Thoughts on Conan and Elric

[hobbes]

I picked this up a few months back from a dealer I have made several purchases from.

There are several spine stresses and the bottom corners are not the greatest. Unfortunate really considering how sharp the cover is.

Structurally the book is very tight. Page quality is off white.

Let me know what you think please. Thanks.

 

 

 

 

[WillFury]

I'd say 7.5-8.0

[garthgantu]

Given that it's a BA book, I'd say VF- 7.5. Awfully nice book, though - and I'm a sucker for those Elric issues. If you haven't read the Elric series by Michael Moorcock, you owe it to yourself... the first five books are solid gold - book six gets a tad wacky, but still a cool finish to an epic tale.

[hobbes]

Couldn't agree more with the you about the Elric books. I can remember being totally freaked out at some of the craziness that went on with that sword.

As far as this book goes, I love the cover but will eventually upgrade to a nicer copy.

 

Thanks for checking it out.

 

Russ

 

[hobbes]

Thanks for checking it out. I think you are on with the grade. I apologize for the poorly scanned image. Another forum member pointed out my mistake.

 

Russ

[garthgantu]

Yeah. I've got a raw NM 9.4 copy of that issue, as well as the other Elric's ... and am just a couple of issues (2 and 3 to be precise) from having the first 100 issues of Conan. I've read all the original R.E. Howard stories, as well as some of the L. Sprague DeCamp 'completions' of unfinished Howard stories, and it's all gold. Incredible adventures with non-stop action, great characters, everything.

 

But Elric's not of this earth - and I get the feeling Moorcock probably isn't either!

[minutekev@50]

Loved the Elric novels. We even used to play the Stormbringer RPG for awhile back in high school...

[garthgantu]

Any of you familiar with the song "Black Blade," off the Blue Oyster Cult album "Cultosaurus Erectus" ? (Just the album name alone is a classic!)

 

The song is basically Elric talking about the sword. It was co-written by Moorcock, who also co-wrote at least one other song with B.O.C., I believe. Here are the lyrics, for your reading pleasure...

 

I have this fear that my luck is none too good

This sword here at my side don't act the way it should

Keeps calling me its master, but I feel like its slave

Hauling me faster and faster to an early, early grave

And it howls! It howls like hell!

 

I'm told it's my duty to fight against the law

That wizardry's my trade and I was born to wade through gore

I just want to be a lover, not a red-eyed screaming ghoul

I wish it'd picked another to be its killing tool

 

Black Blade, Black Blade

Forged a billion years ago

Black Blade, Black Blade

Killing so its power can grow

 

It's death from the beginning to the end of time

And I'm the cosmic champion and I hold a mystic sign

And the whole world's dying and the burden's mine

And the black sword keeps on killing 'til the end of time

 

Black Blade, Black Blade

Bringing chaos to the world we know

Black Blade, Black Blade

And it's using me to kill my friends

Black Blade, Black Blade

Getting stronger so the world will end

Black Blade, Black Blade

Forcing my mind to bend and bend

 

I am the Black Blade

Forged a million billion years ago

My cosmic soul it goes on for eternity

Carving out destiny

Bringing in the Lords of Chaos

Bringing up the Beasts of Hades

Sucking out the souls of heroes

Laying waste to knights and ladies

My master is my slave

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

You poor fu*king humans

 

[minutekev@50]

Never realized that...cool.

[nik]

Looks very nice, similar to mine. I thought mine had a shot at a VF-/VF,

but alas, twas not to be web page

[FFB]

Moorcock's Elric stories were my favorite fantasy novels until George R.R. Martin's current series came out.

 

Now if he'd just FINISH the next book....

 

Couldn't agree more with the you about the Elric books. I can remember being totally freaked out at some of the craziness that went on with that sword.

As far as this book goes, I love the cover but will eventually upgrade to a nicer copy.

 

Thanks for checking it out.

 

Russ

[Cody_Starbuck]

Personally, I think that the best comic book adaption of Elric is Roy Thomas and P Craig Russell's "While The Gods Laugh", which appeared in Epic Illustrated 14. It was so cool that it got me interested in Moorcock's work, which I still read 22 years later.

 

Also cool is The Dreaming City, also known as Marvel Graphic Novel #2. Later, Russell would have Michael T Gilbert join him as he and Thomas adapted "Elric Of Melnibone" as a six issue miniseries for Pacific Comics. (Russell, in a solo job, would later adapt Stormbringer as well.)

 

Frank Brunner did some nice Elric work that appeared in Heavy Metal magazine. Robert Gould would also do a nice Elric for Star*Reach and a very brief story for Epic Illustrated.

[Dave_Hennen]

Any of you familiar with the song "Black Blade," off the Blue Oyster Cult album "Cultosaurus Erectus" ? (Just the album name alone is a classic!)

 

The song is basically Elric talking about the sword. It was co-written by Moorcock, who also co-wrote at least one other song with B.O.C., I believe.

 

Hey, that's cool! I saw them in concert back in the day, thanks for the info

 

Dave H

[Cody_Starbuck]

Moorcock also wrote Veteran Of The Psychic Wars. It's a pretty good song, and it appeared on the same album as Burnin' For You.