Elric of Melnibone

[Krachek]

I was reading this to my kid a couple years ago. As you do when you are a great dad doing it right. I was 16 when I first read Michael Moorecock's Elric books, and then Count Brass and all the other Eternal Champion variations. What I noticed while reading is how massively influential Moorecock's writing has been on geek culture. It's not only the visual imagery from House of Dragons (is a blatant homage of Elric), or the Witcher, also known as 'the white wolf' (is a blatant homage of Elric), I was surprised to rediscover Elric fighting pig-headed pigglin people while he was in the Nether (Minecraft is a blatant homage to Elric). Does anyone know about any other homages to Elric?

I am concerned that one day there will be a tv series of Elric despite Moorecock having always refused to allow it to be filmed, on the principle that books and television are different media, and Elric is definitively to be best enjoyed by reading it. If as and when such a tv series does eventually get produced people are going to describe it as a rip-off of House of Dragon, Witcher and Minecraft without recognising it as the source. We could argue that Moorecock 'had it coming' because the ideas and the visualisation of those ideas is simply too powerful a part of our collective consciousness that they found some other way to present themselves. But regardless, if you have not read the Elric books, you need to, ASAP.

Also if anyone is interested in a Stormbringer camping (Ken St Andre, Chaosium) ...

The depiction on Melnibone and Elric in the first book can be matched with the Drow and Drizzt.

 

[Voadam]

My first thought on House of Dragons was Smith makes a cool Elric.

 

[Voadam]

The depiction on Melnibone and Elric in the first book can be matched with the Drow and Drizzt.

I played in an AD&D game where the Melniboneans were Drowesti elves. My merchant prince high level character was introduced to the delicacy of fried flumph and not knowing about flumphs I enjoyed it. I was in an audience with Elric doing diplomacy talks when Stormbringer acted up leapt into Elric's hand and killed his wife and almost everybody in the room. I made my save versus death, Elric regained control and descended into depression. Not much progress was made in the diplomacy talks.

I also was almost taken into the fleets of Chaos when attacked and dragged off by an undead giant shark of the Whisperer of Impossible Secrets when adventuring underwater.

It was quite the adaptation of the 1e Deities and Demigods Melnibonean mythos.

 

[Zaukrie]

I'd love a TV series! It's so sparse, it's almost perfect for tv.

 

[Mannahnin]

The depiction on Melnibone and Elric in the first book can be matched with the Drow and Drizzt.

Melnibone may have been inspirational to drow society, but Drizzt and Elric have very little in common as characters.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Melnibone may have been inspirational to drow society, but Drizzt and Elric have very little in common as characters.

True. Elric is far more interesting IMO.

 

[Mannahnin]

True. Elric is far more interesting IMO.

I'm torn on that. Both characters were invented by guys looking to write fun swords & sorcery, who really weren't trying to write literature or complex and characters.

Mike's character starts out literally by just reversing a bunch of Conan's tropes. And I think all the best Elric stories are the early ones, where Elric's characterization and personality are pretty simple and two-dimensional. He's mostly moody and mournful and stubborn and proud and determined to see through his fate, get his revenge (etc.) despite the costs to himself and (particularly) others. The later books where Moorcock tries to give him more depth and dimension are dull.

Bob's character is a try at a new spin on a fish out of water sidekick, good guy from a bad society, who was unexpectedly popular and became his main protagonist. As a hero he's a moral exemplar tortured by prejudice and self-doubt.

I think Elric's the more historic and important character, but I'd give the nod to Drizzt for a more interesting personality. Though both of them got more and more tiresome to me in later works and I have zero interest in reading all of those. I'd also give the ribbon to Moorcock for more interesting stories, creativity, and overall content.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Mike's character starts out literally by just reversing a bunch of Conan's tropes

I would say it’s deeper than that. Moorcock is actively deconstructing Conan.

As for Salvatore, Drizzt was originally intended as a supporting character and mentor, rather than a protagonist hero.

 

[Zardnaar]

Moorcocks not exactly big on character development. Fun read espicially considering when they came out.

 

[Voadam]

I read a couple of the Elric books in college and really liked them.

I was really excited when I saw my library had the Elric comic graphic novels, they were really good. We may not have movies or TV but we have the books, the comics, and a bunch of RPG materials (Chaosium, Mongoose, TSR).