Elric Saga Confusion

[Saidoro]

So, after hearing good reviews on this series from what seems to be everyone who's ever read it I decided to read it myself, starting at the beginning of course. And there's where I ran into a problem: apparently there have been two different sets of compilations with two different first books each containing different stories. Add to this the fact that apparently both of these 'first' books contain a number of stories from near the end of the series' timeline and the fact that a third set of compilations is coming out soon which looks like it'll be using a different ordering than either of the previous ones and you wind up with me being thoroughly confused about where to start on this series. Any advice from someone more knowledgeable about the series would be welcome

[Closet_Skeleton]

The first published Elric book was about the end of the world and (not really a spoiler) involves all life dying. Every other story was a prequel. This is probably the route of the problem.

I just read the first two books in publishing order (not from collections because my dad has them individually) and then never got round to read any more.

Reading the books in chronological order will probably just mean that you never get round to the first book and if you do, you'll might be disappointed due to that book never having been conceived as the end of a long series.

[comicshorse]

The Elric novels chronology is:

Elric of Melniboné
The Sailor on the Seas of Fate
The Weird of the White Wolf
The Sleeping Sorceress
The Bane of the Black Sword
Stormbringer


However Stormbringer was made from some Elric novella's and was published first despite being the last book in the series chronologically speaking.
So the first Amazon link has them right.

The new 'Stealer of Souls' seems to be a collection of Elric novella's ( some from different novels as Moorcock often wrote his books as several linked novella's). This seems a pretty blatant attempt to cash in on the fact there's an Elric film in development and a fairly bad idea as the novella's will be confusing having been lifted from completely different novels
It says it contains 'The Dreaming City' and 'While Gods Laugh' which come from 'The Weird of the White Wolf' ; 'Kings in Darkness' which is from 'The Bane of the Black Sword and 'Dead God’s Homecoming', 'Black Sword’s Brothers',and 'Sad Giant’s Shield' which are from Stormbringer



The Gollancz thing I'm guessing at but I think they're publishing the later Elric novels under new titles.
So The Dreamthief's Daughter becomes Daughter of Dreams
The Skrayling Tree becomes Destiny’s Brother
The White Wolf's Son becomes the Son of the Wolf.

[Dr.Epic]

Did anyone else think FMA when they read the thread title, or am I just different and/or special? To be fair, I've never heard of this series before this thread.

[Weezer]

Did anyone else think FMA when they read the thread title, or am I just different and/or special? To be fair, I've never heard of this series before this thread.

Wait, how is that possible? Moorcock is probably the second or third most lauded fantasy author of all time. He basically started the whole anti-hero thing, and was one of the first fantasy authors to write conscious subversions of Tolkein style high fantasy.


But more on topic, I'd say reading by chronologically is fine, that's how I did it and I enjoyed it.

[Closet_Skeleton]

He basically started the whole anti-hero thing, and was one of the first fantasy authors to write conscious subversions of Tolkein Robert E. Howard style high fantasy.

fixed.

I'm not sure Michael Moorecock was ever able to stomach reading enough Tolkein to be able to subvert him.

[Zrak]

If I recall correctly, Moorcock's stated a few times that his extremely negative comments on Tolkein were more to be a povocateur than out of any real overwhelming hatred. He's certainly not Tolkein's biggest fan, but he's (more than) charitable to Tolkein in some later works.

With regards to the original question, I never felt it was too important to read Moorcock's eternal champion stuff in particularly chronological, linear order. I kind of liked jumping from snippet to snippet of Elric's life.

[Closet_Skeleton]

With regards to the original question, I never felt it was too important to read Moorcock's eternal champion stuff in particularly chronological, linear order. I kind of liked jumping from snippet to snippet of Elric's life.

If you're reading Elric as part of The Eternal Champion that's one thing and in that case chronology makes no sense when you have one person reincarnated forwards and backwards so that his soul can be in two places at once and talk to another version of himself.

But if you just want to read Elric then its better to avoid the confusing multiverse of related stories at first.