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Sephiroth · 30th September 2007, 07:46 AM

j.d., from what you say, The Eternal Champion sounds like a good place to start. Thanks for the recommendation.

Giovanna, the article you linked to is very interesting.

This subject is one close to my heart, one I have given a lot of thought to while planning and writing my own work. My initial eagerness to emulate the 'master', as I saw it (Tolkien), meant that I intended falling into the same trap as so many aspiring writers. I would write a mediaeval, 'sword and sorcery' tale hinging upon the struggle between Good and Evil.

I soon realised that it would be a big mistake, not only because it has all been done before (and by better writers than me), but more fundamentally, because I could not reconcile it with my vision of 'how things are'. While I said above that I see 'Chaos vs. Order' as a modern reinterpretation of 'Good and Evil', it has the benefit of not assigning moral absolutes to characters. Now, at the most fundamental level, my entire story revolves around the question of 'Conservatism vs. Change'.

Regarding the article, one thing I find striking is that he equates creative solitude with virtue. Being a solitary creative, I might be tempted to agree, but we are, after all, social creatures, and our morality centres upon the dos and don'ts of interpersonal interaction.

It seems to me that the preference for one or other vision says more about the observer than anything else. Those of a conservative bent, who take comfort from law and order and are skeptical of change, will undoubtedly find stories of 'restoration' or 'consolation' more fulfilling. I tend to feel more affinity for the vision that emphasises chaos, change and unintended consequences, and I look for meaning in that, rather than hoping it will be controlled and subdued by conservative forces.

As I said, it seems to me that we humans have a way of taking a unity and turning it into a dialectic. The big question is, are we right? Do we perceive a measure of universal truth with our minds? Or are we simply making sense of something that, otherwise, would make none?

30th September 2007, 07:46 AM	#10 (permalink)
Sephiroth Causa Scientiae Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Dundee City Posts: 2,008	Re: Moorcock's "Great Themes" j.d., from what you say, The Eternal Champion sounds like a good place to start. Thanks for the recommendation. Giovanna, the article you linked to is very interesting. This subject is one close to my heart, one I have given a lot of thought to while planning and writing my own work. My initial eagerness to emulate the 'master', as I saw it (Tolkien), meant that I intended falling into the same trap as so many aspiring writers. I would write a mediaeval, 'sword and sorcery' tale hinging upon the struggle between Good and Evil. I soon realised that it would be a big mistake, not only because it has all been done before (and by better writers than me), but more fundamentally, because I could not reconcile it with my vision of 'how things are'. While I said above that I see 'Chaos vs. Order' as a modern reinterpretation of 'Good and Evil', it has the benefit of not assigning moral absolutes to characters. Now, at the most fundamental level, my entire story revolves around the question of 'Conservatism vs. Change'. Regarding the article, one thing I find striking is that he equates creative solitude with virtue. Being a solitary creative, I might be tempted to agree, but we are, after all, social creatures, and our morality centres upon the dos and don'ts of interpersonal interaction. It seems to me that the preference for one or other vision says more about the observer than anything else. Those of a conservative bent, who take comfort from law and order and are skeptical of change, will undoubtedly find stories of 'restoration' or 'consolation' more fulfilling. I tend to feel more affinity for the vision that emphasises chaos, change and unintended consequences, and I look for meaning in that, rather than hoping it will be controlled and subdued by conservative forces. As I said, it seems to me that we humans have a way of taking a unity and turning it into a dialectic. The big question is, are we right? Do we perceive a measure of universal truth with our minds? Or are we simply making sense of something that, otherwise, would make none?