Reply To: Topic for the day: Elric is the original d-rowpire. Discuss

[s-m-r]

I think Elric should be taken in the larger context of Moorcock’s other books, I think called the Eternal Champion mythos. I read all the Elric books in my younger days as well, and I definitely enjoyed them, but my favourite book of his read more recently is “The Eternal Champion.”

As I understand it, the big picture (and please correct me where applicable) is that there’s the constant struggle of balance between law and chaos (as opposed to good and evil), and Elric is simply one manifestation of the agent balancing the scales. This causes antiheroes like Elric, or unwilling participants such as the Eternal Champion, to manifest as different facets of the same role, in different dimensions.

The whole sense of obligation towards destiny and cosmic roles is something of a common thread between all of Moorcock’s works, and makes for fascinating reading once you branch out beyond one series and go to another.

…But only Elric’s books have blood-sucking trees in them. 😈