Product Description: Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion returns as Kane of Old Mars, a brilliant American physicist whose strange experiments in matter transmission catapult him across space and time to the Red Planet. Kane's is a Mars of the distant past - a place of romantic civilizations, fabulous many-spired cities and the gorgeous princess Shizala. To win her hand and bring peace to Mars, Kane must defeat the terrible Blue Giants of the Argzoon, whose ravaging hordes threaten the whole planet!
Super Reader Moorcock has written an unapologetic, no holds barred, Burroughsian rip..errr.. riff. :) Complete with the same lack of wardrobe for the characters.
Michael Kane, a physicist, becomes involved with a project that can transport consciousness, it appears. Think Adam Strange sort of thing, complete with limited time of travel.
It also happens, than growing up, he lived near a French fencing master, who gave him many, many lessons.
Needless to say, he ends up projected to Mars, meets a princess, fights Blue Giant armies, has an evil raven haired sorceress femme fatale lust after and want to kill him, after seducing his princess' fiance, no less.
He also happens to rescue a relative, make friends with an enemy, and all that sort of thing.
Pure escapism, and a lot of fun.
3.5 out of 5
Not Quite John Carter This book was obviously written in the vein of Burrough's Barsoom mythos. And, as has been said by others, Moorcock's immaturity as an author is also obvious. John Carter was mysteriously transported to an alternate Mars. Kane is also transported. Carter meets and wins the incomparable Dejah Thoris. Kane woos Princess Shizala. Carter wars against green, six-armed Martians, while befriending one with mercy. Kane fights blue giants, and befriends one with mercy. The mythos of John Carter bears further examination, but Kane doesn't have the romantic dashingness (is that a word?) of Carter. In addition, the editing in this edition is appallinng! Typoes all over! Buy the John Carter series by Burroughs, and the Elric books by Moorcock. If you want this book, get a used copy, just for its literary place.
Moorcock's Early Work I picked this book up on a day when I was exhausted and did not want to read anything heavy. It is a lot of fun. An easy read and reminds me of Burroughs Barsoom. I am sold on the whole Planet Stories line and thank Erik for his love of books and his work to bring us these out of print classics. I look forward to reading them all.
Potboiler This is one of Michael Moorcock's Edgar Rice Burroughs imitations, printed decades ago under a nom de plume, and now back under his own name since the name is now a selling point. Be warned: this is Moorcock very early in his career, and if you didn't know this was the author of the "Elric" stories, you wouldn't come to that conclusion. To a degree it falls between two stools, lacking the somber charm of most of his "Eternal Champion" stories and the cheery optimism of a good Burroughs Barsoom novel. It's a straightforward SF adventure novel by a young but talented hand, and if you've read SWORDS OF MARS three times, this may be what you're looking for.
Left me wanting more I'm relatively new to Moorcock, having somehow missed the Elric novels in my youth. I set out to remedy that, and just completed the first Elric saga, which I enjoyed greatly. The next book I read was City of the Beast.
I enjoyed this book every bit as much as the Elric saga, and in some cases, more. Michael Kane is a fantastic hero, and Mr. Moorcock somehow really conveyed to me the beauty of Shizala and her city, so that I could sense Kane's willingness to sacrifice everything for them.
This book had it all: likable characters, interesting landscapes, high action, thrills and chills. There was one stretch where the description made me so claustrophobic that I actually began to sweat.
I'm dying to read the next installment. Fortunately, it comes out this month.
Anything Goes Trivia
Trevor
Megaton Man
