Jerry Cornelius
Encyclopedia
Jerry Cornelius is a fictional
secret agent
and adventurer created by science fiction / fantasy author Michael Moorcock
. Cornelius is a hipster of ambiguous and occasionally polymorphous sexuality
. Many of the same characters feature in each of several Cornelius books, though the individual books have little connection with one another, having a more metafiction
al than causal relationship. The first Jerry Cornelius book, The Final Programme was made into a 1973 film starring Jon Finch
and Jenny Runacre
. Notting Hill
in London
features prominently in the stories.
The series draws plot elements from Moorcock's Elric series, as well as the Commedia dell'Arte
. Moorcock hints in many places that Cornelius may be an aspect of the Eternal Champion
. Characters from the Cornelius novels show up in much of Moorcock's other fiction: "The Dancers at the End of Time
" series has a character called Jherek Carnelian who is the son of Lord Jagged of Canaria, and there are several hints in the series that Lord Jagged may be a guise of Jerry Cornelius; the Cornelius-series character Una Persson
also appears in the "Dancers" series and the Oswald Bastable
books, and may also be the character Oona in the later Elric books; Colonel Pyat has his own non-SF series of books by Moorcock, beginning with Byzantium Endures
.
At least five other variants of the name occur in other Moorcock works (Jerry Cornell
, Jehamiah Cohnalias, Jhary-a-Conel [Corum, Runestaff], Lord Jagged of Canaria from The Dancers at the End of Time
, and the anagrammatic Corum Jhaelen Irsei
). A space pirate named Captain Cornelius (who like Jerry is associated with the commedia dell'arte character Pierrot
) appears in Moorcock's Doctor Who
novel, The Coming of the Terraphiles
.
The Cornelius Quartet
In these four novels Jerry undergoes transformations, dies, is reborn, spends one entire novel as a shivering wreck, and eventually discovers his true natures.
CD Alien Injection, also released in 2008.
shared world attempt at open brand sharing. One example is Norman Spinrad
's The Last Hurrah of the Golden Horde; another is Mœbius
's The Airtight Garage
. The Nature of the Catastrophe, a collection of Jerry Cornelius stories and comic strips which had appeared in the International Times
(with art by Mal Dean) by various hands, was published in 1971. It includes works by Moorcock himself, James Sallis
, Brian Aldiss
, Langdon Jones, M. John Harrison
, Richard Glyn Jones, Alex Krislov and Maxim Jakubowski.
In comics
various writers have used elements of the character, most notably Bryan Talbot
's character Luther Arkwright
. Currently, Image
publishes Matt Fraction
's Casanova
series which also pays homage to Cornelius. Tony Lee
's Midnight Kiss actually features Cornelius, with Michael Moorcock's blessing. (Michael even wrote the introduction for the collected trade paperback). Grant Morrison
created an Oscar Wilde
-inspired steampunk
version of Jerry Cornelius in Sebastian O
, the original Vertigo mini-series. Another Morrison character, Gideon Stargrave
, is one of the few interpretations of the character that Moorcock has issues with, as he considers the character little more than a straight lift of Cornelius. Moorcock also had the name of the protagonist of The Airtight Garage changed in later editions.
http://www.multiverse.org/fora/showthread.php?t=2853
Bad Voltage, a 1980s cyberpunk novel by Jonathan Littell
that also dealt with themes of bisexuality and violence, features guest appearances by a decidedly has-been Jerry Cornelius and a substance-abusing 'Shaky' Mo Collier. The independent comic Elf-Thing featured not only Cornelius but members of his supporting cast in a very close homage. Cornelius is also seen in Alan Moore
's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier
as a child. Cornelius appears in the second part of Alan Moore
's three-part comic The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume III: Century
.
You can also find a version of Jerry Cornelius in Michael Moorcock's 1999 graphic novel "Multiverse".
Carter Kaplan plays a variation on Jerry Cornelius in his novel Tally-Ho, Cornelius!.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
secret agent
Secret Agent
Secret Agent is a British film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, loosely based on two stories in Ashenden: Or the British Agent by W. Somerset Maugham. The film starred John Gielgud, Peter Lorre, Madeleine Carroll, and Robert Young...
and adventurer created by science fiction / fantasy author Michael Moorcock
Michael Moorcock
Michael John Moorcock is an English writer, primarily of science fiction and fantasy, who has also published a number of literary novels....
. Cornelius is a hipster of ambiguous and occasionally polymorphous sexuality
Human sexuality
Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...
. Many of the same characters feature in each of several Cornelius books, though the individual books have little connection with one another, having a more metafiction
Metafiction
Metafiction, also known as Romantic irony in the context of Romantic works of literature, is a type of fiction that self-consciously addresses the devices of fiction, exposing the fictional illusion...
al than causal relationship. The first Jerry Cornelius book, The Final Programme was made into a 1973 film starring Jon Finch
Jon Finch
Jon Finch is an English actor noted for many Shakespearean roles. Perhaps his most notable role was the title role in Roman Polanski's 1971 film adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth. His other famous role was as a down-and-out ex-RAF pilot wrongly accused of murder in Alfred Hitchcock's...
and Jenny Runacre
Jenny Runacre
Jenny Runacre is an actress.Runacre was born in Cape Town, South Africa. She relocated to London as a child, attended The Actor's Workshop there, and trained in the Stanislavski System....
. Notting Hill
Notting Hill
Notting Hill is an area in London, England, close to the north-western corner of Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
features prominently in the stories.
The series draws plot elements from Moorcock's Elric series, as well as the Commedia dell'Arte
Commedia dell'arte
Commedia dell'arte is a form of theatre characterized by masked "types" which began in Italy in the 16th century, and was responsible for the advent of the actress and improvised performances based on sketches or scenarios. The closest translation of the name is "comedy of craft"; it is shortened...
. Moorcock hints in many places that Cornelius may be an aspect of the Eternal Champion
Eternal Champion
The Eternal Champion is a fictional creation of the author Michael Moorcock and is a recurrent feature in many of his novels.-About the Eternal Champion:...
. Characters from the Cornelius novels show up in much of Moorcock's other fiction: "The Dancers at the End of Time
The Dancers at the End of Time
The title of this volume comes from the poem "The Last Word" by Ernest Dowson.Reunited at the end of Time, Jherek and the other inhabitants of the End of Time have returned to their preferred amusements of parties and games. They are interrupted by a ship of alien musician/pirates, the Lat...
" series has a character called Jherek Carnelian who is the son of Lord Jagged of Canaria, and there are several hints in the series that Lord Jagged may be a guise of Jerry Cornelius; the Cornelius-series character Una Persson
Una Persson
Una Persson is a recurring character in many of Michael Moorcock's 'multiverse' novels. She has also been used as a character in stories by other writers...
also appears in the "Dancers" series and the 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....
books, and may also be the character Oona in the later Elric books; Colonel Pyat has his own non-SF series of books by Moorcock, beginning with Byzantium Endures
Byzantium Endures
Byzantium Endures is a novel by Michael Moorcock. It is the first in the Pyat Quartet tetralogy.The book is written in the first person from the point of view of unreliable narrator Maxim Arturovitch Pyatnitski, whose posthumous notes Moorcock claims to have transcribed.Pyat, as he is also known,...
.
At least five other variants of the name occur in other Moorcock works (Jerry Cornell
The Chinese Agent
The Chinese Agent is a comic novel by Michael Moorcock. It is a revision of Somewhere in the Night, which Moorcock published in 1966 under the pseudonym Bill Barclay...
, Jehamiah Cohnalias, Jhary-a-Conel [Corum, Runestaff], Lord Jagged of Canaria from The Dancers at the End of Time
The Dancers at the End of Time
The title of this volume comes from the poem "The Last Word" by Ernest Dowson.Reunited at the end of Time, Jherek and the other inhabitants of the End of Time have returned to their preferred amusements of parties and games. They are interrupted by a ship of alien musician/pirates, the Lat...
, and the anagrammatic Corum Jhaelen Irsei
Corum Jhaelen Irsei
Corum Jhaelen Irsei is the name of a fictional fantasy hero in a series of two trilogies written by author Michael Moorcock.- Plot summary :...
). A space pirate named Captain Cornelius (who like Jerry is associated with the commedia dell'arte character Pierrot
Pierrot
Pierrot is a stock character of pantomime and Commedia dell'Arte whose origins are in the late 17th-century Italian troupe of players performing in Paris and known as the Comédie-Italienne; the name is a hypocorism of Pierre , via the suffix -ot. His character in postmodern popular culture—in...
) appears in Moorcock's Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
novel, The Coming of the Terraphiles
The Coming of the Terraphiles
The Coming of the Terraphiles is a Doctor Who novel written by Michael Moorcock, featuring the Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond. It was the first special release of a Doctor Who novel by BBC Books in a lengthier hardback format to that of the previous New Series Adventures.-Plot:In order to avert the...
.
The Cornelius QuartetThe Cornelius QuartetThe Cornelius Quartet is the collective name for the Jerry Cornelius novels by Michael Moorcock, although the first one-volume edition was entitled The Cornelius Chronicles. It is composed of The Final Programme , A Cure for Cancer, The English Assassin and The Condition of Muzak...
In these four novels Jerry undergoes transformations, dies, is reborn, spends one entire novel as a shivering wreck, and eventually discovers his true natures.
- The Final ProgrammeThe Final ProgrammeThe Final Programme is a 1973 British comedy-thriller film directed by Robert Fuest, and starring Jon Finch and Jenny Runacre. It was based on the first Jerry Cornelius novel by Michael Moorcock...
- Jerry battles his brother Frank who has kidnapped his beloved Catherine. Frank of course dies, but Catherine is also killed. Jerry is sucked into the plans of Miss BrunnerMiss BrunnerMiss Brunner is a fictional character in Michael Moorcock's Jerry Cornelius stories. She has also appeared in stories by other authors including M. John Harrison and Brian Aldiss. Unlike Cornelius and Una Persson, she is depicted as an authoritarian figure, a sado-masochistic techno-magician...
to create the perfect being by merging the bodies of Jerry and herself together. When this is done, a radiantly charismatic hermaphroditic being emerges from the machinery. All who see the new creature fall quaking to their knees. The creature itself announces that this is "a very tasty world".- A Cure for CancerA Cure for CancerA Cure for Cancer is a novel by British fantasy and science fiction writer Michael Moorcock . It is part of his long-running Jerry Cornelius series ....
- A Cure for Cancer
- Jerry is solo again, existing as negative character with black skin and white hair. He moves through a landscape of destroyed English cities and occupying American armies, a metaphor for contemporary VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. He runs a clandestine "transmogrification" service for people who want to cast off their old selves, flesh and all. We meet the gluttonous Bishop Beesley, and his daughter Mitzi. Eventually Jerry drives the Americans to madness, causing them to burn everything, including themselves.- The English AssassinThe English AssassinThe English Assassin: A Romance of Entropy is a novel by British fantasy and science fiction writer Michael Moorcock . Subtitled "A romance of entropy" it was the third part of his long running Jerry Cornelius series ....
- The English Assassin
- All the supporting characters, particularly Una Persson, drive this novel while Jerry is nothing more than a whimpering heap of rags washed up on a beach and carried in the back of a lorry to safety. There are episodes in settings ranging from the cockpit of a Dornier Do XDornier Do XThe Dornier Do X was the largest, heaviest, and most powerful flying boat in the world when it was produced by the Dornier company of Germany in 1929. First conceived by Dr. Claudius Dornier in 1924, planning started in late 1925 and after over 240,000 work hours it was completed in June 1929...
, the deck of an Edwardian sailing ship, the anarchic steppes of revolutionary Russia, and Victorian music-hall. Finally Jerry is able to revive as the character Pierrot, forever mourning his lost Columbine, who is Catherine.- The Condition of MuzakThe Condition of MuzakThe Condition of Muzak is a novel by British fantasy and science fiction writer Michael Moorcock. It is the final novel of his long running Jerry Cornelius series. It was first published in its revised form in 1979...
- The Condition of Muzak
- Taking its title from the Walter PaterWalter PaterWalter Horatio Pater was an English essayist, critic of art and literature, and writer of fiction.-Early life:...
quote "All art constantly aspires towards the condition of music", this is a series of vignettes that cast Jerry as a teenager in Notting Hill, a character in the commedia dell'arte, a secret agent and a fool. Particularly notable are the Notting Hill scenes, which seem to reduce all the other parts of the canon to fantasies in the adolescent Jerry's mind. Other scenes fill in detail, if any were needed, between the novels. In the final scene Jerry's foul-mouthed mother dies, and on her deathbed she reveals the family's history as a distorted version of the canon which Jerry and his now-pregnant sister Catherine seem doomed to continue.
Notable characters
- Jerry Cornelius, secret agent, superhero, adventurer, all things to all men (and women). A figure of almost complete anarchy. Typically destroys repressive authority. Later exposed as a false HarlequinHarlequinHarlequin or Arlecchino in Italian, Arlequin in French, and Arlequín in Spanish is the most popularly known of the zanni or comic servant characters from the Italian Commedia dell'arte and its descendant, the Harlequinade.-Origins:...
, a tragic PierrotPierrotPierrot is a stock character of pantomime and Commedia dell'Arte whose origins are in the late 17th-century Italian troupe of players performing in Paris and known as the Comédie-Italienne; the name is a hypocorism of Pierre , via the suffix -ot. His character in postmodern popular culture—in...
at heart, or simply an adolescent fantasy. - Miss Brunner, Jerry's opposite. Representing stifling authority. Also follows a more mystical path than Jerry's fatalistic realism.
- Bishop Beesley, endlessly corrupt gluttonous villain. Thirsts for power, money, pleasure.
- Una Persson, a female version of Jerry, even to the extent of being Catherine's lover. In The Condition of Muzak she is revealed to be a true HarlequinHarlequinHarlequin or Arlecchino in Italian, Arlequin in French, and Arlequín in Spanish is the most popularly known of the zanni or comic servant characters from the Italian Commedia dell'arte and its descendant, the Harlequinade.-Origins:...
. - Catherine Cornelius, Jerry's sister and incestuous lover. Usually dies tragically. Often pregnant by Jerry. In some stories, a masochistic figure.
- Major Nye, a retired British Army officer, participant in secret missions, and Una Persson's sometime lover.
- Colonel Pyat, a Russian emigre officer, also a sometime lover of Una Persson.
- Professor Hira, occasionally another of Jerry's lovers. Counterpart to Jerry's character, always calm and in control.
- Frank Cornelius, Jerry's scheming brother, Cain to Jerry's Abel. Usually killed by Jerry, but always returns.
- Mrs. Cornelius, fat, libidinous, foul-mouthed mother to Frank, Jerry and Catherine. The quintessential urban survivor, a modern Mother CourageMother Courage and Her ChildrenMother Courage and Her Children is a play written in 1939 by the German dramatist and poet Bertolt Brecht with significant contributions from Margarete Steffin...
. - 'Shaky' Mo Collier, a companion on many adventures, and also supplier of many and varied drugs to almost everyone. He almost acts as Jerry's right hand man always there when needed, although somewhat unreliable in execution of tasks. (Created by M. John HarrisonM. John HarrisonM. John Harrison , known as Mike Harrison, is an English author and critic. His work includes the Viriconium sequence of novels and short stories, , Climbers , and the Kefahuchi Tract series which begins with Light . He currently resides in London.-Early years:Harrison was born in Rugby,...
, rather than Moorcock.)
Novels
- The Final ProgrammeThe Final ProgrammeThe Final Programme is a 1973 British comedy-thriller film directed by Robert Fuest, and starring Jon Finch and Jenny Runacre. It was based on the first Jerry Cornelius novel by Michael Moorcock...
- A Cure for CancerA Cure for CancerA Cure for Cancer is a novel by British fantasy and science fiction writer Michael Moorcock . It is part of his long-running Jerry Cornelius series ....
- The English AssassinThe English AssassinThe English Assassin: A Romance of Entropy is a novel by British fantasy and science fiction writer Michael Moorcock . Subtitled "A romance of entropy" it was the third part of his long running Jerry Cornelius series ....
- The Condition of MuzakThe Condition of MuzakThe Condition of Muzak is a novel by British fantasy and science fiction writer Michael Moorcock. It is the final novel of his long running Jerry Cornelius series. It was first published in its revised form in 1979...
Associated novels
- The Adventures of Una Persson and Catherine Cornelius in the Twentieth Century
- Doctor Who: The Coming of the TerraphilesThe Coming of the TerraphilesThe Coming of the Terraphiles is a Doctor Who novel written by Michael Moorcock, featuring the Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond. It was the first special release of a Doctor Who novel by BBC Books in a lengthier hardback format to that of the previous New Series Adventures.-Plot:In order to avert the...
Novellas
- The Entropy TangoThe Entropy TangoThe Entropy Tango is a novel by British fantasy and science fiction writer Michael Moorcock . It is part of his long running Jerry Cornelius series....
- The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle (a.k.a. Gold Diggers of '77). Ties the Sex PistolsSex PistolsThe Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
in with the Cornelius mythos. - The Alchemist's QuestionThe Alchemist's QuestionThe Alchemist's Question is a novel by British fantasy and science fiction writer Michael Moorcock. It is part of his long running Jerry Cornelius series. It was also published in his collection The Opium General and other stories and the compilation The Cornelius Chronicles, Vol. III....
- Firing the CathedralFiring the CathedralFiring the Cathedral is a novella by British fantasy and science fiction writer Michael Moorcock . It is part of his long-running Jerry Cornelius series....
Shorter fiction
- "The Peking Junction"
- "The Delhi Division"
- "The Tank Trapeze"
- "The Nature of the Catastrophe"
- "The Swastika Set-up"
- "The Sunset Perspective"
- "Sea Wolves"
- "Voortrekker"
- "Dead Singers" (not to be confused with the non-Jerry Cornelius story of the same title)
- "The Longford Cup"
- "The Entropy Circuit"
- "The Entropy Tango"
- "The Murderer's Song"
- "The Gangrene Collection"
- "The Roumanian Question"
- "The Dodgem Decision" (vt "The Dodgem Division", "The Dodgem Arrangement")
- "All the Way Round Again" (vt "The Enigma Windows")
- "The Spencer Inheritance" http://www.theedge.abelgratis.co.uk/spencer.htm
- "The Camus Connection"
- "Cheering for the Rockets" http://www.fantasticmetropolis.com/i/rockets/full/
- "Modem Times" (2008, published in The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, vol. 2)
Comics
- "The Adventures of Jerry Cornelius" (or "The English Assassin"), co-written with M. John Harrison and illustrated by Mal Dean
- "Midnight Kiss" (Cornelius is a main character throughout the five part story), written by Tony LeeTony LeeTony Lee is a British comics writer, screenwriter, audio playwright and novelist.-Early life:Lee was born in Hayes, Middlesex in England...
and illustrated by Ryan StegmanRyan StegmanRyan Stegman is an American comic book artist best known for his work on Marvel Comics characters including She-Hulk, X-23 and Spider-Man. In 2010, having already contributed to several works for the company, he signed an exclusivity agreement with Marvel. In late 2010 Stegman's She-Hulks was...
Film adaptations
- The Final Programme was a 1973 movie adaptation of The Final Programme, directed by Robert FuestRobert FuestRobert Fuest is an English film director, screenwriter, and production designer who has worked mostly in the horror, fantasy and suspense genres....
Musical adaptations
In 2008, The Entropy Tango & Gloriana Demo Sessions by Michael Moorcock & The Deep Fix was released. These were sessions for planned albums based on two Moorcock novels: Glorianna and The Entropy Tango. Two of the Jerry Cornelius/Entropy Tango tracks were reworked with additional musicians and appeared on the Spirits BurningSpirits Burning
Spirits Burning is a musical collective that has released a combination of ambient, jazz and full-on space-rock with input from many of the genre's luminaries, most notably Gong's Daevid Allen and members of Hawkwind. Spirits Burning is overseen by American composer/producer Don Falcone.-History:In...
CD Alien Injection, also released in 2008.
- "The Entropy Tango" by Spirits BurningSpirits BurningSpirits Burning is a musical collective that has released a combination of ambient, jazz and full-on space-rock with input from many of the genre's luminaries, most notably Gong's Daevid Allen and members of Hawkwind. Spirits Burning is overseen by American composer/producer Don Falcone.-History:In...
(Alien Injection, 2008) - "Every Gun Plays Its Own Tune" by Spirits BurningSpirits BurningSpirits Burning is a musical collective that has released a combination of ambient, jazz and full-on space-rock with input from many of the genre's luminaries, most notably Gong's Daevid Allen and members of Hawkwind. Spirits Burning is overseen by American composer/producer Don Falcone.-History:In...
(Alien Injection, 2008) - "Needle Gun" by HawkwindHawkwindHawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock and now are considered a link between the hippie and punk cultures....
(The Chronicle Of The Black Sword, 1985) - "Veteran of the Psychic Wars" by Blue Öyster CultBlue Öyster CultBlue Öyster Cult, often abbreviated BÖC, is an American rock band, most of whose members first came together in Long Island, NY in 1967 as the band Soft White Underbelly...
(Heavy Metal: Music From The Motion Picture, 1981) - "Kings of Speed" by HawkwindHawkwindHawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock and now are considered a link between the hippie and punk cultures....
(Warrior on the Edge of Time, 1975)
Work inspired by Jerry Cornelius
Moorcock encouraged other authors and artists to create works about Jerry Cornelius, in a sort of early open sourceOpen source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
shared world attempt at open brand sharing. One example is Norman Spinrad
Norman Spinrad
Norman Richard Spinrad is an American science fiction author.Born in New York City, Spinrad is a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science. In 1957 he entered City College of New York and graduated in 1961 with a Bachelor of Science degree as a pre-law major. In 1966 he moved to San Francisco,...
's The Last Hurrah of the Golden Horde; another is Mœbius
Jean Giraud
Jean Henri Gaston Giraud is a French comics artist. Giraud has earned worldwide fame, not only under his own name but also under the pseudonym Moebius, and to a lesser extent Gir, the latter appearing mostly in the form of a boxed signature at the bottom of the artist's paintings, for instance the...
's The Airtight Garage
Airtight Garage
The Airtight Garage of Jerry Cornelius is a lengthy comic strip work by the artist and writer Moebius...
. The Nature of the Catastrophe, a collection of Jerry Cornelius stories and comic strips which had appeared in the International Times
International Times
International Times was an underground newspaper founded in London in 1966. Editors included Hoppy, David Mairowitz, Pete Stansill, Barry Miles, Jim Haynes and playwright Tom McGrath...
(with art by Mal Dean) by various hands, was published in 1971. It includes works by Moorcock himself, James Sallis
James Sallis
James Sallis is an American crime writer, poet and musician, best known for his series of novels featuring the character Lew Griffin and set in New Orleans, and for his 2005 novel Drive, which was adapted into a 2011 film of the same name.He is the brother of philosopher John Sallis...
, Brian Aldiss
Brian Aldiss
Brian Wilson Aldiss, OBE is an English author of both general fiction and science fiction. His byline reads either Brian W. Aldiss or simply Brian Aldiss. Greatly influenced by science fiction pioneer H. G. Wells, Aldiss is a vice-president of the international H. G. Wells Society...
, Langdon Jones, M. John Harrison
M. John Harrison
M. John Harrison , known as Mike Harrison, is an English author and critic. His work includes the Viriconium sequence of novels and short stories, , Climbers , and the Kefahuchi Tract series which begins with Light . He currently resides in London.-Early years:Harrison was born in Rugby,...
, Richard Glyn Jones, Alex Krislov and Maxim Jakubowski.
In comics
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
various writers have used elements of the character, most notably Bryan Talbot
Bryan Talbot
Bryan Talbot is a British comic book artist and writer, born in Wigan, Lancashire, in 1952. He is best known as the creator of The Adventures of Luther Arkwright and its sequel Heart of Empire.-Career:...
's character Luther Arkwright
The Adventures of Luther Arkwright
The Adventures of Luther Arkwright was a limited series comic book written and drawn by Bryan Talbot.-Publishing history:Luther Arkwright made his first appearance in the mid 1970s in "The Papist Affair", a short strip for Brainstorm Comix where Arkwright teamed up with a group of cigar-chewing...
. Currently, Image
Image Comics
Image Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
publishes Matt Fraction
Matt Fraction
Matt Fritchman, better known by the pen name Matt Fraction, is an Eisner Award-winning American comic book writer, known for his work as the writer of The Invincible Iron Man, The Immortal Iron Fist and Uncanny X-Men for Marvel Comics and Casanova for Image Comics.-Career:Fraction wrote two...
's Casanova
Casanova (comic series)
Casanova is an American creator-owned comic book series by writer Matt Fraction and artists Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon. It is published by Image Comics and premiered in June 2006 in the Slimline format of 16 pages of story per issue, sold at the reduced price of $1.99.The series centers upon...
series which also pays homage to Cornelius. Tony Lee
Tony Lee
Tony Lee is a British comics writer, screenwriter, audio playwright and novelist.-Early life:Lee was born in Hayes, Middlesex in England...
's Midnight Kiss actually features Cornelius, with Michael Moorcock's blessing. (Michael even wrote the introduction for the collected trade paperback). Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...
created an Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
-inspired 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...
version of Jerry Cornelius in Sebastian O
Sebastian O
Sebastian O is a comic book series written by Grant Morrison, drawn by Steve Yeowell and published by the Vertigo imprint of DC Comics in 1993.-Publication history:...
, the original Vertigo mini-series. Another Morrison character, Gideon Stargrave
Gideon Stargrave
Gideon Stargrave is a comics character created by Grant Morrison in 1978 for the anthology comic Near Myths.The character is based on Jerry Cornelius, as well as J. G...
, is one of the few interpretations of the character that Moorcock has issues with, as he considers the character little more than a straight lift of Cornelius. Moorcock also had the name of the protagonist of The Airtight Garage changed in later editions.
http://www.multiverse.org/fora/showthread.php?t=2853
Bad Voltage, a 1980s cyberpunk novel by Jonathan Littell
Jonathan Littell
Jonathan Littell is a bilingual writer living in Barcelona. He grew up in France and United States and is a dual citizen of both countries. After acquiring his bachelor degree he worked for a humanitarian organisation for nine years, leaving his job in 2001 in order to concentrate on writing...
that also dealt with themes of bisexuality and violence, features guest appearances by a decidedly has-been Jerry Cornelius and a substance-abusing 'Shaky' Mo Collier. The independent comic Elf-Thing featured not only Cornelius but members of his supporting cast in a very close homage. Cornelius is also seen in Alan Moore
Alan Moore
Alan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier is an original graphic novel in the comic book series The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Kevin O'Neill. It was the last volume of the series to be published by DC Comics. Although the third book to be...
as a child. Cornelius appears in the second part of Alan Moore
Alan Moore
Alan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
's three-part comic The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume III: Century
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume III: Century
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume III: Century is the third volume of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Kevin O'Neill. Co-published by Top Shelf Productions and Knockabout Comics in the US and UK respectively, Century will be published in...
.
You can also find a version of Jerry Cornelius in Michael Moorcock's 1999 graphic novel "Multiverse".
Carter Kaplan plays a variation on Jerry Cornelius in his novel Tally-Ho, Cornelius!.
External links
- Moorcock's Miscellany (formerly Tanelorn, Multiverse.org & Moorcock's Weekly Miscellany)
- http://www.novymir.com.au/terminalcafe/jerry.html
- Link to pictures of original cover art and blurbs
- In Lighter Vein: A note on the Jerry Cornelius Tetralogy - in which Michael Moorcock explains his intentions behind the style of seeming randomness of the books.
- Michael Moorcock's Comics Compendium, incl. Jerry Cornelius adaptations and pastiches