Loz returns as we head up to the Roof Garden to ruminate over Corum’s endless jawing with a slightly dubious sorceror in The Knight of the Swords Book Two.
Multiple varieties of pants are considered along with a couple of actually palatable beers. Progress I say!
Meanwhile, Gerard Arthur Connelly and co reach Grevenburg.
We’re back, and this time Phil joins me at Derry and Toms to conclude our coverage of The Eternal Champion.
Turns out Erekosë is just a horny jock. Who knew?
Phil airs her dirty drawers and we find that if you’re being peer pressured into genocide you just need a bath, dinner and an intervention… it’s just so relatable!
I’ve been thinking about how to vary the content on the show and one of the ideas generated is to do an ‘audio book’ version of an old write-up of one of Loz’s Moorcock themed games from a few years years ago.
Gerard Arthur Connelly is a character I created over 25 years ago (perhaps more) and have returned to regularly over the years. Being lazy and just playing variations of the same bod seems suitably Moorcockian.
I’ve shared some of the progress to date with patrons and, as nobody has told me it’s shit, I’ve done some more AND added some music. It’s still a work in progress and the atmosphere music is just to plug a gap until I get around to doing something original for it (probably with some help from Neil and Johnny Royale). I also realised when I got to the last chapter it was never finished so I haven’t recorded that yet. Will have to have a big splurge on the writing front if I decide to continue with it.
Once the individual chapters have had some more attention they’ll probably end up being dropped at the end of regular shows as an episodic deal or, if they don’t really end up working they’ll just stay on the Patreon site as oddities for our glorious patrons.
July is looking like a busier month (at last), I should have The Eternal Champ ep 2 uploaded this week, I’m catching up with Natasha a week tomorrow to round off The Jewel in the Skull and later this month Loz and I will embark upon our tour of the Corum books.
In other news the Gollancz Collection is finally almost complete. They may lack inspiring covers but they are definitive texts and are excellent reading copies. Sadly a lot of my older 60s, 70s and 80s editions are getting a bit fragile.
Finally for today, I just concluded play on Dirk the Dice’s terrific three-part Hawkmoon RPG scenario Casa De Mercurio.It was a ton of fun with a great plot, tons of Moorcockian flavour and a great group of players.
Incidentally, Dirk’s latest episode of The Grognard Files is all about the Hawkmoon Role-Playing Game and other associated bits and bobs. It’s required listening as always. Even if you’re not a gamer Dirk and Blythy’s observations on the Hawkmoon series of novels and the games they inspired are as astute, warm and informative as ever. Check it out here.
We’re back in Derry & Toms roof gardens to mull over 1970’s The Eternal Champion, the novel debut of Erekosë/John Daker.
It’s got everything. Bad pronunciation, silly names and nudity.
Phil returns to the co-host chair, we drink Old-Fashioneds and draw comparisons between Noonos and Grimsby, adding that ancient port-town to our list of mildly insulted settlements.
We have a brand new logo (actually a suite of logos) by the brilliant Simon Perrins (@hf_tf on Twitter). Check out his fabulous work at https://cjthorpe1.myportfolio.com/ and pay him cash money to draw you stuff.
Since the last show Dirk over at The Grognard Files asked me on to do a turn on his My First, My Last, My Everything spot. I thoroughly enjoyed it and you can find that episode here. If you didn’t know anything about Lyonesse by Jack Vance before listen to this and you’ll be all over it. While you’re there listen to all of his other shows too. They’re brilliant.
We also have a new patron, Jim. He runs a small press publisher and is working on a guide to Elric collectables. Pay him a visit.
Finally thanks to everyone out there that has stayed interested and enquired about the show. You’re great motivators.
Loz is back with me at Derry and Tom’s as we dive into Straasha’s ocean depths to prize open the mysteries below and discuss (most of) Book Two of Elric of Melniboné. Elric is full of pith and vinegar for a change and we get a good look at him from a different perspective.
After a degree of arm-twisting and one false start, Hussein finally gets his head into a sci-fi/fantasy book and agrees to tell the tale!
We cover the first Phase of The Final Programme, the introduction of Jerry Cornelius into the world of Michael Moorcock.
Hussein pops a couple of cherries, appearing on his first podcast AND reading his first ever scifi/fantasy novel! He also gets to marvel at the wonders of psychedelic 70s scifi covers. Meanwhile I keep mixing up my Perssons with my Brunners.
Massive thanks to new patrons Matt and Tom, as well of course as existing Chaos Engineers Norman, Fred, Malpertius and David. I’m ruminating on what I can do in terms of patron exclusives. Watch this space.
One of the twitter gang tipped me off a few weeks ago that December 18th is Michael Moorcock’s birthday. It took a while for the penny to drop, but when it did and my brain was penetrated by the copper and grub of ten thousand grasping fingers, I was taken aback for a second.
December 18th is also my brilliant and long-suffering partner Phil’s birthday!
Sweet, sweet synchronicity.
This presented an opportunity to celebrate both birthdays with a special, festive episode recorded in a four poster suite in the ancient 16th century Bagdale Hall Hotel in Whitby, the salt-bitten harboured, red-roofed jewel in Yorkshire’s Crown.
What’s more, some fine friends of the show sent along their messages to MM for inclusion.
So thanks Rob, Michael, Fred, Anthony, Asako Soh, David and The Pastor for your contributions. I’d like to think that in some cycle of existence MM may hear your words and feel the love.
The Pastor went the extra mile and sent a video of his salutation. As I could only keep the audio for the episode, here is his contribution in all its heavenly glory!
Thanks again Pastor!
So, many happy returns of the day to Phil, to Michael Moorcock, to anyone else who shares this day and anyone who just happens to listen to this on their birthday at any point in the future, from Earth 01 to Earth 16 or anywhere in the multiverse!
Finally, my gratitude to new patrons Malpertius and David, who join Fred and Norman in the ranks of Chaos Engineers. I’m always humbled that anyone would offer up their own sheckles to support this podcast. I hope I can repay your confidence.
Anyway, I hear the Song of the Swords. A transition approaches so… I’ll see you on the Moonbeam Roads!
Frost is laying over the Bradford hills like a crisp, armoured shiver blanket so I thought balls to it… I’ll knock out another video version of a podcast episode (lazily put together this time on the native Windows video maker with a slideshow and audio). I’ve done this, as much as anything else, just to see how the process works. It also makes a change from uploading short videos of Lindsey in Predicaments.
So many predicaments…
On balance I probably prefer the Lindsey clips. Somehow I need to figure out a way of combining the two. Anyway, here’s the YouTube version of Episode 01…
