#Michael Moorecock

[grandwitchbird]

When I do analysis here I’m usually working at a very 101 level. Always in good faith, of course. But I’m intentionally kind of ethically mute about it and just focused on what a text is doing at the most basic level. Let’s ditch that approach for a minute to address the elephant in every room.

If you’ve found yourself wondering why audiences these days frequently demand childish indulgence under the guise of ‘darkness and maturity’ and deride more honest writing as ‘actually childish,’ Michael Moorecock explains the phenomenon (while making another point).

Excerpt from “Epic Pooh” by Michael Moorecock

It’s been an ongoing issue in the fantasy genre since at least Tolkien (though more fairly we can point to the resurgence in his popularity midcentury). Adults want to be comforted and indulged, so children are the only audience who can be taken seriously if you want to write anything ethically or stylistically interesting. This has a perverse effect where the more honest a text is, the more childish it’s judged to be. That effect is compounded by the very real decline in literacy and attention spans leading to increased technical/stylistic simplification of the text regardless of audience level. And that’s why it seems to be getting much worse all at once.

It’s also worth noting that since Moorecock last revised this essay, the juvenile expectations of the audience have been entrenched even further by the decline of YA into a category almost designed to kill off the stronger children’s fantasies. So now we’ve got a fight on all sides as children’s lit is also increasingly degraded. We’ve almost completely substituted the juvenile fantasy of self seriousness and self importance for anything of either literary or ethical interest (One Piece will be the last man standing here, as a bastion of artistic integrity and ethical rigor, and yes I’m taking bets).

[fenmere]

I think we've posted about this before, but we've collectively chosen Elric of Melniboné (as written about by Michael Moorecock) as our official system blorbo.

We did this after much study and consideration, whereupon we unilaterally agreed that Elric is the perfect blorbo.

When answering questions about blorbos, his traits, torments, and proclivities are the most blorbo.

He is the essence of blorbo, and a true sad little meow meow.

Look at him!

He is, in fact, so blorbo that Wendy Pini (author and artist of Elf Quest) attempted to make an animated movie about him in college, and painted pictures:

[darrisgrove]

The Elric Saga by Michael Moorecock was disappointingly hard to read

[fenmere]

This is, in fact, the perfect thing to do with Elric of Melniboné, our official system blorbo.

Because, honestly, you can't put him through more torture than Michael Moorecock did.

But, with the magic of fanfic, you can make him serve us coffee.

Imagine the Eternal Champion, cursed demon blade Strombringer strapped to his back, wearing a green Starbuck's apron and having to deal with a coworker asking him to support the effort to unionize.

It's a really good idea. It makes sense. He supports their efforts to overthrow their tyranny. But... "Those who stand by my side inevitably die," he says.

Forget about torturing your blorbos, putting them through the ringer. I'm putting my blorbo in perfectly ordinary, pleasant situations. Their tortured personality will cause them anguish anyway, making an absolutely mundane scene into the most dramatic, agony filled affair as though the world is ending and it's all their fault

[thefugitivesaint]

E.M. Clifton-Dey (1930-1997), ''Science Fiction Monthly'' Vol. 1, #1, 1974 Source

[retroillustrates]

Part III of "training series" where all 3 albino swordsmen lay their weapons and armor down and chat

[tonymayoh]

Sailor On The Seas Of Fate

A scene I've wanted to depict since reading this fantastic adventure novel. Elric approches Gagak, a living fortress bent on devouring the power of the entire universe. nbd

[fenmere]

Dragonriders of Pern, The Gates of Ivrel series by C.J. Cherryh, The Rings of the Master series by Jack L. Chalker, the Elric Saga by Michael Moorecock, and the Black Company by Glen Cook.

Oh, and Dirk Gently's Hollistic Detective Agency (also the Hitchhiker's guide series, but slightly less rabidly).

We also read a lot of Larry Niven and Jerry Pournel, and especially liked it when they teamed up. But we weren't obsessed with them, and we look upon Niven rather dimly now. The above series count as obsessions.

We read one book by Peter Dickinson, and it wasn't a novel, and we found it when we were 9 - the Flight of Dragons. This shaped our very beings, but it was before our teen years.

Earthsea by LeGuinn was something we finally sat down and read at 20 years old and it set off our writing career like a starting gun at a race.

not allowed to say Harry Potter, but what was your book series obsession as a teen

mine was definitely Eragon

[grandwitchbird]

“Epic Pooh” is the delightfully scathing gift that keeps giving. I don’t even have this much beef with LOTR. Like. I agree. But I don’t know if anyone has ever had this much beef. 10/10 stay nasty Mr. Moorecock.

[whitewaterpaper]

Kollade in min samling av fantastik-böcker från Äventyrsspel. Äger alla fyra böckerna! :D Tror jag började på “Den onda juvelen” för många år sedan men att annat kom emellan. Man kanske skulle försöka få tummen ur, eller skall man vänta tills BBC är klara?

Tack för tipset @kulturdasset.

[browsethestacks]

Vintage Comic - Elric #01

Pencils: Michael T. Gilbert (Frame); P. Craig Russell (Central Image) Inks: P. Craig Russell Pacific (Apr1983)

[fenmere]

Behold, Stormbringer, Michael Moorecock's asshole OC sword, summoned to torment the eternal little meow meow, Elric.

an oc doesnt have to be a person or even an animal. the only limit is your definition of "original character" and your imagination. some of my ocs are literally buildings.

[vale-priestess]

I love Elric

[calcpage2020]

@ EBay #scifi #novel #Michael #Moorecock #The #Final #Programme #The #Cornelius #Quartet #Brand #New http://www.ebay.com/usr/sffbclub https://www.instagram.com/p/CdOerBIODTqUW40HgkPEJ_tt_46ENONaaJJqTw0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[gaywizardemporium]

The dead center of a venn diagram between cozy romantic fantasy, martial arts drama, and wizard van epic fantasy. Yknow. Like whatever Michael Moorecock was writing.

Wishborn is like if Love Lies Bleeding were an action romcom instead of a surreal horror/black comedy

[graphicpolicy]

Crisis on Infinite Jerry Ordway Part 2

Crisis on Infinite Jerry Ordway Part 2. Catch the second part of the #podcast interview! From Alan Moore to Warren Ellis, many of the best @JerryOrdway anecdotes are in part 2 #comics #comicbooks

Listen to Part 1

Interview with comics artist/writer Jerry Ordway continues! Jerry’s been making superhero comics for DC and Marvel for 40 years. He’s the guy who made people care about Shazam and the All Star Squadron again. He inked Crisis on Infinite Earths. He’s partnered with writers like Alan Moore, Warren Ellis, Michael Moorecock, and Neil Gaiman. His essay on age discrimination in the…