‘The Revenge Of The Rose’

The Revenge Of The Rose

London:  Grafton, 1991 (May 9th) hardcover;
sub-titled “A Tale of the Albino Prince in the Years of His Wandering” on title page;
alternatively sub-titled “An Elric Novel” on front cover;
original price:  £13·99;
233 pages;
I.S.B.N.:  0-246-13734-7;
cover artist:  Robert Gould;
illustrated by James Cawthorn (chapter decorations).

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…

As stated on its first edition’s title page, The Revenge Of The Rose slots — in terms of the overall saga’s internal narrative chronology — “between those events described in The Vanishing Tower and The Bane Of The Black Sword”. It was collected in the Stormbringer omnibus (1993, retitled and revised as Elric: The Stealer Of Souls in 1998), The Elric Saga Part Three (2003), Elric: Swords And Roses (2010), Elric: The Revenge Of The Rose (2014) and The Elric Saga Volume Two: Stormbringer (2022).

First edition

First paperback edition: London: Grafton, 1991 (November 21st) trade-sized paperback;
original price:  £7·99;
233 pages;
I.S.B.N.:  0-586-21501-8.

A simultaneous “Pbk” is cited on the copyright page of the 1st ed. hardcover, as I.S.B.N. 0-246-13735-5, but is believed never to have existed. So unless anyone knows (and can prove) otherwise, this remains the first paperback edition.

Grafton, 1992 (August 20th) mass-sized paperback;
published for export (beyond the U.K.) only;
original price:  £3·99;
233 pages;
I.S.B.N.:  0-586-21120-9.

Reprinted (or more likely simultaneously printed) 1992, for sale within the U.K.;
original price:  £4·99 (+ later reprint[s]).

First American edition: New York: Ace, 1991 (November) hardcover;
contains minor textual amendments;
inaccurately states “Published simultaneously in Great Britain by Grafton Books” on copyright page;
original price:  $17·95;
244 pages;
I.S.B.N.:  0-441-71844-2;
cover artist:  Robert Gould.

+ book-club ed.
Ace, 1994 (October) mass-sized paperback;
original price:  $4·99;
244 pages;
I.S.B.N.:  0-441-00106-8.

Lakewood, CO: Centipede Press, 2020 (October 3rd) hardcover;
a limited edition of “300 [numbered] signed copies for sale, plus extras for contributors, and a special deluxe edition” (not yet published);
edited by John Davey;
original price:  $160·00;
351 pages;
I.S.B.N.:  978-1-61347-220-0;
cover artist:  (Gerald) Brom (also interior);
introduction (‘The Return Of The Thin White Duke’ [pp. 7–14]) by Alan Moore;
signed by Moorcock, Brom & Moore.

Includes additional short fiction: ‘The Stealer Of Souls’ (pp. 297–351).

(Click here for Foreign Editions)