R J Dent’s in-depth article about fantasy and science fiction artist, Rodney Matthews.
Archive for the ‘Moorcock, Michael’ Category
Rodney Matthews: Another Time, Another Place
April 11, 2019 In R J Dent’s Library – Michael Moorcock’s (Jerry) Cornelius Chronicles
October 22, 2013
A look in R J Dent’s library at The Cornelius Chronicles – a series of novels and stories about an ambivalent time-travelling anti-hero named Jerry Cornelius – written by Michael Moorcock.
In R J Dent’s Library – Michael Moorcock’s The (Jerry) Cornelius Chronicles
Text © R J Dent (2013)
Film © R J Dent (2013)
In R J Dent’s Library – Michael Moorcock’s The Dancers at the End of Time
October 22, 2013
A look in R J Dent’s library at the Dancers at the End of Time series of novels and stories by Michael Moorcock.
In R J Dent’s Library – Michael Moorcock’s The Dancers at the End of Time
Text © R J Dent (2013)
Film © R J Dent (2013)
Elric of Melniboné – by Michael Moorcock
July 12, 2009Elric of Melniboné is a fictional character created by Michael Moorcock.
Elric is the antihero of a series of high fantasy books centring in the world of Melniboné. The proper name and title of the character is Elric VIII, 428th Emperor of Melniboné.
Elric first appeared in print in 1961 in Michael Moorcock’s novella, ‘The Dreaming City’ (Science Fantasy #47 June 1961); subsequent novellas were reformatted as the novel Stormbringer (1965), but his first appearance in an original novel wasn’t until 1973 in Elric of Melniboné.
While not the first antihero to feature in literature, Moorcock’s albino character is one of the best-known in fantasy literature. The novels have been continuously in print since the 1970s.
| ‘It is the color of a bleached skull, his flesh; and the long hair which flows below his shoulders is milk-white. From the tapering, beautiful head stare two slanting eyes, crimson and moody, and from the loose sleeves of his yellow gown emerge two slender hands, also the color of bone.’ | ” |
This is the description of Elric by author Michael Moorcock in the first book, Elric of Melniboné. Elric was the last emperor of the decaying island civilization of Melniboné. Physically weak and frail, the albino Elric must take special herbs in order to maintain his health. In addition to herb lore, his character is an accomplished sorcerer able to summon powerful, supernatural allies by dint of his royal Melnibonéan bloodline.
Unlike most others of his race, who are described as being psychologically similar to cats, Elric possesses something of a conscience; he sees the decadence of his culture, and worries about the rise of the Young Kingdoms, populated by humans (Melniboneans do not consider themselves human) and the threat they pose to his empire. Because of his introspective self-loathing and his hatred of Melnibonéan traditions, his subjects find him odd and unfathomable, and his cousin Yrkoon (next in the line of succession, as Elric has no heirs) interprets his behaviour as weakness and plots Elric’s death.
Elric’s sentient sword Stormbringer serves as both his greatest asset and greatest disadvantage. Forged in the distant past, the sword confers upon Elric strength, health and fighting prowess, but does so by feeding on the souls of those struck with the black blade. Most of the Moorcock’s stories about Elric feature his relationship with Stormbringer, and how it – despite Elric’s best intentions – brings doom to everything the Melnibonéan holds dear.
Here are the titles of the Elric series – in chronological order:
Elric of Melniboné
The Fortress of the Pearl
The Sailor on the Seas of Fate
Elric at the End of Time
Weird of the White Wolf
The Vanishing Tower (The Sleeping Sorceress)
The Revenge of the Rose
The Bane of the Black Sword
Stormbringer
The Dreamthief’s Daughter
The Skrayling Tree
The White Wolf’s Son
Elric in the Dream Realms
Michael Moorcock’s Elric: Tales of the White Wolf
Pawns of Chaos: Tales of the Eternal Champion
Michael Moorcock
Along with Jerry Cornelius, Elric of Melniboné is one of Michael Moorcock’s greatest creations.
Michael Moorcock’s Jerry Cornelius
March 28, 2009
Jerry Cornelius, an enigmatic anti-hero, physicist, rock star, assassin, time traveller, failure, society host, secret agent, and spirit of the age (false?) messiah first appeared in The Final Programme in 1969 and stayed around until 1984 – then vanished. He recently reappeared in a number of uncollected short stories. At present, his whereabouts are unknown.
Here is a list of the books (novels and short story collections) that Jerry Cornelius appears in:
The Cornelius Quartet:
The Final Programme (1969)
A Cure for Cancer (1971)
The English Assassin (1972)
The Condition of Muzak (1977)
The Lives and Times of Jerry Cornelius (1976)
and in:
A Cornelius Calendar:
The Adventures of Una Persson and Catherine Cornelius in the Twentieth Century (1976)
The Entropy Tango (1981)
Gold Diggers of 1977 (1980)
The Alchemist’s Question (1984)
There are also a number of uncollected Short Stories:
Firing the Cathedral
The Murderer’s Song
The Gangrene Collection
The Romanian Question
The Entropy Circuit
All the Way Round Again
The Spencer Inheritance
The Camus Connection
Cheering for the Rockets
Modem Times
Jerry Cornelius’s adventures are almost essential reading. Michael Moorcock is a master story teller and his writing addresses issues that are in dire need of debate and resolution. The stories are also very entertaining and well-written.
Try them. You’ll have a great time. They’re fun.
R J Dent 