Jack Vance

[AE35Unit]

Ah thanks JD.once again you come up with the goods! Ah,so 5 would be pentatology?

 

[Connavar]

Unless I'm mistaken, it sounds like you're conflating two things here. Hughes has written in the style of Vance, but I don't believe he's done a sequel to The Dying Earth (or any of the later tales of that sequence); however, Michael Shea did: The Quest for Simbilis, with Vance's permission. I don't recall Vance (or Shea) actually regretting this (though I could be misremembering) as Vance getting interested in doing another story of Cugel himself, and simply deciding to go from there.... (Incidentally, Shea's book is worth looking into.....)

My fault i saw this about Michael Shea in wiki.

"A Quest for Simbilis by Michael Shea (DAW Books, NY, 1974) a sequel to The Eyes of the Overworld, with Vance's permission (later regretted). Vance's own Cugel sequel was published as Cugel's Saga, and republished by the VIE with Vance's title: Cugel: The Skybreak Spatterlight. "


I was on a quest to explore Vance like authors or authors that he influenced and i had many names in my head and got them mixed.

 

[j d worthington]

Ah thanks JD.once again you come up with the goods! Ah,so 5 would be pentatology?

Yep....

My fault i saw this about Michael Shea in wiki.

"A Quest for Simbilis by Michael Shea (DAW Books, NY, 1974) a sequel to The Eyes of the Overworld, with Vance's permission (later regretted). Vance's own Cugel sequel was published as Cugel's Saga, and republished by the VIE with Vance's title: Cugel: The Skybreak Spatterlight. "


I was on a quest to explore Vance like authors or authors that he influenced and i had many names in my head and got them mixed.

I believe this was Shea's first novel, or close to it. Shea is another writer who has done a rather wide range of things, including some interesting Lovecraftian pieces, some delightfully off-the-wall fantasy, some chilling horror, etc....

 

[dask]

Jack Vance is one of my very favorite authors and I've been reading with much interest some ( but by no means all) of the posts in this thread. Anyone familiar with the mysteries he wrote under the name John Holbrook Vance? One, Bad Ronald was made into a tv movie.

 

[Connavar]

He even won famous crime award for his mysteries and i want them so much but they are so rare and so expensive to buy from the internet.

He has SF mystery too atleast one book i have seen about galactic police officer. Kind of IPC from Demon Princes.

 

[Who's Wee Dug]

As well as Ellery Queen,

Other pen names include Alan Wade, Peter Held, John van See, and Jay Kavanse.?

The last one needs to be verified though.

 

[dask]

As well as Ellery Queen,

Other pen names include Alan Wade, Peter Held, John van See, and Jay Kavanse.?

The last one needs to be verified though.

I've heard of Alan Wade and Peter Held but do not have any of their books. John van See and Jay Kavanse are new to me; I'll keep my eye open when book hunting. The novels Vance wrote as Ellery Queen (that I know about) are A Room To Die In; The Four Johns (Four Men Called John in the UK); The Madman Theory. Check your used bookstores, I found A Room To Die In and The Madman Theory in town for second hand prices (somewhere between two and three dollars a piece). Check your library sales too. I found a copy of The Man In The Cage, his Edgar award winning mystery, in a small town library a few miles away. It's the only copy I've ever seen and I don't think I paid more than a dollar for it (hard back, by the way). Of course, it pays to be a compulsive book hunter.

 

[Fried Egg]

I'm just now making my way through the last of the Lyonesse trilogy: "Madouc". I've really enjoyed this trilogy and while I generally avoid fantasy epics and series these days, I find this one to be well worth the read. It doesn't feel padded and is beautifully written. It is not filled with cliched concepts such as any well defined notions of good and evil.

I'm wondering where to go next with Vance. I might well pick up the dying earth books if I see them...

 

[David Gullen]

I'm wondering where to go next with Vance. I might well pick up the dying earth books if I see them...

I can recommend them (Rhialto the Marvelous is the lesser of the set ) and also 'Night Lamp'

It's quite amazing to remember 'Tales of the Dying Earth' was written on the late 1940s & early 50s

 

[Connavar]

I'm just now making my way through the last of the Lyonesse trilogy: "Madouc". I've really enjoyed this trilogy and while I generally avoid fantasy epics and series these days, I find this one to be well worth the read. It doesn't feel padded and is beautifully written. It is not filled with cliched concepts such as any well defined notions of good and evil.

I'm wondering where to go next with Vance. I might well pick up the dying earth books if I see them...

You shock me fried egg you are one of few other regular posters that i know likes Vance's fantasy how could you have missed his Dying Earth. I took for granted that you started there since its his most famous series.

I have read all the masters and no greater fantasy than the writing,world,characters in Dying earth i have yet to see. Specially in Cugel stories. Get the Fantasy Masterworks book. Its only one of two versions in print and it has awesome cover.
Its so original,the magic and science is so blended that you dont see those systems anywhere else that didnt outright copy him.

If you want SF what have you read ? I feel the need to recommend his SF too if you have only read fantasy of him.

 

[Fried Egg]

Connavar

I have not missed "Dying Earth", I just hadn't gotten around to it yet. I have every intention of doing so, especially after your resounding endorsement of them.

The only other book I have read of Vance's is "The Dragon Masters". I have also read a short story of his in an anthology, the name of which escapes me.

 

[Connavar]

Let me geuss the short story of his you read in an antho Guyel of Sfere ?

The Dragon Masters are on my top of his next fantasy haul. It sounds really interesting.

You havent read any sf at all ? Myself i have read Emphyrio,The Star King(The Demon Princes book 1).

 

[Fried Egg]

Connavar

Let me geuss the short story of his you read in an antho Guyel of Sfere ?

I don't think so, although I'm not sure if I would recall the name even if you guessed right.

The Dragon Masters are on my top of his next fantasy haul. It sounds really interesting.

You havent read any sf at all ? Myself i have read Emphyrio,The Star King(The Demon Princes book 1).

Actually, "Dragon Masters" is more science fiction than fantasy...

 

[Connavar]

Its was described as Science Fantasy so im not surprised.

Dying Earth is sometimes more science fiction but most of the times much more fantasy. Same with Planet Adventure books. Outside Emphyrio Vance seems to be at his best in stories like that.

Good to read books like that. Its not so clear if you are reading SF or fantasy setting,stories wise.

Do you plan to read his strictly SF books or just plan to read his fantasy like books for now ?

 

[Fried Egg]

I will read whichever I can get my hands on. Bear in mind that most of my book shopping comes from second hand book shops where you just have to take what you can get. I can't afford to buy new books very often.

 

[Connavar]

I get most of my books from bookmooch where you take books for other you give away. Or cheap second hand stores. I get most of my second hand books from bookmooch or from amazon,abebooks through my bookstore cause there arent many good second hand stores over here.

Its only the best of my favorites authors i buy every chance i get. Vance,PKD,RAH,Gemmell,REH,Stark,Poe,Chandler are really the only authors i buy all of their books new if i can.

70% of Vance's SF is out of print sadly so i read mostly his fantasy.

 

[Fried Egg]

Sadly, my book buying budget is quite slim (price of having children and other financial priorities I suppose) so I generally have to make do despite finding many authors very hard to get second hand (like Vance and PKD).

 

[Connavar]

I finished The Killing Machine second book of The Demon Princes last night.

I liked more than the first one,Gersen is growing on me. Anyone who have read it ? dask ?

 

[dask]

Yes, I've read all five Kerth Gersen adventures. Very surprised, shocked even, at the low rating Pringle's ULTIMATE GUIDE TO SCIENCE FICTION gave to THE STAR KING. Much, much better than that.

 

[Connavar]

Yes, I've read all five Kerth Gersen adventures. Very surprised, shocked even, at the low rating Pringle's ULTIMATE GUIDE TO SCIENCE FICTION gave to THE STAR KING. Much, much better than that.

Who cares about them, if they give a Demon Prince book low rating then they dont know what they are talking about.

I liked Killing Machine even more because you got to know Gersen better. I liked his patience, he didnt panic or give up when he was in the interchange. Heh he was willing to waste away for years to get his revenge.

Thamber was even more imaginative,interesting world with its the human life was few centuries behind the other planets,animal life,different types of humans.