The Eternal Champion

[Anonymous]

I've read the entire Elric saga, and loved it, so I've been trying to get some of your other work. When moving to a new house recently, I found a copy of the omnibus Eternal Champion (the first volume, you know, with Phoenix in Obsidian). I've just finished reading the title story and am reading Phoenix now. I just wanted to say, that the Eternal Champion is one helluva story. The characters are realistic beyond belief, Arjavh and Erekose being my favorites. It's hard to believe you wrote the first version of that at 17!

Anyway, I'll notify you when I'm done with Phoenix in Obsidian. Thanks for another great story!

-Jack

[Michael Moorcock]

Many thanks! Hope you won't be disappointed.

[The New One]

Of all the stories I've ever read Elric is my favourite character. He contains all the elements within us we would like to exercise and can through his adventures.

[HawkLord]

I think Corum's pretty cool. And Moonglum also.

[steeltsar]

My first, and still my best: Von Bek.

[manmiles]

Did you come up WITH the Eternal Champion concept at 17 or write the original story then?

[Michael Moorcock]

Yes, I did an early draft of the Eternal Champion story then. But I didn't write it for a few more years, when Carnell wanted a featured story for an issue of Science Fantasy that wasn't an Elric tale.

[Bob]

Are the US editions of the Eternal Champion in a different order then? I've always known Von Bek to be the first volume...

[Michael Moorcock]

Yes, it's different. In fact it's different in other ways. The US set leaves out the Cornelius volume (New Nature of the Catastrophe) but includes books which were not available at the time to the UK edition -- including The Sundered Worlds and three other sf titles included in The Roads Between the Worlds. The UK edition doesn't include Kane of Old Mars, which was also being published by another publisher at the time. Although that book is one of my best-selling titles, it's now totally out of print! I hope to have talks with Orion once I'm back in Europe to see what we can do.

[Marca]

Yes, I did an early draft of the Eternal Champion story then. But I didn't write it for a few more years, when Carnell wanted a featured story for an issue of Science Fantasy that wasn't an Elric tale.

The source of the original Eternal Champion story was given as a fanzine Avilion(?), but it was apparently never issued. Is that the case?

[Michael Moorcock]

Yes, there was only one issue of Avilion (containing the beginning of the EC serial) which was issued in about five copies in 1957. I don't have one any longer. Work on Tarzan Adventures took over and I never had a chance to publish the issue properly. It was advertised in other fanzines, as I recall, but I didn't take any subscriptions.

[Marca]

So it was issued then? That must be one rare item... or should I say five rare items

[Michael Moorcock]

Yes. As with most of my own material from that period, I have very little of it left. I used habitually to give boxes of manuscripts and stuff to something called the Transatlantic Fan Fund, set up to pay for an sf fan to attend a convention in England one year and America the other. Good cause. It meant that someone I know bought the manuscript of Stormbringer for about five shillings! Whoever bought the Avilion mock-up probably got rid of it, as I might have done. I passed on a proof of
Midnight's Children by Rushdie which the last I looked fetched about three thousand quid!

[McTalbayne]

My first, and still my best: Von Bek.

So pretty much the Von Bek Family is all over the Multiverse. They pop up everywhere man. Hehe.

[Medard]

My favorite stories, as well as my favorite characters came from the end of time. All of these dandified, omnipotent immortals I saw as the best possible portrait of human dreams about freedom come true. When Elric finally came to the end of time, I couldn't help but think â€Oh, relax a bit Elric, you stiff drama queen“. :)