The Condition of Muzak
by Michael Moorcock
The Cornelius Chronicles (4), The Eternal Champion (Jerry Cornelius Quartet 4)
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Civilization as we know it has been annihilated. The decay and chaos of the multiverse have left Europe in a surreal, yet ever-fashionable, mess. Jerry Cornelius finds himself in an increasingly futile series of guises, part of a cast of characters dancing the Entropy Tango towards oblivion. Will the legendary Cornelius ever be united with his true beloved, his sister Catherine? And will balance ever be restored to devastated London? Winner of the Guardian Fiction Prize, The Condition of show more Muzak is the fourth, climactic novel in the Cornelius Quartet. But this is by no means the last we will see of Jerry Cornelius--an indelible spirit of counter-culture who continues to inspire writers and artists to this day. show lessTags
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Michael Moorcock, 1939 - Writer Michael Moorcock was born December 18, 1939 in Mitcham, Surrey, England. Moorcock was the editor of the juvenile magazine Tarzan Adventures from 1956-58, an editor and writer for the Sexton Blake Library and for comic strips and children's annuals from 1959-61, an editor and pamphleteer for Liberal Party in 1962, show more and became editor and publisher for the science fiction magazine New Worlds in 1964. He has worked as a singer-guitarist, has worked with the rock bands Hawkwind and Blue Oyster Cult and is a member of the rock band Michael Moorcock and the Deep Fix. Moorcock's writing covers a wide range of science fiction and fantasy genres. "The Chronicles of Castle Brass" was a sword and sorcery novel, and "Breakfast in the Ruins: A Novel of Inhumanity" uses the character Karl Glogauer as a different person in different times. Karl participates in the political violence of the French Revolution, the Paris Commune, and a Nazi concentration camp. Moorcock also wrote books and stories that featured the character Jerry Cornelius, who had no consistent character or appearance. "The Condition of Muzak" completed the initial Jerry Cornelius tetralogy and won Guardian Literary Prize in 1977. "Byzantium Endures" and "The Laughter of Carthage" are two autobiographical novels of the Russian emigre Colonel Pyat and were the closest Moorcock came to conventional literary fiction. "Byzantium Endures" focuses on the first twenty years of Pyat's life and tells of his role in the Russian revolution. Pyat survives the revolution and the subsequent civil war by working first for one side and then another. "The Laughter of Carthage" covers Pyat's life from 1920-1924 telling of his escape from Communist Russia and his travels in Europe and America. It's a sweeping picture of the world during the 1920's because it takes the character from living in Constantinople to Hollywood. Moorcock returned to the New Wave style in "Blood: A Southern Fantasy" (1994) and combined mainstream fiction with fantasy in "The Brothel of Rosenstrasse," which is set in the imaginary city of Mirenburg. MoorCock won the 1967 Nebula Award for Behold the Man and the 1979 World Fantasy Award for his novel, Gloriana. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Condition of Muzak
- Original title
- The Condition of Muzak
- Original publication date
- 1977
- People/Characters*
- Major Nye; Jerry Cornelius; Professor Hira; Frank Cornelius; Mrs. Honoria Cornelius; Catherine Cornelius (show all 24); Una Persson; Sebastian Auchinek; Colonel Pyat; Miss Brunner; Schwester Eugenia; Shakey Mo Collier; John Gnatbeelson; Constantin Koutrouboussis; Captain Hargreaves; Karen von Krupp; Mitzi Beesley; Dassim Shan; Bischof Beesley; Prinz Lobkowitz; Elizabeth Nye; Piet Olmeijer; Mr. Smiles; Flash Gordon
- Epigraph*
- All art constantly aspires towards the condition of music. For while in all other works of art it is possible to distinguish the matter from the form, and the understanding can always make this distinction, yet it is the cons... (show all)tant effort of art to obliterate it.
-Walter Pater - Dedication*
- Dieses Buch ist mit tiefer Dankbarkeit folgenden Menschen gewidmet, die mir im Laufe der elf Jahre, die ich brauchte, um diese Tetralogie zu beenden, immer wieder Mut und Zuversicht zugesprochen haben:
Clive Allison, Hilar... (show all)y Bailey, Jimmy Ballard, Edward Blishen, Alan Brien, John Clute, Barry Cole, Mal Dean, Michael Dempsey, Tom Disch, George Ernsberger, Giles Gordon, Mike Harrison, Doug Hill, Langdon Jones, Richard Glyn Jones, Philip Dakes, Keith Roberts, Jim Sallis, Norman Spinrad, Jack Trevor Story, Jon Trux, Angus Wilson. - First words*
- Als Major Nye versuchte, einige grüne und braune Flecken vom Kragen seiner Tropenkampfjacke zu entfernen, löste sich ein Bröckchen feuchter Erde von seinem Hals und fiel auf die verfugten Steine des der Ewigkeit geweihten ... (show all)Riesendamms.
- Last words*
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Und auch er weinte, als er die Greyfriars Bridge erreichte und nach Blackheath rollte, hatte er doch der Mutter seines ungeborenen Sohnes eine schlimme Nachricht zu überbringen.
- Original language*
- Englisch
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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