Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melinbone

by Robert Greenberger

Conan was my first. I have no idea how I tumbled on to reading the exploits of Robert E. Howard’s barbarian, but I had been reading the Lancer paperbacks and was primed for Marvel’s adaptation. As most know, the Roy Thomas/Barry Smith interpretation sparked a sword and sorcery explosion throughout the 1970s but interestingly, the very next sword-wielder was the most unlikely choice.

He was an albino gent named Elric and Roy used him for the first, but most certainly not the last, time. After that two-parter, Roy and Michael Moorcock’s character parted ways for a time. Elric and Roy were reunited in 1983 at Pacific Comics, beginning a new decade-long love affair. Those early adventures for Pacific and First Comics are being collected in Dark Horse’s Michael Moorcock’s Elric of Melnibone Volume 1. The book contains the Pacific miniseries and First’s 1986 effort, Sailor on the Seas of Fate. It also comes with an adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s short story, One Life, which ran in an issue of Elric: Stormbringer from Topps Comics.

Moorcock’s hero is a reluctant one and rather melancholy, especially in comparison with the far lustier adventurer from Cimmeria. He was slight in build and really came to life under the pen work of P. Craig Russell and Michael T. Gilbert. “The Dreaming City” introduced readers to Elric in the pages of the June 1961 issue of Science Fantasy. Since then, he has appeared in over a dozen novels and many more short stories plus his comic book adventures, all of which seamlessly fit into a carefully maintained chronology.

The British novelist created the concept of the Eternal Champion and used it to tie together his recurring characters, something examined in DC Comics’ Michael Moorcock’s Multiverse which featured Moorcock tales illustrated with verve by Walt Simonson, Mark Reeve, and John Ridgway. Elric is one such champion, selected to be a combatant in the endless struggle between Law and Chaos for control of the Cosmic Balance. He does not know he fights on such a grand scale and has interacted with other such avatars, such as Hawkmoon. Being a champion is a heavy burden, explaining Elric’s countenance.

He hails from Melniboné and as we first meet him, we find that he has been exiled from the dying Dreaming City of Imrryr, an island. Last of a long line of rulers, he was forced from the Ruby Throne. Accompanied by his sentient ebony sword, Stormbringer, he resorts to an herbal mixture to maintain his fragile health. Stormbringer sustains his health, as well, but in turn it needs to be constantly fed souls so when hungry, it slays people not necessarily in opposition to the king.

Elric’s world is an ancient one and is filled with legacies and powerful magicks, which he attempts to wield on his journeys. The initial miniseries adapts the first novel, Elric of Melniboné, which was first published in 1972. As was Roy’s wont, he wanted to chronicle Elric in order so when First approached him to return to the character, he wanted to adapt the second novel, which came out in 1977. This one was actually composed of three novellas he substantially cleaned up and revised since initial publication in an effort to streamline his evolving continuity. In all cases, Elric is wandering his world and has exciting adventures which lent themselves nicely to being visualized by a fantasist as talent as Russell, one of the more underrated veterans still working in the field today.

The concepts and themes are heavier than your usual sword and sorcery fare, but that’s a good thing and well worth your time and attention.

Editorial Update

According to Elric creator Micheal Moorcock, this volume will not be published by Dark Horse. On his web site, he writes in various place in a thread about the book, “Sadly, DH didn’t have a valid contract for the Elric books and are having to recall all copies. I feel bad for them, but I had made an agreement with the current publisher and there’s very little I can do.”

“Dark Horse have behaved honourably in all this. They proceeded without the permission needed from me, believing, I’m sure that they had it. They asked for an extension of the contract but I had already negotiated a new contract with BOOM.”

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