I don’t listen to audiobooks, usually music, but I had an annoying task to do, of the type where more mentally engaging material was useful. Because I don’t have the pirate skillz and am not paying for services I’d rarely use, I sought an audiobook for free on yewchoob. I’d had some idle curiosities about Celtic mythology and listened to a bit of that, but the people reading it were too cringe for me.
I remembered I have some interest in writing a dark fantasy or two in the future and so could use some education on the subject, so I looked up Elric of Melniboné. Despite still being under copyright, there it was, and the reader was a fairly skilled thespian type. But the production was a lil low-budget.
You ever hear a wheezing breath and realize it’s you? I assumed that’s what was happening to me, but I came to realize this thespian is acting his lil ass off while his partner is snoring near at hand. It’s funking hilarious. I do find it just tolerable enough to keep on. Maybe I’ll get through the whole thing eventually.
First impressions: The prose is more bare-bones than I would have imagined. The simplicity is intentional, I think, to evoke mythology. Sometimes it’s all edgy dark majesty, sometimes it’s wish fulfillment power fantasies just this side of My Immortal. Elric is the specialest boy. I’m mildly entertained.
–
That’s High Fantasy.
He did more allegorical mythopoetic stuff; cf. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_History_of_the_Runestaff
It’s been decades since I’ve read any of Moorcock’s stuff, but I think one of his eternal champion series was influenced/inspired/flavored by Celtic mythology. I think this one:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corum_Jhaelen_Irsei
As to audiobooks, have you tried accessing any via the public library? At least a lot of the libraries here in California have a good selection of ebooks, audiobooks and other e-resources available.
I read a fair bit of Moorcock’s sword and sorcery stuff, back in the day, but IMO none of that was a patch on Behold the Man.
I also read the Elric stories long ago, but preferred Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series. I won’t read any of that now because I fear the racism and misogyny inherent in the authors’ background and culture will be all too obvious. I’ve seen enough in many other books, movies, and TV from that time and have learned to be wary.
Thanks for the comments and additional reading y’all.
Altho lochaber, getting ebooks from library might require three to six minutes of effort on my part. What do you take me for?