Discussion : Michael Moorcock

[drawnecromancy]

I've discovered this author through my parents, who'd read several of his books while they were in their 20s in university - specifically the Elric and the Hawkmoon series. Of course I got curious, because my parents enjoyed those books, and despite their warning that it "probably does not hold up in 2025", I've read all of Hawkmoon (or at least, all the french translations my mom had).

It wasn't... great. Sometimes it was really really bad (the orientalism at times is... something.). But it was also really entertaining and funny. There seems to be between 2 and 50 plot points per book, which are all 200 pages or less, and Hawkmoon's chief motivation is "I want to go home to kiss my wife" which is a mood, honestly. The whole "Eternal Champion" thing in the last 3 books was a bit... not to my tastes, although there were some very fun passages of it. Overall you can tell it's old and that you could just say words back then. I wouldn't recommend this series exactly, but it's pretty fascinating. I'm considering getting my hands on Elric at some point just to see if it's the same kind of batshit.

Have you ever read a book from Michael Moorcock ? If so, what did you think ? Would you have anything to recommend ?

I'll say my favorite part of the Hawkmoon books are the giant pink flamingos from Kamarg, that are used as mounts, including during war. It is really cool to picture guys flying to combat on flamingos of all things.

Comments

[alias_sqbr]

I tried reading some as a teen back in the 90s and found it deeply confusing and dated even by the standards of the time. But it was certainly interesting!

[drawnecromancy]

Haha, that's fair, when there's like 15 plot points per book it can get confusing really fast. Especially with how small they are. And, I don't know if it's just my french translation or if it's really written Like That, but sometimes it seems like the writing itself is just weird blocks of ideas awkwardly stitched together which doesn't help !

[vriddy]

The Elric saga was regularly recommended to me when I was younger, although I still haven't got my hands on it -- but I still plan to check it out! :D

[drawnecromancy]

Ohh, maybe when I steal it from my parents I can give you reviews or ! If we manage to get our hands on it at roughly the same time, we could do a buddy read ? And bounce reactions back and forth as we go ?

[cornerofmadness]

I read the Elric series when I was a teenager way back when and remembered liking it. I have a friend really into dissecting the politics of this thing and wanted to talk to me about it so I tried to reread it and found it incredibly misogynistic and gave up on bothering.

[drawnecromancy]

Oof, I did already find some things in Hawkmoon to be (admittedly period typical for when the author wrote, but still...) misogynistic, if Elric is Like That (or worse) as well I'll probably have things to dissect or clown on.
Sometimes it felt in Hawkmoon like the author was trying to have female characters who aren't just pretty potted plants, like when Hawkmoon's wife comes to fight on the battlefield, or when he gets turned into a woman for a bit (sort of. something about waking up a different Eternal Champion, because they share the same soul, and this one happens to be a woman), but it's... Not exactly well done LOL

I completely understand giving up on bothering for Elric !

[cornerofmadness]

I think the wife is the one my friend is doing the deep dive on. I think it was that I went to the graphic novels to reread it and it was even worse that way

[drawnecromancy]

Yisselda ? She's... mostly a one note side character honestly.
I haven't tried the graphic novels at all I'll say !

[cornerofmadness]

I'd be lying if I said I can remember the name of the character my friend's into (I'm a bad friend)

[drawnecromancy]

HAHA sometimes names just don't stick

[isis]

I also read the Elric series when I was a teenager. Thanks for justifying my reluctance to revisit it :-)

[cornerofmadness]

The older I get the more I realize some things are best left in my memory because I revisit and wonder WTH was up with my younger self (and that's just it, I was young)

[drawnecromancy]

Honestly, same.
Sometimes memories are better than the actual thing !

[cornerofmadness]

definitely