The War Hound and the World's Pain

The War Hound and the World's Pain

Dust-jacket from the first edition.
Author	Michael Moorcock
Cover artist	Rowena Morrill
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	Ulrich von Bek
Genre	Fantasy
Publisher	Timescape
Publication date	1981
Media type	Print (hardback)
Pages	239
ISBN	0-671-43708-9
OCLC	7575956
Dewey Decimal	823/.914 19
LC Class	PR6063.O59 W3 1981
Followed by	The City in the Autumn Stars

The War Hound and the World's Pain is a 1981 fantasy novel by English writer Michael Moorcock, the first of the "von Bek" series of novels.

Plot summary[]

The book is set in Europe ravaged by the Thirty Years' War. Its hero Ulrich von Bek is a mercenary and freethinker, who finds himself a damned soul in a castle owned by Lucifer. Much to his surprise, von Bek is charged by Lucifer with doing God's work, by finding the Holy Grail, the "cure for the world's pain", that will also cure Lucifer's pain by reconciling him with God. Only through doing this can von Bek save his soul.

After many adventures, von Bek eventually finds the Holy Grail, and discovers that it will set mankind on the path to self-redemption through rationality, without the help of God or the hindrance of Lucifer.

The story is continued in The City in the Autumn Stars (1986).

Reception[]

Dave Pringle reviewed The War Hound and the World's Pain for Imagine magazine: "I am pleased to report that it makes a delightful read. Although minor, it is much superior to the earlier quickies in, say, the 'Dorian Hawkmoon' series, Moorcock has honed his skills over the years, and they now show a fine gleaming edge".^[1]

References[]

• "Internet Speculative Fiction Database". Retrieved 2007-12-20.
• "Moorcock's Miscellany". Archived from the original on 2007-11-01. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
• Brown, Charles N.; William G. Contento. "The Locus Index to Science Fiction (1984-1998)". Retrieved 2007-12-20.

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