Elric: Song Of The Black Sword
Clarkston, GA: White Wolf, 1995 (November) hardcover;
part of the Tale Of The Eternal Champion (U.S.);
edited by John Davey;
original price: $19·99;
viii + 504 pages;
I.S.B.N.: 1-56504-180-1;
cover artist: Kent Williams (also interior) + James Cawthorn (map);
no British edition (by this title).
Elric of Melniboné — proud prince of ruins, kinslayer — call him what you will. He remains, together with maybe Jerry Cornelius, Moorcock’s most enduring, if not always most endearing, character…
Elric: Song Of The Black Sword is an omnibus containing (pretty much) the entire first half of the primary Elric saga — see below — retitled (and revised) from the Elric Of Melniboné omnibus (1993).
(+ book-club ed.)
original price: $14·99;
I.S.B.N.: 1-58846-195-X;
with minor textual amendments/corrections.
Contents (both editions):-
pp. ii/iii: ‘Elric In The Young Kingdoms’ (map) by James Cawthorn;
p. vii: Introduction (non-fiction) by Michael Moorcock;
p. 1: Elric Of Melniboné;
p. 121: The Fortress Of The Pearl;
p. 285: The Sailor On The Seas Of Fate*;
p. 415: ‘The Dreaming City’*;
p. 443: ‘While The Gods Laugh’*;
p. 475: ‘The Singing Citadel’*.
* Includes chapter titles, added in 1993 but later dispensed with.
