241:. He initially maintains a patriotic resistance to their activities, but gradually discovers the truth: life is peaceful for the dominant empires but the seeming utopia of the empires' home countries is based on decades of unimpeded and unopposed colonial oppression, brutality and domination of their territories. As the First World War never happened to bankrupt the European colonial empires and begin the gradual liberalization and freedom of the colonies,
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returns to 1903, but alas, not his own original time. His experiences have altered him too much to settle into life in this new alternate universe; both his experiences and this sense of dislocation have driven him to opium. The novel ends with
Bastable disappearing mysteriously, much to the 1903 Moorcock's amazement; and a postscript from the modern author Moorcock, establishing his grandfather's death on the
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addiction, and who is tormented by great guilt from an action he performed in his past. Bastable agrees to tell
Moorcock the story, and begins his narrative with his experiences in North East India in 1902, sent as part of a British expedition to deal with Sharan Kang, an Indian high priest at the
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The atomic blast knocks him loose from the alternate 1973, sending him to a new 1903. Wracked with guilt over his part in the destruction of countless millions of innocent lives, and dreading the 'future' of science and imperialism gone mad, Bastable makes his way to the caves of Teku Benga and
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The novel is transcribed by 'Michael
Moorcock' (the author's fictional grandfather) in 1903. Holidaying at the remote Rowe Island, he befriends Oswald Bastable, an ex-soldier stowaway who seems confused and disoriented beyond what could be explained by his
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Bastable, a fair and honourable man, is outraged by the cruelty, injustice and horror revealed to him, and begins to fight for the oppressed peoples of the world (opposing, amongst others, his former friend in the airship service, Major
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temple of Teku Benga, a mysterious and seemingly supernaturally powerful region. After a confrontation with Kang and his men, Bastable finds himself lost and alone in the caves around the 'Temple of the Future
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233:, held in balance by the great empires. Gaining employment amongst the great airship armadas, however, he soon comes into contact with a troop of anarchists – among them a mysterious woman named
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as the main or only way of travelling by air was taken up by various other alternate
British Empires fiction narratives (otherwise considerably different from each other) after Moorcock's 1971
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As with most alternate history novels, a variety of famous figures are mentioned and raised as being part of the fabric of the alternative society. These include:
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When he awakes, and escapes the caves, the Temple is in ruins, as if a great amount of time has passed. He is soon found and picked up by a massive
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At first, Bastable marvels at the wonders that await him in his 'future' — London is a clean and peaceful city, and the world seems to be a
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nobleman-turned anarchist Count Rudolf von
Dutschke. He is close friends with his mentor figure Lenin, whom he fondly relates to as
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is mentioned by Lenin as having abandoned his revolutionary ambitions and become a "respectable" businessman;
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ruthlessly dominate this world and suppress anti-imperialist and anti-colonialist dissent.
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The
Adventures of Una Persson and Catherine Cornelius in the 20th Century
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as the airship captain Joseph
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remains unchecked and the world is greatly unfair and unjust. The
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trilogy and, in its use of speculative technology (such as
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major; in some editions the character is named "Howell".
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One of the first ships
Bastable flies on is called the
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in this alternate future as well as in Bastable's own.
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159:. It concerns the adventures of Oswald Bastable, an
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409:. In early editions the character is named "Egan"
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859:The English Assassin: A Romance of Entropy
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181:novels. The novel was first published by
412:Prominent spokesperson of the left-wing
635:"When Hari Kunzru Met Michael Moorcock"
561:"Internet Speculative Fiction Database"
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1070:The Lives and Times of Jerry Cornelius
379:is a well-mannered junior army officer
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620:"Publication: The Warlord of the Air"
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661:Bebergal, Peter (26 August 2007).
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335:The Story of the Treasure Seekers
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1380:The Chronicle of the Black Sword
633:Kunzru, Hari (4 February 2011).
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285:at the hands of the anarchists.
592:"Michael Moorcock Bibliography"
455:The British Empire and airships
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1086:The Dancers at the End of Time
899:The Sailor on the Seas of Fate
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16:1971 novel by Michael Moorcock
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1035:The Coming of the Terraphiles
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1274:Lucky Leif and the Longships
1078:The History of the Runestaff
979:The City in the Autumn Stars
517:(2009) by Scott Westerfeld.
451:was not coined until 1930s.
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170:A Nomad of the Time Streams
33:Cover of the first edition.
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1454:Novels about imperialism
1439:British steampunk novels
971:The Alchemist's Question
963:The Laughter of Carthage
1186:Characters and concepts
987:The Dragon in the Sword
576:"Moorcock's Miscellany"
414:German student movement
22:The Warlord of the Air
907:The Condition of Muzak
875:Breakfast in the Ruins
843:The Warlord of the Air
763:The Jewel in the Skull
663:"The age of steampunk"
389:having never happened;
148:The Warlord of the Air
1027:The Vengeance of Rome
787:The Sword of the Dawn
470:At the Narrow Passage
163:soldier stationed in
1043:The Whispering Swarm
1019:Firing the Cathedral
827:The Eternal Champion
779:The Mad God's Amulet
504:The Peshawar Lancers
1424:1971 British novels
1387:The Final Programme
1288:Cultösaurus Erectus
1252:Music contributions
1193:Corum Jhaelen Irsei
1137:Conan the Barbarian
835:Phoenix in Obsidian
771:The Final Programme
475:Richard C. Meredith
404:California Governor
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1203:Elric of Melniboné
1161:Anthologies edited
1003:Jerusalem Commands
883:The Land Leviathan
867:Elric of Melniboné
803:The Black Corridor
480:Great Work of Time
465:Warlord of the Air
439:Cultural allusions
387:Russian Revolution
305:The Land Leviathan
297:Series connections
151:is a 1971 British
137:The Land Leviathan
21:
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1341:Kings in Darkness
1176:Before Armageddon
939:The Entropy Tango
923:Byzantium Endures
851:A Cure for Cancer
819:The Chinese Agent
747:The Dreaming City
449:Loch Ness Monster
420:, appears as the
357:Winston Churchill
348:Famous personages
220:Winston Churchill
216:British territory
185:as part of their
155:novel written by
153:alternate history
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119:Print (paperback)
108:Publication place
78:alternate history
76:Science fiction,
49:Cover artist
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157:Michael Moorcock
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43:Michael Moorcock
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581:20 December
566:20 December
377:Mick Jagger
323:Una Persson
243:imperialism
235:Una Persson
1418:Categories
1355:New Worlds
1326:Other work
1223:Multiverse
1151:Tom Strong
607:References
507:(2002) by
493:(1995) by
483:(1989) by
473:(1973) by
1334:Epic Pooh
1243:Melniboné
514:Leviathan
445:Loch Ness
330:E. Nesbit
293:in 1916.
283:Hiroshima
222:had been
218:, though
183:Ace Books
179:steampunk
92:Ace Books
88:Publisher
82:Steampunk
915:Gloriana
692:A review
521:See also
422:Prussian
269:and the
189:series.
175:airships
57:Language
1281:Mirrors
1208:Erekosë
461:airship
371:airship
239:Ulianov
224:viceroy
212:airship
60:English
1121:(2007)
1113:(1995)
1105:(1984)
1097:(1982)
1089:(1981)
1081:(1979)
1073:(1976)
1065:(1969)
1046:(2015)
1038:(2010)
1030:(2006)
1022:(2002)
1014:(2000)
1006:(1992)
998:(1988)
990:(1986)
982:(1986)
974:(1984)
966:(1984)
958:(1982)
950:(1981)
942:(1981)
934:(1981)
926:(1981)
918:(1978)
910:(1977)
902:(1976)
894:(1976)
886:(1974)
878:(1972)
870:(1972)
862:(1972)
854:(1971)
846:(1971)
838:(1970)
830:(1970)
822:(1970)
814:(1969)
806:(1969)
798:(1969)
790:(1968)
782:(1968)
774:(1968)
766:(1967)
758:(1965)
750:(1961)
739:Novels
674:10 May
511:, and
369:as an
265:, the
257:, the
251:France
231:utopia
205:Buddha
139:
127:187 pp
65:Series
39:Author
1309:Zones
263:Japan
200:opium
165:India
124:Pages
73:Genre
1295:Hype
676:2008
648:2016
599:2007
583:2007
568:2007
497:and
308:and
103:1971
1403:RPG
730:of
1420::
665:.
637:.
501:,
487:,
477:,
416:,
261:,
249:,
80:,
1343:"
1339:"
1336:"
1332:"
720:e
713:t
706:v
678:.
650:.
622:.
601:.
585:.
570:.
428:.
363:;
338:.
314:.
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