A Nomad of the Time Streams
Encyclopedia
A Nomad of the Time Streams is a compilation volume of Michael Moorcock
's influential early steampunk
trilogy which Moorcock began in 1971 with The Warlord of the Air and was continued by its 1974 and 1981 sequels, The Land Leviathan
and The Steel Tsar
. The trilogy follows the adventures of Edwardian
-era British Army Cpt. Oswald Bastable
in alternate versions of the 20th century.
, Bastable finds himself transported to an alternate late-20th century Earth where the European powers did not stir each other into a World War
and in which the mighty airships of a British Empire on which the sun never set are threatened by the rise of new and terrible enemies. These enemies turn out to be the colonized peoples trying to break free, supported by anarchist and socialist Western saboteurs opposing their own imperialist societies, and led by a Chinese general whose country is still nominally under Western control and ravaged by civil war.
, Bastable visits an alternate 1904 in which most of the Western world has been devastated around the turn of the 20th century by a short, yet terrible war fought with futuristic devices and in which also biological weapons were used. In this alternate world, an Afro-American Black Attila is conquering the remnants of the Western nations, destroyed by the wars. The only remaining stable surviving nations, aside from the African-based Ashanti Empire, are an isolationist Australian-Japanese Federation, which opposes the Ashanti Empire, and the wealthy Marxist
Republic of Bantustan. Bantustan is the equivalent of our world's South Africa
and is led by its Indian-born president Mahatma Gandhi
; having never known apartheid or hostilities between the English and the Boers, it is a wealthy, pacifist nation, in which there is no racial tension.
, Bastable witnesses an alternate 1941 where Great Britain and Germany became allies around the turn of the 20th century and thus neither a World War nor the October Revolution
took place. In this world's Russian Empire, Bastable encounters the rebel Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili
.
genre which this trilogy did much to help develop.
in 1992 and by White Wolf, Inc.
in 1995. Portions of the series were significantly rewritten for the 1992 edition.
Michael Moorcock
Michael John Moorcock is an English writer, primarily of science fiction and fantasy, who has also published a number of literary novels....
's influential early steampunk
Steampunk
Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually Victorian era Britain or "Wild West"-era United...
trilogy which Moorcock began in 1971 with The Warlord of the Air and was continued by its 1974 and 1981 sequels, The Land Leviathan
The Land Leviathan
The Land Leviathan is a sci-fi/alternate history novel by Michael Moorcock, first published in 1974. Originally subtitled A New Scientific Romance, it has been seen as an early steampunk novel, dealing with an alternative British Imperial history dominated by airships and futuristic warfare. It is...
and The Steel Tsar
The Steel Tsar
The Steel Tsar is a sci-fi/alternate history novel by Michael Moorcock, first published in 1981 by Granada. Being a sequel to Warlord of the Air and The Land Leviathan , it is the final part of Moorcock's A Nomad of the Time Streams trilogy regarding the adventures of Cpt...
. The trilogy follows the adventures of Edwardian
Edwardian period
The Edwardian era or Edwardian period in the United Kingdom is the period covering the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910.The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 and the succession of her son Edward marked the end of the Victorian era...
-era British Army Cpt. Oswald Bastable
Oswald Bastable
Oswald Bastable is a fictional character in:* The Story of the Treasure Seekers, The Wouldbegoods, New Treasure Seekers and Oswald Bastable and Others, by E. Nesbit....
in alternate versions of the 20th century.
Warlord of the Air
In the first book, Warlord of the AirWarlord of the Air
The Warlord of the Air is a 1971 British alternate history science fiction novel written by Michael Moorcock. It concerns the adventures of Oswald Bastable, an Edwardian-era soldier stationed in India, and his adventures in an alternate universe wherein the First World War never happened...
, Bastable finds himself transported to an alternate late-20th century Earth where the European powers did not stir each other into a World War
World war
A world war is a war affecting the majority of the world's most powerful and populous nations. World wars span multiple countries on multiple continents, with battles fought in multiple theaters....
and in which the mighty airships of a British Empire on which the sun never set are threatened by the rise of new and terrible enemies. These enemies turn out to be the colonized peoples trying to break free, supported by anarchist and socialist Western saboteurs opposing their own imperialist societies, and led by a Chinese general whose country is still nominally under Western control and ravaged by civil war.
The Land Leviathan
In The Land LeviathanThe Land Leviathan
The Land Leviathan is a sci-fi/alternate history novel by Michael Moorcock, first published in 1974. Originally subtitled A New Scientific Romance, it has been seen as an early steampunk novel, dealing with an alternative British Imperial history dominated by airships and futuristic warfare. It is...
, Bastable visits an alternate 1904 in which most of the Western world has been devastated around the turn of the 20th century by a short, yet terrible war fought with futuristic devices and in which also biological weapons were used. In this alternate world, an Afro-American Black Attila is conquering the remnants of the Western nations, destroyed by the wars. The only remaining stable surviving nations, aside from the African-based Ashanti Empire, are an isolationist Australian-Japanese Federation, which opposes the Ashanti Empire, and the wealthy Marxist
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
Republic of Bantustan. Bantustan is the equivalent of our world's South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and is led by its Indian-born president Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
; having never known apartheid or hostilities between the English and the Boers, it is a wealthy, pacifist nation, in which there is no racial tension.
The Steel Tsar
In the final book, The Steel TsarThe Steel Tsar
The Steel Tsar is a sci-fi/alternate history novel by Michael Moorcock, first published in 1981 by Granada. Being a sequel to Warlord of the Air and The Land Leviathan , it is the final part of Moorcock's A Nomad of the Time Streams trilogy regarding the adventures of Cpt...
, Bastable witnesses an alternate 1941 where Great Britain and Germany became allies around the turn of the 20th century and thus neither a World War nor the October Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
took place. In this world's Russian Empire, Bastable encounters the rebel Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
.
Style and themes
In an ironic to postmodernist framework yet strictly writing in the language of a 19th century adventure romance, Moorcock explores themes of racism, imperialism, socialist and anarchist politics, and the impact of technology in the nascent steampunkSteampunk
Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually Victorian era Britain or "Wild West"-era United...
genre which this trilogy did much to help develop.
Contents
- The Warlord of the Air
- The Land LeviathanThe Land LeviathanThe Land Leviathan is a sci-fi/alternate history novel by Michael Moorcock, first published in 1974. Originally subtitled A New Scientific Romance, it has been seen as an early steampunk novel, dealing with an alternative British Imperial history dominated by airships and futuristic warfare. It is...
- The Steel TsarThe Steel TsarThe Steel Tsar is a sci-fi/alternate history novel by Michael Moorcock, first published in 1981 by Granada. Being a sequel to Warlord of the Air and The Land Leviathan , it is the final part of Moorcock's A Nomad of the Time Streams trilogy regarding the adventures of Cpt...
Publication history
The omnibus edition was first published in 1982 by the Science Fiction Book Club as The Nomad of Time. It has appeared since under the title A Nomad of the Time Streams in editions by MillenniumOrion Publishing Group
Orion Publishing Group Ltd. is a UK-based book publisher. It is owned by Hachette Livre. In 1998 Orion bought Cassell.-History:Full history of the group can be found on Orion Publishing Group is owned by -Imprints:...
in 1992 and by White Wolf, Inc.
White Wolf, Inc.
White Wolf Publishing is an American gaming and book publisher. The company was founded in 1991 as a merger between Lion Rampant and White Wolf Magazine, and was initially led by Mark Rein·Hagen of the former and Steve and Stewart Wieck of the latter. Since White Wolf Publishing, Inc. merged with...
in 1995. Portions of the series were significantly rewritten for the 1992 edition.