Stormbringer by Michael Moorcock

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File under: Sword and Sorcery

Wizard-level reading challenge: A book with the same title as a song

I just finished Stormbringer, which works as one of my reading challenge books. This time it’s “a book with the same title as a song.” The song, in this case, is by Deep Purple, and it’s…something else. I’m not sure if the song is named after Elric’s fabled black blade, but the lyrics don’t seem to have much to do with it.

When I was a kid, one of the first series of books I read was Michael Moorcock’s Elric books. Yeah, I quickly made the leap from The Chronicles of Narnia to more adult books. I remember getting kicked out of my fifth-grade classroom for reading James Clavel’s Shogun. I highly doubt I knew what was going on and probably missed a lot of the themes, but I have fond, fond memories of being able to lose myself in big, juicy books. The Elric books were not big, but they lit my imagination up like nothing else. Something about an albino elf-type with a huge, rune-inscribed sword that drinks souls, maybe? I guess it’s not a surprise that a twelve-year-old would be into that.

I’ve recently taken to re-reading a lot of the books I loved as a teen, and frankly, when I picked up Vol. 1 during the pandemic, I was a little wary that I’d enjoy it as an adult.

So, I was surprised when I did. Sure, they’re dated in a lot of ways and occasionally a bit awkward, but for fantasy adventures, they work well on a few levels.

Stormbringer, which covers Elric tales written fairly far apart from each other (though presented in “chronological order”), is more of the same. It’s a fun and entertaining read that dips into some complex themes and situations that are both odd and universal. Elric and company looking to rent an apartment in a moving limbo-city? Surprisingly interesting.

I do not think the stories of Elric are for everyone. Though, the popularity of the Witcher makes me think there might be a good-sized audience for Elric. Elric of Melniboné, the original White Wolf, for sure inspired the creation of Geralt of Rivia. Another fun fact: Moorcock’s ideas around the multiverse and the Eternal Champion predate Marvel by quite a bit. I think there is a lot in popular culture that can tip a hat to Moorcock and his work.