New to the forum

[Anonymous]

But not new to the books... :D

I discovered Elric when I was at that particularly susceptible age of 14. A boy at school dropped a poster of Elric in my lap one afternoon as a way of introducing himself, as he was actually named after the Albino Prince (apparently his father was a big fan...) We bonded deeply over the books, but he died shortly thereafter. Even now, 14 years after the fact, the entire concept of Elric is tied up in some very deep emotional issues for me, which I'm sure everyone here would understand, is rather appropriate. :lol:

The books have been a huge influence on me as a writer and artist. Oddly enough, I can't seem to go back and re-read them... I've tried several times in the past, but as soon as I start, I inevitably get this feeling of heartbreak. The writing is so purely brilliant, the story so unique, it just tears me apart. I'm sure I sound mad for admitting it!

Anyway, I just wanted to pop up and say hello. I thoroughly enjoyed looking through the speculative photos of actors as Elric (particularly Rufus Sewell, who I always thought would make an utterly perfect Elric. And Ralph Fiennes, another very appropriate candidate, as well). I'm still torn between being excited that a movie is inching closer to being made, but I'm also wildly overprotective of the books. I guess it's that classic catch-22 that all of go through when our favorite books are finally brought to screen...

Ack! Late for work now! Cheers!

[DeeCrowSeer]

Hello! Welcome to the forum. :D

Obviously Mike's books mean a great deal to all of us, for various reasons, and I certainly don't think you're "mad" for remembering your friend through the books he shared with you... especially since the Elric saga contains so much loss and sadness. I have a set of Neil Young CDs on my shelf I have trouble listening to, since the friend who gave them to me also died... and Mr Young isn't the cheeriest of chaps at the best of times. Still, I'm glad you've found the site, and hope you find the film appropriate when it eventually arrives.

Oh, and the Enclave section of the forum details the activities of other writers and artists who frequent the site, if you feel like sharing any of your work, or contributing to our mooted publication, Prototype-X.

(On a side note, it took me a full minute to figure out where I "knew" the name "Sarah Bellum" from... and even then, the answer came in the form of a Ramones song. Clearly I'm not quite awake yet).

[Sarahbellem]

Thank you. :)

I feel a little silly having not been able to re-read the books since I was about 15, but they are a fairly powerful read to begin with. LOL.

It’s always amazing to me how many people are influenced by the Saga. Another one of my artistic and literary heros, Wendy Pini, credits Elric with being one of her biggest inspirations (indeed she almost drove herself to the brink trying to do a graphic novel of the series). I found that out a few years after I’d been introduced to the books, but having been raised on �ElfQuest’ since I was a child.

As for posting some of my own work… We’ll see. ;) I have finished my first novel and am in the process of shopping it around. I think anyone who knows anything of Moorcock would be able to spot his influence a mile a way, though. Heheheh.

Next up is the sequel, and then possibly a memoir of my friend Elric. That will be interesting because of copyright issues, I’m sure. ;)

In the meantime, I did manage to make my avatar and image of me dressed up as an albino. Heh. Not too good of quality, I’m afraid… The original is here: http://pics.livejournal.com/sarahbellem/pic/000772z4/g8

Cheers!

S

[David Mosley]

I feel a little silly having not been able to re-read the books since I was about 15, but they are a fairly powerful read to begin with. LOL.

Hi Sarah, welcome to the site. I think you'll find that there are a number of us who are in the same situation of having read Mike's books many (many) years ago but not re-read them since. Might I then invite you to consider whether you'd like to join the Moorcock Reading Circle that we'll be launching shortly for those members, perhaps like yourself, who may be interested in getting back into Mike's 'back catalog' (as it were)?

You'll find the original annoucement for the MCR in the Tanelorn forum in the [broken link]Moorcock Reading Circle - a suggestion thread.

The suggested first book for us to begin with is The Shores of Death (aka The Twilight Man). If you don't possess a copy or if that title doesn't interest you at this time, then please feel free to suggest other books that you may like to revisit (or indeed read for the first time) at a later date.

Cheers,
David

PS Of course, other members who haven't seen the thread or who are interested in joining are welcome to add their names as well. :)

[Ant]

... As for posting some of my own work… We’ll see. ;) I have finished my first novel and am in the process of shopping it around. I think anyone who knows anything of Moorcock would be able to spot his influence a mile a way, though. Heheheh...

Who's Jeyed? The hero of your novel?

Ciao,
Ant

PS. And welcome!

PPS. And I know who Mary Pickford was!!

[Michael Moorcock]

Well, Sarah, I can't reread them, either! Though perhaps for different reasons. I tend to think 'Hmm. Could do better.' My friend Jim Cawthorn's sister knew a boy called Elric at the school she worked at in Gateshead. There are a few around, apparently. I'm not familiar with Rufus Sewell and might have missed his name on one of the threads, since some of them get so big so fast I sometimes just miss a lot of the content, especially the movie threads. Anyone got a picture of him ? My own choice of Paul Bethany, of course, has been stymied by his taking the part of a long-haired albino in that well-known compendium of influences The Da Vinci Code. The Shores of Death, eh ? Now there's another cheerful little title... :)
Wendy's a great person and I was so pleased with her ElfQuest success. She started writing to me when she was still at high school in Canada. Long, long time ago now.

[Michael Moorcock]

It might have to be Jude Law at this rate. If he still has his own teeth when time comes to play the part. But I LOVED Dark City. Probably my favourite sf movie. Just don't remember thinking the guy was a natural Elric. I must watch it again. Any excuse...

[Michael Moorcock]

Did you see The Thirteenth Floor ? I recently saw that and was very impressed by it. Based on a Danny Galouye (Flowers for Algernon) story. I thought it had much the same quality as Dark City. I'd never heard of it until I found it in a dump bin at Wal-Mart a couple of weeks before I left for Europe.

[Michael Moorcock]

Forgot to answer your question. Universal have asked the Weitz brothers to begin costing the Elric movie. This doesn't mean it's still on the fast track (it went off the fast track, sadly, after Riddick and Van Helsing didn't do great business for Universal) but it DOES mean its still on track.
There have also been other nibbles from major studios interested in doing it if Universal decide not to. The odds still look good for Universal putting it into production some time next year (my guess). To be honest, I'm probably making more money at the moment from them NOT making it, so I probably don't feel the same urgency... :D It's only CERTAIN fantasy movies that haven't done all that well. It will only take one of the new ones to do exceptionally well for the studios to climb back into the dragon saddle again. It's like the Western is permanently dead, permanently coming back to life again.

[Sarahbellem]

I was just thinking as I was signing on "Wouldn't it be nifty if Michael Moorcock replied to this thread?" Ha!

Yes, Rufus Sewell is the actor in Dark City, which I must add, is also one of my favourite films of all time. Someone did a beautiful rendering of him as Elric here: [link expired]and when I saw that, my jaw dropped a mile. I'd always thought of him as being the sort of dark, broody, angsty sort with an air of weird vulnerability, and therefore a nice fit for the role of Elric, but it wasn't until I saw the photoshop'd picture that I got chills. Of course, the same problem with Jude Law crops up... He's not getting any younger (think he may even be in his 40's now, but he's of good Mediterranean background so it doesn't really show).

As for Wendy, I never had the pleasure of meeting her but I did correspond extensively with Richard, her husband, during my teens. He even sent me his own copy of "Bored of The Rings" after a particularly long discussion about how boring the LOTR trilogy was. Heheheh. Wonderful man with a very nice sick sense of humor. The Law & Chaos book was gorgeous, though... Wendy's style is so amazing. I taught myself how to draw from obsessing over my EQ graphic novels as a kid. It was a real treat to find out she also was an Elric fanatic later on... :D

As for doing "better", I'm still impressed you did so well so young. I look back at the stuff I wrote when I was in my teens and most of it is utter crap. LOL. Of course, maturity helps a writer immensely, so I hope that by the time I'm old and falling apart, I'll at least be one hell of a writer. ;)

There's always room for improvement, right?

S

P.S. My friend's full name was Elric Dorian Woodward. What stopped his father from throwing in Corum, Ulrich, and Cornelius, I have no idea. His mother probably put her foot down when he brought up Erekأ¶se.

[Michael Moorcock]

As I've said before, I was too young to know any better. i.e. that I shouldn't be writing novels at that age. :) I'll check out the site.
Linda likes that movie a lot, too, so she's interested. But it was made quite a few years ago now. I must admit that I'm not sure Jude Law is that good an actor. That's a problem I've been having with him. I'm willing to be proven wrong. It wouldn't be the first time.
Nice mock up but his face just doesn't look long enough for my taste.
Not, I've always argued, that the character has to LOOK perfect to play the part.

[Sarahbellem]

Who's Jeyed? The hero of your novel?

Yep, that would be him. Currently trying to hash out the sequel to the first novel while trying to get up the nerve to have the first one rejected about 700,000 times. Whether or not it'll ever actually get published, I can't say, but I'm trying.

PS. And welcome!

Thank you!

PPS. And I know who Mary Pickford was!!

Heh. You did quite a bit of snooping around my little collection of photos, didn't you? I will debate that bit with my graphic design professor till my dying day... It doesn't matter if you know who she was, the image was effective regardless!

Sheesh. Some people. :roll:

S

[Ant]

Who's Jeyed? The hero of your novel?

Yep, that would be him.

He kinda reminds me of someone... You did say that there's a strong Moorcock influence, didn't you? :)

Gr.,
Ant

[Sarahbellem]

As I've said before, I was too young to know any better. i.e. that I shouldn't be writing novels at that age. :)

Heh. I have to say I do prefer your later books in terms of minor things like characterization and plot. ;) Still, you must have done something right...

I'll check out the site.
Linda likes that movie a lot, too, so she's interested. But it was made quite a few years ago now. I must admit that I'm not sure Jude Law is that good an actor. That's a problem I've been having with him. I'm willing to be proven wrong. It wouldn't be the first time.
Nice mock up but his face just doesn't look long enough for my taste.
Not, I've always argued, that the character has to LOOK perfect to play the part.

Well, obviously, you know Elric's face better than any of us. ;)

Jude Law is pretty, but he doesn't really come across as a fully rounded actor, does he? He's got the sex appeal, but that's about it. I'm not really well versed in any of his movies (actually, I'm not even sure I've seen a single one of them...) so I'm not exactly a good judge of his ability, though. Maybe he's got some surprises up his sleeves...

Have you thought of endorsing the casting of an "unknown" actor for the role? I know this could be a bigger gamble than most studios want when it comes to big production movies, but there's at least a wider pool of talent to pull from. I'm wracking my brains as it is to come up with a good face that's already established and other than names I've already seen bandied about here, I'm comming up blank.

Although, I can say for sure that Hayden Christensen and Orlando Bloom are NOT on my personal list! Nice looking kids, the both of them, but neither would make a decent Elric (H.C. because he's got the emotional depth of a puddle, and O.B. because he's too clean cut).

[Sarahbellem]

He kinda reminds me of someone... You did say that there's a strong Moorcock influence, didn't you? :)

Gr.,
Ant

And whoever might that be? *innocent look*

Yes, there is a small Moorcock influence. Miniscule, really. Jeyed, afterall, is not an albino. Nor does he have a sword. But he is a total badass... And that's all I'm saying about that. 8)

Hehehehehe.

S