Michael Moorcock

Elric of MelnibonÉ

Michael Moorcock's Elric of MelnibonÉ is one of those fantasy cult classics that's hovered in my periphery for several years. And after being greatly pleased with Del Rey's recent trade paperback editions of the The Fully Illustrated Robert E. Howard Library, their new publications of the Moorcock' s Chronicles of the Last Emperor of Melniboné seemed the perfect opportunity for a Sword & Sorcery fan, like myself, to finally read them, (especially since I'm a sucker for illustrated books, too). So I started this book with very high expectations. But maybe, just a little too high.

Elric is the last prince of a dying race and his royal blood carries a genetic defect that makes him a pure albino and physically frail. He possesses or, more accurately, is possessed by the evil soul-stealing sword, Stormbringer, which grants him power, but also makes Elric physically dependent. As the last prince of a fallen and advanced civilization, Elric has the knowledge of generations studied in dark sorceries at his disposal. He's a brooding and vengeful character who is haunted by past unforgivable deeds. But he is also the dark savior whose destiny is to stop total domination by the forces of chaos, and to maintain the universal balance. This also means the complete destruction of himself and his world.

I especially enjoy the connection between Elric's fantasy world and our real one. I also found myself intrigued almost as much by Elric's sidekick, Moonglum, as I was by Elric himself. Throughout the stories, I delightfully wonder just what makes a freebooting adventurer like Moonglum so faithful to a self-destructive soul like Elric. Granted, there is sometimes profit to be gained, but Elric isn't really a likable guy and Stormbringer can be just as likely to kill friends as enemies.

As literary value to the genre, these stories are well worthy of more than five stars. With Elric, Mr. Moorcock was one of the pioneers in modern fantasy fiction in the early 1960's. It's easy to see his influence in fantasy today (not too mention that a few early 70's hard-rock bands reference Elric in their music). From what I understand, when Moorcock first wrote the Elric of MelnibonÉ stories, he set out to create something totally different from the standard Sword & Sorcery heroes that came before. Elric is most definitely different. In fact, he's one of the most unique fantasy characters I've ever read.

However, I try to reserve that fifth star for the books that just "blow-me-away," and despite Elric having all the ingredients I like in a fantasy story, it just didn't do that for me. Maybe it's simply just dated, or maybe it was the magazine format these stories were originally written for, but overall, it was missing that grab-me-by-the-guts, keep-me-up-past bedtime experience. In some parts, the mind-blowing incomprehensibility just ended up being too over-the-top and forgettable, if not boring. It's still an enjoyable read and there's definite potential for the following books to be even better. —Greg Hersom

Elric of Melniboné (audio)

Elric, emperor of Melniboné, is not your typical fantasy hero. He’s an albino with white skin, long white hair, and slanting red eyes. He’s weak and has to take drugs every few hours just to maintain the strength of a normal man. He’s a brooding and contemplative scholar, which makes him dull at parties.

Some people think Elric is a demon — he sure looks like one — and many of his subjects would prefer to have the throne of Melniboné occupied by Elric’s charismatic cousin Yyrkoon who looks and acts like a leader should. He’s strong, agile, and nationalistic, and he wants to restore Melniboné to its former greatness.

While Yyrkoon is dancing, acting like a proper nobleman, and plotting to kill Elric, Elric spends his time thinking about tradition, social justice, and his duty to his country. Is it Elric’s job to give the people of Melniboné what they want — tradition, a powerful leader, war, and dominance over smaller states — or is it better to be universally humanistic and to try to lead Melniboné, against its wishes, into cooperation and peace with its neighbors? Should Elric sacrifice his personal ideals in order to be the leader his people demand? Is his responsibility to his country or to the world at large?

Elric of Melniboné, by Michael Moorcock, is a thought-provoking work but, at the same time, it’s appealing to those who just want to read a good sword & sorcery story — sea battles in grottos, ships that sail on land or sea, magic mirrors that wipe out memory, and fights with demons in the underworld. Many of the Elric stories were originally published in pulp magazines or as novellas, so they are fast-paced with sketchy scene and character development. This is likely to be unsatisfying to some readers, but I enjoyed the quick pace and appreciated Elric’s introspective concerns about his duties.

I listened to Audio Realms’ production of Elric of Melniboné. Jeff West was an excellent narrator, but I was annoyed by the music which plays behind the entire book’s text — not just at the beginning of chapters or scenes (listen to sample). It is soft and doesn’t cause any trouble with hearing the narration, but it’s clearly designed to add drama and emotion to the story and I prefer to let Moorcock do that himself. I would have enjoyed Elric of Melniboné more if there had been no music at all and I’ll be careful about Audio Realms’ productions in the future. —Kat Hooper

Sailor on the Seas of Fate

Michael Moorcock’s Sailor on the Seas of Fate continues the adventures of Elric the albino emperor of Melniboné. While his ambitious cousin Yyrkoon sits as regent, and his consort Cymoril doesn’t know if he’s dead or alive, Elric is in self-exile, exploring other lands so that he can better understand his subjects. He hopes to become a more worthy emperor and, perhaps, to discover why his own race has lost what he calls its “humanity.” For his ancestors are said to have been noble people, but that nobility has been lost and modern Melnibonéans are greedy, selfish, and decadent, lording it over the humans they rule.

At the beginning of Sailor on the Seas of Fate, Elric has just escaped prison and is being pursued by his captors. Just as all looks lost, a strange ship appears and rescues him. This is a spooky ship — shrouded in mist and mystery — and aboard its ancient timbers are three of the Eternal Champions who travel between the universes and appear at different times and places to fight the forces of Chaos: Hawkmoon, Corum, and Erekosë. They have fought side-by-side many times before, but since time flows differently in the different worlds, their memories are not all the same. Elric doesn’t even realize he’s one of them, but the captain of the ship has brought them together and leads them into battle against an enemy that threatens to take over the Multiverse.

After that episode, Elric meets an adventurer and treasure-hunter who wants to sail to the fabled island of R'lin K'ren A'a, the original homeland of the Melnibonéans. Elric accompanies him, hoping to discover more about his race and the events that occurred to change his peoples’ proclivities and drive them a bit mad.

The Elric stories are fun for readers looking for short, fast-paced, episodic sword & sorcery adventures with fantastic scenery, but they go deeper than that. Elric is not only brave, he’s complex and introspective. He likes to think of himself as a humanist, yet he also has the cold and selfish tendencies evident in other Melnibonéans. For example, he carries a sentient sword named Stormbringer who gives him the strength to overcome his frailties, but demands souls in return. Elric’s remorse about this is not quite convincing. Does he truly care about people? Or is he more concerned with feeling good about himself by satisfying his own self-concept of nobility?

I listened to Audio Realms’ production of Sailor on the Seas of Fate which is beautifully narrated by Jeff West and introduced by Michael Moorcock’s dreamy and languorous voice. The music and sound effects in this Audio Realms production were less bothersome to me this time. I’m not sure if they were toned down, or if I was just prepared to accept them. —Kat Hooper