London Peculiar and Other Nonfiction

Wry and dry are Moorcock's (Doctor Who: The Coming of the Terraphiles) modus operandi in this collection of nonfiction selected by the author and Allan Kausch. Among the old book reviews, meditations on London, and diary entries are personal musings, wherein the author points out, for example, the parallel between Willie Nelson and God, noting that the former was once arrested for marijuana in Texas (where Moorcock lives for half the year) and immediately acquitted, whereas the cop who did the cuffing was fired. Moorcock also has a generous selection of portraits and remembrances of his contemporary literary friends, including JG Ballard and Andrea Dworkin. The lengthy, lyrical rumination on the ruined landscape of his childhood in Blitz-era London (where he found "the camaraderie of hopelessness") is of particular note, as it is neither romanticized nor diluted, vividly presenting the discovery of buried treasure and dead bodies in the rubble of bombed houses. Most of the selections are taken from the author's regular contributions to English magazines and newspapers, particularly the Guardian and the Financial Times, and have a distinctly political air. Though his assertions can get repetitive, Moorcock's charming curmudgeonliness makes this collection a true pleasure, balancing scathing wit with flashes of nostalgia and melancholy. (May)