Michael Moorcock published the essay Epic Pooh in 1978 for the British Science Fiction Association. The original text appeared as an opinion article before undergoing revisions over three decades.
Michael Moorcock targeted J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Richard Adams in his critique of fantasy literature. He labeled their work as corrupted Romance rooted in Anglican Toryism and middle-class bourgeois attitudes.
A 2008 revision added references to author J.K. Rowling while removing less familiar names from the critique. Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials received credit in an author's note during this update process.
Madawc Williams wrote for Mallorn that Michael Moorcock sneered without knowing the subject matter. He described the piece as shallow ramblings from a light-weight thinker with average knowledge regarding Welsh language influences.
Science fiction author China Miéville adopted Michael Moorcock's critique of conservative politics within later decades. Eric Sandberg observed that Miévillean views aligned with the original 1978 arguments against hierarchical status quos.