A question for someone with a major collection...

[GreatOldOne]

I've seen the book "The Transformation of Miss Mavis Ming" (now more commonly known as "Constant Fire") listed in bibliographies with the subtitle "The Return of the Fireclown".
Now that subtitle isn't on the 1977 paperback edition, but does anyone out there have the original hardback release?
If so, could you check if the subtitle is present.
I don't really know why I need to know this, it just sort of tasks me....

[Michael Moorcock]

I think it was called something else on the American (DAW) edition, which suggested something a bit closer to the Fireclown. I'm not sure that title was ever on a book. I might have called it that as an indication that it had one of the same characters as The Fireclown. Can't remember the DAW title offhand. A more conventional 'sf' title, I think.

[Thiassi]

The book I have is called "A Messiah at the end of time" with "The Transformation of Miss Mavis Ming" in smaller print at the bottom. It is a Daw paper back.

[Doc]

I have a copy of the UK hardcover by W.H. Allen, which has the subtitle "A Romance at the End of Time."

[Michael Moorcock]

Yeah. That's the DAW title. Don Wollheim loved that book for some reason. Couldn't believe he'd been offered it!

[Marca]

The Rodney Matthews cover art for the hardback is called Return of the Fireclown:

http://www.rodneymatthews.com/bookcovers.htm

Was it an early draft title?

[Michael Moorcock]

I think Rodney just preferred to call it that. I have that artwork, incidentally. Beautiful piece. My original title was Constant Fire, which wasn't considered a good book title, so it became The Transformation of Mavis Ming. I probably subtitled it Return of the Fireclown for fun (and because I felt I'd never properly done The Fireclown as I wanted to do it, not being sufficiently skilled).

[David Mosley]

Is there supposed to be a connection between the Mavis Ming of Constant Fire and her namesake in The Chinese Agent?

(Sorry, haven't got around to CF on my reading schedule yet (still ploughing though The Ice Schooner atm).)

[Michael Moorcock]

Only the broadest connection. A bit of fun....