The Dancers at the End of Time
 | |
| Author | Michael Moorcock |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Publisher | MacGibbon and Kee (1972) |
Publication date | 1972 (collected edition 1981) |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 663 pages (paperback omnibus edition) |
| ISBN | 0583136397 (paperback omnibus edition) Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character |
The Dancers at the End of Time is a series of science fiction novels and short stories written by Michael Moorcock, the setting of which is the End of Time, an era "where entropy is king and the universe has begun collapsing upon itself".[1] The inhabitants of this era are immortal, decadent and amoral, creating flights of fancy using power rings which draw on energy devised and stored by their ancestors millions of years prior. Time travel is common, and throughout the series various different points in time are visited and revisited; while space travelers are also common, many residents of the End of Time find leaving the planet distasteful and cliché.[citation needed] The title of the series is itself a quote from the fictitious poet Ernest Wheldrake, which is quoted in The End of All Songs.[2]
Three books make up the original trilogy: An Alien Heat, The Hollow Lands and The End of All Songs, which were published between 1974 and 1976.[3] Other books in the series include the novel The Transformation of Miss Mavis Ming (also known as A Messiah at the End of Time) which is a rewrite of the novella Constant Fire. Several short stories, some of which were included in the anthology Legends from the End of Time, were published in New Worlds 7-10 (the paperback revival of the magazine). Short stories featuring Elric (Elric at the End of Time), and Jerry Cornelius (The Murderer's Song) also feature characters and places from the End of Time.
Main characters in the series include Jherek Carnelian, a native of the End of Time, one of few to have been born naturally at the End of Time, rather than created, Mrs Amelia Underwood, a time traveler from the late 19th century, the enigmatic Lord Jagged and Miss Mavis Ming in the eponymous The Transformation of Miss Mavis Ming, which also features the Fireclown.
The End of Time
Template:Spoiler The prologue of the An Alien Heat states that it is "a story of Jherek Carnelian, who did not know the meaning of morality, and Mrs Amelia Underwood, who knew everything about it".[4] The novel begins with a discussion between Jherek Carnelian and his mother, the Iron Orchid, of the meaning of the word virtuous. Carnelian bases his description of the concept as "bewildering" based upon a dictionary definition that he looked up.
It is at a party hosted by the Duke of Queens, the theme of which is "Disaster" and at which an alien by the name of Yusharisp delievers a message that the universe will soon collapse upon itself, that Mrs Amelia Underwood makes her first appearance. Disgusted by the actions of Lady Charlotina, who had frozen Yusharisp for transport to her menagerie, she exclaims "Let the poor creature go! Though he is neither human nor Christian, he is still one of God's creatures and has a right to his liberty!"
Emphasis on how lightly sex, including incest and homosexuality, is treated at the End of Time can be found in the early chapters of An Alien Heat. The chapter A Conversation with the Iron Orchid involves an incestuous scene between Jherek Carnelian and Iron Orchid, and the chapter Carnelian Conceives a New Affectation implies a homosexual relationship between Carnelian and Lord Jagged.
Landscape
The landscape of the End of Time is constantly altered, as noted in the first chapter of An Alien Heat, where the Iron Orchid and Jherek Carnelian awaken to find that the sea has been turned a shade of cerise, and the cliff with two palm trees that had previously been behind them had been replaced by a twelve-story silver Pagoda.[5]
Plot
The Dancers at the End of Time
Legends from the End of Time
Pales Roses begins with the destruction of the rainbow part of Werther de Goethe's creation Rain by the Everlasting Concubine, Mistress Christia, and Werther's despair. After a short interlude, Werther discovers, by the use of a parachute that closely resembles a Hot air balloon, a child (Catherine Lily Marguerite Natasha Dolores Beatrice Machineshop-Seven Flambeau Gratitude) that is the fourteen year old daughter of two time travelers, and deigns to take on the role of her now deceased parents.
Following a masquerade with the theme of Childhood, Werther is passionately overcome and engages in sexual intercourse with Catherine. After the event, disgusted by what he perceives to be the enormity of his acts, he is even more disgusted in Catherine for having enjoyed what she describes as le petit mal. The story climaxes with Werther's suicide by jumping from his tower unaided by his parachute and his subsequent resurrection.
It is then revealed that Catherine is really Mistress Christia in disguise, the series of events being an attempt to reconcile after her having destroyed his rainbow.
White Stars: after discovering that he had inadvertently destroyed one of Lord Shark the Unknown's experiments with lichen, the Duke of Queens offers to duel with him in order to rid himself of his guilt.
In Ancient Shadows, a time traveler, Dafnish Armatuce, and her son, Snuffles, arrive at the End of Time, and become involved with Miss Mavis Ming.
The Transformation of Miss Mavis Ming
Chronicling the transformation of Miss Mavis Ming and the parts played by Doctor Volospion, his fellow residents at the End of Time, and Mr Emmanuel Bloom. The ending originally involved a scene where the main character, Mavis Ming, was whipped into submission by another character. This was later rewritten by the author.[6]
Elric at the End of Time
Elric at the End of Time is one of two Elric short stories included in the eponymous collection, Elric at the End of Time. Its characters include Elric, Una Persson, and Lord Jagged.
Characters
Jherek Carnelian
Jherek Carnelian, son of the Iron Orchid and an unknown father (later revealed to be Lord Jagged) is the protagonist of the novels An Alien Heat, The Hollow Lands and The End of All Songs. Jherek may or may not be an incarnation of Moorcock's recurring character Jerry Cornelius.
Mrs Amelia Underwood
A denizen of Bromley the 19th century, she arrives at a party hosted by the Duke of Queens under mysterious circumstances after she is kidnapped from her own age. She is married to Mr Underwood.
Lord Jagged
Lord Jagged is a time traveler, and, unlike Jherek and the Iron Orchid, is not a native to the End of Time. He is the father of Jherek by the Iron Orchid, and is later shown to be manipulating various events that occur in the series.
In the short story, Elric at the End of Time, Lord Jagged assumes the persona of the chaos Lord Arioch, returning Elric to his own realm. Una Persson later compliments him on the imitation, saying:[7]
Your disguise was wonderful, Jagged. How did you manage to imitate that character so thoroughly? It convinced Elric. He really thought you were whatever it was—a Chaos Duke? I mean, it's almost as if you were this fellow 'Arioch'...
Lord Jagged, however, does not reply to this. Instead, he "[puffs] on his pipe and [smiles] a secret and superior smile".[7]
Werther de Goethe
Werther de Goethe, named for the main character of Goethe's novel The Sorrows of Young Werther and Goethe himself, and is likewise angst ridden. He features as the main character in the short story Pale Roses.
Duke of Queens
The Duke of Queens is known throughout the End of Time for his outrageous creations. His first appearance is in An Alien Heat. After having adjusted the geography where the Iron Orchid and Jherek lunched and turning the sea into a deep pink, described as almost cerise, he is shown to be once more experimenting with artificial wings, to the chagrin of Iron Orchid, who wonders why he insists that they are a success.
Miss Mavis Ming
Miss Mavis Ming appears in the short story Ancient Shadows, playing host to Dafnish Armatuce and her son, Snuffles, and also in the novel The Transformation of Miss Mavis Ming, where she is a pawn in the machinations of Doctor Volospion.
References
Notes
- ^ Steven Wu. ""Dancers at the End of Time, The", review". Retrieved 2006-04-13.
- ^ Omnibus edition, Granada. The End of All Songs. p. 650.
So shall they dance, till the end of time
- ^ Ian Davey. "Bibliography of works by Michael Moorcock". Retrieved 2006-04-13.
- ^ An Alien Heat. pp. viii.
- ^ An Alien Heat. p. 3.
- ^ "A Messiah At The End of Time". Q&A with Michael Moorcock. Retrieved 2006-04-14.
- ^ a b Elric at the End of Time. p. 68.