Coolest weapon from literature?

[Tsyr]

Elric is pulp but LotR is literature?

Sigh.................

Yeah, I had more or less that same reaction when I read that particular line.

I hate literary elitism.

 

[ForceUser]

Yeah, I had more or less that same reaction when I read that particular line.

I hate literary elitism.

Whoa, easy there. I love Elric, I just don't think Moorcock's books are in the same league as Tolkien's ficitonal mythology.

 

[lord irial]

Vlad Taltos' Spellbreaker. More defensive than offensive, but always a surprise to a really buff sorcerer.

 

[NiTessine]

The coolest weapon... Whatever it is that Gotrek Gurnisson calls that notched, rusty cleaver of his!

 

[BluWolf]

Does anyone remember Coinspinner?? Fun sword from Mr. Saberhagen's books. Not the best reads but fun.

 

[threshel]

Irving!

from ..gah.. that series of books, about Joe the Barbarian and his Magic Sword, Irving.

grrg.. tip of my tongue...

Irving! Love that sword. Gets my vote.

It's from The Dancing Gods Trilogy, a really fun series of books by Jack Chalker.

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who read them.



J

 

[HellHound]

Voted Stormbringer. Love those books.

LOVE
THOSE
BOOKS

But I second the call that the SDF-1 Reflex Cannon trumps all. Zor was a genius, and the Reflex Cannon was proof positive, even beyond his cultivation of Protoculture.

 

[Tsyr]

Whoa, easy there. I love Elric, I just don't think Moorcock's books are in the same league as Tolkien's ficitonal mythology.

What "league" are we talking about? In my view, Moorcock's book is equal in value and weight to Tolkien... they are both fantasy literature, both fairly "adult" fantasy literature at that (Not as in the BovD way, but as in they are a bit above most FR novels). I don't see Tolkien's work as being "better literature" or "above" Moorcock, or for that matter George R.R. Martin or Robert Jordan.

Understand that this, for me, is a raw nerve. I'm in college and most of my classes focus on english, either composition or literature... And I get so infernaly sick of literary elitism in that environment. All the time I'm being told to "not waste my time" with that "fantasy trash", that it isn't "true literature", that I will "never really get a true feel for the english language from that tripe" and other such nonsense.

In the college environment, at least around here, if you're not reading Shakespeare (whom I love), the saga of Gilgamesh, Dante, or any of the other "classics", or if it's not some neo-post-modern-existential-realist craptastic book, as far as the "elite" care, you might as well be reading "See Spot Run" books.

And I do _NOT_ want to see that here, or amongst gamers in general. To say that a book isn't in the same "league" as another book is a bold statement; don't make it unless you're prepared to get people mad at you.

And I am just a touch tired of the diefication of Tolkien and the elevation of his works to the status of Holy Writ. Tolkien is good, yes. But Tolkien is not a god. If I had a dime for every book review I've read or heard that started out with something like "Well, it was OK, but it was sure no Tolkien." or something like that... well, I would have a heck of a lot of dimes. Tolkien put a lot of effort into his works, no question. But when it comes down to it, I don't really care if we can trace the lineage of the family of whoever, or if the elven language has no verbs (It does, just saying)... I'm interested in the story he wrote. And, frankly, Tolkien is not the best STORY I've ever read in fantasy. Good? Yeah. First? Pretty much, yeah, at least of what we consider "modern fantasy". Are many aspects of later literature based off Tolkien? Yeah, no question. But is Tolkien, as a storyteller, untouchable? No, not as far as I'm concerned.

/rant off

 

[Neowolf]

I have Gollancz Press's 'Fantasy Masterworks' compilation of Elric stories. I'm reading it at the moment. It lists what appears to be a comprehensive and chronological bibliography of Michael Moorcock's work including his novels, collections, graphic novels, non-fiction and titles edited by him. The bibliography may have been provided by Michael Moorcock himself.

ISBN: 1 85798 743 8

Thanks for the tip, I'll check it out. Just out of curiosity, how long is the list exactly? And also, I always assumed the graphic novels were adaptations of the novels. Is that not true?

 

[KChagga]

I totally forgot about the Vlad Taltos novels. My second choice would definitely be Spellbreaker especially after the book Issola. If you're a fan of Vlad Taltos and don't know what I mean read that book. I rank it up there as one of the best in the series and its told from Vlad's point of view.