Elric, Emperor of once-great Melniboné, is a contemplative, scholarly albino, sustained by a rigorous cocktail of drugs. There are many among his court who feel that such a weak Emperor has no right to rule, and their time has come. One of Elric's greatest rivals is about to step forward to challenge him, and their conflict will forever change their world.

I wasn't all that crazy about this one. I read for character, above all else, and I'm also pretty big on setting and style. I'm not sure that characterization is Moorcock's strong suit, his setting is decent but rather sketchy, and his style didn't really sway me one way or the other.

But I kept on reading because I wanted to understand why Moorcock is such a big deal. I don't know enough about the state of pre-Elric fantasy to say for sure, but I wonder if perhaps it's the focus on morality that sets this series apart from its predecessors. Moorcock still utilizes many standard tropes--including damsels in distress, evil usurpers and daring rescues--but the moral element sets the story apart.

Melniboné is not such a nice place. The Melniboneans do whatever makes them happy, even if it screws everyone else over. Elric, however, is different. He's spent a lot of time thinking about the way he relates to the world, and he's decided that the Melnibonean way just isn't for him.

And yet, this isn't an earthshaking revelation. Elric doesn't necessarily want to turn his back on Melniboné and everyone in it. He doesn't even think that his friends ought to take more of an interest in morality and ethics. He's still one of them insofar as his moral dilemmas are his own. His preoccupations please him, and he wants to change himself, but he's none too concerned about the world. It's not about improving things. It's about his inner life. I thought that was a fairly stance for a recently-moralized character to take.

(A much longer, more involved version of this review originally appeared on my blog, Stella Matutina. There's also some good discussion in the comments). ( )

The Sword and Sorcery genre has been a bit neglected by me (other than Howard's Conan). Thus, this was my first encounter with either Moorcock or Elric. I must say that I will be coming back! I was delighted at how well written Elric of Melnibone was!

This novel made me want to get my hands on the Finnish "Kalevala", which influenced the Elric novels, as it has many other novels. Moorcock has also got me interested in the "Monsieur Zenith" pulp fictions, which he says he drew heavily upon for the creation of Elric. I also will be keeping my eye out for Poul Anderson's "The Broken Sword".

There are quite a few dark themes running here, henceforth Elric as an anti-hero. It will be interesting to see how well he fares, as his own conscience has warned him of the Left-Hand path that he is on. I might point out that Arioch is a name with quite a bit of historicity to it in reality.

I will say lastly that the imagery and the tale are quite rich and memorable here. I particularly was fond of the Melnibone ships. This is one of those novels that gives you that warm tingle in the gut. Good stuff! ( )

Yes, I seem to be in something of a science fiction/fantasy pattern in recent reading. Nostalgic, entertaining...Moorcock brings back the excitement of the sf/fantasy of the 60's and 70's, when it took on literary techniques and dark themes from the culture. This reminds me of how much I enjoyed the first few books in Roger Zelazny's Amber series. And there's a lot more Elric to read. ( )

Yes, I seem to be in something of a science fiction/fantasy pattern in recent reading. Nostalgic, entertaining...Moorcock brings back the excitement of the sf/fantasy of the 60's and 70's, when it took on literary techniques and dark themes from the culture. This reminds me of how much I enjoyed the first few books in Roger Zelazny's Amber series. And there's a lot more Elric to read. ( )

Yes, I seem to be in something of a science fiction/fantasy pattern in recent reading. Nostalgic, entertaining...Moorcock brings back the excitement of the sf/fantasy of the 60's and 70's, when it took on literary techniques and dark themes from the culture. This reminds me of how much I enjoyed the first few books in Roger Zelazny's Amber series. And there's a lot more Elric to read. ( )