Michael Moorcock Multiverse

From Tardis Wiki, the free Doctor Who reference
RealWorld.png
You may be looking for the in-universe setting.

The Michael Moorcock Multiverse was a shared continuity encompassing the oeuvre of Michael Moorcock, with nearly every story written by Moorcock taking place within the setting termed the "Million Spheres". Numerous more specific connections existed between the various threads of Moorcock's continuity. The term "multiverse" was allegedly originated in its science fiction context by Moorcock in his early novel The Sundered Worlds, with the concept becoming central to his continuity.

The Moorcock Multiverse is relevant to Tardis Wiki due to its crossovers with the Doctor Who universe.

Connections with the DWU[[edit] | [edit source]]

Crossover[[edit] | [edit source]]

The primary connection between the Moorcock Multiverse and the Doctor Who universe was the novel The Coming of the Terraphiles. This was a Doctor Who novel written by Moorcock which took place in the Moorcock Multiverse continuity and notably furthered some of the ongoing lore of the setting.

The Moorcock character Seaton Begg crossed over with several Doctor Who universe characters in the Obverse Sextet.

Additionally, several franchises which the Moorcock Multiverse had crossovers with also had crossovers with Doctor Who:

How does the Doctor's fictional universe fit into the Moorcock Multiverse?[[edit] | [edit source]]

Unlike most multiversal crossovers, and indeed unlike most of the Moorcock Multiverse's other crossovers, The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"] greatly enmeshes the two meeting continuities rather than delineate them. Several novels are indicated to be part of the history of the Doctor's universe, including The Sundered Worlds and the The Ice Schooner. The novel's continuity with The Sundered Worlds is particularly involved, even referencing the revision from the 1993 re-release of the novel which suggested that it is the origin story of the Eternal Champion, indicating that the Champion's soul originated from the Doctor's universe.

to be expanded

Influence of the Moorcock Multiverse on Doctor Who[[edit] | [edit source]]

As a large influence on science fiction and fantasy in general, Michael Moorcock's stories have had an influence on Doctor Who.

Being a common science fiction concept predating Moorcock, parallel realities as a general concept appeared in Doctor Who from near its inception; the multi-dimensions were recurringly mentioned in Doctor Who annuals of the 1960s and 70s (with The Battle Within [+]Loading...["The Battle Within (short story)"] using the term "Omniverse") and the 1970 television story Inferno [+]Loading...["Inferno (TV story)"] focused on the concept. The first use of the Moorcockian term "multiverse" was in the novel Timewyrm: Genesys [+]Loading...["Timewyrm: Genesys (novel)"], released after the end of the original show at a point when the word had entered common sci-fi language.

Brian Hayles' 1967 story The Ice Warriors [+]Loading...["The Ice Warriors (TV story)"] has elements which could be taken as references to contemporary Moorcock stories. The Second Ice Age setting somewhat resembles the frozen Earth seen in the story The Ice Schooner published in New Worlds magazine a year earlier. Additionally, a character has the uncommon name "Elric".

The 1976 audio story Exploration Earth [+]Loading...["Exploration Earth (audio story)"], written by Bernard Venables who contributed nothing else to Doctor Who, features the Fourth Doctor fighting ancient "Lords of Chaos" who are characterized similarly to the Lords of Chaos from the Elric stories.

In 1978, the Season 16 storyline concerning the conflict between the White Guardian and Black Guardian had elements very similar to the Cosmic Balance between Chaos and Law of Moorcock's stories, with Season 16 being based around a universal balance between chaos and order. Doctor Who essayists such as Elizabeth Sandifer (in TARDIS Eruditorum and Outside In Regenerates) have argued for Moorcock being a clear inspiration for this storyline. The parallels between the Guardians and Moorcock's cosmology are heightened in the Key 2 Time trilogy of audio stories, which describe the Guardians as representing Chaos and Law; The Destroyer of Delights [+]Loading...["The Destroyer of Delights (audio story)"] also complicates this duality in the same manner that Moorcock's stories do by associating freedom with Chaos and showing that a victory of Law would doom the universe just as much as one of Chaos.

Daniel O'Mahony's novel Falls the Shadow [+]Loading...["Falls the Shadow (novel)"] references various works with its chapter titles, including Moorcock's novel The English Assassin. The novel's plot concerns a force known as the Grey Man living in a strange isolated dimension who seeks to soften universal dualities such as good and evil and order and chaos; these elements strongly evoke the Grey Lords of the Moorcock Multiverse.

Lawrence Miles' novel Dead Romance [+]Loading...["Dead Romance (novel)"] contains a scene where the protagonist looks at a bookshelf containing various works which parallel the plot of the book. Among these works is Moorcock's The Final Programme, which also explores the 1960s ending in a divine apocalypse.

Moorcock's fiction was a formative influence on Paul Magrs,[1] who began writing Doctor Who in the 1990s. Magrs' character Iris Wildthyme has a similar parodic relationship with the Doctor to what Jerry Cornelius has with James Bond, with both Wildthyme and Cornelius often dealing with similar themes of identity fluidity and incoherence, as well as being associated with the multiverse. The Eighth Doctor short story Femme Fatale [+]Loading...["Femme Fatale (short story)"] featuring Wildthyme is structured similarly to an average Cornelius story, also having similar plot devices, identity uncertainty, and an approach to integrating genre tropes into shocking headline events of the 1960s (with Femme Fatale focusing on the attempted assassination of Andy Warhol). Magrs features a cameo from Cornelius in the short story In the Sixties [+]Loading...["In the Sixties (short story)"], further showing his own multiversal continuity as owing a debt to Moorcock's.

The Twelfth Doctor comic The Dragon Lord [+]Loading...["The Dragon Lord (comic story)"], a homage to the sword and sorcery genre, features a character named Edryc Dragonsbane, possibly named after Elric.

Influence of Doctor Who on the Moorcock Multiverse[[edit] | [edit source]]

Moorcock's career began before the creation of Doctor Who, with much of his style and the central ideas of his continuity already in their early forms by the time of the show's beginning in 1963. His influences can thus be traced back to older science fiction, most clearly Poul Anderson's Three Hearts and Three Lions, which depicted a set of parallel worlds balanced between the forces of Chaos and Law. However, Moorcock watched Doctor Who since the show's beginning and became a fan, in particular enjoying the Second Doctor and Fourth Doctor.[2]

Kim Newman argued that Moorcock's 1966 novella Behold the Man was likely influenced by the Doctor Who episode The Myth Makers [+]Loading...["The Myth Makers (TV story)"], with both stories having the core idea of time travelling to the eras of mythic figures and discovering that the people of myth were flawed people no different from modern man.[3]

Moorcock's 1970s The Dancers at the End of Time novels also dealt with time travel. While the second book The Hollow Lands (1974) referred to the rules of time travel as the "Logic of Time", the third book The End of All Songs (1976) called them the "Laws of Time", using the same term seen in TV: The Three Doctors [+]Loading...["The Three Doctors (TV story)"].

Stories by Moorcock set in the Multiverse[[edit] | [edit source]]

Before The Eternal Champion (1957 - 1969)[[edit] | [edit source]]

For the first decade of Moorcock's career, continuity between his various stories was less foregrounded than in later periods. A notable instance of continuity were the Ghost Worlds that featured in The Eternal Champion (1962) and The Sundered Worlds (1962). Additionally, several of Moorcock's prominent series of the 1960s heavily paralleled each other, with elements from ''Elric of Melniboné being echoed in Jerry Cornelius and Dorian Hawkmoon.

The idea of the Eternal Champion was introduced in a standalone novelette titled The Eternal Champion (1962) which subtly referenced Elric as a potential incarnation of the Champion. However, the concept of the Eternal Champion was not directly put at the centre of Moorcock's continuity until the 1970 novel reworking of The Eternal Champion and its sequel.

Title Type Series Notes Original release
Daughter of a Warrior King Short story Sojan the Swordsman Introduces Sojan, later established as an Eternal Champion in Phoenix in Obsidian (1970). Sojan stories are set on the planet Zylor. This story introduces a native species called the Myat. Tarzan Adventures Vol 7 22
31 August 1957
Mission to Asno Tarzan Adventures Vol 7 25
21 September 1957
Revolt in Hatnor Tarzan Adventures Vol 7 34
23 November 1957
The Hordes Attack Tarzan Adventures Vol 7 38
21 December 1957
The Purple Galley Tarzan Adventures Vol 7 47
22 February 1958
The Sea Wolves Tarzan Adventures Vol 7 48
01 March 1958
Sojan at Sea Tarzan Adventures Vol 7 49
08 March 1958
The Sea of Demons Tarzan Adventures Vol 7 50
15 March 1958
Prisoners in Stone Tarzan Adventures Vol 7 51
22 March 1958
Sojan and the Plain of Mystery Tarzan Adventures Vol 8 9
31 May 1958
Sojan and the Sons of The Snake God Tarzan Adventures Vol 8 12
21 June 1958
Sojan and the Hunters of Norj Tarzan Adventures Vol 8 15
12 July 1958
The Dreaming City Novelette Elric of Melniboné Introduces Elric, established as an Eternal Champion in The Eternal Champion (1962). Elric uses the parasitic rune-covered sword Stormbringer, which is established as a form of the Roogalator in PROSE: The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"]. Introduces Melniboné, a powerful prehistoric Earth civilisation; the Eleventh Doctor refers to the existence of similar prehistoric civilisations in PROSE: The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"]. Science Fantasy 47
June 1961
While the Gods Laugh Introduces the forces of Law and Chaos, as well as their battle, here named "the Eternal struggle". Science Fantasy 49
October 1961
The Stealer of Souls Science Fantasy 51
February 1962
The Eternal Champion N/A Introduces the concept of the Eternal Champion, here explained as a function of eternal return. Introduces the recurring Champions John Daker and Erekose; other mentioned Champions include Ulysses, Roland, and "Alric". Introduces the Ghost Worlds. Science Fantasy 53
June 1962
Caribbean Crisis Novel Sexton Blake Precursor to the Seaton Begg stories. Moorcock references The Sexton Blake Library in The Coming of the Terraphiles. The Sexton Blake Library 501
18 June 1962
Kings in Darkness Novelette Elric of Melniboné Science Fantasy 54
August 1962
The Flame Bringers Science Fantasy 55
October 1962
The Sundered Worlds N/A Introduces Jon Renark and Asquiol of Pompeii, the latter of whom is later revealed as an Eternal Champion in Phoenix in Obsidian (1970). First usage of term "multiverse" and the first appearance of Renark's multiverse, the Rim, Guide Sensors, Limbo, the centre of the multiverse, and the Galactic Union. Features the Ghost Worlds, first named here the "Shifter system". The Ghost Worlds are close to the planet "Migaa", which the star Miggea in The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"] is named in reference to. "The Hole" from this story is reimagined as a super-black hole in The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"].

In this story, Renark discovers that the Ghost Worlds were created in a war between two alien races, with the planets being impacted by a weapon which forever propelled them sideways through the multiverse. Renark discovers a dying race called the Originators who use each plane of the multiverse like a womb to create species (such as humanity) to become their successors. Renark ascends his consciousness to become one with the multiverse, touching the minds of every human in his universe and initiating an exodus into a new universe so that they may escape the imminent death of their universe and perhaps succeed the Originators. The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"] indicates that similar events occur in the Doctor's universe.

Science Fiction Adventures 29
November 1962
To Rescue Tanelorn Elric of Melniboné A story in the Elric universe without Elric. Features the Lords of Law and Chaos, introducing the neutral Grey Lords, who are referenced in The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"] as the Grey Council. Introduces the Realm of Chaos, Realm of Law, and the city of Tanelorn. Science Fantasy 56
December 1962
The Blood-Red Game N/A Sequel to The Sundered Worlds, with the return of Asquiol of Pompeii. Features the multiverse. Science Fiction Adventures 32
May 1963
Dead God's Homecoming Novella Elric of Melniboné Beginning of the four-part final battle of Elric. Features the Lords of Law and Chaos. Science Fantasy 59
June 1963
Flux Short story N/A A time travel story, in which a time traveller discovers that Nietzche’s eternal return is false and time is a chaotic flux. Limbo appears. New Worlds 132
July 1963
Not by Mind Alone A multiverse story establishing that relativity means that among the infinite dimensions occupying the space of Earth, each person experiences private dimensions rationalized as dreams and hallucinations. New Worlds 134
September 1963
Black Sword's Brothers Novella Elric of Melniboné Features Lords of Law and Chaos, and first mentions the Balance. The Realm of Chaos overtakes Earth. Science Fantasy 61
October 1963
The Time Dweller Short story The Time Dweller Introduces the Scar-Faced Brooder, established as an Eternal Champion in [which?]. Depicts the final years of Earth, in which it is ruled by “Lords of Time” known as the “Chronarchy” who use the Great Regulator to control Time the same way one controls matter. The Chronarchy’s descendants will become “Time Dwellers”, travellers in time. New Worlds 139
February 1964
Sad Giant's Shield Novella Elric of Melniboné Features the Lords of Law and Chaos. Introduces the eight-pointed "Sigil of Chaos" and the single-arrowed "Sigil of Law". Has an appearance by Arrows of Law, possibly related to the "Arrow of Law" seen in The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"]. Science Fantasy 63
February 1964
Doomed Lord's Passing Features the death of Elric and the death and rebirth of the universe in the final battle between Law and Chaos; these events echo throughout the multiverse and are indicated to be parallel with the events of The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"]. Introduces the Cosmic Balance, which is indicated to be a form of the Roogalator in The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"]. Introduces Jermays the Crooked, who is revealed as an Eternal Champion in [which?]. In this story, Elric travels to the potential future world of Roland, who was previously mentioned in The Eternal Champion (1962); Roland is described as Elric's counterpart, reaffirming that Elric is the Eternal Champion. Roland's sword Durendal is indicated to be a form of the Eternal Champion's weapon. Science Fantasy 64
April 1964
The Dream of Earl Aubec Short Story A prequel to Elric of Melniboné, set long before Elric's time. Introduces Aubec of Kaneloon, revealed as an Eternal Champion in Phoenix in Obsidian (1970). Discusses Law, Chaos, and the Cosmic Balance. Fantastic Stories of Imagination
May 1964
Stormbringer Novel Fixup novel assembled from Dead God's Homecoming, Black Sword's Brothers, Sad Giant's Shield, and Doomed Lord's Passing 1965
The Sundered Worlds Multiverse Trilogy Fixup novel assembled from The Sundered Worlds and The Blood-Red Game. 1965
The Fireclown Introduces Alan Powys, later revealed as an Eternal Champion in Phoenix in Obsidian (1970). 1965
Warriors of Mars Kane of Old Mars Introduces Michael Kane, established as an Eternal Champion in [which?]. This setting was heavily inspired by John Carter; relevantly, The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"] features several mentions of Barsoom. 1965
Blades of Mars 1965
Barbarians of Mars 1965
Escape from Evening Short story The Time Dweller A native of the Moon, named a “Moonite”, journeys the House of Time where the Chronachy rules. Introduces the Megaflow, a dimension similar to the Time Vortex in which time travellers travel. New Worlds 148
March 1965
Preliminary Data Jerry Cornelius Introduces Jerry Cornelius, later revealed to be an Eternal Champion in Phoenix in Obsidian (1970). Cornelius uses the needlegun, one form of the Eternal Champion's weapon. Shows one possible fate of Cornelius, merging with his rival Miss Brunner to become a hermaphroditic harbinger of the end of mankind. New Worlds 153
August 1965
The Pleasure Garden of Felipe Sagittarius N/A Introduces Minos Aquilinas, metatemporal detective. New Worlds 154
September 1965
The Golden Barge N/A Introduces Jephraim Tallow. New Worlds 155
October 1965
The Wrecks of Time Novella N/A Introduces John Faustaff, later revealed as an Eternal Champion in the 1996 revision of the story. The plot concerns a multiversal crisis affecting a series of alternate Earth with numerical designations from "Earth-1" to "Earth-15". New Worlds 156-158
November 1965 - January 1966
The Girl Who Shot Sultry Kane Short story N/A This story was written by Moorcock for Golden Nugget, an unsuccessful adult magazine. It was later rewritten to have continuity with the multiverse. Golden Nugget
1966
The LSD Dossier Novel Nick Allard of SMASH Co-written with Roger Harris. This series was later rewritten to be connected to Jerry Cornelius. 1966
Somewhere in the Night 1966
Printer's Devil 1966
Phase Three Short story Jerry Cornelius A loose adaptation of the Elric story While the Gods Laugh (1961). New Worlds 160
March 1966
Behold the Man Novelette N/A Introduces Karl Glogauer, later revealed as an Eternal Champion in [which?]. This is a time travel story in which Glogauer goes to ancient Judaea to find Jesus Christ, discovering Christ's non-existence as a contemporary religious figure and accidently creating the myth himself, ending in his crucifixion. New Worlds 166
September 1966
The Ice Schooner Novel N/A Introduces Konrad Arflane, later revealed as an Eternal Champion in Phoenix in Obsidian (1970). Features the mariner Urquart, a version of whom appears in The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"].

In The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"], Earth in the 511th century is indicated to resemble the version of Earth seen in this novel, with the reasons for this including "a couple of nuclear winters" in accordance with the backstory of The Ice Schooner.

SF Impulse 9-11
November 1966 - January 1967
The Jewel in the Skull Novel Dorian Hawkmoon Introduces Dorian Hawkmoon, later revealed as an Eternal Champion in Phoenix in Obsidian (1970). Hawkmoon wields the Runestaff, which is revealed as a form of the Roogalator in PROSE: The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"].

The setting of the Dorian Hawkmoon stories is post-apocalyptic version of Europe in which societies have return to feudal systems and many lifeforms are mutated monsters. The villains of the setting are "Granbretan", the future Great Britain, who are famous for their order of sorcerer-scientists who wield past technology as if it were magic.

1967
The Singing Citadel Novelette Elric of Melniboné The Fantastic Swordsmen
May 1967
Sorcerer's Amulet Novel Dorian Hawkmoon 1968
The Sword of the Dawn 1968
The Final Programme Jerry Cornelius Expanded from the previous Jerry Cornelius stories in New Worlds. March 1968
The Delhi Division Short story New Worlds 185
December 1968
Behold the Man Novel N/A An expansion of the 1966 novella. 1969
The Black Corridor N/A A stand-alone science fiction story. 1969
The Runestaff Dorian Hawkmoon 1969
The Winds of Limbo N/A A variation of The Fireclown. 1969
The Tank Trapeze Short story Jerry Cornelius New Worlds 186
January 1969
A Cure for Cancer New Worlds 188-91
March-June 1969
The Dodgem Arrangement Speculation 23
July 1969
The Peking Junction The New SF: An original anthology of modern speculative fiction
November 1969
The Distant Suns Novella Illustrated Weekly of India
June-November 1969
The Adventures of Jerry Cornelius: The English Assassin Comic Written with M. John Harrison International Times 57-71
June 1969-January 1970

Establishment & first ending of the Eternal Champion saga (1970 - 1975)[[edit] | [edit source]]

With the Eternal Champion novels of 1970, the continuity between Moorcock's stories was more firmly and literally established, with nearly every significant work of the prior decade recontextualized as being part of the saga of the Eternal Champion. From this point forwards, the Eternal Champion saga was a consistent background element of Moorcock's works. Moorcock wrote his first conclusion to the Eternal Champion saga in the Count Brass trilogy of novels featuring Dorian Hawkmoon, which ended with the 1975 novel The Quest for Tanelorn.

At this time, the multiversal aspect was not as central, with stories more frequently focusing on the concept of cyclical time.

Title Type Series Notes Original release
The Chinese Agent Novel Jerry Cornell A rewritten version of the Nick Allard novel Somewhere in the Night. Introduces Jerry Cornell, a version of Jerry Cornelius and another incarnation of the Eternal Champion as established in Phoenix in Obsidian (1970). 1970
The Eternal Champion The Eternal Champion An expansion of the 1962 novelette. 1970
Phoenix in Obsidian Many characters are named as incarnations of the Eternal Champion: Corum Jhaelen Irsei, Konrad Arflane, Asquiol of Pompei, Aubec of Kaneloon, Shaleen, Artos, Alerik, Erekose, Ryan, Dorian Hawkmoon, Alan Powys, Jerry Cornell, Brian, Umpata, Sojan, Klan, Clovis Marca, Pournachas, Oshbek-Uy, Ulysses, Ilanth, and Jerry Cornelius.
Features a visit to an earlier era of the Chronarchy's universe from The Time Dweller (1964), introducing an Eternal Champion named Urlik Skarsol.
1970
The Sunset Perspective Short story Jerry Cornelius The Disappearing Future
1970
Sea Wolves Science Against Man
1970
The Nature of the Catastrophe New Worlds 197
January 1970
Last Vigil N/A A dying world story set in the Rim. Deals with themes of the eternal cycle of death and rebirth. Vision Of Tomorrow 11
August 1970
A Cure for Cancer Novel Jerry Cornelius An experimental fixup novel combining all the Jerry Cornelius stories published between December 1968 and January 1970. Various contradictions exist between stories, with the multiverse mentioned in this novel as a possible explanation. A weapon known as the "Banning cannon" is introduced; the Banning-Cannon family in The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"] are named in reference to this device. 1971
The Knight of the Swords Swords of Corum Trilogy Introduces Corum Jhaelen Irsei, previously mentioned as an Eternal Champion in Phoenix in Obsidian (1970). Corum's full name is an anagram of "Jeremiah Cornelius", suggesting him to be another version of Jerry Cornelius. Features Law, Chaos, and the Cosmic Balance. 1971
The Queen of the Swords 1971
The King of the Swords First usage of the names "Million Spheres" and "Conjunction of the Million Spheres", as well as the formal introduction of the concept of the Cycle of Cycles. The Eternal Champion Erekose features and the city of Tanelorn returns. 1971
The Sleeping Sorceress Novella Elric of Melniboné Warlocks and Warriors
1971
The Warlord of the Air Novel A Nomad of the Time Streams Introduces Oswald Bastable, revealed as an Eternal Champion in [which?]. Introduces recurring character Una Persson. Bastable travels to a version of 1973 where the British Empire still rules using airships, with this novel being a notable forerunner of the steampunk genre. 1971
The Nature of the Catastrophe Anthology Jerry Cornelius An anthology of Cornelius stories, with original linking material providing a chronology of Jerry's life. 1971
Voortrekker Short story Quark 4
1971
(All the) Dead Singers Ink 19
October 1971
An Alien Heat Novel The Dancers at the End of Time Introduces the setting of Earth at the End of Time, which shares some similarities with the Chronarchy of The Time Dweller. Benefitting from the sum of human progress, the last humans have total control over matter and time but suffer from a deep ennui.
Introduces Jherek Carnelian, a version of Jerry Cornelius and an incarnation of the Eternal Champion as established in [which?]. Also introduces Morphail and translation pills. The universe is about to end similarly to its ending in The Sundered Worlds (1962) and Last Vigil (1970) and the time machine from Behold the Man (1966) appears.
1972
Breakfast in the Ruins N/A Features Karl Glogauer from Behold the Man (1966). The concept of possible realities is explored, with 18 possible lives of Glogauer seen. 1972
Elric of Melniboné Elric of Melniboné 1972
The English Assassin Jerry Cornelius Introduces the Jerry Cornelius version of Una Persson. Also introduces Prinz Lobkowitz, who is named for the historical Prince Lobkowitz who recieves a mention in The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"]. 1972
A Sword Called Stormbringer Comic Conan the Barbarian Co-written by Moorcock and Roy Thomas, this story in the Marvel Comics Conan series featured Elric. Elric and Conan are depicting as existing in the same time zone in separate universes, with Elric travelling between them using magical runes. Conan's universe is shown to have agents of Law and Chaos. Conan the Barbarian 14-15
March-May 1972
The Swastika Set-Up Short story Jerry Cornelius Corridor 4
Winter 1972
Count Brass Novel Hawkmoon: Count Brass Trilogy 1973
The Champion of Garathorm 1973
The Bull and the Spear Corum: The Silver Hand trilogy 1973
The Oak and the Ram 1973
Elric: The Return to Melniboné Elric of Melniboné 1973
The Jade Man's Eyes Novella 1973
Environment Problem Short story N/A A story set in Hell. One demon references the "time-cycles" of the universe. Space: A Collection of Science Fiction Stories
1973
The Longford Cup Jerry Cornelius Penthouse Magazine
1973
A Dead Singer N/A Factions
1974
The Entropy Circuit, An Index of Possibilities Jerry Cornelius 1974
The Hollow Lands Novel The Dancers at the End of Time The second part of the novel trilogy. Once more features Morphail and translation pills. Also features H. G. Wells as a faux journalist in the 1890s, something mentioned by the Eleventh Doctor in The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"]. 1974
The Land Leviathan A Nomad of the Time Streams 1974
The Sword and the Stallion The Chronicles of Corum 1974
The Stone Thing: A Tale of Strange Parts Short story N/A Triode
October 1974
Pale Roses The Dancers at the End of Time New Worlds 7
December 1974
The Quest for Tanelorn Novel Hawkmoon: Count Brass Trilogy The original conclusion to the Eternal Champion saga. 1975
White Stars Short story The Dancers at the End of Time New Worlds 8
March 1975
Warrior on the Edge of Time Album The Eternal Champion A Hawkwind narrative album with lyrics written by Moorcock. It tells the story of an Eternal Champion. 9 May 1975
Ancient Shadows Short story The Dancers at the End of Time New Worlds 9
November 1975

Between the sagas (1976 - 1990)[[edit] | [edit source]]

Between 1975 and 1991, Moorcock returned to mostly writing stories which did not advance the larger setting of the Eternal Champion mythos. Moorcock continued several of his core series, finishing several of the novel trilogies began in the early 1970s and writing numerous one-off returns to earlier characters as he had been doing with Elric since 1964. He also wrote several standalone novels in this period, including Mother London, one of the only of Moorcock's novels to not share overt continuity with the rest of his works.

Continuity-wise, a key novel of the 1980s was The War Hound and the World's Pain, which introduced the Von Bek family and other elements which would become central to Moorcock continuity in the 1990s.

Title Type Series Notes Original release
The Adventures of Una Persson and Catherine Cornelius in the Twentieth Century Novel Jerry Cornelius Una Persson indicates that political disturbances in 1970s Poland are an aspect of the Conjunction of the Million Spheres. 1976
The Sailor on the Seas of Fate Elric of Melniboné A crossover wherein Elric teams up with three other Eternal Champions: Dorian Hawkmoon, Corum, and Erekosé. A sequel to the conclusion of the Eternal Champion saga in The Quest for Tanelorn, showing the consequences of the cycle ending. Variable time speed is used to justify characters from different universes meeting each other out of order. 1976
The Time of the Hawklords N/A A tie-in novel to the band Hawklords, in which the band members are space travellers. A novel by Michael Butterworth developed from an outline by Moorcock, with Moorcock only writing the first page. The antagonist of the novel is described in a prophecy as being associated with the forces of Chaos. The protagonists could be interpreted as connected to the Eternal Champion and a sword features which could be connected to Elric's sword. 1976
The End of All Songs The Dancers at the End of Time The end of the Dancers at the End of Time novel trilogy. 1976
Constant Fire Short story New Worlds 10
August 1976
The Condition of Muzak Jerry Cornelius Novel In this novel, Cornelius is first associated with the pierrot and Una Persson is associated with harlequin; this is the reason for Captain Cornelius' pierrot mask in The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"]. 1977
The Minstrel Girl Short story A Book of Contemporary Nightmares
1977
The Transformation of Miss Mavis Ming Novel The Dancers at the End of Time An expansion of the short story Constant Fire. 1977
Gloriana, or The Unfulfill'd Queen N/A Features a version of Una Persson. The Chaos Gods of Elric are alluded to. 1978
The Last Enchantment Short story Elric of Melniboné A previously unpublished Elric story written during the character's original run in 1962. Ariel: The Book of Fantasy: Volume 3
1978
The Kassandra Peninsula Jerry Cornelius Game 5.1
January 1978
The Golden Barge: A Fable Novel N/A A previously unpublished novel originally written in 1958. 1979
The English Assassin: A Romance of Entropy Jerry Cornelius A variant of The English Assassin (1972). Among the changes, Una Persson is added to the story. 1979
The Swords of Heaven, the Flowers of Hell Comic The Eternal Champion A standalone graphic novel drawn by Howard Chaykin featuring the one-off Eternal Champion Clen of Clen-Gar. In Moorcock's preface to the story, he claims that this will be his final Eternal Champion story. The end of the story features the blind captain from The Sailor on the Seas of Fate (1979), thus tying this story into the narrative end of the cycle. 1979
Crossing into Cambodia: A Story of the Third World War Short story The Third World War The first story of The Third World War series. Mostly stand-alone, although minorly given continuity with Multiverse in the 1993 revision. Twenty Houses Of The Zodiac
1979
The Flight from Singapore New Worlds 216
September 1979
Going to Canada My Experiences in the Third World War
1980
Leaving Pasadena My Experiences in the Third World War
1980
The Great Rock'n'Roll Swindle Novel Jerry Cornelius A movie-tie-in to the Sex Pistols mockumentary The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle. Jerry Cornelius and various Cornelius characters are brought into the plot of the movie. 1980
The Russian Intelligence Jerry Cornell A Jerry Cornell novel, being a complete rewrite of Printer's Devil (1966). 1980
Byzantium Endures Pyat Quartet 1981
The Entropy Tango Jerry Cornelius A novel which incorporates The Kassandra Peninsula and The Minstrel Girl. A song, also titled "The Entropy Tango", was written by Moorcock with Peter Pavli, credited as "Pete Pavli"; Captain Cornelius' bosun Peet Aviv in The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"] is named in reference to Avli. 1981
The Steel Tsar A Nomad of the Time Streams 1981
The War Hound and the World's Pain Von Bek Features Ulrich von Bek of 17th century Germany, introducing the Von Bek family of which he is the earliest major member. The Lords of Chaos from Elric appear as the Dukes of Hell, in particular Xiombarg and Arioch. Xiombarg is shown as one of the Grey Lords, with the domain of the Grey Lords presented as the "Valley of the Golden Cloud". A version of Lucifer is introduced and the Holy Grail is introduced, both of which are mentioned as forms of the Roogalator in The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"]. The story ends with Lucifer gaining dominion over the universe, becoming an agent of Law. Prinz Lobkowitz from the Jerry Cornelius stories cameos as the modern day translator of the text. 1981
Elric at the End of Time Short story Elric of Melniboné A crossover between Elric of Melniboné and The Dancers at the End of Time. 1981
The Murderer's Song Jerry Cornelius Depicts Una Persson's perspective going between universes, with cameos from the settings of The Ice Schooner and The Dancers at the End of Time. 1981
The Brothel in Rosenstrasse Novel N/A A standalone historical novel set in 19th century Europe. Features Rickhardt von Bek of the Von Bek family. Introduces the city Mirenburg in the country Waldenstein (also known as Svitavia). 1982
The Alchemist's Question Short story Jerry Cornelius 1984
The Opium General N/A 1984
The Laughter of Carthage Novel Pyat Quartet 1984
The City in the Autumn Stars Von Bek Introduces Manfred von Bek, of late 18th century Mirenburg. Features Thomas Paine. Mercury, Io, and Zeus are revealed as prior incarnations of the Eternal Champion; this is reflected in The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"] by a dream the Eleventh Doctor has in which he is Mercury. 1986
The Dragon in the Sword The Eternal Champion Features a new member of the von Bek family also named Ulrich von Bek, from Nazi Germany. Features the Holy Grail. Shows the origin of Elric's sword as being created from Erekose's sword. 1986
The Frozen Cardinal Short story N/A A standalone unpublished story from 1967, concerning the first human explorers on an ice planet called Moldavia who discover the preserved body of a Catholic cardinal. 1987
Hanging the Fool N/A A standalone story themed around the Tarot, indicating to be part of the Multiverse in its 1999 re-release. 1987
The Last Call N/A A story showing the soul of the Eternal Champion attempting to avoid reincarnation after the end of the Eternal Champion saga. The soul is unable to ignore a call for "the Champion" from a chaotic region of the Multiverse and it re-enters existence as a Londoner in the pub The Six Jolly Dragoons, where a crowd of drunk men are chanting "Champion" in relation to a sports game on TV. Thus, the cycle continues as the Champion unwittingly becomes an ordinary man. 1987
Mars N/A A story about human descendants living on Mars. Four-armed tusked bipeds are mentioned as a race who once lived on Mars. In the setting of this story, "Old Earth" and Neptune were accidentally sent sideways through the multiverse to a couple million years in the future. 1988
Casablanca The Third World War Casablanca
1989
Gold Diggers of 1977 (Ten Claims That Won Our Hearts) Jerry Cornelius A rewrite of the 1980 Sex Pistols tie-in novel The Great Rock'n'Roll Swindle.
The Fortress of the Pearl Novel Elric of Melniboné Elric journeys through the Land of Dreams, which is mentioned in The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"] as the Land of Nod. 1989
The Cairene Purse Short story N/A 1990
The Museum of the Future N/A A tribute to H. G. Wells. Features the Time Traveller from The Time Machine. Time travel is shown to be a way to accidentally travel to a different version of the past, as seen in A Nomad of the Time Streams. 1990

Multiversal Eternal Champion saga (1991 - 2005)[[edit] | [edit source]]

This section's awfully stubby.

Please help by adding some more information.

Starting with The Revenge of the Rose, Moorcock began establishing a new version of the Eternal Champion mythology which incorporated elements from his novels of the 1980s and was focused on new aspects of the multiverse.

Into the mid 1990s, almost the entirety of Moorcock's works were re-released in The Tales of the Eternal Champion with revisions to adapt them to the Multiverse cosmology established in the Second Ether trilogy.

Title Type Series Notes Original release
A Dragon Wakes Short story Elric of Melniboné Interzone 46
1991
The Revenge of the Rose Novel A story in which Elric journeys the multiverse, featuring Ernest Wheldrake from Gloriana and Gaynor the Damned from the Corum books. Introduces the Rose, who is of a race of half-flower people who cameo in The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"]. Also introduces the moonbeam roads and the concept of "Objects of Power". A version of the Conjunction of the Million Spheres is depicted. 1991
Colour Short story Second Ether Introduces colour. Introduces Jack Karaquazian, an Eternal Champion and a version of Jerry Cornelius also associated with the pierrot. The Rose, from The Revenge of the Rose (1991) is mentioned. The Terminal Cafe and the Biloxi Fault are introduced, with the fault causing a new version of the death of the multiverse; the Desirée time fault in The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"] functions similarly to the Biloxi Fault. The multiverse is depicted as being composed of mostly identical worlds, with truly alternate histories being millions of realities away from one's own universe. New Worlds 1
1991
The Romanian Question Jerry Cornelius Explores the modernisation of Europe viewed from the end of the 20th century, with a focus on paralleling the Romanian revolution with the country's association with the Axis in the 1940s. The time machine from Behold the Man (1966) appears. Jerry refers to a 1960s police box as a "TARDIS". 1991
Corsairs of the Second Ether Second Ether Introduces the concepts of Chaos Engineers and the scales of the multiverse, including the First, Second, and Third Ether. Introduces Horatio Quelch, the Original Insect, Buggery Otherly, and several individuals with the surname Begg. Also introduces the real world concept of self-similarity as a core part of the Moorcock Multiverse. Returns to the concepts of Chaos, the Balance and Limbo from Elric, with Law being referred to "the Singularity". The Lords of Chaos and Law are reimagined as the Angels of the Singularity and Angels of Chaos and the Battle of the Balance is believed by one character to be the "War in Heaven", reflecting the Eleventh Doctor's comment in The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"] that the conflict is "a bit Miltonian". New Worlds 2
1992
Jerusalen Commands Novel Pyat Quartet 1992
Von Bek Anthology The Tale of the Eternal Champion The first omnibus in the British The Tale of the Eternal Champion, positioning the Von Bek stories as the beginning of the Eternal Champion saga. Much of this omnibus series is irrelevant to this table due to being straightforwards reprints, but some of the books contained revised versions of stories. This omnibus included The War Hound and the World's Pain (1981), The City in the Autumn Stars (1986), and The Pleasure Garden of Felipe Sagittarius (1965). In the third story, the metatemporal detective Minos Aquilainius is renamed "Minos von Bek" and Felipe Sagittarius is revealed as an alias of Klosterheim from the Von Bek novels. 1992
Lunching With the Antichrist Short story Second Ether Introduces Edwin Begg and Sporting Club Square. Later published as "The Clapham Antichrist". Smoke Signals
1993
The Gangrene Collection Jerry Cornelius A brief exploration of the Green Revolution. 1993
Free States Second Ether A sequel to Colour (1991). Ketchup cove and the V are introduced. Knowing the multiverse, one character states, "We are all echoes of some lost original." and uses the word archetype to reference the concept of the original multiversal self; similar wording appears in the explanation of the Eternal Champion in The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"]. The Rose returns as Rose von Bek, having married into the family, and the events of her backstory are explained. The events of Corsairs of the Second Ether (1992) appear as fiction within Jack Karquazion's universe, with Frank Force and Spammer Gain being introduced as fictional characters. The Holy Grail appears as a universe. The Time Centre Times Vol 2 2
August 1993
The White Pirate Blue Motel
1994
The White Wolf's Song An Elric story tying into the Second Ether mythos. Features Renark von Bek, Quelch, and the moonbeam roads. Renark mentions that he is seeking a galaxy known as "the Rose", a location which other sources describe as a universe; this location is referenced as a galaxy in The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"]. Tales of the White Wolf
1994
The Affair of the Seven Virgins A homage to Sexton Blake. Introduces Seaton Begg and Taffy Sinclair, who are based in Sporting Club Square. Zenith the Albino is introduced as the regent of Waldenstein, who wields Elric's black sword. The Time Centre Times
1994
Crimson Eyes A sequel to The Affair of the Seven Virgins. The Holy Grail appears. New Statesman & Society
1994
The Eternal Champion Anthology The Eternal Champion The Tale of the Eternal Champion series of omnibuses were published in America under the title The Eternal Champion, with most of the content staying the same. However, the first of these releases, titled The Eternal Champion inserted The Sundered Worlds (1965) between the novels The Eternal Champion (1970) and Phoenix in Obsidian (1970). The text is altered so that Jon Renark is now named Renark von Bek. A new prologue to The Sundered Worlds shows the protagonist of The Eternal Champion, disembodied between the events of the novels, meeting Renark on the moonbeam roads and sensing a deep connection, asserting a new version of the cosmology in which Renark was the original soul of the Eternal Champion and his mental ascension at the end of The Sundered Worlds is the beginning the reincarnating cycle. The idea of Renark being the original Champion due to falling into the the Hole is alluded to in The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"]. 1994
Blood: A Southern Fantasy Novel Second Ether A novel which integrates Colour (1991), Corsairs of the Second Ether (1992), and Free States (1993). Introduces Vortex Water and the Spammer Gain. Renark of the Rim is mentioned. 1995
No Ordinary Christian Short story Tombs
1995
Thindows New Statesman & Society
1995
The Birds of the Moon New Statesman & Society
1995
Fabulous Harbours Novel A fixup novel integrating the short stories The White Pirate (1994), The Black Blade's Summoning (1994), Lunching with the Antichrist (1994), The Affair of the Seven Virgins (1994), The Girl Who Killed Sylvia Blade (1966), Crimson Eyes (1994), No Ordinary Christian (1995), Thindows (1995), and The Birds of the Moon (1995). Seaton Begg appears under the name "Sexton Begg". 1995
The Road Between Worlds Anthology The Eternal Champion The only original omnibus to the American The Eternal Champion series, collecting The Wrecks of Time (1967-1968), The Winds of Limbo (1969), and The Shores of Death (1964-1965). The Wrecks of Time is altered so that "Gordon Ogg" is renamed "Gordon Begg", the moonbeam roads are mentioned, and "Steifflomeis" becomes "Klosterheim" from the Von Bek novels. The Winds of Limbo replaces "Alan Powys" and "Simon Powys" with "Alain von Bek" and "Simon von Bek". The Shores of Death renames "Clovis Marca" to "Clovis Becker". An original framing sequence shows Renark of the Rim wandering the moonbeam roads (with various Second Ether characters cameoing), experiencing the stories as his memories.

The framing sequence ends with two sentences summarizing the over-arching story of the Multiverse at this point: "[Renark von Bek] prepares to continue his long walk along the moonbeam roads, to pursue his eternal quest for that lost treasure of antiquity, the stewardship of which his family had undertaken in its earliest centuries; that Grail which he has sworn to restore to Bek. And, as he walks, all his descendants, all his ancestors, walk with him, an eternal champion, eternally reincarnated, eternally destined to destroy all that comforts him, to restore justice and virtue to the multiverse, to seek the peace of fabled Tanelorn, to walk the roads between the worlds." The idea that the Doctor is an Eternal Champion could be difficult to reconcile with the assertion that all Champions are part of the von Bek bloodline, but the Doctor was indicated to have human ancestry in TV: Doctor Who [+]Loading...["Doctor Who (TV story)"].

1996
Firing the Cathedral Novella Jerry Cornelius A Cornelius story exploring the warmongering nature of Bush era America. Features a potential timeline of the future in which sea levels drastically rise, Britain enters an Ice Age, and all empires fall. This reality is described as a "multiversal twig" and the phrase "space is a dimension of time" is used; in relation to this, Professor Hira recalls his conversation with Jerry in The Final Programme (1968) in which he compared the multiversal cycle to the yuga cycle and denies it now, saying that understandings of the multiverse have evolved. Seaton Begg appears as a Hollywood movie franchise. Banning cannons appear, with the name "Banning" being said to originate from the Texas town of their origin.

Jerry is shown to agree with the philosophy of Thomas Paine, explaining why Captain Cornelius' ship in The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"] is named the Paine.

2002

Continued stories in the Multiverse (2006 - present)[[edit] | [edit source]]

This section's awfully stubby.

Please help by adding some more information.

Following the third conclusion to the Eternal Champion saga in 2005, Moorcock continued to write stories set in the now-established Multiverse continuity.

It was notably in this period that Moorcock wrote the Doctor Who novel The Coming of the Terraphiles.

Title Type Series Notes Original release
The Visible Men Or, down the multiversal rabbit hole Short story Jerry Cornelius A summary of the Moorcock Multiverse's functioning, reiterating the scales of the multiverse and their connection to the Mandelbrot set. Jerry explains that travelling through the multiverse by expanding or contracting one's mass is related to the principle that "space is a dimension of time". Nature
17 May 2006
Ironface N/A Introduces Captain Cornelius, the planet Venice, and the V. Later incorporated as the prologue of The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"]. Fast Ships, Black Sails
2008
Modem Times Novelette Jerry Cornelius An exploration of the war on terror and the failed optimism of the 20th century which has resulted in a modern Western complacency with the crimes of government, in particular examining Jerry Cornelius' position as a figure of nostalgia himself. Continues from Firing the Cathedral (2002), with Jerry returning from that story's timeline into a version of the present. The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, Vol 2
February 2008
The Coming of the Terraphiles Novel Doctor Who Features numerous connections to the Multiverse as documented on this page, most notably the Roogalator and the Conjunction of the Million Spheres. The Eleventh Doctor is indicated to be an Eternal Champion. Heavily connects to The Sundered Worlds and the Second Ether series, as well as featuring a setting expanded from Ironface. Introduces the spelling "Second Aether" for the Second Ether.

Moorcock depicts a more scientifically-based perspective of his Multiverse, incorporating the then-recent concept of dark flow.

14 October 2010
Modem Times 2.0 Novelette Jerry Cornelius An updated version of Modem Times (2008), integrating new material relating to the Obama administration's continued warmongering. Features mentions of Sexton Blake and a scene in which Cornelius remembers his childhood on Barsoom. At one point, Cornelius ponders the multiverse and senses the "dark tides" seen in The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"]. 2011
Shamalung (The Diminuations) Short story Thackery Lambshead Guides Set in the shared universe of Thackery T. Lambshead, part of the continuity of writer Jeff Vandermeer. Features Seaton Begg and uses the "Second Aether" with its spelling introduced in The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"]. The Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities
12 July 2011
A Twist in the Lines Jerry Cornelius A Jerry Cornelius story written for the Multiverse Expanded exhibition at the Akershus Kunstsenter in Norway. Cornelius ponders the evolution of theories of the multiverse, including the mythology around dark flow and "people falling into black holes" introduced in The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"]. Multiverse Expanded
September 2011
Curare The Metatemporal Detective Features Seaton Begg and Zenith the Albino Zenith Lives!
30 April 2012
The Lost Canal N/A Features the V and the scales of the multiverse. Mentions "Galifrean beer", which could be taken as a Doctor Who reference. Old Mars
8 October 2012
The Nostalgia Differential Jerry Cornelius Rayguns over Texas
28 August 2013
The Whispering Swarm Novel The Sanctuary of the White Friars Features an in-universe version of Michael Moorcock who exists in one universe of the Multiverse. When Moorcock meets living multiversal versions of characters from his own stories, he remarks, "I wouldn’t have been very surprised if Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Who dropped in for a beer." Uses the "Second Aether" with its spelling introduced in The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"]. 25 November 2014
The Grenade Garden Short story Jerry Cornelius An exploration of 2010s military technology, with a focus on drone warfare. Briefly mentions V-games. While considering his regrets in life, Jerry's thoughts momentarily turn to "Black holes. Dark matter. Something was happening to the multiverse. Time radiated erratically," which all describe the plot of The Coming of the Terraphiles [+]Loading...["The Coming of the Terraphiles (novel)"]. Jerry's sister reminds him that he got put into an episode of "Doctor Watt", to which Jerry replies, "Who?" Fantasy for Good
9 December 2014
Pegging the President Novel Jerry Cornelius An examination of the rise of Donald Trump in America, with a focus on themes of presidential assassination. March 2018
Wigan! Short story Jerry Cornelius An exploration of social media as societal control, juxtaposed with the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Uses the V as its stand-in for modern social media. New Worlds 224
30 September 2024

Stories by other writers[[edit] | [edit source]]

Alan Moore's graphic novel series The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which has several references to Doctor Who, includes a licensed appearance by Jerry Cornelius.

Paul Cornell wrote a Jerry Cornelius story titled "Global Collider Generation: An Idyll" for the 2009 anthology When It Changed: Science into Fiction. Uniquely for a Cornelius story, it was an educational piece on the Large Hadron Collider showing a hopeful vision of the future.

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]