Elric Saga Books In Order

Publication Order of Elric Saga Books

Chronological Order of Elric Saga Books

Publication Order of Elric: The Moonbeam Roads Books

Publication Order of Elric Saga Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Elric Saga Collections

Publication Order of Elric Saga Graphic Novels

Michael Moorcock is a well-established English author, who specializes in the fields of fantasy and science fiction. Moorcock has published numerous literary novels with his famous work being the Elric Saga. According to Michael Moorcock, the first three books that captured his imagination include The Apple Cart, The God of Mars and the Constable of St. Nicholas. In the year 1956, Michael Moorcock became the editor of Tarzan Adventures, a fete that he achieved when he was only sixteen years old. He later became an editor for Sexton Blake Library. From the year 1964 to 1971, Michael Moorcock served as an editor of New Worlds magazine, an exceedingly controversial British Science fiction magazine. He later re-joined New Worlds magazine from the year 1976 to the year 1996. During this period Michael Moorcock penned books using his pseudonym, James Colvin, that was also used by other critics throughout the world.

Elric Saga Series

Elric of Melnibourne

As the first installment in the Elric Saga book series, Elric of Melnibourne serves as a great introduction to the introspective albino sorcerer who is the ruler of the ancient and powerful land of Melnibourne. It was a superb surprise to learn that in the multi-dimensional and never-ending dust between the Lords of Chaos and the Lords of Order, the Melnibourneans, Elric’s people are aligned with the bad guys and are also viewed by the troublesome and upstart human beings as evil, a perception which has considerable merit. Elric assumed the throne after the sudden death of his father. Ever since he assumed the throne, he has always been exceedingly uncomfortable by the darker ways of his people as well as their allegiance to the Lords of Chaos. While Elric is no angel by human standards, his appetites have never run to the much less savory of his people, which in turn made him somewhat, a radical to his people.

When Elric tried to introduce reforms to his society, he invokes all types of distaste among the old guards, who view Elric as being weak and a troublemaker as well. This sets up one of the best themes in the book as Elric struggles with his identity as well as his place in society, a place where he does not feel fully at home. Michael Moorcock writing style is not only lush, but it is also lyrical as well, without being long-winded. The prose has also been infused with a hint of melodrama, which works exceedingly well with this type of sorcery story and sword story. Furthermore, apart from the prose, the world building is jam packed with ideas as well as the concept tidbits, which are not only wonderful but also add flavor to the story. With that said, Michael Moorcock is an author who has an excellent ability to capture the sense of discovery and wonder. The downbeat tone is also another defining characteristic in this installment.

The author uses the downbeat tone to portray the ending of an era; the most beautiful city in the universe will become end up in ruins, the last dragons will fall asleep, Elric will be prone to despair and depression and young lovers will be tortured and separated.

The Sailor on the Seas of Fate

Elric, the protagonist, has it all in life; the love of a beautiful woman, a rich island to rule on, enemies and friends to make his life interesting and an exceedingly huge library to peruse. Despite having everything that one may want in life, Elric is unsettled, tormented by questions that he does not have the answer and also restless as well. Thus, Elric decides to leave everything behind and goes into the world alone, unlike any other fantasy hero. Elric heads into the world, not because of adventure or fame; he goes because of metaphysical and esoteric reasons, which pit the Order against the Chaos in a conflict, that is as old as the Universe itself. In the universe that Michael Moorcock has created, is an infinity of parallel universes. The journey man is not only able to cross from one universe to the other but also can go back and forth in time and be reincarnated as well in a different body.

The only thing that Elric decides to take along is a magic sword that he had gained in the first installment. The magic sword is a weapon that has its mind and can cut through the outer layers of reality, to get a much deeper and inner meaning. A meaning that will eventually be revealed towards the end, one that has been resting inside Elric’s soul from the beginning. The author, Michael Moorcock refers to the time traveling, shape-shifting swordsman as the Eternal Champion. In the first installment, Elric of Melnibourne, there some intimations and hints of the bigger picture, however during the first pages of the second installment, the readers are plunged into the middle of a dialectic universe. Apart from the Eternal Champion, another recurring symbol is Tanelorn, a magical symbol city that the author, Michael Moorcock has created.

The Weird of the White Wolf

The author, Michael Moorcock has done an excellent job of creating characters, who battle many at times on the side of Chaos and sometimes on the side of the Law and are an aspect of an eternal champion. In this installment, Moorcock introduces the readers to Moonglum, Elric the protagonist, long-term companion. In this instalment, Elric is not the same man, who had left the city of Melnibourne so that he can be able to learn about the ways of the men. His journey led him to various unknown lands, to numerous worlds beyond his. In the process, he was left tormented more than ever and in turn no way closer to discover the main purpose of his existence. Elric is met with sorrow, and the knowledge that he has does not rid him of the sorrow. He has no choice but to accept that he is no more than a pawn, a device that the gods use to execute their plans. Despite the fact that Elric is bitter, his character is not weak in any way and refuses to pave way to humiliation and death.