The Winds of Limbo

A pretty slight entertainment from Moorcock. A grotesque clown preaches salvation to those who are the losers in this far future economy. But he may also be stockpiling nuclear weapons. (He really is, by the way, dressed as a clown, and he does know some pretty nifty tricks with fire.) The society itself is facing an important political election, although both candidates come from different branches and generations of the same family. Adding to the somewhat Jacobean feel of the political machinations, there is even a bastard grandson playing a major role.

The story here takes some pretty obvious turns, but as is often the case, the main character will be making additional appearances in Moorcock's Multiverse. Although he exits the solar system at the end of the novel, he will return as The Messiah at the End of Time, whose encounter with the jaded sophisticates from the Dancers at the End of Time trilogy I really look forward to.