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The Pastel City, a Novel of Viriconium by M. John Harrison – A Review

By John Folk-Williams

A Storm of Wings Viriconium

The Pastel City (1971) is the first story by M. John Harrison in his Viriconium fantasy sequence. This short novel drew me in immediately with its luminous prose and its ability to depict a world in ruins and a world of hope with just a few brilliant visual strokes. Though it begins with a prologue […]

Filed Under: Secondary World Fantasy Tagged With: alien minds, dead civilization, empire, M. John Harrison, power, reality, ruined earth, time, Viriconium

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Something is struggling to be born in this damaged and inspiring world, and I believe science fiction and its speculative cousins are helping us figure out what it is. It’s pushing the imaginations of fiction writers to bend and twist familiar forms to try to capture the forces that are hurling us into a barely conceivable future. This blog is my small way of exploring the half-perceived … Read More about About

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