Customer Reviews

City Of The Beast/Warriors Of Mars (Planet Stories Library)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a very exciting book! I started reading it around 10:30 as some intending it as some before bed reading and finally finished it around 2:30am. I did not even notice the passing of time. I could not put the book down.

I am a huge fan of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Mars books, and this book definitely the same genre. There are two sequels to this book that will be released later in the Plaent Stories Line: Lord of the Spiders and Masters of the Pit.

I hope that you enjoy this story as much as I did.

On Grognardia, I've been reading a lot recently about Paizo's Planet Stories series, which is a line of classic fantasy and science-fiction novels (most from the 1950s to 1970s). The books come out bi-monthly and subscriptions are available, though so far I've just picked up several of the novels in used book stores.

The first one I read was Michael Moorcock's City of the Beast. Moorcock is a famous fantasy writer (especially with his Elric stories), but this is the first time I've ever actually read one of his books. City of the Beast (originally titled Warriors of Mars) has a refreshing simplicity to it, insofar as it is very much straight-up heroic adventure. Except for a framing sequence, it's told from the first-person point of view of a character named Michael Kane. A modern-day physicist (who just happens to be an expert swordsman and military tactician), Kane is transported by accident to the Mars of thousands of years ago--a world which is a lush, fantastic place full of strange creatures, civilizations, and quasi-scientific technology. Kane immediately falls in love with a native princess named Shizala and goes on an epic quest to rescue her when she's kidnapped by a race of blue-skinned giants named the Argzoon. In other words, this is the story of a guy fighting monsters to rescue a princess: it is Super Mario Bros: The Novel. I say that facetiously, as it's fun to read a fantasy novel that is straight-forward and fast-moving (it weighs in at just over 150 pages) and that doesn't carry with it dozens of subplots and hundreds of characters. As much as I like the layered myth-making and deep characterization in stories like The Wheel of Time, a book like City of the Beast offers a nice change of pace.

City of Beasts/Warriors of Mars succeeds, admirably, at being a homage to the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs. For anyone who is a fan of the genre of Planetary Romance, or who just enjoys well written action, this is a good book to read. Is it high literature? No. Does it make sense with what we know of science today? Not only no, but a resounding no! In the end will you understand the Human Condition better than before? Well, not really.

What it is, is a fairly simple straight forward story of adventure. In this book you will find all the derring do, vile villians and heroic... well, heroes that you would wish from a book of this type.

The writing in this novel only hints at the true depth of Michael Moorcock's gift for writing. Any fan of his who has read any of the later Eternal Champion series should see in this book the development of a truly gifted author. I am not sure when Michael Kane was added to the list of Eternal Champion's but so be it.

As a homage to the literary genre, though, it is a truly fun book. In the end, it is that word that makes me feel really happy about having taken the time to read a novel and why I am willing to give this one five stars (in spite of some minor flaws): That it is in the end a FUN read.

The argument is simple as is the writing, but it gives you a great time reading it. If yu like fantasy or adventure, this book, and the rest of the trilogy, is for you.

This book was obviously written in the vein of Burrough's Barsoom mythos. And, as has been said by others, Moorcock's immaturity as an author is also obvious. John Carter was mysteriously transported to an alternate Mars. Kane is also transported. Carter meets and wins the incomparable Dejah Thoris. Kane woos Princess Shizala. Carter wars against green, six-limbed Martians, while befriending one with mercy. Kane fights blue giants, and befriends one with mercy. The mythos of John Carter bears further examination, but Kane doesn't have the romantic dashingness (is that a word?) of Carter. In addition, the editing in this edition is appallinng! Typoes all over! Buy the John Carter series by Burroughs, and the Elric books by Moorcock. If you want this book, get a used copy, just for its literary place.

I picked this book up on a day when I was exhausted and did not want to read anything heavy. It is a lot of fun. An easy read and reminds me of Burroughs Barsoom. I am sold on the whole Planet Stories line and thank Erik for his love of books and his work to bring us these out of print classics. I look forward to reading them all.

I'm relatively new to Moorcock, having somehow missed the Elric novels in my youth. I set out to remedy that, and just completed the first Elric saga, which I enjoyed greatly. The next book I read was City of the Beast.

I enjoyed this book every bit as much as the Elric saga, and in some cases, more. Michael Kane is a fantastic hero, and Mr. Moorcock somehow really conveyed to me the beauty of Shizala and her city, so that I could sense Kane's willingness to sacrifice everything for them.

This book had it all: likable characters, interesting landscapes, high action, thrills and chills. There was one stretch where the description made me so claustrophobic that I actually began to sweat.

I'm dying to read the next installment. Fortunately, it comes out this month.

Moorcock's homage to the "sword and planet" fiction of Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs (A Princess of Mars (Penguin Classics),Pirates of Venus (Bison Frontiers of Imagination), etc.). First published under the name Edward Powys Bradbury in 1965, Moorcock actually goes the master one better by delineating a tale that doesn't require the massive suspension of disbelief that ERB's novels usually do. This is a fast, fun read that is guaranteed to appeal to fans of the sub-genre as well as enthusiasts of the more straight-forward sword and sorcery fiction that Moorcock is better know for.

As the old saying goes, if you budget is $100m it's a homage, if its $50 it's a rip-off. City of the Beast is a homage to the old Sword and Planet tales of Burroughs and Kline, Brackett and C.L. Moore (and a host of others). Originally titled Warriors of Mars under the name "Edward P Bradbury" when published back in 1965, it probably looked more like rip-off than homage. 45 years later, and with Michael Moorcock a well-known name in the business, it's a bit different.

There is not a lot of point talking about the plot, other than in the broadest terms - earthman is myteriously transported to Mars, fights monsters, meets a girl. The villian is an evil pirate queen who can mesmerise man and beast alike with the power of her mind - and whether this is extreme beauty, magic or some genetic mutation caused by radiation is never made clear. In fact, looking back on that last sentence I may have given the matter more thought than Moorcock did when writing the book. But you know what? That's OK. This is a book that was written to be read and enjoyed, not closely studied, interpreted, deconstructed, and analysed in depth. It's a simple, straightforward adventure story with a few fun flourishes. Its short, punchy and to the point: this is not a multi-volume fantasy epic to fear committing too, it's a one-night stand with a tongue in cheek romp through a fantastic world that never was.

City of the Beast was a light, over-the-top adventurous tale that held my interest, but ultimately could have been better.

***MINOR SPOILERS***

The Good

The action is non-stop, so there were really no parts of the book that dragged. Combat scenes are lively and the adventure itself was fun. The characters are believable enough (considering the premise), and convey their emotions well. It was easy to identify with the protagonist, and I enjoyed his triumphs and felt the losses when he did.

The Bad

There are hints of ancient wonderous technology and of long-forgotten "treasures" that mostly we never see. It would have been nice if the story had unveiled more than just the one or two things they do show us. The book is clearly set up for a sequel, but the book cover gives no indication that this was a series. (Even though later Planet Stories novels do indeed continue the series.) The chain of events is a little bit suspect. The heroes seem to have just the help they need at the most opportune of times. (The words "How Convenient..." came to mind quite a bit.)

The Judgement

All-in-all it was a good read, but nothing spectacular. Having read Moorcock's Elric series (which was excellent), I know the writing talent is eventually there, so hopefully the later Kane novels will be a bit better.