Von Bek
London: Millennium, 1992 (November 12th) hardcover and simultaneous trade-sized paperback;
part of the Tale Of The Eternal Champion (U.K.);
original prices: £14·99 (h/c), £10·99 (p/b);
vi + 504 pages;
I.S.B.N.s: 1-85798-023-9 (h/c) & 1-85798-024-7 (p/b);
cover artist: Mark Reeve (after Yoshitaka Amano).
Three omnibuses, each bearing the same collective title but comprised of differing contents — see below — combined here as they all form parts of the Tale Of The Eternal Champion sequences (U.K. & U.S.) and the Michael Moorcock Collection series. Each features the two main Von Bek novels, The War Hound And The World’s Pain (1981) and The City In The Autumn Stars (1986); thereafter, various members and generations of the Family von Bek and their curious relationships with both Lucifer and the Holy Grail began appearing increasingly in subsequent (and revised) works, although the name’s derivation can be traced back as far as ‘Katinka van Bak’ in 1973’s The Champion Of Garathorm. The first of these omnibuses was in fact the first volume in the U.K.’s Tale Of The Eternal Champion sequence (1992/’93), an ambitious project of re-ordering, revising and republishing much of Moorcock’s back-catalogue in a set of (then) definitive omnibuses, also allowing the opportunity to change several character names in order to bring them in line with the developing Von Bek series.
(+ book-club ed.),
reprinted 1995 (March 3rd).
Both (simultaneous) first editions included a loose-leaf erratum slip of two lines omitted from the bottom of page 5/top of page 6 (subsequently restored in the hardcover’s 1995 reprint).
London: Orion, 1995 (June 5th) mass-sized paperback;
original price: £5·99;
vi + 646 pages;
I.S.B.N.: 1-85798-436-6;
contains minor textual amendments.
(+ later reprint[s] @ £9·99).
London: Gollancz trade-paperback, 2013 (October 10th);
part of the Michael Moorcock Collection;
edited by John Davey;
original price: £12·99;
xx + 585 pages;
includes ‘Introduction To The Michael Moorcock Collection’ by John Clute (pp. vii–xii);
also includes ‘Introduction To The Michael Moorcock Collection’ by Moorcock (pp. xiii–xviii);
I.S.B.N.: 978-0-575-09245-7;
cover artist: Mark Reeve.
Copyright page states “Revised versions”, but should be more accurately ‘Versions contain minor textual amendments’.
First American edition: Stone Mountain, GA: White Wolf hardcover, 1995 (January 15th);
part of the Tale Of The Eternal Champion (U.S.);
edited by John Davey;
original price: $19·99;
x + 705 pages;
I.S.B.N.: 1-56504-177-1;
cover artist: Janet Aulisio (also interior).
(+ book-club ed.[?])
original price: $14·99;
I.S.B.N.: 1-56504-192-5;
with minor textual amendments/corrections.
Contents (first editions):-
p. iii: untitled introduction (non-fiction) by Michael Moorcock;
p. 1: The War Hound And The World’s Pain (as The First Story Of Von Bek: The War Hound And The World’s Pain on title page);
p. 181: The City In The Autumn Stars (as The Second Story Of Von Bek: The City In The Autumn Stars: Being a continuation of the story of the von Bek family and its association with Lucifer, Prince of Darkness, and the cure for the world’s pain. The second chronicle, in which is recorded the Confession of Manfred von Bek, sometime Cpt. of Cavalry in Washington’s Revolutionary Forces; Deputy of the French Commune; also Former Secretary to the Saxon Embassy at the Court of the Empress Catherine of Russia; said Confession chiefly Relating to Certain Strange Events in the City of Mirenburg during the Winter Months of the Year 1794 on title page);
p. 489: ‘The Pleasure Garden Of Felipe Sagittarius’ (as ‘The Third Story Of Von Bek: The Pleasure Garden Of Felipe Sagittarius’ on title page).
Contents (first U.S. edition):-
p. i: Half-title page;
p. ii: Copyright page;
p. ii: By The Same Author page;
p. iv: Title page;
p. v: Contents page;
p. vi (as p. i on contents page): Introduction (non-fiction) by Moorcock;
p. x: Dedication page;
p. 1: The War Hound And The World’s Pain: A Fable (as The War Hound And The World’s Pain only, on contents page);
p. 181: The City In The Autumn Stars: Being a continuation of the story of the von Bek family and its association with Lucifer, Prince of Darkness, and the cure for the world’s pain (as The City In The Autumn Stars only, on contents page);
p. 459: The Dragon in The Sword *;
p. 689: ‘The Pleasure Garden Of Felipe Sagittarius’.
* A thematic sequel only, also being the third and final part of the Eternal Champion trilogy.
Contents (2013 edition):-
p. vii: ‘Introduction To The Michael Moorcock Collection’ (non-fiction) by John Clute;
p. xiii: ‘Introduction To The Michael Moorcock Collection’ (non-fiction) by Moorcock;
p. xix: Contents page;
p. 1: The War Hound And The World’s Pain: A Fable (as The War Hound And The World’s Pain only, on contents page);
p. 181: The City In The Autumn Stars: Being a continuation of the story of the von Bek family and its association with Lucifer, Prince of Darkness, and the cure for the world’s pain
The second chronicle, in which is recorded the Confession of Manfred von Bek, sometime Cpt. of Cavalry in Washington’s Revolutionary Forces; Deputy of the French Commune; also Former Secretary to the Saxon Embassy at the Court of the Empress Catherine of Russia; said Confession chiefly Relating to Certain Strange Events in the City of Mirenburg during the Winter Months of the Year 1794
(as The City In The Autumn Stars only, on contents page).
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