Review

Moorcock’s London Peculiar in City Book Review

London Peculiar and Other Nonfiction

by Jamais Jochim
City Book Review
June 21, 2012

Michael Moorcock always makes for fascinating reading. London Peculiar and Other Nonfiction is a self-exploration, with a number of his previously unpublished essays, articles, and opinions. He ranges far afield here, from Christmas in World War II to looking at why Conan is an American phenomenon. There is a lot of material on a wide variety of subjects, making for an interesting read. There is a reason that he has helped define the fantasy genre, and this book explores that.

From a fan’s perspective there is a lot here. Most authors would merely release a biography of some sort and let the fans be happy with that. As Moorcock has always been a brilliant author, it would have been a let-down; instead, he has put together a book that gives the reader a personal insight into his world, with not only his history looked at but also his opinion. Although the book does occasionally get into some dry material, and the amount of detail in some areas can bog things down a little, such as the detailing of his army miniatures, the book does give some valuable insight into the author, making it a valuable read.

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