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Time of the Hawklords #1
The Time of the Hawklords
Rocking On The Edge Of Time.Deep at the Earth's Centre lay the Death Generator. Buried there from time immemorial by a long-dead race of aliens, it had at last been triggered into action . . .For among the ruins of London, surrounded by the survivors of the recent holocaust, Hawkwind rock, their music catalysing the attacking Death Raythe only potential saviours of the human race otherwise doomed to extermination in an apocalyptic battle between the forces of good and evil . . .
239 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
4 people are currently reading
140 people want to read
About the author
Michael Moorcock
1,215 books3,771 followersMichael John Moorcock is an English writer primarily of science fiction and fantasy who has also published a number of literary novels.
Moorcock has mentioned The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Apple Cart by George Bernard Shaw and The Constable of St. Nicholas by Edward Lester Arnold as the first three books which captured his imagination. He became editor of Tarzan Adventures in 1956, at the age of sixteen, and later moved on to edit Sexton Blake Library. As editor of the controversial British science fiction magazine New Worlds, from May 1964 until March 1971 and then again from 1976 to 1996, Moorcock fostered the development of the science fiction "New Wave" in the UK and indirectly in the United States. His serialization of Norman Spinrad's Bug Jack Barron was notorious for causing British MPs to condemn in Parliament the Arts Council's funding of the magazine.
During this time, he occasionally wrote under the pseudonym of "James Colvin," a "house pseudonym" used by other critics on New Worlds. A spoof obituary of Colvin appeared in New Worlds #197 (January 1970), written by "William Barclay" (another Moorcock pseudonym). Moorcock, indeed, makes much use of the initials "JC", and not entirely coincidentally these are also the initials of Jesus Christ, the subject of his 1967 Nebula award-winning novella Behold the Man, which tells the story of Karl Glogauer, a time-traveller who takes on the role of Christ. They are also the initials of various "Eternal Champion" Moorcock characters such as Jerry Cornelius, Jerry Cornell and Jherek Carnelian. In more recent years, Moorcock has taken to using "Warwick Colvin, Jr." as yet another pseudonym, particularly in his Second Ether fiction.
Moorcock has mentioned The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Apple Cart by George Bernard Shaw and The Constable of St. Nicholas by Edward Lester Arnold as the first three books which captured his imagination. He became editor of Tarzan Adventures in 1956, at the age of sixteen, and later moved on to edit Sexton Blake Library. As editor of the controversial British science fiction magazine New Worlds, from May 1964 until March 1971 and then again from 1976 to 1996, Moorcock fostered the development of the science fiction "New Wave" in the UK and indirectly in the United States. His serialization of Norman Spinrad's Bug Jack Barron was notorious for causing British MPs to condemn in Parliament the Arts Council's funding of the magazine.
During this time, he occasionally wrote under the pseudonym of "James Colvin," a "house pseudonym" used by other critics on New Worlds. A spoof obituary of Colvin appeared in New Worlds #197 (January 1970), written by "William Barclay" (another Moorcock pseudonym). Moorcock, indeed, makes much use of the initials "JC", and not entirely coincidentally these are also the initials of Jesus Christ, the subject of his 1967 Nebula award-winning novella Behold the Man, which tells the story of Karl Glogauer, a time-traveller who takes on the role of Christ. They are also the initials of various "Eternal Champion" Moorcock characters such as Jerry Cornelius, Jerry Cornell and Jherek Carnelian. In more recent years, Moorcock has taken to using "Warwick Colvin, Jr." as yet another pseudonym, particularly in his Second Ether fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 12, 2010
This is a weird and wild and literallly spaced-out gonzo novel written by Michael Butterworth from an outline by Michael Moorcock. It features the fictional stage personaes used by members and friends of the band Hawkwind, so it's for a very small niche audience, but for those who spent the '70s as space cadets in the Hawkfleet it's a warm and wonderful thing.
December 2, 2014
I read this years ago and just finished rereading it. It's certainly not a great book, neither well-written nor well-plotted.
This novel is an overly-simplistic view of good vs evil with no shades of grey whatsoever. The Hawkwind crew are good in every way (even if a bit misunderstood by the "straights"). The evil Dark Lord is so bent on power that he seems to care nothing for the fact that he quite obviously will have to completely destroy the entire world to achieve his goals.
What makes it interesting enough to read twice? The fact that it's about Hawkwind and deals with several of their most well-known band members. But beyond that, it barely qualifies as fan-fiction. You won't learn anything cool about the band Hawkwind by reading this book. A bit weird in places, so maybe at least the author tried to get in the spirit of Hawkwind and leave the audience spaced out.
And that's another thing - do NOT be fooled that this is Moorcock's book. It's really Butterworth writing - he might have collaborated on ideas with Moorcock at the beginning, but I doubt if Moorcock wrote a word of this...
This novel is an overly-simplistic view of good vs evil with no shades of grey whatsoever. The Hawkwind crew are good in every way (even if a bit misunderstood by the "straights"). The evil Dark Lord is so bent on power that he seems to care nothing for the fact that he quite obviously will have to completely destroy the entire world to achieve his goals.
What makes it interesting enough to read twice? The fact that it's about Hawkwind and deals with several of their most well-known band members. But beyond that, it barely qualifies as fan-fiction. You won't learn anything cool about the band Hawkwind by reading this book. A bit weird in places, so maybe at least the author tried to get in the spirit of Hawkwind and leave the audience spaced out.
And that's another thing - do NOT be fooled that this is Moorcock's book. It's really Butterworth writing - he might have collaborated on ideas with Moorcock at the beginning, but I doubt if Moorcock wrote a word of this...
October 9, 2019
Yeah, sure, not a fantastic piece of literature. It will not live down thru the ages. But it will be rediscovered time and time again by those with just the right kind of mind, just the right enjoyment of Hawkwind's music, just the right willingness to suspend not only disbelief but a need to read excellent writing. (imo: I think the writing is meant to be something of a farce, a nod to undeliberately bad writing of the pulps)
I first read it during my wild youth and probably all in one sitting while in an alternative frame of mind. But I read it again years and years later and it was still a lot of fun.
And if you are of the right stuff to enjoy this book then don't overlook Queens of Deliria!
I first read it during my wild youth and probably all in one sitting while in an alternative frame of mind. But I read it again years and years later and it was still a lot of fun.
And if you are of the right stuff to enjoy this book then don't overlook Queens of Deliria!
August 12, 2008
Take it from me, this is great fun, like a really tripped-out B-Movie, starring legendary underground prog-psych band Hawkwind, no less, whose music, in this novel, is like manna from heaven. All other music? Death musik, my friend. This book RULES.
April 12, 2008
i gave this 4 stars (I really liked it) because even though the uneveness of the writing throughout left me unsatisfied, and the way Moorcock starts using sentence fragments when the story gets exciting can be distracting the topic alone was interesting and the characters were Lemmy-era Hawkwind!
September 9, 2020
I’ve read “The Time of the Hawklords” by Michael Moorcock and Michael Butterworth twice. The first time I read it I was a teenager in the 1980’s and thought it was a mediocre sci fi novel by one of my favorite fantasy authors, Moorcock. At the time I’d never heard of the band, Hawkwind, and I thought the band in the story were completely fictional.
The second time I read it was later on, after I became a huge Hawkwind fan, and familiar with their Moorcock-penned spoken word song, “Sonic Attack”, which completely changed the context of the story.
In the book the band, the Hawklords, have to continually play their music to counter a sound-based death generator buried in the center of the Earth that’ll destroy all life.
It’s definitely better reading it knowing a bit about Hawkwind, as the mid-70’s line up are basically the stars of the novel, slightly fictionalized…. It’s easy to recognize the various members in the characters, their personalities and contributions to Hawkwind’s overall sound and concert shows.
I definitely wouldn’t recommend this for a reader new to Michael Moorcock who wasn’t already a Hawkwind fan…
The second time I read it was later on, after I became a huge Hawkwind fan, and familiar with their Moorcock-penned spoken word song, “Sonic Attack”, which completely changed the context of the story.
In the book the band, the Hawklords, have to continually play their music to counter a sound-based death generator buried in the center of the Earth that’ll destroy all life.
It’s definitely better reading it knowing a bit about Hawkwind, as the mid-70’s line up are basically the stars of the novel, slightly fictionalized…. It’s easy to recognize the various members in the characters, their personalities and contributions to Hawkwind’s overall sound and concert shows.
I definitely wouldn’t recommend this for a reader new to Michael Moorcock who wasn’t already a Hawkwind fan…
November 9, 2024
As a psychedelic rock video, Time of the Hawklords ain't bad. There's some gorgeous imagery in here. Hawkwind playing to stave off the Apocalypse. Captain Calvert descends in his Silver Machine. Music Guns defeat darkness. It's pretty awesome.
But the story itself is as slow as molasses. It just drags and drags with little forward movement.
As a PS: Michael Moorcock was apparently almost entirely uninvolved in this. He apparently provided ideas, which might have been as simple as "Hawkwind plays the apocalypse." The prose is all Butterworth's.
But the story itself is as slow as molasses. It just drags and drags with little forward movement.
As a PS: Michael Moorcock was apparently almost entirely uninvolved in this. He apparently provided ideas, which might have been as simple as "Hawkwind plays the apocalypse." The prose is all Butterworth's.
November 17, 2021
A weird artifact from a bygone time. If you are a Hawkwind fan a must read just for the shear insanity of it any one else will be extremly bored. Spoilers You need a silver machine to survive the sonic attack on your district. But if you are a Hawkwind fan you probably knew that already.
July 20, 2020
Mr Moorcock is a friend of the band Hawkwind, and used the members of the band as characters in this book, transforming them into Hawklords and sending them on a mighty quest.
May 15, 2022
I remember it fondly from 45 years ago
December 6, 2011
This is a pretty spaced out book about a really spaced out band. It is certainly an unusual read and also one that comes off as very dated in the 2000s. Still, if you are a fan of Hawkwind it is an enjoyable read. If you're not a fan, go pick up the Space Ritual 2LP and you will be.
September 3, 2011
I can't believe that I actually liked this book as a kid. No idea what was appealing to me. A bunch of heavy metal band members become the legendary Hawklords in an endless battle that takes place after the downfall of civilization ffrom a death generator.
November 20, 2016
The Time of the Hawklords was not written by Michael Moorcock.
This book is really weird, though, so it has extreme weirdness going for it.
Rock 'n' Roll strange times with a fun band.
Space Rock!
This book is really weird, though, so it has extreme weirdness going for it.
Rock 'n' Roll strange times with a fun band.
Space Rock!
October 19, 2011
One of my favourite bands, one of my favourite writers......what more could I want
February 23, 2013
I couldn't even finish this.
July 19, 2016
Great stuff if you are a Hawkwind fan ,I got it at times of publication , wish I still had it .
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews