Jan 9, 2020

The Roads Between the Worlds (1964-66)

White Wolf 1996, Art: BROM

Around the mid-60s, Moorcock wrote and published a few pulp-oriented science fiction serials and novels to help pay for the expenses of running his more forward-looking SF magazine New Worlds. The appearance of some of these stories in the magazine also served to ease its more traditionally-minded readers into the more “avant-garde” stories of his highlighted contributors (among them J.G. Ballard, Brian Aldiss and Thomas Disch).

Originally unrelated, three of these dystopic tales were later collected in an omnibus edition titled The Roads Between the Worlds (1996), which includes The Wrecks of Time (1965), The Winds of Limbo (1965), and The Shores of Death (drastically rewritten from a 1964 story with the same name and initially published in 1966 as The Twilight Man). These novels develop a few common themes, one of them being the struggle between conservative and progressive ideologies. This theme is also present in the Eternal Champion fantasy books as the contest between Order and Chaos. As in that sequence, Moorcock suggests in these books that an equilibrium between the two extremes is the ideal position one should ultimately strive for.

One of the most interesting things about both the fantasy and science fiction books is that Moorcock’s characters often appear to be more open to self-examination than most genre heroes at that time. In the heroic fantasy novels, doomed heroes like the albino Elric may sometimes take this habit towards almost gothic levels, but in these three books the characters address the psychoses at hand in a somewhat more rationalized manner. In his introduction to The Roads Between the Worlds, Moorcock sees the myth-primal Law vs Chaos dichotomy reframed in these stories as the more sociological opposites of Reason vs Romance, or Skepticism and Faith. Just as there are patrons to Order or Chaos in Elric’s world, here the characters either have intuitive, self-indulgent mindsets or follow inhibited, over-rationalized doctrines.
Paperback Library 1967
“In those days, all I had was grotesque characters — the Fireclown was one, Faustaff in The Rituals of Infinity was another: large, colourful, life-affirming men. I believed very romantically in instinctive, non-calculating characters, and I’d offset those against the dull, conformist, mechanistic characters. These are very early things, they’re extensions of what I was doing with Elric: the debate between romanticism and realism. That debate still goes on. Josef Kiss and Faustaff or the Fireclown are not a hundred miles apart.“
   - Death Is No Obstacle (1992)


The Winds of Limbo (The Fireclown)
Sphere 1970, Bill Bolten
Originally planned as a serialized novel for New Worlds SF during John Carnell’s early 60s editorship, The Winds of Limbo ended up not being published until a few years later as a novel titled The Fireclown. Moorcock’s first book was an account of bohemian life (the lost The Hungry Dreamers), and his second was an allegorical fable (The Golden Barge). This book however focuses on political and sociological issues, using some of Benjamin Disraeli’s Coningsby as a plot template. Additionally, many of the portraits of the characters (and the mob as a whole) probably come from his brief employment around that time under the British Liberal Party as a writer of pamphlets and other texts.

IN BRIEF: When a mysterious character named the Fireclown begins spreading a message of rebellion against the technological status quo, his philosophy is co-opted by both politicians and the restless mob as a weapon to be used for their own ends. The conservative leader Simon Powys (later changed to “von Bek”) eventually identifies the Fireclown as a terrorist, but his grandson Alan Powys believes the Fireclown is innocent. Alan and his ex-lover Helen (and also Simon’s political rival) track down the Fireclown and learn that he is insane - but probably not actually a terrorist (Alan also learns that the Fireclown is his long-lost father). After discovering and infiltrating the real terrorists’ base in London, Alan learns that his grandfather Simon is their co-conspirator. In one of the final twists, the Fireclown returns to Earth and Alan must stop his mad father from using a “Time Fire” to wipe out the minds of all mankind.

Roc 1993, George Underwood
The portrayal of the Fireclown’s preaching and its effect on the masses effectively demonstrates how both politicians and the mob co-opt simple social messages and platitudes in order to further their own more petty agendas. The narrative also demonstrates the fickle nature of these political and social forces, as they thrash about from stance to stance and scapegoat to scapegoat. Aside from a few wondrous scenes aboard the Fireclown’s spaceship (and one aboard a kind of weird Scientology-inspired spacestation), for the most part this dynastic story of three generations of men takes place in an urban environment not much different than that of the present. This nicely distinguishes Alan from Moorcock’s heroic fantasy and allegorical protagonists, as he is essentially a civil servant (although this aspect somewhat make the secret agent episode in London a bit of a stretch). Alan’s openness to entertain the various viewpoints presented to him also make him a refreshing and sympathetic character.

Thematically speaking, the Fireclown’s essential argument – that worship of technology has removed society from its true nature - seems to recommend passivity over progress, which could be seen as a version of the Law vs Chaos concept found in the Eternal Champion books. Alan skillfully defends a more moderate and balanced approach, although in the end he has to resort to violence in order to save mankind. Despite his seeming incineration at the end of the book, the Fireclown character will return in the Dancers at the End of Time book The Transformation of Miss Mavis Ming.

Detailed Synopsis

Wikiverse Entry


The Wrecks of Time (The Rituals of Infinity)

New Worlds 156
Initially appearing over three installments in New Worlds (#156-158, Nov 1965 to Jan 1966), The Wrecks of Time was first published in book form in 1967.

IN BRIEF: The narrative opens with a portly scientist/government-agent named Faustaff driving across the desert of an alternate Earth. He casually picks up a nubile young hitchhiker and encounters a suspicious foreign tourist at a diner. Despite this 60s opening vibe, the premise soon opens out into a multi-dimensional war for the survival of mankind. It is revealed that scientists have discovered a way to travel to several parallel Earths using advanced technology. However these parallel Earths are in various stages of decrepitude, and worse yet, are being systematically destroyed by “D-squads”, (Demolition squads). Faustaff heads a secret organization which counters the terrorist attacks of the D-squads on all of the various Earths. When Earth-15 falls to the encroachment of chaos, he is forced to temporarily ally himself with the outlaw “salvagers”, who loot doomed planets as they are being destroyed. At the same time Faustaff is pursued by Steifflomeis and Maggy, two mysterious androids. After Earth-1 erupts into nuclear war, Faustaff and his allies find refuge in the newly-formed Earth-0, where Faustaff fights off the forces of creation itself to finally meet the greater powers behind the D-squads, androids and parallel Earths, and finds a way to halt the cycle of planetary destruction/creation.

The Wrecks of Time unfolds somewhat like a sci-fi spy story but with parallel worlds standing in for exotic locations. However, the landscapes of these parallel Earths are much more desolate than those found in spy movies, as they had been inspired by the author's childhood amongst the blasted landscapes of post WW II Europe. Aside from the further development of the “multiverse” construct established in The Sundered Worlds, this book also presents a fascinating final explanation of the purpose of these parallel Earths. The motivations behind the godlike Principals are fairly unique in my reading.

Roc 1994, James Cawthorn
Although Faustaff is patterned after many scientist-heroes of the past, he is refreshingly urbane compared to the fantasy heroes of Moorcock’s literary corpus up to this point. Faustaff is a very likable character who has an honest respect for humanity and the preservation of life, which is a nice variation on the typical hard-boiled type. The pleasure-seeking androids Steifflomeis and Maggy also serve as mysterious, "exotic" elements, and their wanting existences help to demonstrate the pros and cons of immortality through artificial bodies. An even more melancholy and resigned form of these artificial “free agents” can be found in the partially-human Mr. Take in The Shores of Death (and its reboot, The Twilight Man).

Finally, the pointed verbal antics of Cardinal Orelli and Steifflomeis seem to look forward to the dastardly diatribes of certain Dark Empire characters from the later Hawkmoon books. The revised version of The Wrecks of Time renames Steifflomeis as Klosterheim (from The War Hound and the World’s Pain) and Gordon Ogg as Gordon Begg (a relation of sorts to Von Bek family of same). In my initial encounter with this book as a paperback, I had actually envisioned Steifflomeis more as Prince Gaynor and Cardinal Orelli as Klosterheim, but then we wouldn't have had an almost self-satirizing duel between an Eternal Champion and a Klosterheim over a Grail cup in the third act. It’s a pity there are no further accounts of Faustaff’s adventures in Moorcock’s bibliography (as of yet), but the way the novel ends is probably satisfying enough.

Detailed Synopsis 

Wikiverse Entry


The Twilight Man (The Shores of Death)
Sphere 1970, Bill Bolten

The Shores of Death
The two-part serial published in New Worlds #144 and 145 (Sept-Dec 1964) titled The Shores of Death is not included in The Roads Between the Worlds, but since its "rebooted" form is, it's interesting to consider this initial version first.

New Worlds 145, Robert Tilley
IN BRIEF: In the 30th Century, Earth learns that it will be destroyed in 200 years by an approaching “exploding galaxy”. Fortunately, benevolent aliens arrive with plans to create a device which will move the Earth out of harm’s way. Former First Citizen of Earth Clovis Marca, however, is more interested in guaranteeing his own immortality and goes into space searching for a legendary (but notorious) scientist. However, once Marca has his wish granted, he learns that the price he has paid for perpetual personal salvation has doomed the rest of humanity.

Despite having a kind of bleak, ironic ending, some of the whimsical escapades in the early part of this story point toward a kind of absurdist social satire later perfected in the Dancers at the End of Time stories. For example, despite the doomsday scenario at hand, Earth’s greatest minds are happy to merely offer up a somewhat frivolous “We are here!” memorial message into space. Additionally, the momentous arrival of the alien Shreelians leads to an oddly casual conversation scene taking place at a social party. At the end of Part 1 the Earth is apparently saved, but the “hero” subsequently abandons the planet in seeming hysterics. At the end of Part 2, the somewhat abrupt ending caused some readers to wonder if there were a missing 3rd part to the story (none had been planned). It’s basically a pretty nihilistic ending, unusual for Moorcock at this time.

The Shores of Death 1964 Detailed Synopsis

Wikiverse Entry

The Twilight Man (The Shores of Death)

Berkley 1970, Richard Powers
In 1966 Moorcock published The Twilight Man, a novel which used The Shores of Death serial as a jumping off point (perhaps in the same way that The Fireclown had used Coningsby). Although sometimes cited as a rewrite, it’s also a reboot of The Shores of Death, as the tone and plot diverge in a few key areas.

IN BRIEF: After aliens halt the rotation of the earth, a sterilized humanity realizes it has only 200 years left to exist. Various social groups express their despair through different means: some distract themselves in parties, some build memorials, some start death cults and some begin accruing personal power. Former council leader Clovis Becker refuses to become involved in the brewing conflicts and finds refuge in the company of a lover named Fastina. When violence shatters his neutral existence, the mysterious Take whisks Becker and Fastina to Becker’s isolated family fortress in the twilight area of the Earth. Despite Take's warnings of danger, Becker eventually tracks down the mad scientist Orlando Sharvis. Sharvis grants Becker's request and makes him immortal. Sharvis is also able to restore reproductive potency to Becker and Fastine, saving mankind from extinction. However Becker can no longer feel sensation or emotion in his new immortal form.

The Twilight Man (titled The Shores of Death in the omnibus but referred to by its alternate title here for clarity) has a more evenly sober tone than The Shores of Death and takes pains to eliminate the more outlandish satire scattered throughout Shores. The bird-like alien Shreelians no longer appear, less continuous partying is described and outlaw bohemian colonies on other planets are no longer present. The parties that do occur are painted less hedonistically, and are depicted more as nihilistic activities to distract the participants from their dead future.

Roc 1993, George Underwood
Elements that remain are re-framed as the desperate last gasps of an imploding society, and the narrative is generally shot through with more explicit brutality and violence. The rousing space message of “We are Here!” becomes a more sheepish “We are here”. Disturbing episodes of civil unrest and petty despotism appear (rather than merely noted) in the form of the bloody conflicts between the Brotherhood of Guilt and Andros’ vigilante militia, and Andros becomes much more of an active “villain” figure in Twilight. Surprisingly, Twilight ends with salvation for mankind’s future, whereas Shores had ended on a note of extinction and chaos.

Both versions however place a high price on immortality gained through artificial bodies. This theme is also explored in The Wrecks of Time, which explores the ramifications of what a “sensation-poor” android body could lead to. There the androids Steifflomeis and Maggy seek out means by which to experience true pleasure (Steifflomeis in that book in particular is a conceptual cousin to the pessimistic Take in Shores and Twilight, as both seek release). Another immortality-cursed character in Shores/Twilight is Alodios the poet, who suffers his immortality in state of timeless catatonia. This kind of mental void had been somewhat touched upon in the Time Fire of The Fireclown, described there as Manny Bloom’s solution to eliminate the plague of intelligence and the perception of time. Shores/Twilight also shares a theme explored in The Fireclown, one that warns against accepting quick, simple miracle cures to complex societal woes.

It’s an interesting experience to read both Shores and Twilight in close proximity. Despite the fact that the larger arcs of both are the same, the texts are almost completely different - as if Moorcock had never actually read Shores before churning out Twilight (which is probably exactly the case). Comparing the two also highlights the growth of Moorcock’s writing craft, as the text in Twilight is smoother and the plot pieces fit together better (or at least are explained in more detail). Orlando Sharvis in particular becomes a more interesting character in Twilight, and one can easily imagine this “mad scientist” figure as a Chaos Duke in another sphere. In fact, if Faustaff and the Fireclown are the travellers on the Roads Between the Worlds of the first two books, the self-proclaimed "neutral party" figure of Orlando Sharvis is probably the moonbeam walker of Twilight (notice that he actually lives on/in the moon…).

The Twilight Man (The Shores of Death 1966) Detailed Synopsis

Wikiverse Entry
The Roads Between the Worlds, White Wolf 1996
The Roads Between the Worlds
This omnibus collection of The Wrecks of Time, The Winds of Limbo, and The Twilight Man revises some of the original names of characters to relate them to the Von Bek mythology established in The War Hound and the World’s Pain (an editorial revision practiced in most of the books of the early 1990s omnibus series). Notably...
  • In The Fireclown, Simon and Alan Powys become Simon and Alain von Bek.
  • In The Wrecks of Time, Steifflomeis becomes Klosterheim, and Gordon Ogg becomes Gordon Begg.
  • In The Shores of Death (The Twilight Man), Clovis Marca becomes Clovis Becker, and Olono Sharvis becomes Orlando Sharvis (possibly related to Orland Fank?).
The 1996 omnibus of The Roads Between the Worlds also includes previously-unpublished framing interludes featuring Renark von Bek from The Sundered Worlds. In this incarnation, Renark has become an experienced traveler of the moonbeam roads connecting the spheres of the multiverse, dressed in 19th century safari gear. After finishing off an angel hunt, he sights Chaos Engineer Captain Billy Bob’s scale-jumping ship Now The Clouds Have Meaning as it heads down-scale after Spammer Gain (these are characters featured in the 90s Second Ether series). Renark then continues on his endless quest for the Holy Grail. The three 1960s novels are featured in the 1996 omnibus as Renark’s fond recollections of old acquaintances (Faustaff, the Fireclown) met on the Roads Between the Worlds.

Wikiverse Entry

Some more analyses:
https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/2011/04/17/456/
https://avonequinoxrediscoveryscifiseries.blogspot.com/2018/07/the-avonequinox-rediscovery-series-22.html
https://sfmagazines.com/?p=2838
http://andrewdarlington.blogspot.com/2017/06/michael-moorcock-twilight-man.html

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