''The Fireclown'' (later published under the title ''The Winds of Limbo'') is the fourth science fiction

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

written by Michael Moorcock, published by Compact in 1965.

Plot

The novel is based in a future where the majority of the human population live underground. Alan Powys works at the transport department. His grandfather, Simon Powys, is the minister for space transport and is the presumptive nominee for his party to succeed the current president. Alan's cousin Helen Curtis is leader of the Radical Liberal Movement, the government's opposition. The arrival of the Fireclown in the lower levels of the underground city and his performances featuring fire captivate those who see it. He is thought by Simon Powys to be a dangerous rebel, his niece thinks conversely that the Fireclown is there to reignite people's passion for democracy. A fire breaks out in the lower levels forcing the Government to shut them off, people revolt and the Fireclown flees. Unconvinced by his grandfather's, and the Government's, assertion that the Fireclown is a terrorist, Alan sets off to find the Fireclown for an explanation. Helen accompanies him providing a ship and desperate to believe the Fireclown is a great healer. After arriving at an orbiting monasteryGary Westfahl, "Islands in the Sky: The Space Station Theme in Science Fiction Literature" (2 ed), Wildside Press, 2009, , pages 71-72,94,205,213 they do, eventually, find the Fireclown. He takes them out in his specially designed starship ''The Pi-Meson'' and shows them at incredibly close quarters, the sun's corona. It transpires that the Fireclown is neither a terrorist nor a saviour. After a private conversation with Alan, the Fireclown allows both him and Helen to return to Earth. Upon returning they decide to try to find evidence that the Fireclown really was innocent in the matter of the fire in the lower levels. After travelling to London and attending a shadowy basement meeting, Alan discovers a plot to manipulate the public, acquire weapons of mass destruction and a very personal vendetta against the Fireclown stretching back many decades.

Themes

The book covers various themes common to science fiction. Man's relationship to and reliance on technology figures in much of the philosophy of the Fireclown. The role of Government in regard to the truth and the role of the media in distorting that truth. Also various philosophical points are also raised, mainly by the Fireclown, regarding humans and their intelligence and whether that intelligence is really a necessity for survival.

Other appearances

The character of the Fireclown is also featured in the novel ''

The Transformation of Miss Mavis Ming ''The Dancers at the End of Time'' is a series of science fiction novels and short stories written by Michael Moorcock, the setting of which is the End of Time, an era "where entropy is king and the universe has begun collapsing upon itself". T ...

'' (also known as ''A Messiah at the End of Time''). Michael Moorcock co-wrote a song with John Trivers and Eric Bloom called "The Great Sun Jester", which was based on character in ''The Fireclown''. The song appeared on the 1979 album '' Mirrors'' by Blue Öyster Cult.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fireclown, The 1965 British novels Novels by Michael Moorcock 1965 science fiction novels