Triode Twenty, 1974, Art: James Cawthorn
"The Dodgem Arrangement" ("The Dodgem Division", "The Dodgem Decision") (1969)
Jerry dislikes what the modern English have done to their classic literary and musical values, turning old ways of expression into polemics with attitude. At Brighton Beach he runs over a lady with his Phantom VI. He mourns the abuse of the labels symbolism and surrealism. At Hove, he distributes some questionable reading material on the grounds. Jerry evades Captain Maxwell in his dodgem (bumper car). Jerry criticizes the English education system for its reinforcement of classic forms of literature, rather than inspiring new structural forms. After blowing up a library, he begins to write his own self-published book, but also wonders if it is all worth it.
"Last Vigil" ("Waiting for the End of Time") (1970)
Far in the future, just as the universe is collapsing into another Big Bang, an evolved man named Surin and his husband Mis'rn await the final destruction of their planet. While Mis'rn takes a brief nap, Suron journeys outside his city and discovers Mollie, the last member of the planet's indigenous people, a race wiped out by mankind when it had colonized the planet. Mollie expresses confusion of over the purpose behind mankind's actions. Later, just before the planet is destroyed, Suron returns to is lover where they muse upon purpose and the history of mankind.
"Environment Problem" (1973)
An arrogant ex-salesman named Greg accidentally summons a demon who offers him riches for his soul when he dies. After some bantering, Greg agrees and lives a short, debauched life. When he gets to Hell, he realizes that he can adapt to the flames and possibly enjoy himself. However, the flames suddenly become very cold, preventing Greg from gaining any comfort. Greg has apparently been unable to cheat the devil after all.
"A Dead Singer" (1974)
Shakey Mo Collier (sometimes band-mate and sometimes roadie for Jerry Cornelius' band The Deep Fix) drives a resurrected Jimi Hendrix around England, where they discuss the past, present and future. Jimi wonders what role a musician needs to play in society. Eventually they head into London where Mo scores some drugs from "Dave" (Brock, from Hawkwind) while Jimi waits outside. After Jimi later finds that Mo has died from choking on his own vomit, he continues on alone in Mo's camper truck.
"The Stone Thing" (1974)
This is a hilarious send-up of Moorcock's own brand of heroic fiction: "Out
of the dark places; out of the howling mists; out of the lands without
sun; out of Ghonorea came tall Catharz, with the moody sword Oakslayer
in his right hand, the cursed spear Bloodlicker in his left hand, the
evil bow Deathsinger on his back together with his quiver of fearful
rune-fletched arrows, Heartseeker, Goregreedy, Soulsnatcher,
Orphanmaker, Eyeblinder,
Sorrowsower, Beanslicer, and several others."
My Experiences In the Third World War
The story synopses below are presented in publication order, but from a "narrative viewpoint" they should be read in this order:
- "Casablanca"
- "Going To Canada"
- "Leaving Pasadena"
- "Crossing into Cambodia"
"Crossing into Cambodia" (1979)
A
Russian commander named Savitsky interrogates a Vietnamese peasant to
extract information about an approaching attack. Afterwards, he rapes
the peasant's daughter as a matter of routine. Later, the narrator (who
holds Savitsky in awe) accidentally shoots the girl. While dodging enemy
fighter jets, the Cossack cavalry crosses a river into a devastated
Cambodian landscape in order to rendezvous with American and Australian
forces stationed at Angkor. Afterwards
they rape and pillage a small village of elderly (who it turns out have
managed to poison the soldiers with bad tea). Nearing Angkor, the
Cossacks are suddenly knocked down by a blast of hot wind - Angkor has
been nuked. Nonetheless, Savitsky insists on completing his mission and
blindly leads his cavalry into the radioactive cloud. Lagging at the
back, the narrator manages to sneak away.
"Going To Canada" (1980)
The narrator, a London-based KGB spy code-named Tomas Dubrowski, is
ordered to go to Canada. He then describes his family's back history
and the effects of Stalinism (and then Communism) on his people. Before
leaving London, he visits a druggist to get some medicine for a venereal
disease he had contracted from a local whore. In Canada, he meets a
Ukranian mother and daughter who tell him that WW III has broken out
(China has opened hostilities with its neighbors). When
Dubrowski returns to Moscow, he learns that the conflict has already
been defused. However, the real Third World War is just about to begin.
"Leaving Pasadena" (1980)
The narrator leaves behind his sick lover in Pasadena (CA) when he is ordered to go on a mission to Washington D.C. (Russia and the U.S. are allies in the Third World War). There, he meets a U.S. agent named Mansfield, who explains that his mission is to meet with officials in Venezuela in order to form a diplomatic relationship with them. The mission turns out to be a waste of time, but while in Maracaibo he has some sexual and semi-romantic escapades with a local prostitute named Maria. He eventually encourages her to leave her handler. After learning that he has been assigned to a Cossack regiment in Cambodia, he briefly returns to Pasadena to reunite with his dying lover and promises to remain with her to her end."Casablanca" (1989)
Just after kicking his lover out of his flat in Casablanca, the narrator (the Russian spy Volker) is ordered to fly to Marrakesh (Morocco) to rendezvous with an Algerian agent. He learns that the Algerians plan to install a new ruler in the Moroccan state, a boy supposedly having "purer" Islamic blood than the current ruler, Hassan. When Volker meets the boy he finds him charming, but more interested in economics than prepared to lead a religious crusade. Ultimately, he arranges things so that the boy will be disqualified from the Algerians' plot. After returning to Casablanca, he runs into his old lover who has already found a new Tunisian partner.
