r/ElricofMelnibone

I just finished The Weird of the White Wolf and most reading orders put Sleeping Sorcerer as the next one, so as I'm about to start I get a foreword by Michael Moorcock saying how after Elric fucking DIES in Stormbringer, all he could do is write a prequel.

So while yes, I was aware some of the books I'm were written after the original saga and anyone paying atention could guess that Elric "THE SUPER DOOMED HERO" of Meniboné was probably going to die...

I think this is the first time I get spoiled by the author. It's just a very weird thing to happen.

I've decided ro start reading through Moorcock's Elric stories. I've read The Dreaming City a while back as part of a short story collection, but I'd like to go through Elric's story properly. I didn't realize how difficult it would be to decide what order to read them in but after some research online this seems like a sensible order to me:

Book 1: Elric of Melnibone (1972)

Book 2: The Fortress of the Pearl (1989)

Book 3: The Sailor on the Seas of Fate (1976)

Book 4: The Weird of the White Wolf (1961)

Book 5: The Sleeping Sorceress / The Vanishing Tower (1970)

Book 6: The Revenge of the Rose (1991)

Book 7: The Bane of the Black Sword (1962)

Book 8: Stormbringer (1963)

The issue I face now is the only digital version of Elric of Melnibone 1972 I could find was as part of Elric of Melniboné and Other Stories (The Gollancz Edition). Should I just skip ahead to Elric of Melnibone or read the stories they put before it in the collection (Master of Chaos, Elric: The Making of a Sorcerer, And So the Great Emperor Recieved His Education...)?

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by all the decisions so I'm tempted to just stick to the above order I provided and skip ahead in the collection, but I thought I'd ask since I already purchased the collection and they chose to put these other stories before Elric of Melnibone 1972.