viriconium (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} viriconium) wrote,@ 2008-10-17 12:46:00 |
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Michael Moorcock, Sojan
The contents of this collection are almost identical to those of Elric At The End Of Time (with the notable exception of "Elric At The End Of Time" itself). Unique to Sojan are three additional stories set in Sojan's universe, and if you for some reason had a hankering for more barely-literate juvenilia, be warned that these come to maybe 10 pages total and don't even have any of the groanworthiness of the other Sojan stories (which at least have moments such as: "Not only men made up the barbarian army, their maidens rode beside them, armed with knife, sword, shield and spear. In their left hands they carried charm sticks to keep their men and themselves from harm. Most of these girls were extremely beautiful and the armour they wore did not detract from their looks in anyway, rather it enhanced them.") [all errors sic].
The only other thing here that's not also in End Of Time is another essay about the Elric stories, a magazine piece written while the component novellas of Stormbringer were being serialized. It's mostly short thoughts on Moorcock's creative process and his assessment of the merits of his work, with nothing substantive enough to make the book worth seeking out. In response to a reader who wonders whether the Melnibonéans who survived The Dreaming City would despise Elric, he says that he thinks of them as "accepting his treachery fairly calmly, and yet bound to do something about it if they caught up with him." This view of the Melnibonéan outlook, potentially a decent plot hook, doesn't square with the stories themselves, as the surviving Melnibonéans are never on Elric's trail (he always seeks them out), they're quick to help Elric multiple times even after he gets their leader and many others killed by dragging them into a revenge quest, and they never "do something about it." We learn that he considers "Masters of Chaos" (which I haven't read yet) his best sword-and-sorcery tale (as he sees it, it's closer to "swords-and-philosophy"), while Kings In Darkness is the worst of the Elric series and Black Sword's Brothers is "the dullest Elric story." The weaknesses he finds in both Black Sword's Brother and Sad Giant's Shield he blames on the fact that he revised them, something he doesn't normally like to do (at least with the Elric stories). These are opinions that I'm sure he has changed over the years -- he has certainly reversed his position on revision.
"I ride towards Shortani," said Sojan, "but whether I shall for long depends upon circumstances."
The merchant knew better than to ask what 'circumstances' they were for privacy means life on Zylor and those who ask too many needless questions are liable to find themselves in an alleyway keeping close company with a knife!
The merchant knew better than to ask what 'circumstances' they were for privacy means life on Zylor and those who ask too many needless questions are liable to find themselves in an alleyway keeping close company with a knife!
The contents of this collection are almost identical to those of Elric At The End Of Time (with the notable exception of "Elric At The End Of Time" itself). Unique to Sojan are three additional stories set in Sojan's universe, and if you for some reason had a hankering for more barely-literate juvenilia, be warned that these come to maybe 10 pages total and don't even have any of the groanworthiness of the other Sojan stories (which at least have moments such as: "Not only men made up the barbarian army, their maidens rode beside them, armed with knife, sword, shield and spear. In their left hands they carried charm sticks to keep their men and themselves from harm. Most of these girls were extremely beautiful and the armour they wore did not detract from their looks in anyway, rather it enhanced them.") [all errors sic].
The only other thing here that's not also in End Of Time is another essay about the Elric stories, a magazine piece written while the component novellas of Stormbringer were being serialized. It's mostly short thoughts on Moorcock's creative process and his assessment of the merits of his work, with nothing substantive enough to make the book worth seeking out. In response to a reader who wonders whether the Melnibonéans who survived The Dreaming City would despise Elric, he says that he thinks of them as "accepting his treachery fairly calmly, and yet bound to do something about it if they caught up with him." This view of the Melnibonéan outlook, potentially a decent plot hook, doesn't square with the stories themselves, as the surviving Melnibonéans are never on Elric's trail (he always seeks them out), they're quick to help Elric multiple times even after he gets their leader and many others killed by dragging them into a revenge quest, and they never "do something about it." We learn that he considers "Masters of Chaos" (which I haven't read yet) his best sword-and-sorcery tale (as he sees it, it's closer to "swords-and-philosophy"), while Kings In Darkness is the worst of the Elric series and Black Sword's Brothers is "the dullest Elric story." The weaknesses he finds in both Black Sword's Brother and Sad Giant's Shield he blames on the fact that he revised them, something he doesn't normally like to do (at least with the Elric stories). These are opinions that I'm sure he has changed over the years -- he has certainly reversed his position on revision.
