The Pastel City

This is Elric-like in its presentation. It wouldn't be surprising if the author (at the time of publication, still in his twenties) was strongly influenced by Moorcock's style of writing & subject matter. In a far-future world where technology is on the decline & swords & sorcery on the rise, a civil war in Earth's last great kingdom threatens to destroy civilization. The aggressor kingdom has unearthed ancient relics of the past it cannot control. Overall the story moves pretty quickly, with some relatively memorable characters with forgettable names. The ending is cliched. Earth has evidently gone through several cycles of decline & rebirth (Midsummer Century, anyone?). Even the ancient artifacts & places don't bear any recognizable resemblance to things known today. That lends things a bit too much unreality. Others may find the far future vista refreshing.--Caleb N. Diffell (edited)