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262nd out of 2,946 books
—
12,387 voters
The Dancers at the End of Time (Eternal Champion #10)
The Eternal Champion series continues with "The Dancers at the End of Time", a monumental science-fiction epic blending humor and romance in a story that spans all of space and time. Can love blossom the a millennia? In world where "conscience" and "morality" are meaningless? In a multiverse that is collapsing and racing toward the brink of destruction?This tenth volume of...more
Paperback, 672 pages
Published
May 8th 2003
by Gollancz
(first published 1977)
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Yet another Dangerous Dan book review I did for BlackPigeonPress.com. This is one of the more entertaining ones I wrote.
Sometimes, after you've just finished killing a man with a horse shoe because you were out of bullets for instance, you need to read something light and funny to make you forget about all the carnage you've wrought. Michael Moorcock's Dancers at the End of Time Trilogy certainly fits the bill. It's available as a collection or as individual books: An Alien Heat, The Hollow Land...more
Sometimes, after you've just finished killing a man with a horse shoe because you were out of bullets for instance, you need to read something light and funny to make you forget about all the carnage you've wrought. Michael Moorcock's Dancers at the End of Time Trilogy certainly fits the bill. It's available as a collection or as individual books: An Alien Heat, The Hollow Land...more
Though not generally regarded as Moorcock's best work, this series is my favorite. The prose is some of his most elegant and polished. The story itself shows Moorcock at his most spry, lovingly lampooning some of the themes of his other works, the romance genre, and English literary traditions in general. The settings and charicatures are also some of his most unique: a blend of scientific romance Victoriana and fin du siecle French symbolism and art nouveau, with a little Shakespearean flare ad...more
Glorious world. Devious wit. A beautiful lack of moralities in the End of Time inhabitants. Delightfully sly political incorrectness. Tasteful set pieces of exuberant colour, shape and form.
I just do not not understand that this isn't generally considered his best work, because almost nothing else by Moorcock is worth reading after this.
The only exception I make is Una Persson's adventures, because I have such a soft spot for her. But it's not as good.
This is heavenly satire combined with an utt...more
I just do not not understand that this isn't generally considered his best work, because almost nothing else by Moorcock is worth reading after this.
The only exception I make is Una Persson's adventures, because I have such a soft spot for her. But it's not as good.
This is heavenly satire combined with an utt...more
A delightful romp through the past and the future. If you like some romance and humor with your fantasy, quirky aliens, and a civilization of decadent and self-indulgent immortals, you will enjoy this wonderful and unusual story.
Oscar Wilde Would Have Loved It!
Michael Moorcock is one of the most literate and witty fantasists of the twentieth century. His Elric Saga took the sword and sorcery epic far beyond standard tropes and created a literary tour de force.
The Dancers at the End of Time, which is a part of the Eternal Champions series, is full of the kind of wit and social satire that Oscar Wilde would have written.
Jherek Carnelian is one of the glittering, amoral denizens who inhabit the world At The End of Time....more
Michael Moorcock is one of the most literate and witty fantasists of the twentieth century. His Elric Saga took the sword and sorcery epic far beyond standard tropes and created a literary tour de force.
The Dancers at the End of Time, which is a part of the Eternal Champions series, is full of the kind of wit and social satire that Oscar Wilde would have written.
Jherek Carnelian is one of the glittering, amoral denizens who inhabit the world At The End of Time....more
Michael Moorcock is one of those authors that blew my mind as teenager (alongside H.P. Lovecraft, H.G. Wells, and Edgar Allen Poe), but what can you read by him as an adult? I am going to review three that fit this category. Nick below states it way better than me but this one of the most interesting and fun books in modern fantasy. A comedy, a satire, a love story, a retelling of Adam and Eve, and tribute to the fin de siecle of Wilde and Huysmans (and also Wells and Dunsany) An uptight Victori...more
A world at the end of time, where energy is unlimited, every whim is instantly satisfied, and the only remaining challenge is staving off boredom until the universe reaches entropy and everything comes to an end. There's only one way you can take a plot like that and not have it mind-bendingly boring... and that's to have Michael Moorcock write it.
In Moorcock's hands, this idea - which could almost have been deliberately selected as an example of a premise with no promise, becomes an exquisitel...more
In Moorcock's hands, this idea - which could almost have been deliberately selected as an example of a premise with no promise, becomes an exquisitel...more
When Jherek Carnelian makes love to his Mother, called Iron Orchid, on a beach of crushed bone, debating the meaning of the word 'virtuous', with the sea suddenly turning a deep pink, you know, you just KNOW that you're in for something truly different. With 600 pages still to come it screams at you "This saga's gonna take you where you've never been before!".
So here we are at the end of time, where anything is made possible; where landscapes, buildings and people themselves, can change immediat...more
So here we are at the end of time, where anything is made possible; where landscapes, buildings and people themselves, can change immediat...more
The Dancers At The End Of Time is a trilogy that explores time travel and morality in the pseudo-sexual psychedelic way that only Moorcock can pull off. It's a fun read that is served up as a time-travelling love story. Yes, it is a-typical Moorcock. The trilogy consists of:
An Alien Heat
The Hollow Lands
The End of All Songs
Plot ***Spoilers***
An Alien Heat
An alien named Yusharisp comes to Earth to warn its remaining inhabitants that the universe is coming to an end; his own planet has already dis...more
An Alien Heat
The Hollow Lands
The End of All Songs
Plot ***Spoilers***
An Alien Heat
An alien named Yusharisp comes to Earth to warn its remaining inhabitants that the universe is coming to an end; his own planet has already dis...more
At the moment having recently joined Goodreads I'm basically digging out of my home bookshelves and my brain the books I'd most recommend to anyone. This trilogy is close to the top of my list. It's a book that tells you a lot about me as a person.
BUT
It's not a book for everyone.
So many people I've recommended it to stop at the first chapter. Something happens there that turns a lot of people off.
BUT
You need to keep reading! It's a fabulous, wonderful, hilarious, life-enhancing experience. It ra...more
BUT
It's not a book for everyone.
So many people I've recommended it to stop at the first chapter. Something happens there that turns a lot of people off.
BUT
You need to keep reading! It's a fabulous, wonderful, hilarious, life-enhancing experience. It ra...more
This is science fiction with the emphasis on the fiction. Strange, creative work that becomes a bit wordy. At least one third of the book can be cut without being noticeable. Time travel is involved here however more as a vehicle for the novel than as an innate interest. The story plods along with a menagerie of quite diverse, unique characters. Central is the pursuit of love by Jherek for Mrs. Amelia which occupies much of the substance of the novel. I suspect the author has some moral lesson h...more
If I couldn't read as fast as I can, I would have given up on this book long before it got enjoyable for me.
The plot is a love-story between a time-traveller and a woman from the 19th Century. The characters are so idiosyncratic as to be easily identifiable long before the plot and the themes become appealing.
When it becomes clear we're dealing with the idea of players going back and forth through time and acting out roles in parts of history, the book becomes a novel version of the approach to...more
The plot is a love-story between a time-traveller and a woman from the 19th Century. The characters are so idiosyncratic as to be easily identifiable long before the plot and the themes become appealing.
When it becomes clear we're dealing with the idea of players going back and forth through time and acting out roles in parts of history, the book becomes a novel version of the approach to...more
One thing Goodreads really does well, is separate fact from fiction. I have heard many times, that the "Dancers" series was not one of Moorcock's best. Yet, here I see that it rates almost universally above most, if not all of his other works. Real ratings from the reviewers that count; you and me.
And why does it rate so high?
Because it was freaking awesome! It was weird and disturbing and cool on a level that made me think someone broke into Michael's house, beat him with a shovel, wrote the no...more
And why does it rate so high?
Because it was freaking awesome! It was weird and disturbing and cool on a level that made me think someone broke into Michael's house, beat him with a shovel, wrote the no...more
What a bizarre but wonderful novel. The whole premise is absolutely nuts, and the execution is just as insane. A woman from 1896 is flung millions of years into the future, where one of two naturally born people exist (the rest are creations or time travellers), falls in love with her and on it goes. Anything that can possibly be thought up exists, and people follow their whims, whether that involves having sex with one's parents, shooting an arrow through twenty palm trees and turning into a go...more
This book was highly recommended to me and as I thought the overall premise, as it was explained to me, was rather intriguing, I thought I would give it a go. I was able to find it for a couple pounds and glad I spent no more. I am a rather open-minded individual but found the suggestion and mention of incest at the beginning to be beyond tasteful. It was probably extremely shocking back in 1976 as it was not doubt intended to gain greater notoriety for the author, but it neither shocked or outr...more
Jan 18, 2013
Randolph Carter
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction,
science-fiction
Poor hedonist Jherek Carnelian, forced to travel back and forth in time to woo his beloved and prim Mrs. Underwood. All this as a backdrop to allow Michael Moorcock's characters to philosophize about everything from architecture to parenting. I wanted to like this book so much more than I actually did. An Alien Heat and The Hollow Lands were marvelous, great characters, nice paradox. But then the End of All Songs was about 100 pages too long. Once the sexual tension between Amelia and Jherek was...more
De tous les écrits de Moorcock, ces danseurs à la fin du temps sont sans doute la distraction SF la plus curieuse que j'ai lu.
En effet, il n'y a pas de combat (on ne compte pas sérieusement une bagarre de pub avec des bobbies comme un combat, si ?), pas non plus de Destin (vous savez, celui d'Ereckösé, Elric, Hawkmoon et les autres), et encore moins de désespoir ... mais reprenons du début.
A la fin des temps, la terre n'est plus peuplée que de quelques dizaines d'individus pour qui changer de se...more
En effet, il n'y a pas de combat (on ne compte pas sérieusement une bagarre de pub avec des bobbies comme un combat, si ?), pas non plus de Destin (vous savez, celui d'Ereckösé, Elric, Hawkmoon et les autres), et encore moins de désespoir ... mais reprenons du début.
A la fin des temps, la terre n'est plus peuplée que de quelques dizaines d'individus pour qui changer de se...more
I'm not going to give a summary of the plot because it's well nigh impossible. MM has created an amazing cast of characters who can more or less do whatever they want in this surreal place where they live. Nothing really happens as such, there are just bizarre goings on. Oops, I suppose that's a summary of sorts. I used to read MM a lot and this is probably the book (it's actually a collection of 3 books) I look back on most fondly. MM is a fully paid up member of a small group of writers who wr...more
This remains one of my favourite ever series of books, it's a huge, sprawling epic that never fails to please. I was a little put off by the opening, but quickly got drawn in to the fantastical world where anything you imagine happens immediately, where fashions for periods of history come and go in the blink of an eye and where people have taken to keeping stray time-travellers in themed zoos to keep themselves from bring bored. Into this weird future comes the fabulously stoic Victorian lady,...more
These were the first books I ever read by Michael. They won me in a way that few others have then or since... I think this series is probably the best of Michael's many unsung works... I know many folks just read the Elric stuff or they get lost in the Chronicles of Corum... Of course, Mike's works also have the Steampunk theme which has become so popular of late. You might even say, his work was the force behind this movement as much as Sherlock Holmes, appearing in Star Trek. I can't say whic...more
The most unusual of the Eternal Champion series.
At first this book would seem to have nothing to do with the Eternal Champion. Set in the far future, where the Universe is nearing its end, and some people have access to unlimited power to do anything they want. Time travelers (who can only go one way) keep coming up from the past, making things interesting. This is the setting of the story. Don't want to give anymore away. Though it's not the most exciting of Moorcock's tales, it is unusual enou...more
At first this book would seem to have nothing to do with the Eternal Champion. Set in the far future, where the Universe is nearing its end, and some people have access to unlimited power to do anything they want. Time travelers (who can only go one way) keep coming up from the past, making things interesting. This is the setting of the story. Don't want to give anymore away. Though it's not the most exciting of Moorcock's tales, it is unusual enou...more
Sep 15, 2011
Erik Graff
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Moorcock fans
Recommended to Erik by:
no one
Shelves:
sf
I actually read the original hardcovers of the first three books of what was published by Granada in 1981 in its original omnibus edition, viz. An Alien Heat, The Hollow Lands and The End of All Songs. Since then, like with Zelazny's Amber series, the End of Time has proceeded into additional volumes, both novels and short stories. I haven't read any of those and probably never shall.
The trilogy is comic like Oscar Wilde, a Victorian association maintained by the character of Underwood. The prim...more
The trilogy is comic like Oscar Wilde, a Victorian association maintained by the character of Underwood. The prim...more
• I have to admit, because of the last few books I’ve read by Moorcock, I didn’t have very high expectations for this book. I was pleasantly surprised. Some of the things in this book were a little ridiculous, but I expected that. What really made this story interesting was the simplicity of the main character, Jherek Carnilian. He lives in the society at the end of time, and has no concept of any negative emotion other than boredom. He is the only one who wants a greater understanding of virtue...more
When is a science fiction book not a science fiction book? Well, this one, Michael Moorcock demonstrates that he can write great stories as well as comedy. The citizens at the end of time clash with the re-discovery of morality in their amoral world. Although, it is a love and hero quest with a rom-com through time meeting various time travellers and trying to understand the nature of time.
MM moves his characters around as ranches fall and rise as rather Victorian middle class villas in the twi...more
MM moves his characters around as ranches fall and rise as rather Victorian middle class villas in the twi...more
At first, I thought the book was just weird: stupid, bad, didn't make sense.... but then I realized that was the point, and now I laugh at Jherek's naiveté and I care about him and his quest to find Mrs Underwood. The story takes some getting used to, but so far, it's worth it.
AHHHHAHAHA! Having finished reading it just today, I am delighted to say that I loved loved LOVED it! I don't know how he did it, but I was so in tune with every single one of the characters, important or not, and laughed...more
AHHHHAHAHA! Having finished reading it just today, I am delighted to say that I loved loved LOVED it! I don't know how he did it, but I was so in tune with every single one of the characters, important or not, and laughed...more
Whimsical Michael Moorcock at his best. A JC novel naturally linked to the Eternal Champion Multiverse stories, Dancers At The End of Time is exactly what it sounds like. The Universe is winding down, humanity remains on an Earth made maleable to the whims of the human race by hidden but all encompasing technology that might as well be magic.
Simply brillient.
Simply brillient.
http://nhw.livejournal.com/391683.html[return][return]Edition uniting An Alien Heat, The Hollow Lands, and The End of All Songs. A bit of a one-joke book, this: hero from sexually liberated culture falls in love with woman from a much more repressed culture; this basic plot is the making of many stirring love stories, but here it is played for laughs, the repressed culture being late nineteenth-century London. The anarchic, pansexual, abundant society at the End of Time perhaps inspired Iain M....more
A love story with Jherek Carnelian (decadent godlike being from the end of time) traversing space and time to court Mrs Amelia Underwood (morally upright Edwardian housewife). Complications ensue -- both comic and dramatic -- as they each struggle to adjust to the other's world while also suffering at the machinations of the mysterious Lord Jagged.
I read all of MM's books when I was a teenager and absolutely loved them all. I am not sure that if I was coming to them for the first time now that I would devour them as I did way back when but notwithstanding that they were fantastic reads in the late 60's and early 70's.
Jan 11, 2011
Eroc
added it
Fantastic imagery, decadent, poetic, tragi-comedy, funny, thought provoking gothic romantic love story across space and time. Raises questions about the ultimate purpose of man's existance while staying unashamedly pulpe in delivery. One of Moorcock's finest novels.
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| Imagination stretcher | 2 | 18 | Jun 10, 2011 10:27am |
Michael John Moorcock is an English writer primarily of science fiction and fantasy who has also published a number of literary novels.
Moorcock has mentioned The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Apple Cart by George Bernard Shaw and The Constable of St. Nicholas by Edward Lester Arnold as the first three books which captured his imagination. He became editor of Tarzan Adventures in 1956,...more
More about Michael Moorcock...
Moorcock has mentioned The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Apple Cart by George Bernard Shaw and The Constable of St. Nicholas by Edward Lester Arnold as the first three books which captured his imagination. He became editor of Tarzan Adventures in 1956,...more
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