Captain Harlock

I saw today that Universal Studios has acquired the rights to the Elric Saga.

This is the first time I've ever heard of it. Has anyone here read and if so what are you opinions of it?

Kudama

It’s purty dang cool.

A guy (malformed at birth, a weakly albino) becomes king of the Melniboneans and allies with this horrible god of Chaos. (Arioch, I think?) He’s granted a sword called Stormbringer and his rival (his bro) is granted one called Mournblade and they vie for power and a woman. The sword (of its own accord) kills the woman and Elric walks the land known as the wifekiller.

(It's way better than Conan, IMHO.)

BTW: If you're looking for these at a used bookstore. It's under Moorcock, Michael.

Bean-si

I have to add my heartfelt endorsement of this series. I've read 'Stormbringer' so many times I've lost count...

tor_greg

It's increasingly difficult to find real, mature fantasy these days. Moorecock has been writing these since the 60s, and aside from Tolkien, is the only stuff of any substance.

elias

I'll also recommend the Elric Saga (though I prefer Conan, Kudama). There's some damn fine storytelling in the Elric stories.

Nick Danger

I read the Elric books a long time ago. I thought they were pretty cool, but don't remember much about them.

What I enjoyed the most was the way demons and gods would say, "Elric? I know about you. I wouldn't want to be in your shoes. What? You don't know? Well, it's probably best that you don't know about it yet."

The outlook is nilhist. Every ally gets killed, his lover goes to hell, a thousand years of favors accumulated by his ancestors get spent, and his evil soul-sucking sword kills and absorbs every friend. Conan gets the treasure and a cute chick; Elric stands in the ruins of his plan, terribly alone.

Fatman

If this series gets made into a feature film(s). Ity will have to be done very carefully. It cannot, I stress cannot, be a pg-13 movie. Elric is known as Kinslayer not wife killer. Or he is commanly know as the white wolf. Cymoril, was his first cousin whom he was going to marry. His cousin Yyrkoon, Cymoril's brother despises Elric and wants to rid the empire of the weakling so he can make Melnabone a power to be reckoned with again. But this is only the first book, Elric has gon onto many adventures and he is just a part of the Eternal champion books by Michael Moorcock. If anyone is interested in learning more about these books please follow the link below. I highly recommend this series to any fantasy readers.

http://www.stormbringer.net/elric.html

Scorpio

Elric is one of the best fantasy series ever written. Reading this news about Universal, I just shudder as to the thought of what they might do to this magnificent series.

wendersfan

I read them in junior high, and I loved them. I tried to read as much Moorcock as I could at the time. I doubt if I'd like them as much now, but my literary tastes have changed a lot in 25 years.

DocBrass

I read the 6 book "Elric" series, the Count Brass and few others of the Eternal Champion series. (way back in high school) More hack-in-slash, magic, and romance than Tolkien. Conan was good but a little repetitive.

I hope they do a good job. After seeing LOTR movies, Universal has a high expectation to do this right.

MrBob

I'm guessing that you haven't read "A song of fire and Ice" series by George RR Martin. Excellent Series, Very Mature themes, very well developed characters, and increadible story. Well worth a read if you haven't read them.

Seeker

The Eternal Champion - The Four who are One

Elric was the main guy - but Hawkmoon, Erekose, and Corum were cool too.

And Moorcock even tied in his other characters.

tor_greg

I've heard about it, it's on my list

MrBob

Cool, I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Mourn

The Elric series was excellent, i highly recomend it. I don't have much of a taste for fantasy anymore, but the Elric saga is one of the few fantasy series that i still enjoy (Martin's and Brust's new book being the only other fantasy i still read).