MICHAEL MOORCOCK: DEATH
IS NO OBSTICLE
by Colin Greenland
Savoy (1992) : 146 pages
ISBN 0 86130 087 4 (h/b)
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"For Moorcock, fiction is primarily and essentially a
moral entertainment," writes Angela Carter in her airy,
witty and informed Introduction to 'Death is no Obsticle'.
She continues:"He believes that 'mortality and structure are
very closely linked'. His obsession with form, 'always the
solution to an artistic problem', must not be confused with
a reliance on formula, even if he can gleefully give you all
the formulae for every kind of story there ever was, because
he's tried and tested all of them."
Michael Moorcock has been described as, "possibly the
last of the great clippers". He might be the last of the
English epic novelists. His prodigious writing energy and
organising powers, his inexhaustible curiosity and
inventiveness, have resulted in the varied eighty or so
books which are discussed with author and critic Colin
Greenland in this hugely enjoyable work.
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Read the
interview
between Colin Greenland and Michael
Moorcock which was
published in KIMOTA issue 2.
REVIEW
If you are a writer learning his craft this
book will give you valuable insights into the mind of a master
writer. It even gives away all the secrets. But beware, although
Moorcock works entirely within a fixed structure, that should not be
confused with formula writing. Following the laws laid down in this
book would provide a novice with a pale immitation which very few
publishers will give a second glance to. What becomes increasingly
cleare during these interviews is that no matter what strucure or
formula a writer uses it is the freshness and originality of the
ideas which makes the book.
However if you are not starting out on the
bimpy road of prose, this book holds an enormous amount of wit and
interest. A proffessional writer will enjoy it as much as a fantasy
reader. Backgrounds and reasons behind some of Moorcocks most
challanging works are explained. For the devotee of Moorcock this is
an indespensibel volume, for the mear intersted and intelligent
reader, this book is an excellent read. For the dullard who cares
nothing for the craft of the writer or the bacjground to his stories,
maybe they would be content with gazing at the sumptuous cover by
Jean-Leon Gerome!
G. Hurry
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