I'm just going to re-post a comment I made over at the
Silver Key, which is itself a shout out to an article on
the Cimmerian and then expand on the vitriol a little bit.
" I think the real root of this, is that Moorecock has at most 6 books on the shelves at your average book store in the US now.. which is about 1/10th the number that Tolkien has.. So I lay this animosity at the feet of the green beast, Jealousy.
Phillip Pullman is another obnoxious wanna be iconoclast who attacks the classics in order to try to elevate himself. So its really no wonder the two are buddies.
one need look no further than the box office takes for the adaptions.. not to mention who's work gets adapted.. The Lord of the Rings series grossed nearly 4billion dollars.. The Narnia movies have not been as huge but will be on film 3 in a year or so.. The Golden Compass.. despite a huge cast.. tanked. "
My opinion of Micheal Moorecock is complicated, I consider him yet another pretentious British sci-fi/fantasy writer who's way to full of himself and lends his work far to much esteem for what it actually is. Like Clive Barker, Alan Moore, Phillip Pullman etc.. Works like "Watchmen" " The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen ", and " His Dark Materials " are attempts at Iconoclasm, They are attempts to become Infamous, since the writers will never be Famous... and unfortunately it worked. Micheal Moorecock trashes most other writers in the genre, I'm sure if you asked him.. much like Terry Goodkind.. He doesn't write fantasy either.. but instead writes about Important Human Themes, and Moral Truths, and all that other bullshit.
As I said in my earlier comment on this topic, I lay this squarely at the feet of the green monster of jealousy, These writers know they will never be as famous as their forebears, They will never be as famous as JK Rowling or Stephany Myer even..who is a whole other kettle of fish.. So they settle for being obnoxious and edgy and pushing the envelope so that the people who think the status quo is lame.. can show off how hip and edgy and envelope pushing they are by reading the stuff these guys excrete from their brains. This essay of Moorecocks is simple the literary equivalent of a younger sibling throwing a fit that the older sibling gets more attention. Moorecock has done much the same to other Genre progenitors like Robert E. Howard.. though his stance has softened some what in regards to him.. in a recent interview he still came across as patronizing towards both REH and REH fans.
However, That isn't to say that they don't also have Talent as writers, The Elric stories are great, for the most part, I read and enjoyed Watchmen and LXG..I enjoy them for the completeness of their worlds.. The depth of their history and the skill with which they are assembled. Much like Richard the III, they could not prove a lover so they chose to prove a villain.
Now is the Winter of our Discontent,
Made glorious Summer by this Son of Yorke:
And all the clouds that lowr'd vpon our house
In the deepe bosome of the Ocean buried.
Now are our browes bound with Victorious Wreathes,
Our bruised armes hung vp for Monuments;
Our sterne Alarums chang'd to merry Meetings;
Our dreadfull Marches, to delightfull Measures.
Grim-visag'd Warre, hath smooth'd his wrinkled Front:
And now, in stead of mounting Barbed Steeds,
To fright the Soules of fearfull Aduersaries,
He capers nimbly in a Ladies Chamber,
To the lasciuious pleasing of a Lute.
But I, that am not shap'd for sportiue trickes,
Nor made to court an amorous Looking-glasse:
I, that am Rudely stampt, and want loues Maiesty,
To strut before a wonton ambling Nymph:
I, that am curtail'd of this faire Proportion,
Cheated of Feature by dissembling Nature,
Deform'd, vn-finish'd, sent before my time
Into this breathing World, scarse halfe made vp,
And that so lamely and vnfashionable,
That dogges barke at me, as I halt by them.
Why I (in this weake piping time of Peace)
Haue no delight to passe away the time,
Vnlesse to see my Shadow in the Sunne,
And descant on mine owne Deformity.
And therefore, since I cannot proue a Louer,
To entertaine these faire well spoken dayes,
I am determined to proue a Villaine,
And hate the idle pleasures of these dayes.
Plots haue I laide, Inductions dangerous,
By drunken Prophesies, Libels, and Dreames,
To set my Brother Clarence and the King
In deadly hate, the one against the other:
And if King Edward be as true and iust,
As I am Subtle, False, and Treacherous,
This day should Clarence closely be mew'd vp:
About a Prophesie, which sayes that G,
Of Edwards heyres the murtherer shall be.
