appears in used bookstores and I've seen numerous copies available online.

SC Bryce

jonesha
Forum Moderator

Date Joined Jun 2004
Total Posts : 655

Posted 9/4/2005 5:09 AM (GMT -4)

That was completely my fault--I used the template for the Elric article and just slapped in the Sojan information, and somehow I missed that bottom sentence. It should be fine now.

best,
Howard

Managing Editor
www.swordandsorcery.org
Flashing Swords E-Zine

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