About the Book
A collection of three novellas.
- Pale Roses (1974)
- White Stars (1975)
- Ancient Shadows (1975)
The high comedy of Michael Moorcock's outlandish futuristic world is at its most entertaining in these stories of the hedonistic immortals who dwell at the End of Time:
Werther de Goethe, womb-child and apprehensive optimist, finds innocence in the form of Catherine Gratitude. When Werther's paternal feelings turn to lust, he rejoices in a remorse he has never known before.
The Duke of Queens, always game for something diverting, challenges Lord Shark to a duel. To make the sport all the more fun for the spectators, the duel will be to the death – even if death is something of a trick for immortals.
And, finally, there's the arrival of prudish time-traveler Dafnish Armatuce with her sixty-year-old son, Snuffles, in tow. Snuffles is all too delighted by what he sees at the End of Time, but the wanton abandon is a bit too much for his poor mother.
Michael Moorcock's sharp social satire is cause for celebration for that breed of readers who delight in wit, whimsy and brilliance of language.
