ELRIC: TO RESCUE TANELORN, the latest collection of 14 short stories and novellas is the second volume of Del Rey’s “Chronicles of the Last Emperor of Melniborné,” following ELRIC: THE STEALER OF SOULS, earlier this year. These collections are welcome news to those who have been attempting to track down Moorcock’s elusive shorter works, as well as lovers of fine fantasy fiction.
The really good news is, even if you somehow missed that first volume, this second collection is a fine place to begin, or even introduce yourself to the work of this towering author.
Moorcock’s influence and popularity in the fantasy genre has been so pervasive for the past 50 years that it’s difficult to remember a time when his many novels and collections weren’t a mainstay in the science fiction/fantasy sections. It’s not hyperbole to call him the most influential fantasist since J.R.R. Tolkien. But if there are those who know him by reputation alone, or from just a few of his reissued works, a few words of explanation and encouragement are in order.
For example, newcomers to the Moorcock “multiverse” (a term he credits himself with first using) might be confused to find that while Elric has top billing in the title and cover illustration, he doesn’t appear until the third selection and is not the sole star of the collection. Or is he? This has to do with Moorcock’s encompassing theory of The Eternal Champion, an archetypical hero who exists in various times, dimensions and worlds.
Although his name and appearance may shift, as well as the
world he inhabits, he remains the one called upon to restore Balance between the struggle of Law and Chaos, the dominant forces in all of Moorcock’s worlds. Thus, we have such far-flung incarnations as Erekose, Rackhir the Red Archer, Count Renark von Bek and even Alexander the Great.
Nonetheless, the majority of stories are devoted to the striking albino figure of Elric, the lone surviving emperor of a dying race, and his runesword, Stormbringer, a weapon that steals the souls from its victims as it takes their lives. These stories, some dated as early as 1962, take the enigmatic warrior to numerous worlds and pit him against as many challenges. There is even a rare instance played for laughs, in 1987′s “Elric at the End of Time.” Each of the selections features Moorcock’s limitless imagination and rich, bravado prose style, which has become perhaps the most imitated in all of fantasy fiction.
Other notable treasures include the foreword by Walter Mosley, best known for his Easy Rawlins mystery series, who discovered Moorcock during a high school tour of London in the late ’60s, and declares him “the beginning of my literary education.” Who knew? Then there is Moorcock’s introduction, where he traces the origin and original publication of each of the stories, and briefly discusses the theories used throughout his prolific works.
Other highlights include the original novella version of 1962′s “The Eternal Champion.” This is its first appearance in a Moorcock collection, along with “The Roaming Forest” (2006) and “The Jade Man’s Eyes” (1973). There is also a “Phase I,” a 1965 fragment of what would become the first novel in the series featuring Jerry Cornelius, that ultimate swinger of mod London of the ’60s, and one of the most distinctive embodiments of Moorcock’s Champion.
Michael Wm. Kaluta’s illustrations — ranging from full-page to smaller corner pieces and chapter headings — are intricate, complex and stunning. They are the perfect accompaniment to these swaggering tales. But as an extra bonus, the book features original and often rare illustrations from some of the stories’ first publication, featuring the works of Virgil Finlay, James Cawthorn and others.
Priced at $15, this handsome anthology is a must-own for all
fantasy readers. Enjoy it while you look around for volume 1 and prepare yourself for volume 3, ELRIC: THE SLEEPING SORCERESS, due in November. —Alan Cranis
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I just bought Volume One and I can’t wait to jump in. Great review!