Currently Reading: Intellectual

[Zargabaath]

I am currently reading Elric: The Stealer of Souls (Chronicles of the Last Emperor of Melnibone: Volume 1) by Michael Moorcock. I know these stories have been reprinted quite a few times so to help further distinguish what version I have; this is the version published by Del Rey Books in 2008 and illustrated by John Picacio.

What made me get this book was one of my favourite power/symphonic metal bands, Domine, have a lot of songs dedicated to the tales of Elric; their first four cds had Elric on the cover. One day at Barnes & Noble I happened to see the cover for the book I'm currently reading and the huge Elric printed upon the cover got me interested if this was the same Elric that Domine sang of. After reading the back of the book and recalling what I knew of Elric (the author for example) I realized that this is the same Elric so I picked up the volume 1 of this new re-printing.

These tales are of the sword and sorcery genre taking place after the fall of the Melinbone Empire which took place ten thousand years before history was recorded or ten thousand years after history had ceased to be chronicled. The short-stories cover the life of Elric, last ruler of Melnibone, and his adventures that often aren't the happiest. Moorcock set Elric to be a totally different hero by having go against the norm of heroes at that time.

"The Dreaming City" sets the reputation of Elric as a woman-slayer and betrayer to his own kind whom didn't have as much as in the days of old with their waning empire. Elric is shown to be phsyically weak without Stormbringer his cursed sword, though who is the master out of two is unclear because the sword needs souls and by Elric slaying men it gets to feast. Sorcery also takes a toll on Elric's physical stamina, which reminded me of how Raistlin was in the Chronicles trilogy Elric may have been inspiration.

"While the Gods Laugh" is an interesting tale that delves into a bit of philosophy, Elric wanting to figure out his purpose and if there is a higher god than just those of Law and Chaos. Along the way he comes across Moonglum, who will become his companion through more tales. He sets out on a quest to find a book that was supposedly hurled into the sun by the gods of Law because the book was too dangerous, however the gods of Chaos intercepted the book in its flightpath, hiding it away. I was surprised that Elric actually made it to the final area as I was sure that there would be some catch and there was which made me feel a tad sad for him because of the unfortunate fate he has had in the first two short-stories.

In the "Stealer of Souls" another person who was close to Elric perishes as they, Elric, Moonglum, and the last of the Melnibone, attack a city that a wizard inhabits that Elric and the other Melnibone have sworn vengeance against. Elric does get his vengeance so all is not bad though Elric isn't as torn over the person who died this time than in "The Dreaming City".

Fate turns good for Elric in "Kings of Darkness" as he gains a wife, who he is very in love with and she survives the story! Elric also finds a plant/drug in the forest of Troos that gives him vitality allowing him to break away from Stormbringer. This drug allows him to settle down in his wife's city and lead a more normal and love-filled life. That is until in "The Caravan of Forgotten Dreams (originally titled The Flame Bringers) where an invading army is bearing down upon Elric's city. Elric and Moonglum, whose own home was mostly destroyed by this army, infiltrate the army by joining up with them; their goal is to somehow release a poweful wizard that Terarn Gashtek, leader of the army, has captured. This wizard, Drinij Bara would exact his revenge upon Gashtek's army if he was set free and Elric needs that magic strength because Karlaak's, the city where Elric lives, is not that strong militarily and the coucilmen do not take Elric's plea to evacuate. As to what happens I know not, because I haven't finished the short story.

More to come later...

Updates (5/18/2010): Soul-draining happened, as is the norm to Elric's enemies and friends/allies as well. The last four short stories in this volume were part of the bigger collection: Swordbringer. In these stories Elric finally learns what his destiny is and that it is monumental. I was saddened to hear the fate of Elric's world - to be destroyed and remade into the Earth today. In the "A Dead God's Homecoming", the Dead God told Elric that everything would be forgotten and that man would inherit the Earth but not the men of the Young Kingdoms, for their time was up as well. Man, the Dead God said, would possibly even degress, Moorcock hinting at the theory of evolution, and the re-evolve living in a world where Chaos is at a minimum and Law mostly in power. Moorcock created a world that I love but am sad over at the same time. I love the rich history the world had and the workings of the world, I love history and a rich lore usually captures my reader's heart. I am sad that the world would be destroyed and all memory of Elric and the old Gods would go with the "old Earth" and that the history of the old world would not be fully explored; I would've loved to read the whole history of Elric's world as such things interest me no matter how boring or bland it may be. The ending was definitely not a happy one, more of a cruel ending to the story of Elric as it had been with Elric's life.