Moorcock channeling Edgar Rice Burroughs
Moorcock 2- Warrior of Mars/City of Beasts by Michael Moorcock
Authors Note- I started the reflections with Michael Moorcock. As signalled in this reflection I was finding my way. My first thought was to read the Eternal Champion books in a suggested chronological order. I quickly realized that the suggested orders were numerous. So I opted to try for publishing order. Even that had some flaws since works like Sojan were published in the ‘70s but were some of his earliest writings.
Michael Moorcock #1
Original: Warriors of Mars by Edward P. Bradley
1965
Reading version: Kane of Old Mars- Warriors of Mars
2015
Alternative title: City of the Beast
Cover Richard Hescox
I was introduced to Michael Kane and subsequently Michael Moorcock in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa in the year 1973. I discovered City of the Beast while hanging out a bit in the gift shop of a hotel. It was the trip of a lifetime that my grandfather had promised before he passed on. My grandmother was making good on the promise but didn’t like the idea of traveling alone with a rebellious 14 year old, so my brother Mike was along for the ride. Being 19 and standing at 6’5” meant that he could be a little more adventurous than I was allowed. Which led to me hanging out at the gift shop. The cute blonde with the sparkling smile had a little to do with it but also I was finding the hotel room a bit boring. So hanging out in a gift shop, mildly bored at the beginning of the grand adventure, with no reading material in my suitcase, I discovered Michael Moorcock, specifically City of the Beast. I thank my stars that I didn’t find Warriors of Mars by Edward P. Bradley or upon returning to the states, I would have gone on a futile search for works by E. P. Bradley.
I don’t remember much about the book at the time besides the cool cover. I lumped Moorcock with a group of writers who would take their hero and plop him down into a different world- Edgar Rice Burroughs, Kenneth Bulmer, Lin Carter and even Philp Jose Farmer. I knew Farmer was different but the others seemed to have a similarity. Later I would realize that Edgar Rice Burroughs was the granddaddy of them all and that they were riffing mostly on John Carter of Mars with a bit of Carson of Venus thrown in. Still even then I noticed that Moorcock was also a bit different. Within the next year I would be reading the Tales of Corum and Dorian Hawkmoon which catapulted Moorcock beyond the others and opened me to wondrous ideas.
As I head to retirement, my goal is to read certain authors and works as they were written or published. My big three being Edgar Rice Burroughs, Doc Savage and Michael Moorcock. I made a false start with Moorcock waffling about reading the Eternal Champion stories in one of the suggested chronological orders. The War Hound and the World’s Pain being that beginning. I reevaluated that approach and opted to read them as best I can by publishing date. It may not be exactly in publishing order since the list I’m using is sectioned by year and then by alphabetical order. For my purposes it will suffice. Even as I type I realize that Stealer of Souls was published in 1963 and so I’m not quite following the publishing order just yet.
Which brings us back to the first Moorcock book I ever read and the first book in my attempt to read in publishing order. Warriors of Mars is an early Moorcock channeling Edgar Rice Burroughs. Even the pen name evokes Edgar Rice Burroughs, Edwin L. Arnold and Ray Bradbury all who had written books about Mars. Moorcock even uses the concept lifted from ERB of having the author meet with the protagonist. The author is just relating the story as it has been told. It is a fast paced story ala Burroughs but not as packed with action. It actually makes it an easier read. Moorcock also has the sensibilities to steer clear of some of the troublesome concepts of Burroughs. Having Michael Kane travel back in time to Old Mars, keeps the reader from questioning why we aren't finding civilization on Mars now. He skips the messy question of reproduction while accounting for the longevity of the population of Mars.
Impressively he also explains how Michael Kane goes from our modern Earth to Ancient Mars. My first thought was Moorcock was a fan of either DCs Adam Strange or of the original Fly both created or released in 1958. Of course there could be other influences. I’m just glad an attempt at an explanation besides his ethereal body was drawn to Mars or he found a magic door etc. was made.
ERB tropes that surface is that our hero is well versed in the manly arts including being an accomplished swordsman. Moorcock does a nice job of explaining this without stretching the imagination. Kane also makes a faux pas with the heroine, Shizala, not understanding the culture. Unlike Burroughs, I don't feel there are many forced coincidences to resolve the story conflicts although certain aspects of the story are very evident early on.
How does one recommend this book? It is good for early Moorcock but is definitely derivative unlike later works. But it is also evident that it was meant to be derivative, aimed at the market being plumbed by Kenneth Bulmer, Lin Carter and others. As a quick adventure story it stands on its own. For a fun read I highly recommend it. If you want insight into why Michael Moorcock has an ardent group of fans this may not be the work to start with.