particularly powerful and possesses a magic sword
that has a stronger will than his own, compelling
him to occasional acts of violence. The early sto-
ries appeared in book form as Stormbringer(1965),
which covered his entire lifetime, so that later vol-
umes were expansions or new interludes. Since
new stories have been added irregularly ever since,
the sequence keeps changing, and the tone is not
consistent from book to book. Elric of Melnibone
(1972) is chronologically the earliest in the series,
a blend of sorcery and court intrigue, and The
Fortress of the Pearl(1989), which directly follows,
is far more introspective and metaphysical. The
story involves a quest to steal a jewel that has been
hidden in the dreamworld. Similarly, The Revenge
of the Rose(1991) is a psychological study of Elric
and his relationship to his father, whose soul he
must rescue after entering hell itself. The Skrayling
Tr e e (2003) is the most complex novel in the se-
ries, featuring a confrontation between Elric and
various other versions of himself from elsewhere in
the Multiverse.
Dorian Hawkmoon first appeared in The Jewel
in the Skull(1967). Like Elric, he is trapped into
being a hero, this time by a gem embedded in his
head. Even though he knows that he is fated to be-
tray his comrades, he is unable to avert his fate. He
battles an insane god in The Sorcerer’s Amulet
(1968, also published as The Mad God’s Amulet),
travels to another reality in Sword of the Dawn
(1968), rallies his allies against a host of enemies in
The Secret of the Runestaff (1969), assumes the
throne in Count Brass(1973), discovers the muta-
bility of time in The Champion of Garathorm
(1973), and searches the Multiverse for his missing
children in The Quest for Tanelorn(1975).
Corum, the last of his race, also resembles
Elric, although he is more focused on his war
against the forces of Chaos. The first three novels,
The Knight of Swords, The Queen of Swords,and
The King of Swords,all appeared in 1971. A second
series consists of The Bull and the Spear(1973), The
Oak and the Ram(1973), and The Sword and the
Stallion(1974). Corum is an elf, not a human, and
since humanity has allied itself with Chaos, he be-
comes its sworn enemy. The gods are fighting
among themselves, and the younger deities such as
Odin and Loki are rising to power as Corum com-
pletes a succession of heroic tasks. John Daker, also
known as Erekose, is still another manifestation of
the common personality, appearing in The Eternal
Champion(1970), The Silver Warriors(1973, also
published as Phoenix in Obsidian), and The Dragon
in the Sword(1986). He is revived during a differ-
ent era in each book and was the first of Moor-
cock’s heroes to recognize his true nature as he
battles the enemies of humanity, traverses an ice-
covered world, and then confronts evil manifesting
itself through Adolf Hitler.
The Von Bek novels hover on the borderline
between science fiction and fantasy. The War
Hound and the World’s Pain(1981), Blood(1995)
and Fabulous Harbors(1995), the first of which in-
volves an encounter with Lucifer and his restora-
tion to heaven, all fall into the latter category,
while the others are science fiction. Some critics
have set the line of demarcation elsewhere. The
last title is not a true novel but rather a series of
interlinked episodes about individuals who can
move from one branch of the Multiverse to an-
other. Lunching with the Antichrist(1995) is a col-
lection of short stories related to the Von Bek
series.
Several other of Moorcock’s novels are some-
times referred to as fantasy. Gloriana, or the Unful-
fill’d Queen, being a Romance(1978) is an alternate
world science fiction novel but also the winner of
the World Fantasy Award. Mother London(1988)
and The Brothel in Rosenstrasse(1982), the latter of
which is related to the Von Bek books, are either
science fiction or mainstream depending upon
one’s definition. The futuristic satires in the Jerry
Cornelius series are technically science fiction as
well, although much of what takes place in them is
surreal and verges on fantasy. Moorcock has devel-
oped into a sophisticated and complex writer who
is difficult to describe or classify without consider-
able disclaimers or explanation.
Although Moorcock’s influence on science fic-
tion came chiefly from his editorial work at New
Worlds,his influence on fantasy, particularly heroic
fantasy in Great Britain, comes directly from his
own fiction. His protagonists perform their heroics
under compulsion and are generally unhappy with
their lot, in direct opposition to traditional figures
such as CONAN by Robert E. HOWARD or the246 Moorcock, Michael