Breakfast in the Ruins
Friends old and new join me in Derry and Toms roof gardens to discuss the work and influence of prolific British fantasist Michael Moorcock, as well as other bits of 60s and 70s genre fiction that came to me via my Grandad in the 80s and informed my world view. Books, music, role-playing games, wrestling in Featherstone Library and many other digressions await.
Listen on:
Episodes
Tuesday Jan 28, 2020
Tuesday Jan 28, 2020
Loz is back with me at Derry and Tom's as we dive into Straasha's ocean depths to prize open the mysteries below and discuss (most of) Book Two of Elric of Melniboné.
Excellent beverages are consumed along the way.
Tuesday Jan 14, 2020
Tuesday Jan 14, 2020
After a degree of arm-twisting and one false start, Hussein finally gets his head into a sci-fi/fantasy book and agrees to tell the tale!
We cover the first Phase of The Final Programme, the introduction of Jerry Cornelius into the Multiverse of Michael Moorcock.
Hussein marvels at the wonders of psychedelic 70s scifi covers and I keep mixing up my Perssons and my Brunners.
Wednesday Dec 18, 2019
Wednesday Dec 18, 2019
One of the twitter gang tipped me off a few weeks ago that December 18th is Michael Moorcock's birthday. It took a while for the penny to drop, but when it did and my brain was penetrated by the copper and grub of ten thousand grasping fingers, I was taken aback for a second.
December 18th is also my brilliant and long-suffering partner Phil's birthday, so I made her read something because CONTENT!
So happy birthdays all around!!!
Sunday Nov 24, 2019
Sunday Nov 24, 2019
Loz is back with me at Derry and Tom's as we tackle the 1972 novel Elric of Melniboné.
We have a few drinks and muse upon Elric's early pre-wanderer, Stormbringerless years on the Ruby Throne of Imrryr.
We also ponder the news of a possible Elric TV show and attempt to get comfortable on Lord Shark's Ostentatious Couch (spoiler, we don't).
Sunday Oct 27, 2019
Sunday Oct 27, 2019
Natasha and I discuss Book One of The Jewel in the Skull. It's got it all!
Moorcock discussion? Check!
Moorcroft? Sure, why not!
Bagging small English towns? Check!
Dogs wagging tails? Check and check!
NOW IN THC SOUND!
Note: The bulk of this was recorded before Episode One, so we're already entering into the true spirit of Moorcock by confusing our own internal chronology.
Saturday Oct 12, 2019
Saturday Oct 12, 2019
Join Loz and I as we discuss the first published Elric story, The Dreaming City.
In this, the first full-blooded episode of Breakfast in the Ruins we take a look at the first published story featuring (arguably) Michael Moorcock’s most enduring creation, the moody albino warrior-sorcerer-emperor-wanderer Elric.
All music in this episode is courtesy of Giantkind.
Friday Oct 11, 2019
Friday Oct 11, 2019
A short, primer podcast episode that will set the scene for the series. Inspired by the books given to me by my grandad in the early 80's, helped out by friends old and new, we'll discuss the books of Michael Moorcock and others and the way they shaped our tastes in fantasy fiction and charged our imaginations then and now.
All music is in this episode is courtesy of Giantkind.
Breakfast in the Ruins
It had been a few years since I tried anything new hobby-wise and particularly anything t’interweb related beyond twitter and generally using it for all of the general reasons we use it (gifs, cat pics, buying things I don’t need etc).
However in recent years, whilst doing lengthy commutes, I found that podcasts had moved on somewhat from the type I’d been exposed to previously, with less of the ‘yuck yuck’ interactions between podcast hosts that felt the need to be artificially heightened, and more of a naturalistic and joyous approach to a specific subject matter that drew me in to feel part of the conversation.
Combined with this new found interest I’ve been needing a hobby and outlet for my creative energies, such that they are.
A few years back, for similar reasons, I started a blog (mentallicohullic.com), where I was able to have a good rant, but also link to the online articles I’d written for thequietus.com. I didn’t really keep that up with any regularity though, so it fell by the wayside, although it is still live.
Anyway, it struck me a while later that a sudden upsurge in interest amongst my friends in fantasy fiction, and particularly Michael Moorcock, had generated a number of conversations that I really enjoyed participating in. We were also having particular discussions about how to best model Moorcock in a table top role playing game. One night I started typing up some thoughts regarding my approach to it and, reading it back, it was written in a conversational style and for a split second the idea of a podcast themed around Michael Moorcock’s books and other associated art seemed appealing. A few sherries later I’d ordered a USB audio hub and a condenser microphone and the next day recorded a five minute podcast introduction as a proof of concept. I shared it with some like-minded friends and, following feedback, decided to give it a whirl.
Michael Moorcock as a subject seemed the natural choice, for reasons that may become apparent during the introductory episode. As you'll see as the show progresses, there's a reason why I call it 'Moorcock flavoured'.