{"id":2489,"date":"2013-08-10T09:30:03","date_gmt":"2013-08-10T09:30:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/geekcurmudgeon\/?p=2489"},"modified":"2013-08-08T14:04:29","modified_gmt":"2013-08-08T14:04:29","slug":"rayguns-over-texas-preview-michael-moorcock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/geekcurmudgeon\/2013\/08\/10\/rayguns-over-texas-preview-michael-moorcock\/","title":{"rendered":"Rayguns Over Texas preview: Michael Moorcock"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Cover<\/a>

Cover by Rocky Kelley<\/p><\/div>\n

As we barrel toward the August 29 premiere of\u00a0Rayguns Over Texas\u00a0<\/em><\/a>at\u00a0LoneStarCon 3<\/a>\u00a0(aka the 71st Annual World Science Fiction Convention) in San Antonio, I am presenting book excerpts, one contributor per day.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s selection comes from Michael Moorcock<\/a>‘s\u00a0\u201cThe Nostalgia Differential.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jerry Cornelius and his clan return in a\u00a0\u201csecret history\u201d of Mars, by way of Texas.\u00a0In typical Michael Moorcock fashion, the\u00a0non-linear story unfurls across time with\u00a0wry political commentary, insightful\u00a0social observations, and abundant\u00a0musical references.<\/p>\n

WHEN IN GALVESTON Jerry habitually took his breakfast at the\u00a0Waffle House on 25th\u00a0and Broadway. It was the least infected of the\u00a0joints. Here, it was impossible to catch even a glimpse of the ocean.<\/p>\n

He was beginning to regret buying the Bishop\u2019s Palace. When had he\u00a0last eaten so much bacon? Really, it was time to stop. He was growing\u00a0weak again. He reached into the darkness and found her long, soft\u00a0hand. Now he could only love.<\/p>\n

She reassured him with her grasp. He was grateful for this\u00a0small, deliberate kindness. When he first came to the island he\u00a0had so much wanted to find some kind of purpose. He felt certain\u00a0he would come across a sign of Leadbelly or maybe one of the other\u00a0Texas bluesmen here. But, leaving not so much as a playbill behind,\u00a0they had gone north and east. They had no interest in time. From\u00a0the brochures quantum physics and m-theory seemed to fit so\u00a0well with the Moorish Gothic of the Bishops Palace. As a result\u00a0he had bought the great pile with its pointed roofs, minarets and\u00a0Persianate beaux-arts. There had even been a touch of early Tiffany\u00a0art nouveaux. It once provided the most accurate understanding\u00a0of the style why so many modernists rejected it, confusing\u00a0complexity for fussy pre-modernity. Sometimes he hated to see the\u00a0look of disappointment disturb the firmness of some poor mod\u2019s\u00a0features. Twenty years earlier all that had mattered was that you\u00a0had a pocket full of purple hearts and a willingness to stay up all\u00a0night at the Flamingo.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs there something wrong with the music?\u201d She looked out at the\u00a0driving rain. \u201cWhy isn\u2019t working any more?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRock and roll died the day Hair<\/em> opened in New York,\u201d he\u00a0murmured, glancing around to see if he was overheard. Reactionary\u00a0debased versions of Viennese Light classical with extra bass. Queen\u00a0sang the dirge at the funeral of American black music. Then country\u00a0wasn\u2019t country any more. Looking up from his Big Triple, Shaky Mo\u00a0Collier pushed at greasy hair with greasier fingers and gave Jerry a\u00a0thumb\u2019s up. His attention wandered.<\/p>\n

Catherine glared in his direction. Beside him Miss Brunner\u00a0watched Mo vaguely checking the action of his slick little Colt. \u201cShe\u00a0was getting ready to settle down. I felt sorry for her.\u201d He kissed the air\u00a0and said something under his breath. He looked around for his grits.<\/p>\n

\u201cPerfect.\u201d Miss Brunner prepared herself for prayer. By increasing\u00a0the population so successfully religion again showed its relevance to\u00a0modern times.<\/p>\n

This had turned into fun. A neat little running backwards race. He\u00a0panted. \u201cReligion has done a great job keeping pace with the times. Or\u00a0was it always an arm of consumerism?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mo looked up from his Colt. \u201cIs that like water over there? What\u2019s\u00a0it? Tidal wave?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, bugger!\u201d Jerry had left his guitars in his hotel.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Excerpt from \u201cThe Nostalgia Differential\u201d \u00a9 2013 by Michael & Linda Moorcock.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As we barrel toward the August 29 premiere of\u00a0Rayguns Over Texas\u00a0at\u00a0LoneStarCon 3\u00a0(aka the 71st Annual World Science Fiction Convention) in San Antonio, I am presenting book excerpts, one contributor per day. Today\u2019s selection comes from Michael Moorcock‘s\u00a0\u201cThe Nostalgia Differential.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,25,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2489","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-books","category-michael-moorcock","category-rayguns-over-texas"],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n