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"Epic Pooh" is a 1978 essay by the British science fiction writer Michael Moorcock, which reviews the field of
epic fantasy High fantasy, or epic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot. Brian Stableford, ''The A to Z of Fantasy Literature'', (p. 198), Scarecrow Press, ...
, with a particular focus on epic fantasy written for children. In it Moorcock critiques J. R. R. Tolkien's ''
The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an Epic (genre), epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 c ...
'' for its politically conservative assumptions and its escapism. Originally written for the British Science Fiction Association, "Epic Pooh" was revised for inclusion in Moorcock's 1989 book ''
Wizardry and Wild Romance ''Wizardry and Wild Romance: A Study of Epic Fantasy'' is a book by Michael Moorcock published in 1987. Plot summary ''Wizardry and Wild Romance: A Study of Epic Fantasy'' is a book in which Moorcock gives his views on fantasy. Reception Dave L ...
''.


Summary

Moorcock criticises a group of celebrated writers of epic fantasy for children, including Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and
Richard Adams Richard George Adams (9 May 1920 – 24 December 2016) was an English novelist and writer of the books '' Watership Down'', '' Maia'', '' Shardik'' and '' The Plague Dogs''. He studied modern history at university before serving in the British ...
. His criticism is based on two principal grounds: what he sees as the poverty of their writing style, and a political criticism. Moorcock accuses these authors of espousing a form of "corrupted Romance", which he identifies with Anglican
Tory A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. The ...
ism. The defining traits of this attitude are an anti-technological, anti-urban stance which Moorcock sees as ultimately
misanthropic Misanthropy is the general hatred, dislike, distrust or contempt of the human species, human behavior or human nature. A misanthrope or misanthropist is someone who holds such views or feelings. The word's origin is from the Greek words μ ...
, that glorifies a vanishing or vanished rural idyll, and is rooted in middle-class or
bourgeois The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. Th ...
attitudes towards progress and political change. The title arises from Moorcock's argument that the writing of Tolkien, Lewis, Adams and others has a similar purpose to the Winnie-the-Pooh writings of A. A. Milne, another author of whom he disapproves: it is fiction intended to comfort rather than challenge. Writer M. John Harrison, originally a member of the same British New Wave in science fiction which emerged around Moorcock's '' New Worlds'' magazine, has expressed similar views about Tolkien's fantasy as a 'literature of comfort' and about epic fantasy in general as a literature of escapism which refuses to deal with the issues raised by the real world. Writers whom Moorcock cites approvingly, in contrast to his treatment of Tolkien, Lewis and Adams, include
Terry Pratchett Sir Terence David John Pratchett (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015) was an English humourist, satirist, and author of fantasy novels, especially comic fantasy, comical works. He is best known for his ''Discworld'' series of 41 novels. Pratchet ...
, Ursula K. Le Guin and Alan Garner.


Revisions

Moorcock's most recent revisions to the piece add mention of such authors as Pratchett and Rowling and drop those whose names would be less familiar today (Moorcock also has claimed that Philip Pullman's '' His Dark Materials'' deserved credit, though the essay was written and revised before those books were published). As an example, from the original "... are successful. It is the tone of Warwick Deeping's '' Sorrell and Son'', of John Steinbeck at his worst, or, in a more sophisticated form..." and from the revised version "... are successful. It is the tone of many forgotten British and American bestsellers, well-remembered children's books, like '' The Wind in the Willows'', you often hear it in regional fiction addressed to a local audience, or, in a more sophisticated form..."


References


External links


Epic Pooh
Revised version. Michael Moorcock, (British Fantasy Society, 1978) {{Michael Moorcock 1978 essays 1989 essays British essays Essays about literature Science fiction studies Tolkien studies Works by Michael Moorcock