When I was a kid, I tried to read the Elric novels, but I just couldn’t get into them. I’m not sure why.
It may have had something to do with my brother. He was a big Moorcock fan, and since he and I didn’t really get along, I wasn’t predisposed to like the things he liked.
I was also turned off by Moorcock’s serious, high-minded, plot-driven prose. The books seemed to take themselves way too seriously—they were brimming with testosterone and arrogance, like a lot of the sports jocks at my high school. As a gay kid who relied on (my limited) wits to get by, I preferred my fantasy wry and full of double-entendres. Piers Anthony fit the bill perfectly.
Several decades later, it’s clear which author has held up. I find Anthony’s work—at least the Xanth series—painful to read, but Elric of Melnibone and Other Stories is a freaking joy.
My reaction to this book might have something to do with the fact that I read it immediately after rereading the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Jumping from Tolkien’s beautiful but very descriptive prose to Moorcock—who’s much stingier with the adjectives—was jarring, but in a great way. Moorcock’s style reminds me of Cormac McCarthy, particularly in The Road: the plot gallops along, and you don’t really stop to wonder what color the horse is.
Of course, for that kind of writing to work, you have to have a strong plot, and Moorcock doesn’t disappoint. Elric of Melnibone, the novel/novella at the core of the collection, tells a great, engaging story that unfolds with a clear logic. Unlike authors who focus more heavily on character, Moorcock never seems to write himself into a corner. When he uses deus ex machina moments, there’s a reason for them.
And as an added bonus, this book contains the full text of the graphic novel Elric: The Making of a Sorcerer. It’s a bit weird reading it without the illustrations, but the accompanying notes that Moorcock wrote to his collaborator and illustrator, Walter Simonson, give a fascinating glimpse into the author’s thought process.
It’s unfortunate that the Elric books are so hard to find—most authors of Moorcock’s caliber would be printed and reprinted in hard copy and ebook. Hopefully that will change.
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That one guy
A must-read classic for fantasy fans
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Version anglaise, très bien.
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Buy it for the novel
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What Have They Done?!
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