Question about reading order

[Anonymous]

I have just read The Eternal Champion and Phoenix in Obsidian and enjoyed them immensely!

I read the front page which lists the books for each series and it shows The Champion of Garathorm and The Quest for Tanelorn after the two aforementioned books I have already read, however it also lists them after the Hawkmoon series.

I have the two newer books in hand now and was wondering if it matters whether they are read now or after Hawkmoon?

[David Mosley]

Hi Omniscient, welcome to the forums. No doubt other readers here will give you their own take on your question, but here's my thoughts (for what they're worth. :))

Since Champion of Garathorm and Quest for Tanelorn are supposed to be "inter-linked" with both the Erekose and Hawkmoon series, I don't see why you shouldn't read them now as part of the Erekose saga. That at least must have been partly Mike's intention when he wrote the books.

You will undoubtedly get more from the books if you read [i]The History of the Runestaff/[i] and Count Brass first, but I don't think it need be essential. In fact, it might be quite interesting to read them first as part of Erekose, and then later as part of Hawkmoon and see what difference it makes.

Don't forget that The Dragon in the Sword is also part of the Erekose series (as well as linking with the Von Bek novels The War Hound and the World's Pain and The City in the Autumn Stars. So I think a suggested reading order might be:

• The Eternal Champion
  Phoenix in Obsidian
  The Dragon in the Sword
  The Champion of Garathorm
  The Quest for Tanelorn*

It's kind of like, should you have to read the Corum books before you read The Sailor on the Seas of Fate, in which Elric meets Corum (and Hawkmoon (and Erekose?))? I'd say not.

The other thing that I sometimes wonder about, in regards to reading orders, is how often do people read the Jerry Cornelius quartet in anything other than the original publication order (FP, C4C, EA & CoM) even though Mike says in the front of each novel that they can, in fact, be read in "any order"? :?


*Although QfT was supposed to be the final novel in the EC cycle, I think it may have been superceded by Mike's recent Elric novel The White Wolf's Son - although since I'm still reading The Dreamthief's Daughter at the moment, I'm some ways away from being able to say for certain.

[PsychicWarVeteran]

While you're at it, demos, maybe you could help me out. Doc has leant me several Second Ether books (thanks again, Doc!) and I need to know which goes where. He's sent me Blood, Fabulous Harbours and The War Amongst the Angels.

Where do I start? I'm guessing Blood?

[Keele]

I think that the series goes Blood, Fabulous Harbours, The War Amongst the Angels, though I'm not entirely sure.

Related question: My library has a copy of War, but not the other two books in the series. Would that be an OK place to start the series, since I probably can't get the other two books?

[Whiskers]

While you're at it, demos, maybe you could help me out. Doc has leant me several Second Ether books (thanks again, Doc!) and I need to know which goes where. He's sent me Blood, Fabulous Harbours and The War Amongst the Angels.

Where do I start? I'm guessing Blood?

The order you mention them in is the order they were released. I suspect of all Mike's books, these could be read in any order. Big warning: Have a very open mind when you read these. You may not get your frame of reference until you've read them and absorbed them. Then read Michael Moorcock's Multiverse graphic novel. If after reading all this stuff it's all very unclear, you're probably on the right track. :lol:

[David Mosley]

While you're at it, demos, maybe you could help me out. Doc has leant me several Second Ether books (thanks again, Doc!) and I need to know which goes where. He's sent me Blood, Fabulous Harbours and The War Amongst the Angels.

Where do I start? I'm guessing Blood?

Well, you've got the publishing order right, so that's how I'd read the Second Ether books, although to be fair the SE novels are still in a massive pile to 'to be read' books on my proverbial desk (next to the also massive stack of 'to be re-read' books) so I wouldn't want to presume any authority on the matter.

I can't remember whether Mike's mentioned if it's worthwhile reading the Michael Moorcock's Multiverse graphic novel before the SE books or afterwards. :?

[PsychicWarVeteran]

Thanks, gents. I shall read them in the published order, fully aware it really doesn't matter.

Long Live Chaos!

[DeeCrowSeer]

I can't remember whether Mike's mentioned if it's worthwhile reading the Michael Moorcock's Multiverse graphic novel before the SE books or afterwards. :?

I would suggest MMM after the SE trilogy, but then I read all four and still haven't read Revenge of the Rose, which is probably very foolish indeed. I think that Fabulous Harbours is a book which could be enjoyed by most readers without the other two of the trilogy, although some characters will be obscure... but, unless you read all the books at once, then that's bound to happen somewhere along the line. :)

Since our real lives are often spent walking in to rooms and feeling that we've missed something, I don't see the harm in getting that same feeling from our reading matter. I read what I find, which seems as good a way as any to go about things.

[Doc]

I like the way Fabulous Harbors serves as a sort of decrecendo to the other two novels in the second ether series. I don't mean that with a negative connotation, as if to imply that its a downer. Instead, I think of it as an interlude. Fabulous Harbors works much like the Corsairs of the Second Ether work with the other two novels. For me, it was a chance to catch my breath, re-frame some ideas, and get ready for what certainly blew my mind in War Amongst the Angels.

I agree with Berry, too. It can hurt your mind a little while you're reading the series. I found myself putting together the pieces long after i finished. I mean that in a good way. It sticks with you and gets more rewarding as you re-consider it. Having said that, it was also good to just let it rip as I was reading it.

And PWV, of course you're welcome :)

[Whiskers]

I agree with Berry, too. It can hurt your mind a little while you're reading the series. I found myself putting together the pieces long after i finished. I mean that in a good way. It sticks with you and gets more rewarding as you re-consider it. Having said that, it was also good to just let it rip as I was reading it.

If you would compare reading this series to some other activity you might perform, what might you compare it to?

I think it's a lot like stargazing or cloudgazing. It also feels a lot like listening to music. It reminds me of recalling dreams. Hmmm. It reminds me of fractalgazing.

[Doc]

If you would compare reading this series to some other activity you might perform, what might you compare it to?

I think it's a lot like stargazing or cloudgazing. It also feels a lot like listening to music. It reminds me of recalling dreams. Hmmm. It reminds me of fractalgazing.

It was a great deal like listening to good orchestral music in that a little familiarity and reconsideration are both rewarded. I also agree with the idea that it was like recalling dreams. The imagry comes back to you in startling visual detail at times, while at other times it is more etheral. Most importantly, I can still feel things from the novels. In particular I can feel Jack and Sam's joy and sadness.

"I'm feeling it Sam" still makes me smile.

[GuyLawley]

Re: Question about reading order

I have just read The Eternal Champion and Phoenix in Obsidian and enjoyed them immensely!

I read the front page which lists the books for each series and it shows The Champion of Garathorm and The Quest for Tanelorn after the two aforementioned books I have already read, however it also lists them after the Hawkmoon series.

I have the two newer books in hand now and was wondering if it matters whether they are read now or after Hawkmoon?

Sorry to be didactic, but: in my humble opinion, the original 4 Hawkmoon/Runesatff books should definitely be read first, followed by the Chronicles of Castle Brass Trilogy in order (Count Brass, Garathorm, Q f Tanelorn).

Why? Because the emotional journey of Dorian Hawkmoon through the books is so pivotal (and such a roller-coaster ride!). You'll be missing out on something there if you read the last two books first as Erekose sequels.

Still, if you are anything like me you will go back and read them again some day for the sheer pleasure of it. You could try both orders and see if you agree with me or not!

[Governor of Rowe Island]

You're statement has just made me realise I've only ever read them in the order you insist upon, Guy. I might read them as Erekose sequels myself, to see how it works that way. Thanks. :)

[L'Etranger]

Sorry to be didactic, but: in my humble opinion, the original 4 Hawkmoon/Runesatff books should definitely be read first, followed by the Chronicles of Castle Brass Trilogy in order (Count Brass, Garathorm, Q f Tanelorn).

Why? Because the emotional journey of Dorian Hawkmoon through the books is so pivotal (and such a roller-coaster ride!). You'll be missing out on something there if you read the last two books first as Erekose sequels.

I very much agree, with Guy Lawley.
That's just the order I followed when I stumbled over my first MM book by accident. In those days I had to ask friends in Britain to send me the sequels as they weren't at all available in most places in continental Europe.
Hawkmoon really ignites your imagination and at the same time your lust for more ...! It is awful when you run out of them. And they are emotionally not too complicated. Elric demands a lot more, this dark and sometimes pessimistic character than can put off inexperienced and younger fantasy readers.

One can, of course, start reading "non-sword" books by MM as I called them, like Jerry Cornelius or my beloved "Dancers" at any point or parallel to EC adventures.

[David Mosley]

Hawkmoon really ignites your imagination and at the same time your lust for more ...! It is awful when you run out of them. And they are emotionally not too complicated. Elric demands a lot more, this dark and sometimes pessimistic character than can put off inexperienced and younger fantasy readers.

An asute observation, LE, if I may say. I too read the books in Guy's suggested order as a teenager and favoured Hawkmoon more than I did Elric, but recently on reading them I find I have reversed my opinion. Like Guv I'd be interested to re-read the books in question now to see how well they fit into the Erekose saga.