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Iit seems that Mongoose's Elric line has died a quiet death...


smiorgan

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It seems that Mongoose's Elric line has died a quiet death...

http://forum.mongoosepublishing.com/viewtopic.php?f=79&t=56328&start=60

PDFs of 'Secrets of the Steppes' have been withdrawn from Drivethru. This makes me think that Mongoose does not have the licence anymore.

I wonder whether we should wish someone to pick-up the license. On the one hand I still love the Young Kingdoms as a rpg setting. Last week end I picked up 'Stormbringer 4' with a friend and with my oldest son. We just rolled up some characters following the fully random procedure ... and we had a blast amidst laughs and pangs of nostalgia. So, I'm sort of sad thinking that the Albino exits another time from the world of pen and paper rpgs...

On the other hand, I have TONS of Eternal Champion rpg material for 5 different rule-sets in 3 different languages, spanning the worlds of Elric, Hawkmoon and Corum. Do I need another one?

Also, my appreciation of Moorcock stories gravitates towards the older stuff. I still enjoyed 'Fortress of the Pearl' and 'Revenge of the Rose' (a little bit), but 'Dreamthief Daughter' was a big letdown and I've stopped reading after that.

So, what do you think? Do we need another Elric/ stormbringer version?

Smiorgan

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I've never read Moorcock, but from a customer perspective it's always good to have something in print. I'm sure old copies of Elric material will be floating around on Amazon, Ebay, etc., for years but the prices will gradually become ridiculous.

That's an interesting perspective. Having a current version in print can be good if you want to gather a group of players for your game in person or online, organize a game at a convention or just have something new to read and to discuss on Internet forums!

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I, too, much prefer the old Moorcock (haven't read Corum or Hawkmoon)

Corum and Hawkmoon stories are a lot of fun. I greatly recommend both Corum series and the first Hawkmoon series (History of the Runestaff) - which is the epitome of fun. The second Hawkmoon series (Castle Brass) is a bit weaker but still worth reading for the broader picture of the Multiverse (especially 'Quest for Tanelorn' which is the putative "end" of the Eternal Champion Series). Erekose stories are also worth reading, at least the original novella 'The Eternal Champion'.

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Hawkmoon is an interesting mix of fantasy and SciFi.

Corum is pure Swords and Sorcery.

Jerry Cornelius is a romp through an unstable time stream, with a psychedelic 60s/70s feel to them.

Elric is dark, brooding Swords and Sorcery.

Oswald Bastable is pure Steampunk, but with fate locked in.

The End of Time books are comical rampages through a hedonistic far future.

Von Bek is a serious alternate history with a bit of the Multiverse thrown in.

Kane of Mars is a throwback to the old Space Fantasy/Planetary Romance books

They are all worth reading, although Michael Moorcock was better, in my opinion, when he was dusting off a single book in a day than when writing huge, serious novels.

Simon Phipp - Caldmore Chameleon - Wallowing in my elitism since 1982. Many Systems, One Family. Just a fanboy. 

www.soltakss.com/index.html

Jonstown Compendium author. Find my contributions here

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