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Elric of Melniboné

Elric of Melniboné

Weird of the White Wolf
Epic FantasyFantasy
Pages
146
Published
1976
Language
English

Synopsis

Meet Elric, the last emperor of a dying race and wielder of a cursed, sentient sword named Stormbringer. His reign is fraught with peril, both from external enemies and his own internal struggles. This is the beginning of his epic journey through a world of magic and conflict.

Prose complexity
7/10

Vibe

DarkMelancholicAdventurousComplex
Morally GreyAnti-HeroQuest

Genres

Epic Fantasy Fantasy High Fantasy

About the author

M
Michael Moorcock

Michael John Moorcock is an English writer, primarily of science fiction and fantasy, who has also published literary novels. He is best known for his novels about the character Elric of Melniboné, a seminal influence on the field of fantasy in the 1960s and 1970s. As editor of the controversial British science fiction magazine New Worlds, from May 1964 until March 1971 and then again from 1976 to 1996, Moorcock fostered the development of the science fiction "New Wave" in the UK and indirect...

Characters

Elric of MelnibonéProtagonist
All characters in Elric of Melniboné

Frequently asked questions

  • Is this the best book to start with in the series?

    While the stories were written out of sequence over several decades, this novel is widely considered the most accessible entry point for new readers. Starting here provides a foundational understanding of the protagonist and his world before exploring the more fragmented earlier short stories.

  • How does this book relate to the broader Eternal Champion cycle?

    Elric is established as a specific incarnation of the Eternal Champion, a recurring figure who appears across various realities in the author's multiverse. This connection becomes more prominent in later books, where the scope of the narrative expands beyond the immediate conflicts of the Melnibonéan empire.

  • Why is there so much confusion regarding the reading order of these books?

    The series was published non-linearly, with many short stories and novels appearing in different collections and editions over many years. Because the author frequently revisited the character and inserted new material into the timeline, there is no single definitive reading order that satisfies every reader.