Elric: The Definitive Edition - Rated 
Please ignore the earlier dated reviews Amazon has posted in relation to this book [now removed!] - this is not a reprint of 'Elric: The Stealer of Souls, the Eternal Champion Omnibus, Vol. 11', but is rather the first volume in a new series which promises to be the definitive edition of Michael Moorcock's Elric stories. This series from Del Rey Books, subtitled `Chronicles of the Last Emperor of Melnibone', will present in publication order all the Elric stories of the Twentieth century, starting in this volume with the first nine stories from 1961-4, which introduced the albino sorcerer to the world, and were originally published in the collection 'The Stealer of Souls' and the novel 'Stormbringer'.
Over the years these stories have been revised and presented in different versions, but these promise to be the definitive versions of the texts, as carefully worked over by the editors and Moorcock, who says, "this version is without doubt my favourite and probably the last I shall produce" (from the Introduction). In addition, each volume will feature an extensive range of extras - in this case we get a wonderfully witty Foreword from Alan Moore, a substantial and informative Introduction from Moorcock, beautiful illustrations from John Picacio, and a number of essays and reproductions of artwork from the time of the stories' first publication, which helps to set them in their context; in particular, Jim Cawthorn's original map of Elric's world will be helpful to new readers.
But it's the stories themselves which take centre stage: The collection starts (naturally!) with the first ever Elric story `The Dreaming City', in which Elric lays siege to his home city of Imrryr in a desperate, and ultimately tragic, attempt to rescue his beloved Cymoril. In many ways, this will always be my favourite Elric story - in a single story it fits in so many monumental and archetypical events and defines forever the melancholic and ironic character of Elric and his story. Almost as good is `While the Gods Laugh', which sees Elric questing after `The Dead Gods' Book' which might reveal the meaning of life, and so provide a kind of peace to his troubled soul. Then we have `The Stealer of Souls' which is a more straightforward fantasy story, but none the worse for that. Elric, in the pay of a group of greedy merchants, leads an attack on the fortress of another, but his own agenda has more to do with revenge.
In the next two stories the quality drops off a bit, as Moorcock reveals in one of the essays, his enthusiasm for Elric was on the wane at this point, though there are some important developments in the overall storyline. However, the quality picks right back up again in the final four stories of the Stormbringer quartet. In these stories Fate slowly reveals its plans for Elric as he plays a fundamental role in the ultimate battle between the Lords of Chaos and the forces of Law, to decide the future of the Earth. Moorcock planned these stories as a single narrative, and the plot is a rollercoaster ride of triumphs and reversals, featuring an extraordinary cast of colourful characters and locations, in which the sword, Stormbringer, vies with Elric for centre-stage - a quite brilliant ending to the Elric saga.
However, it doesn't end there! Moorcock went back to fill in the details of Elric's world and earlier life, and in the next volume, Elric: To Rescue Tanelorn, we get, I believe, the rest of the Elric stories from the 1960s, again with loads of bonus features and illustrations. Personally, I can't wait!
|
