Currently re-reading von Bek, inspired by making this video. I'd realised that the Warhound is probably the least-read of my favourite Moorcock works, so was due for another spin.
Such a great review. I was a big fan of Elric back in my younger years. I have the Deities and Demigods right beside me as I write. Wonderful memories. Blessings to you
Im from Canada, and though MM is known here, he's rather culty in appreciation. I, however, absolutely love and have read the majority of his Eternal Champion series and his more famous works and lesser known novels. I also managed to pick up, though many years ago....his Stormbringer rpg published by Chaosium. The man is a genius and has really evolved as an author of pulpy sword and sorcery to someone with a unique place in world building and characters of subtle complexity. When i was younger, it was the Elric Saga that drew me in, but as I've aged,it's the Von Bek books that i really love....anyways, keep up your great vids. Cheers! P.S. I forgot to mention that I have the Deities and Demigods book from 1980! That's where I first encountered Elric, later, a school friend lent me the Novel Elric of Melnibone. The book led me to collect all things Elric and then anything I could find on Michael Moorcock and then thru his own advice Mervyn Peake and so many other works...though not necessarily fantasy. Yes,the man is so influential and thank the lords of chaos...still with us. And, yeah....his contribution to the creators of D&D is pretty deep and wide..from alignment, magical talking swords and so much Moore(cock)!
@@mikep6245 It was all fine in editing - then we noticed on first watch via RUclips on the TV. We get out of sync audio sometimes on Amazon and Disney, but this wasn't that! I guess weirdly in and out of sync narrative to illustrative depiction may be fitting for a Moorcock video!
I don't remember all that much about Moorcock, but I liked what I read at the time (10-12 years old). The image of people confined in tubes that are stabbed to produce notes for a grand organ is an image that sticks with me.
Great video. I’m also a massive fan of Moorcock and Leiber. I enjoy Tolkien but I agree that other authors can be a little formulaic. I would definitely recommend Donaldson and Erikson. Thanks again for the great content.
Donaldson, for some reason, I never got on with. No idea why, his books didn't gel with me for some reason. By Erikson, do you mean Steven Erikson? I hadn't heard of him, but now I've Googled thanks to your comment, he looks interesting - I may give him a try. Any recommendations there?
I think he holds some record somewhere for being prolific... Certainly one for speed - a few of his novels were churned out with typewriter-blistering velocity!
I feel like I missed something you were mentioning about December. Being here in USA moorcock was always at the mall book stores though with no idea of where to start. Most of my friends and I were told no go to the used book store for Moorcock. It was strangely forbidden knowledge. Even that Wendy Pini art book I only ever saw under glass at a convention. I did track down the Final Programme, I enjoy slow weird movies "Beyond the Black Rainbow", "Stalker," "Holy Mountain" but that was a real struggle to get through. After seeing Kubo and the 2 strings, I think laika may just be able to pull off an Elric. My final disjointed thought is you should do an Elric song.
The December reference is in there - it's when The Citadel of Forgotten Myths, Moorcock's new Elric novel, is due to be released. I feel strangely flattered that you feel I could bring off a Moorcock-based song! But then, I have covered Hawkwind, so maybe!
@@WillyMuffinUK ruclips.net/video/VSLDly-xafE/видео.html Here is my favorite but the singing is pretty otherworldly. Gillan was in top form but Iron Maiden is my favorite. Rush and Maiden doing songs inspired by Cooleridge got me to start paying attention in English class.
@@jamesrickel3814 I have to admit to preferring Purple's original there. I can relate to the Coleridge statement, though - Rime of the Ancient Mariner (and, indeed, Powerslave as an LP) definitely sits among my Maiden faves, although perhaps too late for English lessons for me. But Maiden's forays into Dune, Greek mythology, and grief knows where else did make them one of my favourite bands in the 80s. And I will admit, the film Metropolis gets me not just for its political satire, but in no small way because of a little Motörhead tune...
my first exposure to the works of Michael Moorcock was the Elric series in the early 1980s from the Ace books, also I have the 1st edition RPG of Stormbringer chaosium, I was greatliy impressed with at the time, Also played Elric boardgame from Avalon Hill, which I found disappointing. How RPG wise, I was greatly impressed buy the efforts of Mongoose games.
Very interesting! I clearly see Moorcock's work here and there in my RPG collection of course: I do have Stormbringer 5th ed on the shelf, and I have tweaked it for general Sword & Sorcery use. My first RPG (Drager & Demoner) had the same cover image as your favorite Stormbringer 4th ed (and what an awesome cover that is). Still, I have to admit my fantasy reading background is almost the opposite: Tolkien looms large, and I also love Poul Anderson's Broken Sword and some of RE Howard's stories. I could never get into Moorcock for some reason. Maybe I'll give him another go (recommendations are welcome if you have time).
Elric is perhaps the most accessible, but the other two of the "big three" - Corum and Hawkmoon - are not too difficult, either. Von Bek is a third. My suggestion would be to find Sailor on the Seas of Fate. It's a crossover, with Corum, Hawkmoon, and Erekosë all appearing. It's close to the start of Eric's saga (but is not the start). It's an appetiser that might have you wanting to read more about the four main protagonists. For Von Bek, The War Hound and the World's Pain is a good start. Nicely encapsulated, but a good springboard into the multiversial influence that is the Von Bek family.
@@WillyMuffinUK Went to the local bookstore and found nice-looking new edition of Moorcock's Stormbringer. The downside is that this is Elric Vol. 2, but I always associated Elric with illustrations I have seen from that story and Bane of the Black Sword. No idea if these are great stories though. Will try to find Vol 1 (first locally then online, I'm a bit tired of Amazon dominating everything)
I’ve read some Elric, and I’m sure people can make what I read into a film (or TV series). I’d prefer to watch this than watch yet another fantasy film or TV series which is not based on a book.
The core Elric story is reasonably straightforward. It's when you start bringing in the connections to the broader stage of the Multiverse and the Eternal Champions that it gets strange. Choice of words purposeful there, given we now have a filmed multiversial blockbuster movie out in the wild, Moorcock doesn't seem so unfilmable as he once was!
I really like the Elric series and it's interesting to see ho Moorcock's thoughts on it have changed over the years with more recent books. I think Corum, at least the first three, are pretty essential for the whole law vs chaos struggle that weaves through so much of the eternal champion stories and that it seems to be a later addition to the Elric stories as they were revised. Hawkmoon is mostly insufferable as a character and it makes the books of the Runestaff a real slog to get through and colors any other innovation the stories contain.. He's about the most petulant main character I've ever seen outside of French or English pastorals. Overall, I think Moorcock is far more important to Warhammer and WFRP than D&D. I think he is credited along with Donald Featherstone for being at "fault" for the first two editions of Warhammer Fantasy by Rick Priestly. They certainly ran with the Chaos aspect though law go lost for several years until Age of Sigmar brought back the sharp dichotomy. Gardner Fox and his Kothar series are the true unsung heroes of D&D influence, far more than Conan. He even did the Niall sereis for Dragon later and was friends with Gygax.
Motorhead & Moorcock! You, my friend, are a man of taste and culture!!
One tries one's best.
I think Von Bek is my current favorite. Followed closely by Hawkmoon.
Currently re-reading von Bek, inspired by making this video. I'd realised that the Warhound is probably the least-read of my favourite Moorcock works, so was due for another spin.
Such a great review. I was a big fan of Elric back in my younger years. I have the Deities and Demigods right beside me as I write. Wonderful memories. Blessings to you
Thank-you :) It gave me an excuse to re-read the Eternal Champion cycles again - at least, in part!
Im from Canada, and though MM is known here, he's rather culty in appreciation. I, however, absolutely love and have read the majority of his Eternal Champion series and his more famous works and lesser known novels. I also managed to pick up, though many years ago....his Stormbringer rpg published by Chaosium. The man is a genius and has really evolved as an author of pulpy sword and sorcery to someone with a unique place in world building and characters of subtle complexity. When i was younger, it was the Elric Saga that drew me in, but as I've aged,it's the Von Bek books that i really love....anyways, keep up your great vids. Cheers!
P.S. I forgot to mention that I have the Deities and Demigods book from 1980! That's where I first encountered Elric, later, a school friend lent me the Novel Elric of Melnibone. The book led me to collect all things Elric and then anything I could find on Michael Moorcock and then thru his own advice Mervyn Peake and so many other works...though not necessarily fantasy. Yes,the man is so influential and thank the lords of chaos...still with us. And, yeah....his contribution to the creators of D&D is pretty deep and wide..from alignment, magical talking swords and so much Moore(cock)!
There is simply no-one quite like him!
And now I want to join the Canadian Cult of Moorcock!, 🙂
Well, apologies for the weird video/sound sync!
Had assumed it was my PC USB Setup :)
@@mikep6245 It was all fine in editing - then we noticed on first watch via RUclips on the TV. We get out of sync audio sometimes on Amazon and Disney, but this wasn't that!
I guess weirdly in and out of sync narrative to illustrative depiction may be fitting for a Moorcock video!
It reminded me of an old Godzilla movie. ;-)
@@stevenkennedy4130 Heh - probably fitting, then!
Ah, I. should have gone for more surreal, in thst case 🤣
I don't remember all that much about Moorcock, but I liked what I read at the time (10-12 years old). The image of people confined in tubes that are stabbed to produce notes for a grand organ is an image that sticks with me.
He certainly has a way with imagery.
Great video. I’m also a massive fan of Moorcock and Leiber. I enjoy Tolkien but I agree that other authors can be a little formulaic. I would definitely recommend Donaldson and Erikson. Thanks again for the great content.
Donaldson, for some reason, I never got on with. No idea why, his books didn't gel with me for some reason.
By Erikson, do you mean Steven Erikson? I hadn't heard of him, but now I've Googled thanks to your comment, he looks interesting - I may give him a try. Any recommendations there?
Great overview. Really packed a lot in that 20 minutes! Thanks!
Makes a difference for me to do one that's less than an hour for a change! Thank-you :)
This is great! He has written so much, I just hope I will have enough time in my life to read most of it
I think he holds some record somewhere for being prolific... Certainly one for speed - a few of his novels were churned out with typewriter-blistering velocity!
@@ElfinMan Not bad in a pre-word processor age ;)
@@ElfinMan yeah totally insane! Haha
I feel like I missed something you were mentioning about December. Being here in USA moorcock was always at the mall book stores though with no idea of where to start. Most of my friends and I were told no go to the used book store for Moorcock. It was strangely forbidden knowledge. Even that Wendy Pini art book I only ever saw under glass at a convention. I did track down the Final Programme, I enjoy slow weird movies "Beyond the Black Rainbow", "Stalker," "Holy Mountain" but that was a real struggle to get through. After seeing Kubo and the 2 strings, I think laika may just be able to pull off an Elric. My final disjointed thought is you should do an Elric song.
The December reference is in there - it's when The Citadel of Forgotten Myths, Moorcock's new Elric novel, is due to be released.
I feel strangely flattered that you feel I could bring off a Moorcock-based song! But then, I have covered Hawkwind, so maybe!
@@WillyMuffinUK ruclips.net/video/VSLDly-xafE/видео.html Here is my favorite but the singing is pretty otherworldly. Gillan was in top form but Iron Maiden is my favorite. Rush and Maiden doing songs inspired by Cooleridge got me to start paying attention in English class.
@@jamesrickel3814 I have to admit to preferring Purple's original there. I can relate to the Coleridge statement, though - Rime of the Ancient Mariner (and, indeed, Powerslave as an LP) definitely sits among my Maiden faves, although perhaps too late for English lessons for me. But Maiden's forays into Dune, Greek mythology, and grief knows where else did make them one of my favourite bands in the 80s.
And I will admit, the film Metropolis gets me not just for its political satire, but in no small way because of a little Motörhead tune...
my first exposure to the works of Michael Moorcock was the Elric series in the early 1980s from the Ace books, also I have the 1st edition RPG of Stormbringer chaosium, I was greatliy impressed with at the time, Also played Elric boardgame from Avalon Hill, which I found disappointing. How RPG wise, I was greatly impressed buy the efforts of Mongoose games.
I'm interested to see what the French Mournblade game is like - English edition coming soon.
Very interesting! I clearly see Moorcock's work here and there in my RPG collection of course: I do have Stormbringer 5th ed on the shelf, and I have tweaked it for general Sword & Sorcery use. My first RPG (Drager & Demoner) had the same cover image as your favorite Stormbringer 4th ed (and what an awesome cover that is). Still, I have to admit my fantasy reading background is almost the opposite: Tolkien looms large, and I also love Poul Anderson's Broken Sword and some of RE Howard's stories. I could never get into Moorcock for some reason. Maybe I'll give him another go (recommendations are welcome if you have time).
Elric is perhaps the most accessible, but the other two of the "big three" - Corum and Hawkmoon - are not too difficult, either. Von Bek is a third.
My suggestion would be to find Sailor on the Seas of Fate. It's a crossover, with Corum, Hawkmoon, and Erekosë all appearing. It's close to the start of Eric's saga (but is not the start). It's an appetiser that might have you wanting to read more about the four main protagonists.
For Von Bek, The War Hound and the World's Pain is a good start. Nicely encapsulated, but a good springboard into the multiversial influence that is the Von Bek family.
@@WillyMuffinUK Went to the local bookstore and found nice-looking new edition of Moorcock's Stormbringer. The downside is that this is Elric Vol. 2, but I always associated Elric with illustrations I have seen from that story and Bane of the Black Sword. No idea if these are great stories though. Will try to find Vol 1 (first locally then online, I'm a bit tired of Amazon dominating everything)
@@trondsi They are great stories!
And you can read them in any order, pretty much 😉
@@WillyMuffinUK Do you know which of the old DAW books has the Dreaming City?
@@trondsi That is in Weird of the White Wolf.
I’ve read some Elric, and I’m sure people can make what I read into a film (or TV series). I’d prefer to watch this than watch yet another fantasy film or TV series which is not based on a book.
The core Elric story is reasonably straightforward. It's when you start bringing in the connections to the broader stage of the Multiverse and the Eternal Champions that it gets strange. Choice of words purposeful there, given we now have a filmed multiversial blockbuster movie out in the wild, Moorcock doesn't seem so unfilmable as he once was!
I really like the Elric series and it's interesting to see ho Moorcock's thoughts on it have changed over the years with more recent books. I think Corum, at least the first three, are pretty essential for the whole law vs chaos struggle that weaves through so much of the eternal champion stories and that it seems to be a later addition to the Elric stories as they were revised.
Hawkmoon is mostly insufferable as a character and it makes the books of the Runestaff a real slog to get through and colors any other innovation the stories contain.. He's about the most petulant main character I've ever seen outside of French or English pastorals.
Overall, I think Moorcock is far more important to Warhammer and WFRP than D&D. I think he is credited along with Donald Featherstone for being at "fault" for the first two editions of Warhammer Fantasy by Rick Priestly. They certainly ran with the Chaos aspect though law go lost for several years until Age of Sigmar brought back the sharp dichotomy.
Gardner Fox and his Kothar series are the true unsung heroes of D&D influence, far more than Conan. He even did the Niall sereis for Dragon later and was friends with Gygax.
Well... I have my own thoughts on Warhammer and its absorption of everything from everywhere - but they are what they are!