ELRIC THE STEALER OF SOULS PDF, EPUB, EBOOK

Michael Moorcock | 458 pages | 20 Feb 2008 | Random House USA Inc | 9780345498625 | English | New York, United States Table of contents for Elric the stealer of souls

Lewis and J. He wrestles with the possibility of eternal recurrence, then accepts his fate in the torso-splittingly violent manner to which he is accustomed. Elric tries to rescue the cat but of course loses it during a terrific battle; nonetheless, he tells the wizard that the tyrant can no longer threaten him, and that he is free. There is no salvation that we cannot imagine to be another form of damnation, and our souls are never truly free as long as there are cats to hide them in and ill-intentioned men to master them. I remember this s the best idea MM ever had. The British publication was entitled "The Dreaming City" and is in my possession. My reaction to reading this book in Spoilers follow. Moorcock was the editor of the juvenile magazine Tarzan Adventures from , an editor and writer for the Sexton Blake Library and for comic strips and children's annuals from , an editor and pamphleteer for Liberal Party in , and became editor and publisher for the science fiction magazine New Worlds in He has worked as a singer-guitarist, has worked with the rock bands Hawkwind and Blue Oyster Cult and is a member of the rock band Michael Moorcock and the Deep Fix. In August , Victor Gollancz Ltd. A video game based on Elric was in development by Psygnosis for the PlayStation during the late s. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Fictional character. For other uses, see Elric disambiguation. See also: Michael Moorcock bibliography. For the French death metal band, see Yyrkoon band. Moorcock's Miscellany. Archived from the original on 16 April Retrieved 18 November Kullerwoinen Son of Evil". Kullerwoinen's Victory and Death". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 May Fantasy Magazine. Adam Warlock" , Who Would Win? Elric BD Facebook. Retrieved 15 February Retrieved 13 July Retrieved 6 October Electronic Gaming Monthly. Ziff Davis. December I don't mind, since the Elric reference is clearly straight homage, and I'd do the same myself in the circumstances. As he knew. He'd been a little charey of what I'd think of it and I thought it was tremendous. I even bought the Elrod T-shirt. Elric: The Stealer of Souls by Michael Moorcock

The hero is not just a swashbuckler; he is conflicted. He thinks of things that his people do not understand. This is why he has destroyed his people. And this is why he invades our thoughts and sticks in our memory. If only these two books were written, it would still be a powerful and evocative series. These books deserve Four and One-Half 4. View 1 comment. Apr 04, Joseph rated it really liked it. It's been a long time since I read the original Elric series, and I'm pleased to find that they still hold up. The writing is sometimes a bit clumsy unsurprising given that Moorcock was in his early twenties when these were written , but the stories are fast-moving and the Doomed Albino Prince still has a sinister mesmeric effect. Having said that, I'm a bit conflicted about this edition, at least as an introduction for someone who hasn't read Elric before. It's interesting to approach the stori It's been a long time since I read the original Elric series, and I'm pleased to find that they still hold up. But for me the best of all possible Elric experiences remains the original six-book paperback series, either the yellow-spined DAW editions with the Michael Whelan covers or the silver-spined Berkeley editions with the Robert Gould covers. Preferably read in sequence with the Corum, Erekose and Hawkmoon books. Still, highly recommended and I'll be moving on to the next book in the edition. View all 3 comments. Oct 22, Emily Duncan added it. I can't, like, recommend this in good conscience because i don't think moorcock has ever met a woman in his life, but if you want some good eldritch cosmic horror fantasy and can get around the rehashing of the same information constantly then let me tell you, this book is for you. I have a lot of problems with it but at the end of the day you give me a frail man with long hair and an evil soul-sucking sword and I'm content. Dec 15, Charlie rated it really liked it Shelves: reviewed , favorites. If you wish to get into Michael Moorcock's utterly brilliant 'Elric' stories, then this Del Ray version is the edition to read. It reprints each of the stories in the order that they were written and thereby the order in which the mythos, character and themes were all formed rather than in the chronological order of the stories themselves which - if followed - would cause a reader to be thrown into some adventure of a young Elric traveling backwards in time to a different multiverse without an If you wish to get into Michael Moorcock's utterly brilliant 'Elric' stories, then this Del Ray version is the edition to read. It reprints each of the stories in the order that they were written and thereby the order in which the mythos, character and themes were all formed rather than in the chronological order of the stories themselves which - if followed - would cause a reader to be thrown into some adventure of a young Elric traveling backwards in time to a different multiverse without any grounding on who Elric, or what that multiverse, actually is If you do not yet wish to get into Michael Moorcock's utterly brilliant 'Elric' stories, then you should for the following reasons: A - They are some of the best pulp fantasy stories ever written after Howard's 'Conan' and Leiber's 'Grey Mouser' tales. Not only is Moorcock a brilliant storyteller, and an imaginative genius bubbling with new ideas for strange gods, magic, potions, spells and pages so rich in psychedelic 60s symbolism to to make you believe again that Fantasy can actually tell us something worthwhile about the world in which we live, but his stories are also a wonderful deconstruction of what came before, setting the stage for all the fantasy that came after. Indeed, a canny reader will notice many of the things that writers, not least Games Workshop, have pilfered from his work, from the amoral dichotomy of Law and Chaos, to the multiverse dimension hopping to the stat-boosting potion chugging of everything from The Witcher to Elder Scrolls. B - They are a crucial piece of the genre's history, a mini revolution in the hands of the genre's most unfortunately named writer. Written in direct response to the omnipresent Conan-knock offs that were polluting the byways of the genre at the time, Moorcock set out to write the 'Anti- Conan', and in the process created one of the most brilliant and tragic figures in modern Fantasy. Gone is the thrilling power fantasy of Conan, where a strong-armed thief rises by his might and wits to become a king, defying fate on the back of his own magnificent will; here is a born emperor in service to dark powers, weak, intelligent, and utterly at the mercy of a destiny that he despises as lovers, friends, family and fortune are all cruelly and irresistibly snatched away. In this volume alone, containing the original Elric Saga from its inception in 'The Dreaming City' to its conclusion in the magnificent 'Stormbringer' manages an epic scope that lesser authors would have taken tomes to achieve. The future volumes all contain fine tales that explore more ideas within his life the prequel novella 'Elric of Melnibone' in Vol. C - The writing is utterly, hilariously bad. I mean this affectionately, but Moorcock cannot write. By this I do not mean he cannot tell a story - he absolutely can - nor that his characters are flat - they absolutely are not - nor that his ideas are boring - the contrary could not be more the case. Indeed, Moorcock is a unique example of a master storyteller who simply does not know how to string together a sentence. In another time, perhaps, he would have been an oral poet, a wandering bard, a born teller of tales spreading deep truths and wonder amongst the people. Alas, he lives in a literate world and had to make do with what was wanted. John Harrison, his clear sighted mastery of the artistic scene and potentialities of the fantasy form are translated to the page in the clumsiest prose imaginable. Years later I still laughingly cringe at a line in 'Stormbringer' about how "Elric rode on his horse like a giant scarecrow. This should not put you off. It is a testament to Moorcock's brilliance that he could revolutionize a genre with such swift work. To be fair to the man, I am also saying nothing here that he does not say himself, with his famous remark that "I think of myself as a bad writer with big ideas, but I'd rather be that than a big writer with bad ideas. Accordingly, these original stories, however awkwardly penned, retain a power all of their own. Learn an affectionate tolerance for Moorcock's prose, and you'll be ready for some of the most invigorating and exciting adventures in Fantasy. Jan 27, Richard Guion rated it it was amazing. I was totally blown away by this collection, featuring the early Elric stories by Moorcock and then topped off by the novel Stormbringer. Nothing could match how inventive the character or the world that Moorcock created in prose form. In the very first story, "The Dreaming City", Elric is practically the villain of the story, leading an attack on his own homeland to rescue his beloved. After that, I was totally blown away by this collection, featuring the early Elric stories by Moorcock and then topped off by the novel Stormbringer. After that, Elric roams the Earth seeking wealth, truth, love, etc. In truth he is a bit of a sorcerous rebel, an angry young man lashing out against wizards and warriors the way young men rebelled against authority in the s. His mighty blade Stormbringer, which consumes the souls of whoever it kills, has a mind of its own and is liable to kill Elric's friends as well as his enemies. The novel Stormbringer had a conclusion that left my jaw on the floor. I had known, roughly, what happened to Elric's world at the end, because many articles on sword and sorcery mentioned it. But that spoiler alone didn't convey how operatic and poetic the final fate of Elric becomes at the end. I loved Robert E Howard's Conan as a character but always longed for a fantasy character with deeper thoughts and perhaps a deeper meaning to the entire story. The rest of this volume is packed with great content. Alan Moore writes a nifty introduction. The original introductions to each story from Science Fantasy magazine are included, too, as well as letters, correspondence, maps, etc. My only problem now is that I have read the final fate of Elric, I don't know if I can read any of the later stories--which are all prequels? Phew, this took me forever to read. This was okay. It was a bunch of stories that were mostly the same. It grew pretty tiresome by the end. So this was meh to me, just not my thing. I do think my twelve year old self would have probably given this 5 stars and thrown it on the best reads pile. Too bad I didn't read these stories then. Anyway, not bad just got kind of old. I highly doubt I will read more of these. This is my third time through this material, the second via a strict original-publication-chronology, and three times is enough for me. There are whole midpart sections and stories where you can tell that Moorcock just wasn't feeling it, and the plots and images devolve into fetch quests and exquisite corpse monster battles and Elric calling for metaphysical help and whining an awful lot. But when Moorcock is on task, he's on task. He throws out little ideas here and there--that the Melnibonean m This is my third time through this material, the second via a strict original-publication-chronology, and three times is enough for me. He throws out little ideas here and there--that the Melnibonean magic is dream-state, that these people straddle the line between humanity and inhumanity--that the author admits will become raw material for revisions and successor generations of Eternal Champion. And these are the ones where we see into the life of Immryr and their decadent, dreaming, tortured society. I would rather have seen a more curated set of material of what Moorcock favored or felt was essential, even if the total set was smaller and consisted of excerpts. The essays are worth the price of admission, in particular Alan Moore's "The Return of the Thin White Duke", which Moorcock-wise posits an alt-history unfashionable Melnibonean ancestry in England and proceeds to a scathing appraisal of competing works. It is compulsively quotable. And Moorcock's own introduction and follow-on material is not just interesting for its backstory and set of influences, but also for the anecdotes. It turns out that he did not like the pointy-helmet design that Jack Gaughan cooked up for a book cover, which in turn became part of the graphic novel character designs. So it goes. He does not discuss the Eternal Champion origin or evolution other than mentioning that Jerry Cornelius is a twisted photocopy of the Elric original. This ties into how Moorcock appears to operate by iteration, refining and revising already-published material and producing sequels and prequels and fix-ups in an endless program of tinkering with what he already has. And in the middle here is a Sojan story, "Mission to Asno! I have absolutely no idea why. The fascination with this read-through was, first, that Stormbringer is eventually gendered as female, and I'm not certain where this started. I don't know, but there comes a point where Zarozinia considers it to be her competitor. And the image of "codependent love interest" is powerful. Secondly, the observation that the magic Elric wields is all in terms of summonings and invocations: he calls for help, he appeals to a higher authority, he abdicates personal power or involvement. I love Elric. I love everything about this series. So, having an opportunity to not only revisit the series, but also to read some earlier works, and understand more about how Moorcock views his most famous creation, and where it all came from, I was quite excited. And honestly, I was not disappointed. His earlier work was just as bad as he suggested it was, and kudos to Moorcock to allow its inclusion. The various notes, letters, and interviews and art were also illuminating. And, of course, there I love Elric. And, of course, there's also the stories of the brooding albino king himself. Elric and his black blade. I would, however, suggest this series for more of the Elric completist than I would the casual reader. Mar 21, Colin rated it it was amazing Shelves: appendix-n , good-sci-fi-and-fantasy. For those not familiar with his work, Moorcock's Elric stories are some classic post-Tolkien British fantasy of the sword-and-sorcery variety. I've called Moorcock the British Howard, for there is something like the world of Howard's Conan in Moorcock's stories, though the heroes could not be more unalike. In fact, Elric is deliberately an anti-Conan: physically weak where Conan is strong, reliant on drugs and sorcery where Conan relies only upon his own might and main, darkly brooding where Con For those not familiar with his work, Moorcock's Elric stories are some classic post-Tolkien British fantasy of the sword-and-sorcery variety. In fact, Elric is deliberately an anti-Conan: physically weak where Conan is strong, reliant on drugs and sorcery where Conan relies only upon his own might and main, darkly brooding where Conan is jovial and boisterous, decadently civilized in a way that the barbaric Conan despises above all else. Elric is the damned antihero, and yet is enjoyable to read for all that. Be warned though - Moorcock's Elric anticipates the antihero of modern literature quite strongly - he is far more amoral than you may be expecting. This is a book that I doubt might have been published in Elric is an albino; this weakens him including his eyesight. He gets around this by relying on his sword, Stormbringer, which sucks out souls. He also has magical abilities. Throughout the book, Elric runs around killing people; in the first story, he fights to recover his lover who view spoiler [the sword slays hide spoiler ] ; subsequently, he wanders the land. There is a quartet of four novellas at the end of the book where E This is a book that I doubt might have been published in There is a quartet of four novellas at the end of the book where Elric summons his allies and wages war. I just didn't care for Elric or the magical system. The stories - and its focus on sword and sorcery - feels like a product of its time. Even the writing feels old. Elric: The Stealer of Souls is the story of Elric, the last of his noble line, and his travels. Elric has left his kingdom behind and is exploring the outlying lands with Stormbringer, his sentient sword. Being a dark fantasy, Elric's adventures are filled with horrendous creatures, evil beings and violent encounters. Moorcock does a fabulous job developing the characters and setting his scenes. The world he creates is well thought out and planned. There were occasional scenes that didn't quite Elric: The Stealer of Souls is the story of Elric, the last of his noble line, and his travels. There were occasional scenes that didn't quite ring true to me, but not so much that they seemed off. Enjoyable read and recommended to those who enjoy the genre. Aug 01, Alex rated it did not like it Shelves: sf , childhood-reads. These days, computer games have better, subtler writing. I couldn't even finish this book. The writing is painfully awful. Michael Moorcock said "I think of myself as a bad writer with big ideas, but I'd rather be that than a big writer with bad ideas. Enjoyable Fun collection of short stories about the forces between good and evil. Elric was an interesting hero not what I expected, but enjoyed it all the same. Oct 01, Ashley Lambert-Maberly rated it it was ok Shelves: did-not-finish , plot-swashbuckling , features-magicians , features-gods , mood-relentless-action , genre-fantasy , year , plot-picaresque , plot-heist-or-big-plans , plot-quest. I only got about halfway, before it was due back interlibrary loan , and I can't say I was too broken-up about it. I'll seek out whichever is supposedly the best volume, and give it a read in the future, but this collection of stories didn't impress too much. A Elric is supposedly this wonderfully atypical protagonist, who is forced to kill against his will by his sentient sword or so I was given to understand. Instead, he's pretty ruthless, apparently destroying what was left of his entire n I only got about halfway, before it was due back interlibrary loan , and I can't say I was too broken-up about it. Instead, he's pretty ruthless, apparently destroying what was left of his entire nation men murdered, women enslaved, buildings destroyed because he was mad at his cousin. He continues in a mostly amoral fashion throughout. B He's again, my understanding of him apparently weak, and hooked on either his sword's power or drugs to give him strength. C The writing is flowerly, the characterization is slim-to-none, and the plots no advance over s pulp. My comparison, I'm reading the complete Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser series, and they feel fresh as the day, enjoyable, lively, with wonderful evocative place settings and nifty plot turns, I'm loving them, and poor Elric pales in comparison. I gather these are early works, which is why I'm willing to find the best, and give it a whirl. Oh, and I was particularly excited for this edition because it's illustrated He mostly likes drawing people's faces. It's dispiriting to see the Rachel haircut from friends, or an apparently hideous creature Elric's sidekick, Moonglum look like a normal teenager. When I think of the great fantasy illustrators of the past, Sidney Sime, Arthur Rackham, or more current artists like Thomas Canty, or Ashe Samuels, and what they could have done with this, it's disspiriting. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s. I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve! Mar 12, Mr SSingh rated it really liked it. Having read the full Chronicles of the Last Emperor of Melnibone series basically this review is for them all. Wow these are fun books! I had a blast reading them! Moorcock isn't the greatest at developing things and letting you sit still and savoring the sights and sounds, very much, except in the first book where we see Melnibone and the character of Elric, his love and his rival. The city is interesting as they basically dream on couches and transport themselves to other places realms in the Multiverse if i'm correct or even in their own world. He kind of broods about contemplating existence, his people, what once was. And his sword Stormbringer is unique also as it can steal the souls of its slain. The Multiverse. And how Chaos has hold of many things. This was a brilliant idea that allows the surrealism to shine forth. Anything and everything can happen. Moorcock throws it all and the kitchen sink. Again, his writing style is very fast paced, one scene Elric and co. I'm exaggerating slightly, but it feels like that, one adventure after another. They are fun books where fantasy isn't constrained by the mundane world or a medieval setting but can go in wild unpredictable directions. Sep 07, Carl rated it it was ok Shelves: nprs-topscience-fiction-and-fa. I can see why these were in NPR's top science fiction and fantasy. Moorcock's contributions to the genre are long-lasting and influential, especially the idea of a cosmic fight between the forces of law and chaos across the multiverse. The idea of the Eternal Champion was less intriguing to me, and I don't know that I've encountered it anywhere else aside from Moorcock. But in any event, I really hated the character of Elric. I thought I would like him, a wandering mercenary with a cursed blade having random adventurers the world over? Sounded like a great idea, with lots of echoes of Conan the Barbarian, whose short stories I really enjoy. What I got instead was this: Elric: Oh woe, is me, I am cursed and doomed and have no choice in my fate. I must continue to wield this cursed sword that kills friends and foes alike or I will die. Conan the Barbarian: Better to die by your own choice than give up your freedom to others, even Gods. I'm with Conan. As a character Elric is a cool idea a weak sorceror-emperor of a ancient, yet dying, dynasty that wants to break with the past but wrapped in poor character choices and pessimism that was tiring and uninteresting, only able to do what Fate has decreed for him no matter how he hates it. And that's it. Elric would do neither, enslaved to the blade he hates and doomed to follow his Fate no matter what. There's a reason I will re-read the Conan stories. I will not re-read these. Sep 15, Julian Meynell rated it it was ok Shelves: british , fantasy , 20th-century , short-stories. This contains the earliest tales of Elric. They are the first things that I have read by Moorcock and they are amongst his earliest writing. The last four of these tales string together to form a kind of novel concerning Elric's critical role in a struggle between the supernatural forces of law and chaos. The works are very much a product of the s and are a kind of anti-Conan sword and sorcery. Elric is a weak albino who takes drugs and has an evil sword that sucks souls and powers him up. Th This contains the earliest tales of Elric. The works are very inventive and full of good ideas and world building. However,Moorcock was extremely young and they read very much as someone who is extremely young pretending and even believing he is old and wise. Furthermore, and mostly importantly the writing itself is a little dull. I just do not care for Moorcock's style very much. I don't know if this has ended reading Moorcock for me or if I will try again with something further into his career. Inventive ideas are not enough to save the dull writing. Dec 14, Jeremiah rated it really liked it. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was not the first time I had read about Elric and his sword, Stormbringer but it was my first dive into their world. The smallest taste of this character was enough to spark my interest in reading all of his stories and finding this book was a treasure. It is magnificent sword and sorcery that is as much a product of it's time 's as Robert E. Howard's Cona I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Howard's Conan was a product of the 's. Elric is as different as any character can be from Conan while still being a part of the sword and sorcery genre. If it is a genre you enjoy, I highly recommend this book. Jun 30, Jonathan Ehrich rated it it was ok. Early Michael Moorcock really doesn't age well. The book collects the earliest Elric stories, afaict in chronological order, starting with The Dreaming City and concluding with Stormbringer. The writing is workmanlike and the content is fairly derivative - most of the stories feel much more like a straight Conan pastiche than Moorcock's later works. By the end, tho, he's worked his way to the eternal champion, to law and chaos, and all the other elements he would apply as a template going forward Early Michael Moorcock really doesn't age well. By the end, tho, he's worked his way to the eternal champion, to law and chaos, and all the other elements he would apply as a template going forwards. So it's interesting from a historical perspective, but not particularly pleasant to actually read. A tormented soul. Old school fantasy the way its supposed to be -its dark, its gory, its mean and that's how I like it. This book was exactly what I expected. I like to read multiple books at a time so the short stories were ideal for my reading style. However, I have not read any of the rest of the Elric books and can understand why many people are upset about the timeline contradicting itself. The book is so poorly written as to almost be impossible to read. While it attempts to describe an interesting world, you never care about the characters. I forced myself to at least read through half the book before giving up. It wasn't getting any better and felt more like a homework assignment to read it. Disappointed as it had been recommended, but alas I was unable to find interest in continuing to read the book. Sep 30, Bradford rated it liked it. It is basically part Conan, part Kafka, part Tolkien, and part Poe. Nov 15, Kate rated it really liked it Shelves: re-read. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. It's like trying to fit a tentacly, Cthulhu-shaped peg into a square hole. Elric as the leader of the free world and harbinger of a universe of order? Give me a break The Elric books have a very special place in my heart--they're the only source of conspiracy theories in my life. Some people cherish conspiracy theories about the Kennedys, some about Princes Di, some about Obama's birth certificate. I never understood those types of people--that is, until I read the Elric stories. Now I totally get the appeal. I have been converted into the conspiracy camp. You don't believe me? Here is a rant to prove it, complete with arguments with my imaginary opponents. This is really a summary of plot and themes, I swear Yes I know that Elric is supposed to be a tragic antihero, a helpless, doomed victim of his evil sword, a pawn of cruel fate which made him an Eternal Champion, yada yada. Well, I'm not buying any of that. He's clearly the villain of every story he's in, a sociopath and an evil necromancer who destroys people for fun, even whole civilizations when he's especially bored, until he finally causes the destruction of the whole world. Why do I think so? Because of Michael Moorcock--the way he says one thing about Elric but always with what seems like hidden sarcasm and then goes on to show him to be something else completely. Elric is the Eternal Champion destined to stop the Lords of Chaos from taking over the world? Who was it who called these Lords in the first place? It seems that summoning the Princes of Chaos was a lost art, until, that is, clever Elric figured it out and proceeded to summon Arioch to the material plane every time he stubbed a toe. And then mysteriously all these other mortal sorcerers just happen to come into contact with the Princes of Chaos. I think not. That's why he called Arioch and retrieved that evil sword in the first place. Yes, he supposedly did it to save Cymoril and thwart his evil cousin's attempt to take over the throne I say that he left because he was bored and wanted to play with his new evil toy. Oh, but wait, someone says, he only uses that sword because without it he would be physically weak and even die. He was doing just fine without it before. And what is that horrible illness of his anyway? He claims it's albinism. Is there something about poor eyesight and higher risk of skin cancer that would make him drop dead on the spot? It's obviously something else, something he's trying to keep secret Those unfamiliar with Elric may, at first, find his journeys incomparably strange. And oy, does Elric ever agonize. What is stranger still is that the world Elric was born into did not necessarily need him. Moorcock was 21 years old when he introduced the character in the June issue of a British periodical called Science Fantasy. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov and A. Lewis and J. Elric: The Stealer of Souls - Michael Moorcock - Google книги

Who said chivalry is dead? Those unfamiliar with Elric may, at first, find his journeys incomparably strange. And oy, does Elric ever agonize. What is stranger still is that the world Elric was born into did not necessarily need him. Moorcock was 21 years old when he introduced the character in the June issue of a British periodical called Science Fantasy. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov and A. Spoilers follow. Moorcock was the editor of the juvenile magazine Tarzan Adventures from , an editor and writer for the Sexton Blake Library and for comic strips and children's annuals from , an editor and pamphleteer for Liberal Party in , and became editor and publisher for the science fiction magazine New Worlds in He has worked as a singer-guitarist, has worked with the rock bands Hawkwind and Blue Oyster Cult and is a member of the rock band Michael Moorcock and the Deep Fix. Moorcock's writing covers a wide range of science fiction and fantasy genres. Karl participates in the political violence of the French Revolution, the Paris Commune, and a Nazi concentration camp. Moorcock also wrote books and stories that featured the character Jerry Cornelius, who had no consistent character or appearance. Pyat survives the revolution and the subsequent civil war by working first for one side and then another. It's a sweeping picture of the world during the 's because it takes the character from living in Constantinople to Hollywood. Moorcock returned to the New Wave style in "Blood: A Southern Fantasy" and combined mainstream fiction with fantasy in "The Brothel of Rosenstrasse," which is set in the imaginary city of Mirenburg.

Elric of Melniboné - Wikipedia

Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Preview — Elric by Michael Moorcock. John Picacio Illustrator ,. Alan Moore Goodreads Author Foreword. The result was a bold and unique hero—weak in body, subtle in mind, dependent on drugs for the vitality to sustain himself—with great crimes behind him and a greater destiny ahead: a rock- and-roll antihero who would channel all the violent excesses of the sixties into one enduring archetype. Here is the first volume of a collection of stories containing the seminal appearances of Elric and lavishly illustrated by artist John Picacio—plus essays, letters, maps, and other material. Get A Copy. Paperback , pages. Published February 19th by Del Rey first published More Details Original Title. Stormbringer , Moonglum , Yyrkoon , Cymoril , Zarozinia Other Editions Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Elric , please sign up. Which books does this compilation actually contain? Lists with This Book. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 3. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Aug 08, Danielle The Book Huntress Back to the Books rated it really liked it Recommends it for: Sword and sorcery fans who haven't read this already. Shelves: wizard-warlock-sorcerer , less-than- perfect-hero-or-heroine , short-story-collection , fantasy , antihero , flawed-hero , sword-and-sorceror. I took a journey into the world of darkness, and I am surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Being me, I tend to embark on new adventures in an atypical fashion. Such is my introduction to sword and sorcery fantasy. Sprague de Camp in an anthology. Howard, who is probably one of the founding fathers of this genre I took a journey into the world of darkness, and I am surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Howard, who is probably one of the founding fathers of this genre if not the founding father , so it's interesting that one of my first protagonists to read in this genre is more of an anti-Conan. He's not big and muscled. He's slender and physically frail. He cries, he whines, and he does a lot of moping. I'm not really surprised that this worked for me. I love flawed characters in fiction. I love characters with a weakness to them. I think they mirror reality much more than perfect ones do. In my life, I have been haunted by a fear of failure, and I can identify with a character who does feel like he doesn't measure up and sometimes feels like a screw-up, right or wrong. While I don't enjoy depressing literature at all, I like a good genre story that shows a character who is never going to be perfect and get everything right. That's Elric in a nutshell. A few years ago, I had heard about Elric, and I was intrigued when I read that he was considered the burned-out rock star of heroic fantasy, with his dependence on drugs. Okay, part of me was repulsed at the drug-dependence part. I'm glad I read the story all the same. Elric has had to take herbs because of the inherent frailty of his constitution due to his inherited albinism. That is a minor part of the stories in this book. Really, his more dangerous and much more harrowing dependence is on the vampiric sword Stormbringer. Let me tell you, I never thought I'd hate an inaminate object the way I hate the sword. I imagine poor Elric feels the same way, but fifty-thousand times worse. You see, Stormbringer is evil. It enjoys being used to kill, whether the victim is good or bad. When it kills, it sucks the soul out of its victim, and part of that energy goes to Elric who uses it to keep his vitality , and part remains in the sword. Stormbringer will actually direct itself to deliver killing blows to friends and allies of Elric. Elric is by no means a good person, but he does have friends and a lover that he would not wish to betray, and some of the fall to the sword, inadvertently. However, being deprived and away from the sword for a prolonged period brings on a loss of vitality that eventually would be fatal to Elric. Thus he cannot rid himself of this 'hellwrought' blade. Elric has this on his conscience, and also broods the loss of his love and his kingdom. Yes, Elric is very much a brooder. I found these stories to be very imaginative, and often brutal and dark. The elements of dark sorcery were chilling, yet enthralling. When Elric would say the words of dark spells that were passed down from his sorcerous, maleficent ancestors, my eyes were glued to the page. He encounters dark beasts from a person's imagination or nightmares gone to hell. And he has to fight for his life and that of his friends. I could imagine how vivid some of those scenes would look on a movie screen. Yet I was taken out of my own reality and to the ancient, fallen worlds that Elric travels through. Some of his journeys in this book are motivated by self- interest, and some out of the greater good. However, blood will be shed along the way, both from the virtuous and the wicked. I like the way Mr. Moorcock mingled some familiar elements of fantasy with things he could have only dreamed up in his mind. I also appreciated the way these stories are a little bit horror, tragic drama, and fantasy all combined together. The tragedy rests in the fact that Elric is a man who is doomed to follow a dark destiny, and being around him too long can be bad for a person's health. One other very much appreciated element is the multiculturalism of his stories. There are characters of various types and races, and they are not described in a way that is bigoted and demeaning, which is common with some of the older pulp fiction even Mr. Howard, whose writing I admire except for this aspect. There is some degree of philosophy and mysticism that could tend to go over one's head myself included. I recommend just reading the stories. If you catch some of it, by all means. But a deep understanding of the balance between Law and Chaos is not required to enjoy these stories. If I could mention a couple of quibbles I had, it would be that women are poorly characterized in these stories. What I mean is they don't come off as being very deep and meaningful. In some of Mr. Moorcock's writing included, he admits to this fact. The women that come in and out of the stories and Elric's life serve mainly as plot points. While this is fantasy with a male lead character, I would hope to see a little more depth in the females featured, some of which are quite pivotal in the story and in Elric's development as a character. My other quibble is that the death of some fairly important characters is treated in a somewhat anticlimactic fashion. I realize that in this world, death is an everyday, harsh reality. Yet, I expected there to be a little more pomp and circumstance in the demise of some very important, and somewhat important characters. Those are small issues with the overall writing that I had. Otherwise, I would say that for what it is, this is near perfect storytelling. There is a tendency to be melodramatic, but come on, it's heroic fantasy. Drama is important in the same way it's a crucial element in Harlequin Presents novels. Being a neophyte to the sword and sorcery genre and high fantasy overall, other than some brief forays as a young reader , I may not be the best source of advice. However, I am of the opinion that if you are about to embark on a foray into heroic fantasy, you should read this book. It wasn't boring, although it might be hard to keep up with the odd names and the storylines at times. Personally, I found this to be a book that you read in spurts. This is a collection of short stories and a novella, so it lends itself to that type of reading. In the reading of this story, will find a hero-villain within the pages of this book like no other, one who will keep your interest, inspire pity and sometimes frustration, and one who will linger in your mind long past the point at which you close the book. Rating 4. View all 12 comments. Jul 05, Laura rated it liked it Shelves: read-in BR with Charlie. Dec 04, pax rated it it was ok Shelves: own- german , fantasy , favs-and-recs , lit-uk-ireland. It is, objectively, not a good book. Moorcock is not always a good writer and these are among the first stories he has written - far away not only from the genius of "Behold the Man" read it, really, read it! This is where things start. This is where the Chaos symbol is seen for the first time, this is where Eternal Champion takes his first steps, this is where Sepiriz tells Elric " Meaning, Elric? Do not seek that, for madness lies in such a course. These are stories which started the change, stories which inspired so many people, so many stories to come after them. If you want to go back and find out where it all started, you'll have to go back to here. Don't expect them to be good stories - they are pulp. Don't expect them to be consistent. Don't expect the language to shine. But if you are like me: expect them too touch you, to stir something in you, to settle down deep in your soul, in your reader's and writer's mind. Expect them to change you. And if you have childhood memories of them - oh, expect all the bittersweet memories. And so much thankfulness for having experiences them when you did not recognize pulp for pulp. Apr 29, Michael Britt rated it did not like it. View 2 comments. Oct 29, Marvin rated it liked it Shelves: fantasy. He is an albino not exactly up there in the strength department. He is aided by his vampiric sword named Stormbringer that not only kills with gusto but eats the souls of his victims. It is Elric's torturous relationship with his parasitic and apparently sentient weapon, often to the point of self-l Elric: Stealer of Souls is a chronological collection of Elric stories starting with the first, "The Dreaming City". It is Elric's torturous relationship with his parasitic and apparently sentient weapon, often to the point of self-loathing, that fuels much of the excitement of this series. Unfortunately, the problem with this first book of a series is that the first few Elric stories are not very good. Moorcock was a young writer at the time and his writing style is immature and awkward. Also, the themes of the Elric tales are not well developed until later. The many one and two star reviews for this book are probably from those who gave up after the first few tales. I would have done the same if I was not already familiar with some of the later Elric novels. But this book also includes the four novelettes that make up Stormbringer , the first fully realized Elric tale. It is here that Moorcock brings in two essential themes: the ideas of the multiverse a word I believe Moorcock coined and the Eternal Champion. The ongoing battle between Chaos and Law, one that Elric is not always sure which side he is on, is also developed. Most importantly, Moorcock is now a mature and mesmerizing writer that can immerse into the reader into his weird alternate reality. So where are we? A generous two stars for the early tales and a solid four stars for "Stormbringer" giving the total book a strong three stars. If you are new to the Elric legend I would keep in mind that the first stories are not the ones you should base your opinion on or go straight to the four parts of "Stormbringer". Then fill in the rest of the saga afterward. View all 5 comments. Feb 15, Heinz Reinhardt rated it liked it. Michael Moorcock was someone whose work I knew alot about, but had never personally dived into. Moorcock was one of the founding pillars of British dark fantasy, a literary genre that is, now, most prominently associated with Game of Thrones, Warhammer, and possibly the Witcher series. Moorcock has been listed as an influence for dozens, if not hundreds, of genre authors, and all of the glowing reviews set a pretty high bar for this particular series of his. Unfortunately, while I didn't dis-enjoy this did I just create a word? I have read far too many other novels most notably the Malus Darkblade series from Warhammer Fantasy, which in tone and even certain plot points, is about as close of a copy as one can get to the Elric saga without actually being one which were incredibly similar for me to really, fully become immersed in this omnibus. The writing was excellent, but since most of the stories inside are upwards of fifty years old, they felt a little dated. And as dark as this series could get, the more modern works tend to outclass Moorcock in that regard. I fairly well enjoyed the nod to Eastern, specifically Persian, mythology that was contained in the series, and also really liked the world building essentially, the Elric saga takes place on Earth, but in a long forgotten past that predates earliest recorded human history. From my own perspective, Elric and his people, the Melniboneans, are essentially Dark Elves to put it in more of a fantasy trope. Their Empire, once the greatest ever in the world, has collapsed, and they are a dying people. The younger kingdoms, all of them human, are replacing them, and Elric, of the royal bloodline, and the last King of the Empire, is a fugitive, kept alive by a demonic sword which drains the life essence of its victims, which gives Elric his power and vitality this is so similar to Malus Darkblade, that I found it hard to overcome. Elric is not, exactly, a sympathetic character, but he is a badass, and his adventures are fun, in a bit of an antihero kind of way. For me, however, I just couldn't get into it deep enough to dive into the rest of the series. But I can reccomend it to those who may not have had their tastes spoiled by too much of the modern fare of the same genre. Or if you are looking to see who, and what, inspired so many of the modern authors, give this one a try. Even then, I realized that the author had worked quickly — just like some of the more memorable pulp fiction dating back to the 20s and 30s. P Lovecraft , and others, but the chronological inconsistencies were not specifically from rapid creation. As I later learned, the character was created and then, almost immediately destroyed along with his world. These reviews are intended for both the latest re-read the Del Rey series and for the older versions. They themselves were not true men, but some type of elder race that could channel and use dark powers in a way that men cannot. He bears his Ring of Kings and the black runesword Stormbringer and burns with vengeance for his cousin Yrkoon who has usurped his throne and lover. But he has an ally that counteracts this and indeed gives him energy and strength beyond normal. For when one is cut by Stormbringer, you do not merely die, your life-essence, your soul is sucked into the blade and in turn a portion is given to Elric. It is an understatement that this edition has helped to clarify the chronological issues that I recall from so long ago. The Stealer of Souls view spoiler [ This volume consists mostly of the first collection 5 stories originally published as The Stealer of Souls. In the very first novelette indeed the first ever written , Elric leads a fleet of human merchants and reavers to his homeland so that they can sack the city and destroy it. A video game based on Elric was in development by Psygnosis for the PlayStation during the late s. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Fictional character. For other uses, see Elric disambiguation. See also: Michael Moorcock bibliography. For the French death metal band, see Yyrkoon band. Moorcock's Miscellany. Archived from the original on 16 April Retrieved 18 November Kullerwoinen Son of Evil". Kullerwoinen's Victory and Death". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 May Fantasy Magazine. Adam Warlock" , Who Would Win? Elric BD Facebook. Retrieved 15 February Retrieved 13 July Retrieved 6 October Electronic Gaming Monthly. Ziff Davis. December I don't mind, since the Elric reference is clearly straight homage, and I'd do the same myself in the circumstances. As he knew. He'd been a little charey of what I'd think of it and I thought it was tremendous. I even bought the Elrod T-shirt. I never forgave him for that hat. What is stranger still is that the world Elric was born into did not necessarily need him. Moorcock was 21 years old when he introduced the character in the June issue of a British periodical called Science Fantasy. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov and A. Lewis and J.

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