If you love grimdark, you'll love Elric.

[@MattonBooks]

Note: I got well-akshewllyed - the first novel was indeed 1972, but the first Elric short story was published in 1961. Thanks to Jason, my Elric super nerd friend. 🙂

[@LiamsLyceum]

Blood and souls for my Lord Arioch! Lord of the Seven Darks, Duke of Chaos! One of the classics of sword & sorcery, of course, but the grimdark kids these days should enjoy it as you say. Moorcock just had a birthday a few days ago!

[@MattonBooks]

Happy birthday you cranky ol’ bastard! 😆 Had to think of you numerous times while working on this, Liam. Glad you enjoyed it, which is what I assume calling Arioch means. 😜

[@francoisbouchart4050]

I love listening to you talk about my old favourites. I read all these stories back in the 80’s. Cheers and Merry Christmas!

[@MattonBooks]

Me too, mate. High time for a re-read! 🙂

[@JimmyDaKoik]

Hey, great video essay on Elric! Nice overview of the character, and the Eternal Champion concept. Moorcock, like Jack Kirby in comics, was a wellspring of creativity and it's hard find anything that he wasn't doing first. It's great seeing Elric get some love these days, but I'd like to see a video essay / review of the Eternal Champion series. And when I say the "series", I mean the series as we commonly understood it in the 70's and early 80's. That means the 6 Elric books produced by DAW, the 2 John Daker / Erekose books, the 6 Corum books, and the 7 Hawkmoon books. I have the first and second Corum trilogies in traditionally sized paperback editions and each collected trilogy is still smaller than 1 modern fantasy novel! All of these series can be read in any order, but the second Hawkmoon series must be read last as it's the original grand finale' of the whole Eternal Champion story.

[@MattonBooks]

Thanks Jimmy. 🙂 I will not be the person to do that Eternal Champion video - far too many books I’d have to re-read to be able to speak at length about that. But I did read most if not all of them about 40 years ago.

[@bardsandbooks]

Thanks to this video, I am moving this up my TBR big time! Cheers, Matt 🤘🏽

[@MattonBooks]

It’s worth it mate, and super quick to read as well. Enjoy! 😀

[@EpicTalez]

This is the first video of your's I am watching and I have to say, you have a great voice. You can be a voice actor or a podcaster. No kidding. That sword in the back too 🤩 I got the version of Elric that puts everything in chronological order. I read a few of the short stories randomly and it's very clear that all Grimdark and dark fantasy originate from this. Michael Moorcock is a legend. I would love to dig into more of his stuff. Great video, great channel. I just subbed. I look forward to more of your stuff.

[@MattonBooks]

Mate, YOU are telling ME I have a great voice? 😆 If so, we both do. Love your accent & energy. 🙂👌🏻 And that sword, if you didn’t recognise it, is Anduril. Check my older videos if you want to see my other sword, Nametaker (named by a viewer) which I forged myself. 😉 Yeah, fantasy owes Moorcock a big debt. I love seeing younger, modern readers going back to some of the absolutely foundational classics of the genre. ♥️ Welcome mate. Looking forward to seeing what you get up to too. 😀

[@BrianBell7]

I’ve not read any Moorcock but you didn’t steer me wrong on Wolfe, so it’s going on the TBR!

[@MattonBooks]

Mwuahahah! My evil machinations proceed as planned! First, win his confidence! Second, steer him wrong! 😆 Enough silliness: yes, read some Elric. You’ll no doubt notice what an inspiration it was for many books you love. 🙂♥️

[@SheWasOnlyEvie]

Now that I finished the Elric novels, I'm excited to read some of Moorcock's non-Eternal Champion works.

[@MattonBooks]

Curious to hear what you read & what you think of it. 🙂👌🏻

[@AuthorJohnADouglas]

KZbinr Razorfist has been singing the praises of Elric for years and it’s nice to see the series get some more love

[@MattonBooks]

Never heard of Razörfist, but after a quick look, their channel aesthetic is very Elric! 😜

[@AuthorJohnADouglas]

@@MattonBooks Lot of strong opinions, especially in politics, but if there’s one thing he does best in a literary sense it’s explain in exemplary detail the value of a truly great work of literature he enjoys. His videos on Pulp novels is a frequent re-watch of mine.

[@MattonBooks]

@@AuthorJohnADouglas I very consciously steer clear of politics here, and tend to avoid it everywhere these days, but to each his own.

[@AuthorJohnADouglas]

@@MattonBooks that’s Valid. I don’t blame you. It’s a minefield that’s easy to wander in to

[@MattonBooks]

@AuthorJohnADouglas Yeah mate, I tend to think we’re all here to enjoy books, and I’m certain that some book lovers would hate my political views, so why limit who can enjoy my videos & this community by getting into that stuff?

[@jcmberne]

Tempting me into a reread!

[@MattonBooks]

DEWIT

[@safinan8008]

Merry Christmas to you!! 🎉

[@MattonBooks]

You too Safina! Hope you have a lovely break. 🙂

[@ToddsBookTube91]

Nice videos Matt! I just picked up Nomad Of The Time Streams a 90s volume by Moorcock, with Steampunky cover art. Happy Holidays to you and your family!

[@MattonBooks]

Thanks Todd! 🙂 I’m curious about more Moorcock, but somewhat hesitant too. A close friend is a bit of a Moorcock nerd, and says that Moorcock’s work is pretty damned inconsistent. 😬

[@anaaneiros5502]

Yay, Elric!

[@MattonBooks]

Indeed! 😀

[@Johanna_reads]

Excellent video! I actually don't find Elric all that dark all the time, but he's certainly tragic and contemplative. He is the OG moody, white-haired anti-hero. Aerobics instructor Elric 😂! I like the art on the Doubleday edition I had in the 90s (and recently collected), but I'm glad they went with Brom's art for the new bind-ups!

[@MattonBooks]

Elric as a *character* isn't very dark at all, at least not at the beginning, but Melnibonéan culture is about as dark as it gets. And what could be grimmer and darker than a moaning black sword that exists only to drink souls? 😆

[@Johanna_reads]

@@MattonBooksI concur! well said! 😄

[@gabba-hey]

I always recommend Elric to people who tell me they like dark fantasy. Usually the only content warning I give is that they have to be ready to ready about someone they will want to strangle at least half of the time. The stories' overt dark elements are relatively tame these days, but rarely has a world felt as truly in danger as Elric's.

[@MattonBooks]

Yeah, the content is technically tame, in it it’s lack of gratuitous, violent detail. But what it suggests, and where it sends your imagination, is pretty grim. And dark. It’s some of the best sword & sorcery, and like you said, right up any dark fantasy fan’s alley.

[@BookishChas]

I really appreciated this overview of Elric, Matt. I’m even more excited now, and I hope to get to it this year.

[@MattonBooks]

Glad you liked it Chas. Just think of them not as thick hardback books, but as 4 books that share a cover. 🙂 The individual books are super quick to read - I finished this one in a weekend. Enjoy!

[@liviajelliot]

Goodness, that sounds Grimdark, with capital G. I can see why they were inspirational for others, especially after what you mentioned. Heavy metal bands, goodness, I literatelly choked on my drink. Nightwish should have something about it as well! I agree with the old covers, they really didn't hold well

[@MattonBooks]

It is, Livia. But it's also lighter in a way than a lot of modern grimdark, maybe simple because it also sits squarely in the romping adventure style of 60's & 70's sword & sorcery writing.

[@liviajelliot]

@@MattonBooks Quite a curious blend to be honest. Thanks for the clarification!

[@blacknbluecollarreader]

Awesome video Matt!! I love that Green Cover so damn much. So cool to see all the bands that were inspired by this series. I'm listening to the first book again now. lol.

[@MattonBooks]

I used to own a signed print of the artwork from that green cover. Lost it somewhere in the last 35 years of international moves. Really thinking about ordering another one. Just love it. ♥️

[@verosnotebook]

Tempted… Maybe… 😊

[@MattonBooks]

Give in to your temptation Vero! 😀

[@thatsci-firogue]

So I've Moorcock to blame for Sanderson creating that annoying sword in his books 😂

[@MattonBooks]

MANY annoying swords in MANY books. 😆

[@jeroenadmiraal8714]

Aerobics with a soul-sucking sword doesn't sound wise.

[@MattonBooks]

Yeah, holding the blade in your hand like he is on the cover is downright suicidal. 😬