What is the first Elric book?

[Mercule]

Okay, I've been wanting to read Moorcock's Elric stuff for quite some time (years). I can't seem to find anyone who knows what the first book in the series is, though. My local library carries a couple of books that look more like sequels than anything else. I also know that White Wolf Publishing did some rereleases in some anthologies are some such, but that didn't look complete, either.

I figured someone around here would be able to point me in the right direction, though. Where do I start reading Elric? Also, what is the relationship of Elric and the Eternal Champion? Should I read one before the other? Is Elric just one facet of the Eternal Champion? Please feel free to provide details I'm too ignorant to ask for, two.

 

[EricNoah]

Elric of Melnibone is the first book, if I'm not mistaken. I think possibly some of the novels have been gathered up into larger collections, though. The 2nd book is A Sailor on the Seas of Fate, and the third is Weird of the White Wolf. I didn't get any further than that, and even so it's been a long time since I read them.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0441203981/ref=sib_dp_pt/104-9568876-1583105#reader-link

 

[Tewligan]

I figured someone around here would be able to point me in the right direction, though. Where do I start reading Elric? Also, what is the relationship of Elric and the Eternal Champion? Should I read one before the other? Is Elric just one facet of the Eternal Champion? Please feel free to provide details I'm too ignorant to ask for, two.

Mr. Noah is correct - Elric of Melnibone is the first in the series. It should definitely be the first one you read, as well. It sets up Elric's character, and sorta explains why he's having all his wacky misadventures in the books to come. Elric is an aspect of the Eternal Champion - many of the other aspects have their own series of novels, such as Hawkmoon and Corum, which you should also read (especially Hawkmoon). Read them, you'll be glad you did.

 

[Jamdin]

I agree with Tewligan about reading the other series in the Eternal Champion universe. Moorcock changed my whole experience with the fantasy genre. I used to think all fantasy characters had to be like Conan. Elric is one of a kind.

 

[mmu1]

Here's a complete and perfect synopsis of the first Elric book:

Melniboneans are evil. Really evil. Elric is a Melnibonean. Strangely enough, he's actually evil too, (probably because the guy who wrote it didn't want to be accused of ripping off Drizzt, or something) but he broods a lot with cold wind blowing his freaky albino-white hair across his face in a way that makes anime characters gnash their teeth with envy, and he probably has the hots for his sister. Or for a sister-figure. Or something, I forget. Then he kills a lot of stuff even though he's a sickly albino freak, in a big blatant Raistlin rip-off.

There, you don't have to read it anymore.

 

[shady]

Elric of Melnibone is indeed the first book of the Elric sequence. But in the Moorcock-approved "tale of the eternal champion" sequence, the Elric stories are collected in volume 8. The first volume is Von Bek, and opens with "The Warhound and the World's Pain".

Volume 8 collects the Elric stories in the following order:

Elric of Melnibone
The Fortress of the Pearl
The Sailor on the Seas of Fate
The Dreaming City
While the Gods Laugh
The Singing Citadel

 

[Templetroll]

My wife read the Elric saga and Lovecraft on my recommendation. She believes that you read Elric to get depressed and Cthulhu once you are depressed. She liked both, generally.

Prince Corum was my favorite incarnation of the EC. In his storyline you see the inspiration for two D&D artifacts.

 

[Joshua Randall]

If you do read the Elric books, for the love of God, stop after "Stormbringer". (Trust me, you'll know it's over.) The Elric books that Moorcock has published since then are so bad they are literally incoherent. And unreadable. It's sad, really.

 

[WayneLigon]

An interesting thing to do after you've read the Elric books: try to find the first edition of the first book published, The Stealer of Souls in 1963. I've been told it's substantially different in tone than latter stories and books, conceived of before Elric was tied in to the whole Eternal Champion thing. Anyone who can find a list of those differences, I'd like to know what they are.

 

[Teflon Billy]

... Elric is an aspect of the Eternal Champion - many of the other aspects have their own series of novels, such as Hawkmoon and Corum, which you should also read (especially Hawkmoon). Read them, you'll be glad you did.

I liked Hawkmoon myself, and have yet to meet anyone who likes Erekose the best

Somone once pointed out that Elric is basically the "Anti-Conan"

1) Conan was a Powerful Barbarian Warrior, Elric was a Sickly, civilized sorceror

2) Conan fought his way to the throne of the mightiest nation in the world, Elric abandoned the throne of the mightiest nation in thw rodl

3) Conan hated sorcerors, Elric was the most powerful sorceror of his age.

4) Conan was loyal to his fiends, Elric wound up killing most everyone who ever trusted him.

5) Conan's god ignored him completely, Elric met with his god several times a week for chats.


I'm sure there are more.