The Warlord of the Air

[Princess Ivy]

I was very disapointed in this. not that its got past my to read pile yet. but in the forward, mr moorcock states that it is the work of his grandfather, also mr moorcock, michael. has anyone read this? is it any good?

 

[Clangador]

I think it's very good and a worthy read. Do you have the updated version?

 

[piccallo]

I was very disapointed in this. not that its got past my to read pile yet. but in the forward, mr moorcock states that it is the work of his grandfather, also mr moorcock, michael. has anyone read this? is it any good?

The War Lord of the air is written as if it was a true report from the authors grandfather. It is the first book in the Oswald Bastible trillogy, a victorian soldier thrown through time and alternate dimensions. It is a very good story in the 'what if' time travel tale.

 

[speedingslug]

Good read
Different to Elric and Corum but still good

 

[In search of forever]

I've recently aquired and read The Nomad of Time which contains all 3 Oswald Bastable stories and can highly recommend it.

 

[Joe Meils]

I'm reading this one now. Frankly, I'm loving every page. Moorcock's themes of how revolution seems to always run the same courses seems especially relevant these days, with the world in turmoil in the middle east. Great adventure, and a view on the human condition that he sneaks in during all the zeppelin piracy. Definitely give it a read!

 

[jowolf359]

If you have read the Martian series of ERB, then the way this was written should be similar. The prologue and epilogue are in the same style: as if it was dictated to the writer. A very good triogy, the bad part is the character apears in other books of Mr. Moorcock, but does not seen to grow past his desire to be an Englishman of a certain era.

 

[Casspar]

funnily enough i read this during the summer when i suddenly ran out of books to read, it had been sitting in my library shelves for about 20 years since i bought it from one of those SF book clubs that don't seems to exist any nore. accepting that Moorcock is an acquired taste I loved the book, full of action and wit. I recommed it!

 

[Connavar]

Full of action and wit sounds good.

 

[Connavar]

Is it just me who thought Oswald Bastable desire to be an englishman of certain era and his Utopian look in the colonial future of the book to be satircal ?

I found that funny specially when he sees the world of 1970s isnt perfect as he thinks.

 

[j d worthington]

Is it just me who thought Oswald Bastable desire to be an englishman of certain era and his Utopian look in the colonial future of the book to be satircal ?

I found that funny specially when he sees the world of 1970s isnt perfect as he thinks.

Oh, no... I'd say it was definitely satirical intent... though with a certain amount of affection for people of that stripe. And, of course, Bastable does grow through the course of the novel (as he continues to do through the others). But Moorcock manages to be ironic (which is the better word, I think) here without having much comic in the character or the situations (save on a rather restrained level)... a very good balancing act, I think. (And, of course, I find myself very fond of General O. T. Shaw....)

 

[Connavar]

Oh, no... I'd say it was definitely satirical intent... though with a certain amount of affection for people of that stripe. And, of course, Bastable does grow through the course of the novel (as he continues to do through the others). But Moorcock manages to be ironic (which is the better word, I think) here without having much comic in the character or the situations (save on a rather restrained level)... a very good balancing act, I think. (And, of course, I find myself very fond of General O. T. Shaw....)

Thats what i liked there was good irony without making it comic.

I also liked Bastable wasnt such a force,heroic. He was usually slow to adapt to his situations. You didnt see his story as predictable as that kind of story can be.

 

[j d worthington]

That being the case, you might well appreciate several of the Cornelius books... especially the latter two of the tetralogy, as well as things such as The Lives and Times of Jerry Cornelius, etc....

 

[Connavar]

That being the case, you might well appreciate several of the Cornelius books... especially the latter two of the tetralogy, as well as things such as The Lives and Times of Jerry Cornelius, etc....

Yeah Cornelius books did sound a little like this series but much weirder. Im glad i had already ordered books this month otherwise i would have gone broke on Cornelius omnibus there is in the bookstore i go to

 

[Star Girl]

I love these books, The Warlord of the Air is a great introduction to Oswald Bastable. The beginning of the book is hard to get into maybe, but once your in it is a fantastic story. Oswald is also a great protagonist, he has such sheltered naivety in the beginning which changes as he continues through the tragic story of The Land Leviathan and into The Steel Tsar.

 

[Ray Zdybrow]

Just stumbled upon this thread. "The Warlord Of The Air" is one of my favourites of Moorcock's books. Speaking as someone who lived and breathed Jerry Cornelius and the "New Wave" in my teens/early twenties. TWOTA isn't new wave, it's been way more influential than the new wave has been, for instance you can see the influence on Alan Moore's "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" (and others), appropriating other authors' characters. Then the Moore copyists etc... Then there's steampunk. And I want AIRSHIPS