“The Fortress of the Pearl”
By Michael Moorcock, 1989
I recently finished another novel in the realms and chronicles of Elric, the last Emperor of Melniboné. This book takes place between “Elric of Melniboné” and “Sailor On The Seas Of Fate” in terms of the timeline of Elric, but was written well after those stories. I would still recommend reading the core saga books first before this one. There aren’t necessarily any spoilers for Elric’s story in “The Fortress Of The Pearl” but a lot more will make sense that way. This book sees Elric stopping in another ancient city-civilization far out in the Sighing Desert, and one that is gripped in the unknowing downfall of its once-great empire. Elric is tricked into recovering a lost artifact and in order to retrieve it he must travel the dream realms aided by one that holds the profession of Dreamthief. The concept of this occupation and its execution is one that inspired me throughout reading this novel. Also, the fact that this was a novel length story, rather than a collection of short stories, which is technically what the core saga books are, allows the world, characters, and especially Elric to build and grow throughout the story. The dream realms presented a backdrop of incredulity that fit right beside Moorcock’s previous writings focusing on the realms of Chaos, but with a different, sometimes more disjointed twist. Just as Elric learns to trust the surreal, so did I learn not to question what was transpiring but instead to try and reason with the unreasonable to see where the pathways led next. While exploring and navigating through these realms, the question of who holds the strings, the dreams or the dreamer, is a constant theme. The dream realms fed on emotion and intent but could often be overcome with only a turn of phrase or a little misdirection that, to anyone in the waking realm, wouldn’t have made any difference. In this we see the core difference between these dreams and Moorcock’s Chaos: Chaos has purpose, to create or destroy, while the dreams were molded around desires. The resolution of the book can be seen as another representation of Elric’s ultimate fate, expressed in a satisfying fashion. Doom follows the White Wolf, or, rather, is he himself Doom incarnate?
Recommended listening while reading “The Fortress Of The Pearl:”
“Torn Cloak” by Torn Cloak
https://antiquitytapes.bandcamp.com/album/torn-cloak
“Ruinscapes I” by Skeleton Mage
https://skeletonmage.bandcamp.com/album/ruinscapes-i
“Kernow Nemeton” by USKK
https://uskk.bandcamp.com/album/kernow-nemeton
“endless melancholia” by Earthen Shield
https://esotericobfuscation.bandcamp.com/album/endless-melancholia
“The Dead Kingdom” by Tyrant of Gorgon
https://tombwizard.bandcamp.com/album/the-dead-kingdom
The Reliquary Notes Online 