Michael Moorcock's Elric Saga

[Zsinj]

Currently I'm reading one of the most amazing, awesome fantasy series I have ever read in my life: "The Elric Saga" by Michael Moorcock. I just can't say enough good things about this series!! The world it's set in is so mystical and alien, it's almost dreamlike! I'm on book two currently, and I've been hooked on this series from page one of book one!!
Elric has to be one of the most awesome and complex fantasy characters I've ever read about. And his runesword rocks, man!!
This series is every bit as good as I expected it to be, and then some!! I just love how it's so dark, gothic, and brooding! My only complaint is that in the story Stormbringer, during the battle against Jagreen Lern and the Sorceror King, there were so many armies that you couldn't find out who was who and who was on who's side. Needless to say, I was kind of scratching my head during this scene.
So, does anyone else love this series as much as I do?
By the way, I'm definitely going to read Michael Moorcock's other works in his Eternal Champion Series!

[Hobbit]

Good to see another fan, Zsinj. Not bad for a character who is over 30 years old, eh?

..but definitely an anti-hero. NOT a character you can love, though he is cool.

It gets even stranger when Elric links up with other characters from the multiverse too....

Has appeared on the website before.

Look up (using the search function) the words 'Multiverse', 'antihero', 'Elric' & 'Moorcock' and see what you get.

(I'll also put a link in here for a site that's useful, and Mike Moorcock's homepage too).

Hobbit

[Dawnstorm]

The Elric books are great!

When I was 12, I bought the book "The Weird of the White Wolf" (in a German translation, then), because I thought it had a white wolf in it. Little did I know... I read it, didn't get it, but it stuck in my mind like no other book. Especially, Lord Arioch... I put it aside until my sister was sick and wanted something to read, gave it to her, re-read it myself; and then we bought the entire Elric Saga. Later, we'd hunt down all the English versions...

[Ouroboros]

Hobbit, would you suggest that if someone is going to begin reading the Eternal champion novels they should begin with Von Bek (as the publishers' chronology dictates) and work through all 15 or so books in correct order?

I've been looking at those collections published as part of the Fantasy Masterworks series (Elric, Hawkmoon, Corum et all) and salivating ... but they aren't very comprehensive.

[Hobbit]

That's not an easy one, Ouro. Depends if you think the reader's in for the long haul, and be prepared for bits that don't quite make sense on first reading, or whether they just want a taster.

The Von Bek books for example read more like historical novels to start with. They do link to the series and there are interesting parallels between Von Bek and Elric (but then things are not always what they seem in the multiverse ).

I would suggest for a first time reader in any order here (Millennium omnibuses):

Hawkmoon (Runestaff books) - fairly self contained
Corum - ditto and still fairly straightforward
Elric (vol. 1). and then Stormbringer
and then -
Eternal Champion (John Daker - vol 2)

One of my favourites was the Oswald Bastable (Nomad of the Time Streams) - great alternative history, and links with some of the other characters in Moorcock's series. There will be parts in some of his books that don't make a lot of sense until you've read some of the others...be warned! the ones above don't have too much of that, though.

The writing has developed over 40 years and despite some of the more well known stuff being a little creakier, there is still an energy and enthusiasm there. All of these above are IMO great starters. Was how I started!

The other volumes fill in the gaps, crossreference and bring the series to a new level of understanding - or perhaps not. There are parts that i still don't 'get', though I can see why they're there. I'm sure there are other books in the series I haven't mentioned that people will also say are good too.

Blood for Lord Arioch!

Hobbit

[Ouroboros]

Well, I'm not planning on dying anytime soon, so I might as well do it properly . Von Bek it is...

[Dawnstorm]

Moorcock is notorious for his crossovers, and sometimes characters even cross genre-boarders (though they usually don't)... It seems, if a character seems to fit a role Moorcock has no reason not to use them...

There's a short story called "Elric at the End of Time", where Elric of Melniboné finds himself in the uneverse of "The Dancers at the End of Time" (a world of ultimate decadence: lack of death takes the edge out of life), and thinks he's landed in the Realm of Chaos. Hilarious!

If you're in for a bit of real madness try the later parts of the Jerry Cornelius Chronicals, where characters who work at the "time centre", die multiple deaths, have different histories every second time you meet them, and there is generally no linear story to follow... (Btw, the first Jerry Cornelius novel, The Final Program is, in part, a re-telling of the first Elric Book in a SF setting, needle-gun replacing Stormbringer...)

[rune]

I think this author must be an aquired taste. I've just finished reading The Dreamthief's Daughter and found it rather confusing

He does have his character analysing their situations alot which I felt slowed down the pace, even the fight scenes where littered with Ulric's (the main characters) deep thinking of everything.
Half way through the book it just lost me completly. Without giving too much away, Moorcock merges two characters and it just gets so confusing as to who's POV he is writing from at that point.

I can't see me returning to this authors books I'm afraid. This one gave me a headache

[Miriamele]

I've read the Elric Saga, Rune, and I think I probably agree with you.

Moorcook has a truly admirable imagination and I enjoyed the first book, Elric of Melnibone. But after that, it just kept getting weirder and weirder...especially Sailors on the Sea of Fate (I think that was the title). All that multiple-dimensions and multiple-versions of characters stuff made me feel like I was on an acid trip. Perhaps Moorcock was when he wrote it?

The books aren't exactly bad, though. I did read all of them because they're interesting. You never know where the story is going, and some of the trippy stuff makes you think really hard about whether it makes sense or not. And I have to admit that Elric is a very cool character.

But you're right. Moorcock is an aquired taste. I know some people really love him.

[Luke_B]

Moorcock's Eternal Champion series should be required reading for any fan of speculative fiction. I think my favourite is the Dancers at the End of Time. But his true masterpiece is Mother London. Also check out Gloriana, Moorcock's homage to Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast.

[Hobbit]

Dreamthief's Daughter is not the easiest place to start, nor Sailors for that matter. Both are later books in the series, where the Planes become ever more intertwined, and characters evermore convoluted....

If I can persuade you to try again, easier ones of his that will make more sense (to start with) - can I suggest either Corum or the Runestaff books?

His writing is so varied, usually if you don't like one you can try another very different one!

Hobbit

[Priestvyrce]

I've only read the Elric books and the Count Brass trilogy. The orginal six books of the Elric saga are subperb,especially Stombringer! A great way to end such a chaotic story.

Can you even imagine how, if they made a movie of Elric, at how they would film it? It would probably the trippiest movie ever in many ways.

[knivesout]

Personally I've unreservedly enjoyed all the Moorcock I've read. His Elric books come a close second to the Jerry Cornelius ones, for me. I also like his non-fantasy/sf works.

[Shehzad]

I've only read some of the Elric novels, but I have unabashedly enjoyed them. Elric is one of the most fascinating characters in fantasy and his relationship with his sword Stormbringer is unique in fantasy literature.

[mr_zog]

Moorcock is an acquired taste, no doubt there.

I have just re-read Elric of Melnibone for the 3 (or maybe 4th time ) and still find new insite.

One of my favourites was the Oswald Bastable (Nomad of the Time Streams) - great alternative history, and links with some of the other characters in Moorcock's series.

I agree - I thought these were great reads and also showed his strength of imagination and character development.

I would really like to read Mother London - I have heard great things about it.

Has anyone read King of the City by Moorcock?