The Dragon In The Sword
New York: Ace, 1986 (September) hardcover;
sub-titled “Being The Third And Final Story In The History Of John Daker, The Eternal Champion” on title page;
original price: $16·95;
298 pages;
I.S.B.N.: 0-441-16609-1;
cover artist: Robert Gould.
As stated by the book’s sub-title, this is the third and (at the time) final volume in a series featuring not only John Daker — commonly referred to as one of his other Eternal Champion incarnations, Erekosë — but also a member of the Family von Bek, various generations of which began appearing in Moorcock’s works (often based around their curious relationships with both Lucifer and the Holy Grail) from the early 1980s onwards. It was preceded by a German-language edition, Das Ewige Schwert. The first English-language edition appeared in the U.S.A. with unauthorised cuts and/or changes, making the following year’s U.K. edition the first complete version in the author’s native language. In this form it was collected in The Eternal Champion (omnibus, 1992) in the U.K., and in Von Bek (due to thematic links) in the U.S.A. (1995).
(Preceded by Phoenix In Obsidian [a.k.a. The Silver Warriors];
also — as a thematic prequel only — by The City In The Autumn Stars, second volume in a series featuring various members and generations of the Family von Bek)
Bergisch Gladbach: Bastei Lübbe, 1986 mass-sized paperback;
title translates as “The Eternal Sword”;
no sub-title;
original price: DM 9·80;
334 pages;
I.S.B.N.: 3-404-20083-7;
cover artist: Frank Brunner.
First British edition (uncut): London: Grafton hardcover, 1987 (July 16th);
sub-titled “Being the third and final story in the history of John Daker, the Eternal Champion” on title page;
original price: £10·95;
283 pages;
I.S.B.N.: 0-246-13129-2;
cover artist: Marl Salwowski.
(+ book-club ed.)
original price: £6·95;
I.S.B.N.: 0-246-13185-3 (cited on copyright page of hardcover, but not published simultaneously).
original price: £2·95;
I.S.B.N.: 0-583-13433-5 (0-586- on copyright page).
Ace mass-sized paperback (presumed cut), 1987 (December);
original price: $3·50;
266 pages;
I.S.B.N.: 0-441-16610-5.
London: Titan trade-sized paperback, 2015 (January 6th);
sub-titled “Being The Third And Final Story Of John Daker, The Eternal Champion” on title page;
alternatively sub-titled “The Eternal Champion Sequence Book Three” on front cover;
edited by John Davey;
original price: $9·95;
345 pages;
I.S.B.N.: 9781783291632;
cover artist: “Dreamtime/Funny Little Fish”.
(Click here for Foreign Editions)
The Dragon In The Sword is also available as e-books: 9780575092686 (U.K.) & 9781783291601 (U.S.A.).
Moorcography.org 