What do you think?
Rate this book
Stormbringer
1st UK edition, hardcover, vg++ book & dw (dust jacket) vg++ unclipped very nice omnibus
864 pages, Paperback
Published October 6, 1997
2 people are currently reading
103 people want to read
About the author
Michael Moorcock
1,216 books3,769 followersMichael John Moorcock is an English writer primarily of science fiction and fantasy who has also published a number of literary novels.
Moorcock has mentioned The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Apple Cart by George Bernard Shaw and The Constable of St. Nicholas by Edward Lester Arnold as the first three books which captured his imagination. He became editor of Tarzan Adventures in 1956, at the age of sixteen, and later moved on to edit Sexton Blake Library. As editor of the controversial British science fiction magazine New Worlds, from May 1964 until March 1971 and then again from 1976 to 1996, Moorcock fostered the development of the science fiction "New Wave" in the UK and indirectly in the United States. His serialization of Norman Spinrad's Bug Jack Barron was notorious for causing British MPs to condemn in Parliament the Arts Council's funding of the magazine.
During this time, he occasionally wrote under the pseudonym of "James Colvin," a "house pseudonym" used by other critics on New Worlds. A spoof obituary of Colvin appeared in New Worlds #197 (January 1970), written by "William Barclay" (another Moorcock pseudonym). Moorcock, indeed, makes much use of the initials "JC", and not entirely coincidentally these are also the initials of Jesus Christ, the subject of his 1967 Nebula award-winning novella Behold the Man, which tells the story of Karl Glogauer, a time-traveller who takes on the role of Christ. They are also the initials of various "Eternal Champion" Moorcock characters such as Jerry Cornelius, Jerry Cornell and Jherek Carnelian. In more recent years, Moorcock has taken to using "Warwick Colvin, Jr." as yet another pseudonym, particularly in his Second Ether fiction.
Moorcock has mentioned The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Apple Cart by George Bernard Shaw and The Constable of St. Nicholas by Edward Lester Arnold as the first three books which captured his imagination. He became editor of Tarzan Adventures in 1956, at the age of sixteen, and later moved on to edit Sexton Blake Library. As editor of the controversial British science fiction magazine New Worlds, from May 1964 until March 1971 and then again from 1976 to 1996, Moorcock fostered the development of the science fiction "New Wave" in the UK and indirectly in the United States. His serialization of Norman Spinrad's Bug Jack Barron was notorious for causing British MPs to condemn in Parliament the Arts Council's funding of the magazine.
During this time, he occasionally wrote under the pseudonym of "James Colvin," a "house pseudonym" used by other critics on New Worlds. A spoof obituary of Colvin appeared in New Worlds #197 (January 1970), written by "William Barclay" (another Moorcock pseudonym). Moorcock, indeed, makes much use of the initials "JC", and not entirely coincidentally these are also the initials of Jesus Christ, the subject of his 1967 Nebula award-winning novella Behold the Man, which tells the story of Karl Glogauer, a time-traveller who takes on the role of Christ. They are also the initials of various "Eternal Champion" Moorcock characters such as Jerry Cornelius, Jerry Cornell and Jherek Carnelian. In more recent years, Moorcock has taken to using "Warwick Colvin, Jr." as yet another pseudonym, particularly in his Second Ether fiction.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 2, 2018
A series I enjoyed many years ago. Managing to pick up the last few books second hand.
June 29, 2023
I loved these books when I was a teenager, I love them even more now, Elric is hilarious, that ending was ridiculous, I can’t wait to reread them again, the end.
March 1, 2025
I read Elric's beginnings many times in my youth, mainly in Serbian translation in the "Plava ptica" library. It was a formative literature to me. Elric was choosing his own fate, despite his inabilities, prophecies, omens, heritage, you name it... The books I could get a hold of finished with THE VANISHING TOWER. Then I read The Fortress of the Pearl and, though it was longer and slower, it was close to the books I loved.
The latter part of the saga came much later. And The Revenge of the Rose I remember I really didn't like. I read it only once and never got back to it. So I was curious how would I feel about it this time around. Especially since I was back in the high spirits after Elric of Melniboné.
Unfortunately, the result was the same. I could even pinpoint why - the buildup to the end, Elric's doom and his apotheosis, similar as in Greek tragedies was too much pre-ordained. It felt like he was a puppet executing the set tasks for him. Even the appearance of Nihrain guiding Elric, giving him those tasks felt completely in opposition to his beginnings. I understand that Moorcock had to bring the world to the end, to restore the balance in which Elric didn't have his place. I understand even that he accepted that fate, but I couldn't relate to it. Elric's conversion felt bogus, even after all the events and the (Lovecraftian) horror that happened to his wife. Not in itself, more in the way Moorcock (haven't) spent time on making it believable.
And again, I didn't like The Revenge of the Rose. Not only it was sprawling, I was also losing interest in what will happen during the long passages about the multiverse and the family Phatt. Again, the most memorable part was the path engraved in the earth around the planet by repeating passages of the gypsy nation.
After this I need a break - I am not sure if I will ever manage the last Elric trilogy Elric: The Moonbeam Roads)...
The latter part of the saga came much later. And The Revenge of the Rose I remember I really didn't like. I read it only once and never got back to it. So I was curious how would I feel about it this time around. Especially since I was back in the high spirits after Elric of Melniboné.
Unfortunately, the result was the same. I could even pinpoint why - the buildup to the end, Elric's doom and his apotheosis, similar as in Greek tragedies was too much pre-ordained. It felt like he was a puppet executing the set tasks for him. Even the appearance of Nihrain guiding Elric, giving him those tasks felt completely in opposition to his beginnings. I understand that Moorcock had to bring the world to the end, to restore the balance in which Elric didn't have his place. I understand even that he accepted that fate, but I couldn't relate to it. Elric's conversion felt bogus, even after all the events and the (Lovecraftian) horror that happened to his wife. Not in itself, more in the way Moorcock (haven't) spent time on making it believable.
And again, I didn't like The Revenge of the Rose. Not only it was sprawling, I was also losing interest in what will happen during the long passages about the multiverse and the family Phatt. Again, the most memorable part was the path engraved in the earth around the planet by repeating passages of the gypsy nation.
After this I need a break - I am not sure if I will ever manage the last Elric trilogy Elric: The Moonbeam Roads)...
August 6, 2014
As I expected, as this is a collection of five different books/novellas, it is uneven in quality. By far, the most enjoyable story was "The Stealer of Souls", which is the simplest as well as the earliest one. There are also a few truly memorable moments from the rest of the stories -personally, I think the Gypsy Road from "The Revenge of the Rose" was brilliant. As for the rest, Moorcock crams too much stuff everywhere, which makes the stories lose momentum and interest. This being my first Michael Moorcock book, I'm sad to say that, overall, I was disappointed.
May 26, 2011
It gets 5 stars even if it is just for the last words spoken in the book...
December 6, 2012
The book that got me into Fantasy. Amazing love them all, especially Stormbringer.
April 15, 2022
Purple patches; sometimes visionary, sometimes glib, but always absorbing.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews