Elric of Melniboné - Michael Moorcock

 

Moorcock is the punk rocker of fantasy. He's done for fantasy what Alan Moore did for comics, although he's never found that level of respect as far as being a household name goes.

Having read fantasy/sf (both old and new) over years, Moorcock was a name that fell under my radar here and there. Loyal yet discerning fans praise his work, and any author worth their salt will admire him at any given opportunity. The problem is that the limelight never shone brightly upon him, despite a prolific output over decades he's never had the commercial backing of the big names in the genre. His face didn't fit. 

Moorcock found success in the form of very cheap paperbacks, sold both on home soil and overseas (especially in areas like eastern Europe). Yet it was still very much (and still is) a more 'underground' following. 

He attacked fantasy clichés, including fantasy as an institution and its respective tropes. He worked with Blue Oyster Cult and Hawkwind. He distanced himself from the likes of Tolkien with a direct criticism in essay form.... and paid dearly for it. His works have never been published into the fat chunks readers over the decades wanted to hold. For example, my copy of this novel is one of those old old cheap paperbacks from the early 80's (very cool art on the cover). The publication history for his work is completely fragmented, sometimes requiring the reader to delve into the second hand market to read something out of print, and maybe even consult a reading order. It's not as strict as most series. These works were done on a budget and a time constraint, somewhat like the works of Howard and Lovecraft from the pulp magazine era.  

This novel is under 200pgs, yet you certainly won't feel short-changed. Whilst it is from the early 70's (or at least published into book form in '72), it's unlike anything from that era of fantasy (and tropes we still endure today). We're introduced to Elric, a brilliant anti-hero reminscent of modern-day offerings like Geralt of Rivia. There's emotional and moral conflict, the nature of fate and free will, and characterisation that for me is far more interesting than a good vs. evil romp.

The writing and prose isn't bad, either (although Moorcock was capable of far more grandiose novels). In fact, it's probably a higher bar than the popular fantasy of today.