The War Hound and the World's Pain by Michael Moorcock

We can disagree about the actual quality of much of his early work, or indeed about whether some of his more self-consciously literary output isn’t just pretentious bibble-bobble ( The Condition of Muzak and Entropy Tango, I’m looking at you), but what’s certain is that this is a huge body of work. Moorcock’s workrate, when you put it like that, is impressive enough, but it’s only when you look at the ‘by the same author’ list at the front of a recent edition of one of his books and see the immense number of works recorded there that it really strikes home that this man is a cottage industry as much as a literary figure. Even taking weekends off (or possibly using them to edit New Worlds or hang out with Hawkwind) that translates into three modestly-sized novels every fortnight. Minor production fault affecting blank portion of verso of last leaf in very good condition.There’s an old story about about Michael Moorcock, which I may have said before – as a young writer, he decided that he could routinely produce 15,000 words a day without it causing him undue strain. Surprisingly, he is tasked with finding the Holy Grail, the 'cure to the world's pain', that will also cure Lucifer's pain by reconciling him with God.

(BA) This was the first of Moorcock's 'Van Beck' series of novels, with its hero - a mercenary and freethinker - a damned soul in a castle owned by Lucifer. Papadakis, Valerie, Amanda, Charles Platt and all those others who, with Jill, helped create the circumstances that led to the writing of this book.' This fantasy novel, set during the Thirty Years War, grew out of the breakdown of Moorcock's marriage - fact ironically reflected in the dedication and the presentation inscription.

Mike.' The printed dedication reads: 'For Doctor A. A dedication copy, signed and dated ('NY, October, 1981') by Moorcock on the title-page and inscribed by him on the dedication page: 'To Charles, Who probably understands all the implications of this dedication more than anyone. Advance uncorrected galley proofs for the first edition, printed on both sides, perfect bound, entirely different in format from the published version. Small, narrow folio (10 3/4 x 6 inches), original printed yellow wrappers.

The War Hound and the World's Pain by Michael Moorcock