Zones of Chaos

Michael Moorcock's introduction describes this hallucinatory concoction of Farren's poetry, song lyrics, essays, short fiction and social commentary as “a display case of his obsessions from demons to dope to the dangers and rewards of remaining alive in an increasingly berserk universe.” In “Enter the Swordmaid,” vampire Victor Renquist encounters a woman with a sentient sword and gets a nightmarish glimpse into another dimension. “The Voodoo Chile Experience” is a psychedelic roller-coaster ride through extreme “user fatal” video gaming. “Jailhouse Rock” chronicles Farren's experiences in a Van Nuys jail during a major California earthquake. A 1975 comic book entitled Rock & Roll Madness shows an aging Elvis-like character becoming president. Farren is equal parts drug-crazed madman and poetic prophet, and his work both predates and transcends modern bizarro apocaliterature. (Dec.)