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The Roads Between the Worlds #1
The Rituals of Infinity
It is nearly three decades since the discovery of the sub-spacial alternatives - twenty-four lumps of matter hanging in a limbo outside of space and time, each sharing the name of Earth.
Now there are only fifteen of them - the rest blown to extinction by the ruthless attacks of the D-squads. Even the surviving planets are doomed to a cruel, mutilated existence.
Standing between them and their final destruction at the hands of the merciless demolition teams is Michael Moorcock's zaniest hero - the brilliant, offbeat physicist Professor Faustaff.
Now there are only fifteen of them - the rest blown to extinction by the ruthless attacks of the D-squads. Even the surviving planets are doomed to a cruel, mutilated existence.
Standing between them and their final destruction at the hands of the merciless demolition teams is Michael Moorcock's zaniest hero - the brilliant, offbeat physicist Professor Faustaff.
157 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1965
9 people are currently reading
257 people want to read
About the author
Michael Moorcock
1,209 books3,753 followersMichael 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, at the age of sixteen, and later moved on to edit Sexton Blake Library. As editor of the controversial British science fiction magazine New Worlds, from May 1964 until March 1971 and then again from 1976 to 1996, Moorcock fostered the development of the science fiction "New Wave" in the UK and indirectly in the United States. His serialization of Norman Spinrad's Bug Jack Barron was notorious for causing British MPs to condemn in Parliament the Arts Council's funding of the magazine.
During this time, he occasionally wrote under the pseudonym of "James Colvin," a "house pseudonym" used by other critics on New Worlds. A spoof obituary of Colvin appeared in New Worlds #197 (January 1970), written by "William Barclay" (another Moorcock pseudonym). Moorcock, indeed, makes much use of the initials "JC", and not entirely coincidentally these are also the initials of Jesus Christ, the subject of his 1967 Nebula award-winning novella Behold the Man, which tells the story of Karl Glogauer, a time-traveller who takes on the role of Christ. They are also the initials of various "Eternal Champion" Moorcock characters such as Jerry Cornelius, Jerry Cornell and Jherek Carnelian. In more recent years, Moorcock has taken to using "Warwick Colvin, Jr." as yet another pseudonym, particularly in his Second Ether fiction.
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, at the age of sixteen, and later moved on to edit Sexton Blake Library. As editor of the controversial British science fiction magazine New Worlds, from May 1964 until March 1971 and then again from 1976 to 1996, Moorcock fostered the development of the science fiction "New Wave" in the UK and indirectly in the United States. His serialization of Norman Spinrad's Bug Jack Barron was notorious for causing British MPs to condemn in Parliament the Arts Council's funding of the magazine.
During this time, he occasionally wrote under the pseudonym of "James Colvin," a "house pseudonym" used by other critics on New Worlds. A spoof obituary of Colvin appeared in New Worlds #197 (January 1970), written by "William Barclay" (another Moorcock pseudonym). Moorcock, indeed, makes much use of the initials "JC", and not entirely coincidentally these are also the initials of Jesus Christ, the subject of his 1967 Nebula award-winning novella Behold the Man, which tells the story of Karl Glogauer, a time-traveller who takes on the role of Christ. They are also the initials of various "Eternal Champion" Moorcock characters such as Jerry Cornelius, Jerry Cornell and Jherek Carnelian. In more recent years, Moorcock has taken to using "Warwick Colvin, Jr." as yet another pseudonym, particularly in his Second Ether fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 15, 2019
Продължавам с опитите да намеря книга на Муркок, която да ми хареса. Този път избрах съвсем наслуки един самостоятелен роман, извън поредиците за Елрик, Вечния воин и т.н. И в началото си мислех, че съм уцелил! Книгата започва много интересно, като комбинация между "Краят на вечността" и "Хрониките на Амбър", с щипка Филип К. Дик за подправка. Какво би могло да се обърка?
Ами, общо взето, всичко.
И така, имаме паралелни светове и организация от хора, които могат да пътуват между тях и са се посветили на опазването им. Заплахата са загадъчни групи, наричани Р-отряди (разрушителни отряди), които предизвикват т. нар. Ситуации с нестабилна материя и вече са успели да погубят два свята - Земя-16 и Земя-17. Сега те са се активизирали както никога преди, а ресурсите на нашите хора вече са на изчерпване. Главният герой, професор Фаустаф, търси начини да предотврати катастрофата, опитва се да разбере кой стои зад Р-отрядите и какви са целите му, а също и защо паралелните Земи неизбежно изпадат в застой... Има тайнствен чужденец с афинитет към смъртта, биороботи и естествено, някоя-друга загадъчна мацка... Звучи интересно, а?
Тук обаче се проявява една от най-слабите страни на Муркок като писател, според мен - той просто не умее да структурира добре сюжетите си. Някъде към средата на книгата историята започва да блуждае, нижат се безцелни събития, герои се появяват и изчезват според нуждите на автора, абсурдите се трупат и това, което в началото беше стабилна научна фантастика, скоро заприличва на треторазредно фентъзи. Някой писател от ранга на Зелазни вероятно би накарал подобна каша да сработи, но Муркок не е Зелазни.
Развръзката се опитва да придаде някакъв смисъл на всичко, но за мен лично не успява. Жалко, защото началото даваше големи надежди и през първата половина на книгата се колебаех между 4 и 5 звезди, за да падна в крайна сметка на 3. Но явно Муркок толкова си може.
Ами, общо взето, всичко.
И така, имаме паралелни светове и организация от хора, които могат да пътуват между тях и са се посветили на опазването им. Заплахата са загадъчни групи, наричани Р-отряди (разрушителни отряди), които предизвикват т. нар. Ситуации с нестабилна материя и вече са успели да погубят два свята - Земя-16 и Земя-17. Сега те са се активизирали както никога преди, а ресурсите на нашите хора вече са на изчерпване. Главният герой, професор Фаустаф, търси начини да предотврати катастрофата, опитва се да разбере кой стои зад Р-отрядите и какви са целите му, а също и защо паралелните Земи неизбежно изпадат в застой... Има тайнствен чужденец с афинитет към смъртта, биороботи и естествено, някоя-друга загадъчна мацка... Звучи интересно, а?
Тук обаче се проявява една от най-слабите страни на Муркок като писател, според мен - той просто не умее да структурира добре сюжетите си. Някъде към средата на книгата историята започва да блуждае, нижат се безцелни събития, герои се появяват и изчезват според нуждите на автора, абсурдите се трупат и това, което в началото беше стабилна научна фантастика, скоро заприличва на треторазредно фентъзи. Някой писател от ранга на Зелазни вероятно би накарал подобна каша да сработи, но Муркок не е Зелазни.
Развръзката се опитва да придаде някакъв смисъл на всичко, но за мен лично не успява. Жалко, защото началото даваше големи надежди и през първата половина на книгата се колебаех между 4 и 5 звезди, за да падна в крайна сметка на 3. Но явно Муркок толкова си може.
September 4, 2012
This little adventure is mind-boggling, as is usually the case with the young Moorcock - snappy insane stuff with instantly likable characters. A certain secret institute has discovered a number of paralel reality Earths - all of them stagnating at some point in time. Some have stopped around WWI, others earlier than that... But most importantly, there is a sinister crew of beings who are wiping the planets one by one, coming closer and closer to the Earth of the main protagonist. Breathtaking 60's speculative adventure. I've reread this little book a dozen times since I first discovered it.
April 14, 2012
Originally published on my blog here in February 1999.
This novel is one of Moorcock's earliest, and shows him as a writer with talent but yet to reach his mature, distinctive style. He still wears his influences on his sleeve, so to speak. In some ways, to see the influences combine is one of the most interesting aspects of this novel, which in most other ways is no more than competent science fiction.
Any one of a large number of science fiction writers could have woven the plot. A small group of scientists have discovered that the earth is really one of a couple of dozen parallel worlds, mostly frozen at a particular stage of technological and social development. They then find out that there are small groups of terrorists setting out to destroy these worlds (which they label D-squads, D for destruction), murdering millions of people with advanced technology which destabilises reality until an unstoppable chain reaction takes over and pulls it apart totally. Doctor Faustaff, son of the man who discovered the alternates, leads the scientists in a campaign to prevent this and to discover the origins of the D-squads.
In doing so, they become aware of the existence of beings bringing new alternates into existence, and Faustaff ends up on one which has not yet been "activated"; the human beings who live there have to perform certain archetypal acts (such as enacting a ritual of human sacrifice) for this to happen. (This sort of idea is extremely typical of the sixties, when this story was written.)
Doctor Faustaff is a superhero in the mould of the characters in pulp space opera written by authors like E.E. "Doc" Smith; his abilities are too wide-ranging and far-reaching to be realistic, and this is another indication of Moorcock's immaturity when this novel was written.
The main influence on the novel, though, is J.G. Ballard (to whom it is dedicated). This is apparent in the dreamlike and abstract nature of the various alternate worlds, many of them damaged through the attempts of the D-squads to destroy them. They are left as surreal worlds of ice or crystal, without the changes being noticed by the inhabitants. (The descriptions of these worlds are among the best features of the novel.) The satirical intention which can often be attributed to Ballard's science fiction is not really present in The Rituals of Infinity; Moorcock's work usually has little to say about anything outside itself. The same imitation of the atmosphere without the intention can be seen in the hints of Kurt Vonnegut and Stanislaus Lem in the novel.
These obvious influences were gradually integrated into Moorcock's own style, and in his later books they are not so obviously there. This process, in fact, only seems to take another three or four years; the first of Moorcock's Runestaff novels is already quite definitely in his mature style.
This novel is one of Moorcock's earliest, and shows him as a writer with talent but yet to reach his mature, distinctive style. He still wears his influences on his sleeve, so to speak. In some ways, to see the influences combine is one of the most interesting aspects of this novel, which in most other ways is no more than competent science fiction.
Any one of a large number of science fiction writers could have woven the plot. A small group of scientists have discovered that the earth is really one of a couple of dozen parallel worlds, mostly frozen at a particular stage of technological and social development. They then find out that there are small groups of terrorists setting out to destroy these worlds (which they label D-squads, D for destruction), murdering millions of people with advanced technology which destabilises reality until an unstoppable chain reaction takes over and pulls it apart totally. Doctor Faustaff, son of the man who discovered the alternates, leads the scientists in a campaign to prevent this and to discover the origins of the D-squads.
In doing so, they become aware of the existence of beings bringing new alternates into existence, and Faustaff ends up on one which has not yet been "activated"; the human beings who live there have to perform certain archetypal acts (such as enacting a ritual of human sacrifice) for this to happen. (This sort of idea is extremely typical of the sixties, when this story was written.)
Doctor Faustaff is a superhero in the mould of the characters in pulp space opera written by authors like E.E. "Doc" Smith; his abilities are too wide-ranging and far-reaching to be realistic, and this is another indication of Moorcock's immaturity when this novel was written.
The main influence on the novel, though, is J.G. Ballard (to whom it is dedicated). This is apparent in the dreamlike and abstract nature of the various alternate worlds, many of them damaged through the attempts of the D-squads to destroy them. They are left as surreal worlds of ice or crystal, without the changes being noticed by the inhabitants. (The descriptions of these worlds are among the best features of the novel.) The satirical intention which can often be attributed to Ballard's science fiction is not really present in The Rituals of Infinity; Moorcock's work usually has little to say about anything outside itself. The same imitation of the atmosphere without the intention can be seen in the hints of Kurt Vonnegut and Stanislaus Lem in the novel.
These obvious influences were gradually integrated into Moorcock's own style, and in his later books they are not so obviously there. This process, in fact, only seems to take another three or four years; the first of Moorcock's Runestaff novels is already quite definitely in his mature style.
August 26, 2015
It started off in a vaguely confusing way, but then as the book carried on it got really, really weird. In a GOOD way. The book's other title is (Or the Further Adventures of Dr. Faust) and it touches on the Creation Story and stuff to do with angels in a clever, subtle manner, science fiction to begin with but then in the last few chapters of the story it's more like horror. Will definitely be reading more stuff by this man.
May 18, 2020
This early Moorcock novel was originally published in 1965 under the title The Wrecks of Time. It reads as if it were written in a rush, but the concept and plot are enjoyable. While not originally connected to the Eternal Champion multiverse/tapestry, it features the same ideas of journeying to parallel worlds, and the main character is Faustaff, so... It's a fun and quick good vs. evil read, and foreshadows Moorcock's later, more literary work.
September 3, 2019
AVOID. God awful muck, a stillbirth of a sketch for a novel given some flesh but not able to go anywhere. Stuck with it to the end out of my admiration for Moorcock, but this one is a far cry from the mainly sword and sorcery / fantasy stuff I have read to date by him.
Lazy writing, embarrassing dialogues and one dimensional characters. Reeks of a 12yo grandstanding writer putting himself in the action as narrator.
Lazy writing, embarrassing dialogues and one dimensional characters. Reeks of a 12yo grandstanding writer putting himself in the action as narrator.
January 8, 2015
This is the first I've read of Michael Moorcock, so I suppose it's as good an introduction as any.
Doctor Faustus works for a group that tries to save human lives in alternate Earths. A mysterious group called the D-Squad is causing planets to break apart and destroy life. Faustus and his group have to travel through sub-space to rescue the endangered planets and people while fighting off the D-Squaders and the salvagers that seek to profit off a planet's destruction. A series of encounters leads him on a path to understand the forces behind the creation and destruction of the alternate universes.
The Wrecks of Time is written like a pulp sci-fi story. The action is almost non-stop, the hero is a congenial badass, and a large scale plot unfolds at lighting pace. A more serious science fiction would make the events of this story laughable, but its tongue-in-cheek tone goes a long way to making the story acceptable on its own terms and endearing itself to the reader.
There are big ideas here, but they are really an entertaining means to what is really a fun sci-fi romp.
Doctor Faustus works for a group that tries to save human lives in alternate Earths. A mysterious group called the D-Squad is causing planets to break apart and destroy life. Faustus and his group have to travel through sub-space to rescue the endangered planets and people while fighting off the D-Squaders and the salvagers that seek to profit off a planet's destruction. A series of encounters leads him on a path to understand the forces behind the creation and destruction of the alternate universes.
The Wrecks of Time is written like a pulp sci-fi story. The action is almost non-stop, the hero is a congenial badass, and a large scale plot unfolds at lighting pace. A more serious science fiction would make the events of this story laughable, but its tongue-in-cheek tone goes a long way to making the story acceptable on its own terms and endearing itself to the reader.
There are big ideas here, but they are really an entertaining means to what is really a fun sci-fi romp.
December 23, 2015
An early Moorcock book prior to his Eternal Champion, the Rituals of Infinity toys with some similar themes. Professor Faustaff leads an organization which monitors 15 alternate Earths, and attempts to preserve the humans living there and stave off the mysterious reality breaches caused by an outside agency. The reader is taken along with him as his hops from one alternate to another, desperately trying to stave off escalating attacks far more serious than any he's needed to stop before. The entire system of nested alternate worlds is explored as he slowly peels back the layers of the mystery of what is behind the entire bizarre situation.
This short novel packs a lot of fascinating concepts and action, without once having a traditional fight. Faustaff is a hero of the mind, and a scientist first and foremost, far from the typical warrior most fantasy or science fiction stories feature. This in no way detracts from the action or sense of wonder as the very nature of reality and humanity is explored. The conclusion is satisfying and shows that you don't need an epic length book to tell a fascinating and epic story that literally spans worlds.
This short novel packs a lot of fascinating concepts and action, without once having a traditional fight. Faustaff is a hero of the mind, and a scientist first and foremost, far from the typical warrior most fantasy or science fiction stories feature. This in no way detracts from the action or sense of wonder as the very nature of reality and humanity is explored. The conclusion is satisfying and shows that you don't need an epic length book to tell a fascinating and epic story that literally spans worlds.
August 17, 2012
Very derivitive of other authors in style, until the final quarter of the book - only then, is it clearly one of Michael Moorcock's books. It also shows clearly the era in which it was written, as the feminine romantic interest is the positive depiction of the "free love" movement in the 60's. At times, the message almost mirrors the classic argument that I've seen too often in the original Star Trek series... logic to exclusion makes life pointless. It's only through emotional, illogical pursuits such as the pursuit of those things that give us pleasure are we truly alive.
August 7, 2020
Well this was terrible. Not only was the plot poorly written and paced, literally every woman in this book is treated like a piece of meat. The only woman to contribute to the plot is an android so that doesn't count.
To quote some of this masterpiece:
"Once again Faustaff wondered how a woman so well-endowed could appear to be totally sexless".
There's also a scene where people are mindlessly having an orgy and a man is having sex with a woman dressed as an ape. Oh a man is being crucified.
The plot is explained and resolved in 3 pages.
To quote some of this masterpiece:
"Once again Faustaff wondered how a woman so well-endowed could appear to be totally sexless".
There's also a scene where people are mindlessly having an orgy and a man is having sex with a woman dressed as an ape. Oh a man is being crucified.
The plot is explained and resolved in 3 pages.
June 13, 2015
I vaguely remember this book, but I really ought to reread it and the rest of Moorcock's books soon. They are fast, short reads, with some really fun space/time elements, like Philip K. Dick's stories, but lighter.
December 30, 2023
This book, published in 1967 is clearly dated in some ways but still delieveres a really excellent, speculative fiction story.
We see the first part of the book (in third person) through the experiences of Faustaff who appears to be the head of an organisation dedicated to preserving life on Earth... all of them! There are fifteen strung out from E1 'the original' back to E15. There used to be an E16, but no more. The backstory of the way the worlds work is given us in lecture style, around page 40, as Faustaff inducts a new recruit; Bowen, who he has just transported to E1. So the book does not start with an exposé.
The Earth analogues all rely on transponders to travel between the worlds and adjusters to keep them safe. One adjustor has just been stolen from E15 Through enemy action because DUH DUH there is an enemy group 'the D- squad' (D stands for demolition) who stage raids and do bad-guy-enemy stuff. For example, there used to be twenty four Earths in the network and now there are only fifteen, so we know it is the really real stuff.
These bad guys use machines to create unstable matter locations which spread and ultimately disrupt the matter of the world, the adjusters combat that with small teams of men (of course men, it is 1967 after all) on each world to protect it. The mature reader, at this point, is asking of course why the bad guys want to disrupt the worlds, but Faustaff's organisation does not ever seem to have questioned the fact that they are bad guys and bad guys do bad stuff. This is not really spoilers; it is all given as exposition around page 40, and up until then, we, the readers, could tell we were waiting for the exposition.
That does sound pretty critical, and there is plenty to be critical about in this little book from the writing which can be very superficial to the fact there are two women in the whole thing (One a love/sex interest for Faustaff and the other is an android *sigh*). The continuity can be confusing and the characters seem to be kind of two dimensional; though they end up being really distinctive and memorable. In general, it is an OLD book, it's writing style is old, it's narrative tricks and aims are old and it has dated.
If you can get past all that though, you can enjoy a really vibrantly written story that explores ideas that would have been revolutionary when they were written and which are STILL quite exceptional. For myself, while I took a long time to fully commit to this little book I ended up enjoying it to the max.
We see the first part of the book (in third person) through the experiences of Faustaff who appears to be the head of an organisation dedicated to preserving life on Earth... all of them! There are fifteen strung out from E1 'the original' back to E15. There used to be an E16, but no more. The backstory of the way the worlds work is given us in lecture style, around page 40, as Faustaff inducts a new recruit; Bowen, who he has just transported to E1. So the book does not start with an exposé.
The Earth analogues all rely on transponders to travel between the worlds and adjusters to keep them safe. One adjustor has just been stolen from E15 Through enemy action because DUH DUH there is an enemy group 'the D- squad' (D stands for demolition) who stage raids and do bad-guy-enemy stuff. For example, there used to be twenty four Earths in the network and now there are only fifteen, so we know it is the really real stuff.
These bad guys use machines to create unstable matter locations which spread and ultimately disrupt the matter of the world, the adjusters combat that with small teams of men (of course men, it is 1967 after all) on each world to protect it. The mature reader, at this point, is asking of course why the bad guys want to disrupt the worlds, but Faustaff's organisation does not ever seem to have questioned the fact that they are bad guys and bad guys do bad stuff. This is not really spoilers; it is all given as exposition around page 40, and up until then, we, the readers, could tell we were waiting for the exposition.
That does sound pretty critical, and there is plenty to be critical about in this little book from the writing which can be very superficial to the fact there are two women in the whole thing (One a love/sex interest for Faustaff and the other is an android *sigh*). The continuity can be confusing and the characters seem to be kind of two dimensional; though they end up being really distinctive and memorable. In general, it is an OLD book, it's writing style is old, it's narrative tricks and aims are old and it has dated.
If you can get past all that though, you can enjoy a really vibrantly written story that explores ideas that would have been revolutionary when they were written and which are STILL quite exceptional. For myself, while I took a long time to fully commit to this little book I ended up enjoying it to the max.
October 18, 2021
3 / 5 for 'The Rituals Of Infinity' by Michael Moorcock
This was a bit of a weird book to read, to be honest - it's essentially a sci-fi novel with some fantasy elements towards the end, with a grossly overweight hero (Faustaff), who, despite being morbidly obese, is almost intoxicatingly attractive and seductive to the opposite sex. Perhaps this was a little bit of personal fantasy, or imaginary wish fulfilment, on behalf of the author. The science is iffy, but I think it's fair to say that Moorcock is more widely appreciated for his fantasy work, as his science has always been a little hokey.
The book itself is apparently a converted serial, which appeared as an episodic serial in a sci-fi magazine in the 1960s - it's been pretty well tidied up, as it does read like a complete, self-contained novel, and it is very moreish tobe fair - the pages really do zip by, with Moorcock writing shortish chapters with a fair amount of action going on. Again, the iffy science makes things a little hard to swallow sometimes, and Faustaffs inexplicable intoxication of the opposite sex is truly bewildering, but it is a fast-paced little read.
The story moves forward at a fair old pace, with dialogue sounding fun and real. Characterisation (other than of Faustaff) is almost non-existent, and sometimes exposition (especially when delivered via dialogue between characters) can be very clunky, but the tension does gradually ramp up over the course of the story and the budding mysteries deepen, leading into an engrossing and exciting finale.
I hate how much Moorcock was obviously in love with the word helicopter / 'copter when he wrote this book - there are sequences in this book where 'copter appears in every sentence for up to 2 or 3 pages at a time. This was genuinely infuriating.
The science is iffy and the hugely fat MC's popularity with women just feels weird, but other than these negatives, this was an enjoyable and swift little sci-fi adventure.
3 / 5
This was a bit of a weird book to read, to be honest - it's essentially a sci-fi novel with some fantasy elements towards the end, with a grossly overweight hero (Faustaff), who, despite being morbidly obese, is almost intoxicatingly attractive and seductive to the opposite sex. Perhaps this was a little bit of personal fantasy, or imaginary wish fulfilment, on behalf of the author. The science is iffy, but I think it's fair to say that Moorcock is more widely appreciated for his fantasy work, as his science has always been a little hokey.
The book itself is apparently a converted serial, which appeared as an episodic serial in a sci-fi magazine in the 1960s - it's been pretty well tidied up, as it does read like a complete, self-contained novel, and it is very moreish tobe fair - the pages really do zip by, with Moorcock writing shortish chapters with a fair amount of action going on. Again, the iffy science makes things a little hard to swallow sometimes, and Faustaffs inexplicable intoxication of the opposite sex is truly bewildering, but it is a fast-paced little read.
The story moves forward at a fair old pace, with dialogue sounding fun and real. Characterisation (other than of Faustaff) is almost non-existent, and sometimes exposition (especially when delivered via dialogue between characters) can be very clunky, but the tension does gradually ramp up over the course of the story and the budding mysteries deepen, leading into an engrossing and exciting finale.
I hate how much Moorcock was obviously in love with the word helicopter / 'copter when he wrote this book - there are sequences in this book where 'copter appears in every sentence for up to 2 or 3 pages at a time. This was genuinely infuriating.
The science is iffy and the hugely fat MC's popularity with women just feels weird, but other than these negatives, this was an enjoyable and swift little sci-fi adventure.
3 / 5
January 24, 2025
The Rituals of Infinity is an early Michael Moorcock novel, and is often considered a weaker effort. Whilst I’m inclined to agree the writing is pretty rushed and somewhat flat in places, the author of the Eternal Champion series more than makes up for it with some interesting concepts regarding multiverses/alternate realities.
Falstaff is a scientist who has found there to be other versions of his own Earth, and that there is a sinister group, a “Demolition team” that aim to destroy them one by one. Who or what the antagonists are are unknown for the majority of the story.
The story is a blend of fantasy and sci-fiction. Falstaff is an amusing figure. Despite all the responsibility of saving the world/s, and having a rotund figure, he always manages to hit it off with the ladies.
There are brief moments of philosophical discourse, but for the most part, it’s an eccentric little tale, and very much a product of its era. Whilst The Rituals of Infinity isn’t the best place to start with Moorcock, it’s a breezy, light-hearted romp.
P.s. It’s not often the final sentence of a book makes me laugh out loud.
Read:
•The Jewel in the Skull (Hawkmoon 1)
•Warriors of Mars (Michael Kane 1)
•The Black Corridor (Sailing to Utopia 2)
•Elric of Melniboné (The Elric Saga 1)
•Rituals of Infinity (The Roads between the Worlds)
Next to read:
•An Alien Heat (Dancers at the End of Time)
•The Knight of the Swords (Corum)
Falstaff is a scientist who has found there to be other versions of his own Earth, and that there is a sinister group, a “Demolition team” that aim to destroy them one by one. Who or what the antagonists are are unknown for the majority of the story.
The story is a blend of fantasy and sci-fiction. Falstaff is an amusing figure. Despite all the responsibility of saving the world/s, and having a rotund figure, he always manages to hit it off with the ladies.
There are brief moments of philosophical discourse, but for the most part, it’s an eccentric little tale, and very much a product of its era. Whilst The Rituals of Infinity isn’t the best place to start with Moorcock, it’s a breezy, light-hearted romp.
P.s. It’s not often the final sentence of a book makes me laugh out loud.
Read:
•The Jewel in the Skull (Hawkmoon 1)
•Warriors of Mars (Michael Kane 1)
•The Black Corridor (Sailing to Utopia 2)
•Elric of Melniboné (The Elric Saga 1)
•Rituals of Infinity (The Roads between the Worlds)
Next to read:
•An Alien Heat (Dancers at the End of Time)
•The Knight of the Swords (Corum)
September 13, 2020
I riti dell'infinito è un (breve) romanzo che, più o meno dalla terza pagina, preme sull'acceleratore per fermarsi solo nello spettacolare, e quasi lisergico, finale. Moorcock (che onestamente conoscevo più per le sue opere fantasy), nella forsennata corsa del professor Falstaff per salvare una serie di Terre parallele da una misteriosa quanto letale organizzazione, si perde un po' di tutto: approfondimento dei personaggi, coerenza della trama e credibilità della vicenda. Resta un viaggio un po' pazzo spinto da un'inventiva a dir poco spumeggiante... e a volte basta questo per fare della fantascienza soddisfacente.
March 24, 2021
This one was kind of a struggle for me to get through. Part of that was due to me pursuing some other hobbies but considering the book is only 150~ pages long I found it so hard to actually get invested. All the women characters are written as ones who want to f*ck the overweight scientist main character who has minimal backstory or any point of intrigue. The cover art is also misleading. I know they say don’t judge a book by it’s cover but I expected some sword fighting science fiction stuff and instead it read like a elongated short story.
February 4, 2023
Apparently known as The Rituals of Infinity.
Moorcock has written another larger than life character in the form of Professor Faustaff who with his team of followers try to save alternate earth's from various forms of destruction by mysterious adversaries and their agents.
Not as crazed as some as his other more well known characters or plots, Faustaff comes across as rather likeable/lovable depending on what sexual organs you have.
Moorcock has written another larger than life character in the form of Professor Faustaff who with his team of followers try to save alternate earth's from various forms of destruction by mysterious adversaries and their agents.
Not as crazed as some as his other more well known characters or plots, Faustaff comes across as rather likeable/lovable depending on what sexual organs you have.
July 21, 2024
Imaginative? Yes. An interesting ploy? Yes. Interesting characters? No.
I found the mc, Faustaff, rather bland. He's the big man, funny, all the ladies like him, and he's real chill... just like a thousand other heroes. The villain of the story was unbearable as well. I'm a fan of Michael Moorcock, but if there was ever a work of his to skip, it's this one.
I found the mc, Faustaff, rather bland. He's the big man, funny, all the ladies like him, and he's real chill... just like a thousand other heroes. The villain of the story was unbearable as well. I'm a fan of Michael Moorcock, but if there was ever a work of his to skip, it's this one.
August 10, 2022
Decent enough adventure fiction, though none of the characters really are engaging as Faustaff, the protagonist, and the women are especially clumsily depicted. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/201...
October 23, 2018
This is a straight up science fiction novel with multiple earths in parallel universes and faceless baddies hellbent on destroying them. It's a very creative story, based on an interesting concept about the importance of historical archetypes, written with a narrative style which is very open. This style gave me the impression that the content would be fairly tame and yet as the story reaches its peak we witness some horrendous scenes.
The early scene when the protagonist, Professor Faustaff, has casual sex with a young hitchhiker, though not graphic, subtly informs the reader that this story will contain adult content. It's near the end of the novel that it appears and while some horrible things happen the narration and the manner in which they're performed (this is where the title becomes meaningful) mean that they're not traumatising. We see them through a veil of incomprehension.
I've mentioned the narrative style a couple times because there was something very certain in the way the plot unraveled. I never worried for Prof Faustaff because it felt like he was following a path rather than reacting to the whims of fate like he should have been. This is probably a fault in the writing or it might be a reflection of the time at which it was written. For all that it was still an enjoyable story to read and because it was such a unique concept it was impossible to guess where it was going.
So to summarise, an intriguing story which is very readable but just lacks a little something in tone to make you really feel for the characters.
The early scene when the protagonist, Professor Faustaff, has casual sex with a young hitchhiker, though not graphic, subtly informs the reader that this story will contain adult content. It's near the end of the novel that it appears and while some horrible things happen the narration and the manner in which they're performed (this is where the title becomes meaningful) mean that they're not traumatising. We see them through a veil of incomprehension.
I've mentioned the narrative style a couple times because there was something very certain in the way the plot unraveled. I never worried for Prof Faustaff because it felt like he was following a path rather than reacting to the whims of fate like he should have been. This is probably a fault in the writing or it might be a reflection of the time at which it was written. For all that it was still an enjoyable story to read and because it was such a unique concept it was impossible to guess where it was going.
So to summarise, an intriguing story which is very readable but just lacks a little something in tone to make you really feel for the characters.
October 28, 2010
A rare Moorcock that does not connect in any way with his 'Eternal Champion' mythos. I haven't read this in a long time, and I'm sad to say it hasn't worn well.
I still like the story involving multiple Earths, but reading it now I'm amazed by the lack of women in the book. Only two women get speaking parts, and I'm not sure any others are mentioned. Of those two, one is the girlfriend, whose only contribution is to make the hero look virile, and the other is shown up as alien because the hero isn't attracted to her, though she does, obviously, want to have sex with him. It is nice to have a hero who is quite specifically described as overweight. while still being sexy, but I have to wonder if this wasn't some kind of author insertion Mary-Sueing.
Edit: No, I'm wrong. There's also a waitress in the first chapter.
I still like the story involving multiple Earths, but reading it now I'm amazed by the lack of women in the book. Only two women get speaking parts, and I'm not sure any others are mentioned. Of those two, one is the girlfriend, whose only contribution is to make the hero look virile, and the other is shown up as alien because the hero isn't attracted to her, though she does, obviously, want to have sex with him. It is nice to have a hero who is quite specifically described as overweight. while still being sexy, but I have to wonder if this wasn't some kind of author insertion Mary-Sueing.
Edit: No, I'm wrong. There's also a waitress in the first chapter.
November 12, 2015
Ранний Муркок, довольно слабый. В плюсе: интересная идея про цепочки параллельных Земель, которые постоянно создает и уничтожает (вместе с людьми) некая всемогущая сила. В минусе все остальное: литературная беспомощность, супер мэрисью герои, бестолковые сюжетные метания.
Ближе к концу всплывает интересная Юнгианская мысль, что при создании новой копии Земли все ее население должно пройти некую "активацию" на уровне ритуалов, архетипов и коллективного бессознательного, иначе типа вся эта система не заработает. У Фармера или Хайнлайна это было бы уместно, а в исполнении Муркока смотрится как седло на корове.
Ближе к концу всплывает интересная Юнгианская мысль, что при создании новой копии Земли все ее население должно пройти некую "активацию" на уровне ритуалов, архетипов и коллективного бессознательного, иначе типа вся эта система не заработает. У Фармера или Хайнлайна это было бы уместно, а в исполнении Муркока смотрится как седло на корове.
June 10, 2013
An intriguing setup, and about two-thirds of a good story. Unfortunately, the ending bogs down as Moorcock flirts with rituals and simulations and offers too pedestrian (and obvious) of an answer for his big mystery.
Read
August 23, 2008isbn,original
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