I'm a big fan of Michael Moorcock. He was one of the first SF/Fantasy writers I got into, along with Asimov and Clarke. Unlike a lot of other writers who were writing at the same time (and like MM still are), Moorcocks books stand the test of time a lot better. Other writers stories from the same time, while still good, can come across as quaint, whereas Moorcock's multiverse is a universe spanning world which includes these Cornelius books, the Elric books and others.
This is another excellent entry in Moorcocks multiverse, and essential reading if you like like writing.
Why read a pale imitation when Moorcock is the genuine article, a living SF legend who's early work is as good today as it was when he wrote it.