Elric: Where to start?

[elvet]

I finished the Del Ray 2008 ed. of Elric Stealer of Souls vol. 1.
I'm a bit confused since ......
Elric dies in the end. There are apparently 4 more volumes in this series. Are they prequels?
Other than that, I did enjoy the books. I'm definitely a fan of this type of antihero - guilt ridden and grim. He quite reminds me of Anomander Rake.

[Connavar]

I did read earlier today The Dreaming City in Elric omnibus by Gollancz.

It was much better as an introduction to Elric than the prequal 72 Elric novel. Elric was much more interesting himself, in the novel he was melodramatic,not so intresting but in the short story he was hardcore,strong,weak in other words more complex. From the first page to the rather interesting ending of the story.

I liked how his story starts in the middle of his quest for vengance. Didnt need a prequal for what happened before the story really.

Only thing that wasnt top quality S&S is the dialouges that did feel fake antique fantasy speak when its not Elric speaking.

Look forward to reading the other short stories and other original Elric stories.

[BetaWolf]

I recently picked up Elric: The Stealer of Souls (Chronicles of the Last Emperor of Melnibone: Volume I), from Ballantine (2008). It seems to be a reprint of the earlier omnibus edition called The Stealer of Souls. So far, so good.

[TheTomG]

I love the Elric stories, though finding a good reading order is pretty hard - fortunately I've read them all at least once (most I have read many times) so I can read them in any order now, and any reference to past events will make sense. Though I think there are still some "Remember the time when..." conversations that reference events that were never in any story, but I can't be sure

I like the fast-pace in Elric stories. There's nothing long and drawn out, they race along, dramatic moments crop up regularly, and that's not a lot of time spent on drawn out descriptions of this place or that politics. I like dense, detailed writing too (I like the Gormenghast series, about the polar opposite of Elric in writing style!), but I think this quicker, cleaner writing has a place that to me seems a bit forgotten about in this day and age of Kvothe's and thrones.

[Dream Walker]

Micheal Moorcock is such an eloquent writer that you really could start in at any point and still make out okay. I heartily recommend jumping in with both feet and none of this toe in the water testing for temperature business.

[BetaWolf]

While the Gods Laugh is just an old-fashioned quest. I really appreciated it, without too much weight to it. Maybe my favorite so far.

[j. d. worthington]

Originally Posted by BetaWolf

While the Gods Laugh is just an old-fashioned quest.

On the surface, yes. But even here, in the second Elric story ever published, Moorcock was already standing some of the old tropes on their heads, particularly in the outcome of the quest itself, as well as Elric's abandonment of the winged woman at the end; and what he was saying through the symbol of the Dead God's book was central to themes he would continue to address....

[BetaWolf]

Oh, yes, truly. I'm loving the anti-Tolkien very much.