I knew from previous reading that the young Moorcock became a very good writer very quickly indeed, but I would almost swear that you can see him improve over the course of this single, quite brief novel. That's probably projection on my part, or else an artifact of the multiple revisions the work has undergone, including expansion from novella length.The cover. I'm reading the US omnibus edition but... come on. Tom Canty or Frank Frazetta? That's a question? Not for me it ain't. Frazetta brings violent energy, flawless composition and sheer exuberance for the win. The Eternal Champion isn't doomed to pose for a series of pensive portraits - he's doomed to endless bloody combat! And seriously, that's the bass player from Duran Duran. Don't tell me it's not.
Fittingly, this cover features one of many Frazetta paintings that no longer exist in their original form. Like Moorcock, Frazetta has never hesitated to revise old works, often drastically and sometimes more than once. It's easy to forgive him, since those revisions are usually dramatic improvements, and often involve adding naked women or making the original women even nakeder. That last part, by the way, is rather unlike Moorcock, who has apparently had his consciousness raised quite a bit over the years on that front. That's no loss and all gain if the formidable Libussa from The City in the Autumn Stars is any example. Moorcock's women become sexier as they are objectified less.
John Daker of Earth is incarnated (or reincarnated) as Erekosë of... a different Earth. He is expected to lead the armies of Humanity against the "demonic" Eldren. It is painfully clear from early on that the Eldren will turn out to be more demonized than demonic. Erekosë's loyalties are tested. He takes a terrible oath. Bloodshed ensues.
Daker/Erekosë is unique among the various versions of the E.C. in that he remembers (vaguely) all his different lives. This really sucks, for him. But not for the reader, since Daker's dreams are full of scenes from other E.C. novels and occasionally he'll list various names he's had, which is always fun. I suspect that updates to these lists make up the majority of Moorcock's revisions. Among his other musings Daker wonders if his unique fate is punishment for some terrible crime. There is a hint, not very well developed, that his acts in this novel may constitute that crime.
Moorcock doesn't do anything in Champion that he didn't do better elsewhere, but he did them here first. A good example is the "two races" idea. The conflict between Humanity and Eldren will be echoed by that of the Mabden and Vadagh in the Corum books as well as in the Young Kingdoms that threaten Elric's Melniboné.
Stop reading now to avoid a big spoiler. The nicest thing I can say about The Eternal Champion is that it's surprisingly readable. Weak, I know. Sorry. The most damning criticism I can think of is that it features the genocide of one race and the near-genocide of another but lacks the thematic clarity and moral seriousness that would give those events anything like the impact they should possess. It's been a very long time now since anything Moorcock wrote could be criticised for those particular failings. It's kind of nice to know that the Master was once a journeyman.
Tomorrow, The Sundered Worlds.
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