Jack Vance

[JoanDrake]

Is anyone here a fan of Jack Vance?

(I apologize in advance if this is not the way threads are normally started here. I did research the author but found no threads on him specifically, but didn't really look at all 178 of the returns either, just too many, sorry.)

I've read some of his work, certainly not all. Mainly the Demon Princes and the Old Tschai series, some of his Trembling Earth series, The Languages of Pao, some other stuff. He's very prolific.

I'm one of those whose really very taken with his style and use of language. The best thing I ever heard said about it was in Piers Anthony's autobio; where he was discussing Vance's style with Keith Laumer, and mentioned that many people say Vance's style is wooden.

"No, not wooden,...... carved," said Laumer.

I'd really like to discuss anything he's written. Was the Demon Princes ever taken for a movie(s)? The Palace of Love is just so cinematic.

 

[HardScienceFan]

yes,o yes!!
I am
Jack is huge in France,BTW

 

[Anthony G Williams]

I have kept several of his books for re-reads (and have already read a couple of them twice). The Dragon Masters and The Languages of Pao are my favourites; they are both very different from the usual SF themes and explore interesting ideas - the selective breeding of humans by aliens in the first one, and the effect of language structure on culture and psychology in the second.

 

[JoanDrake]

yes,o yes!!
I am
Jack is huge in France,BTW

Really? That sort of vindicates him for me. The French always seem to recognize good American authors before we do, like Poe.

I love Baudelaire, and Raymond Radriguet

Also my favorite anime, Code Lyoko, is French.

 

[HardScienceFan]

Ther's even a French site with "Vance recipes "
Jack's little expositions on food are lovely,and are among the many things that makes him special

 

[The Ace]

Loved, "The Demon Princes," but I don't think I'd want to see Hollywood mangle them.

 

[HardScienceFan]

morning, Ace
as usual,you're right
if anything,Tim Burton would be my best bet.
Hollywood doesn't sit well with the fantastic genre,somehow

 

[Connavar]

There is Jack Vance thread in classic SFF forum. I made it

But no need to move the talk there. Im glad to see new fresh talk about him.


JV is a literary genius. He is the only writer that can move me with his beautiful prose,use of langauge in SF. In all of his books i have read so far.

I rate him as much as my favorit alltime in both SF and fantasy.

I loved both Dying Earth tales and Emphyrio. Emphyrio being the favorite so far.

 

[Fried Egg]

I'm just reading "The Green Pearl" right now which is the second volume in the Lyonesse trilogy and I'm really enjoying it. One of the things I love about it is his descriptions of food; it makes my mouth water!

 

[yngvi]

"The Dragon Masters" was a novel that made a big impression on me when I read it in the 70's but looking at his bibliography, I don't think I explored his work very well. Maybe I'll have another look, but his stuff isn't stocked too widely in the UK (certainly not in public libraries) so I'll see what I fancy from this thread perhaps.

 

[Werthead]

The Dying Earth and The Lyonesse Trilogy are superb works of fantasy. I need to catch up on some of his other works, although a lot of his back catalogue is sadly now out of print.

I'm looking forward to next year's Songs of the Dying Earth immensely. The idea of Neil Gaiman, Tad Williams, Dan Simmons, GRRM and Robert Silverberg creating new Dying Earth stories approved by Vance is enticing, and reportedly Kage Barker's Cugel story is really impressive.

 

[Connavar]

The Dying Earth and The Lyonesse Trilogy are superb works of fantasy. I need to catch up on some of his other works, although a lot of his back catalogue is sadly now out of print.

Yeah it makes me so frustrated that alot of his older works are out of print.



Second hand stores here suck with SFF that it will be almost impossible for me to get his less famous works

If you liked his Fantasy, try his SF. I have find his world building in his SF to be something special.

 

[HardScienceFan]

want me to lend you some,Conn?
dunno what the cost of shipping would be,though
Might be a few quid
anybody here a fan of the Magnus ridolph series???????????????

 

[Bikewer]

Big Vance fan here as well. I've re-read most all of his stuff at least once, some several times. Vance is right up there with Lieber in prose usage.

I've got a big hardback of the entire Tschai novels under one cover...Just went through it again a few months ago.

 

[Connavar]

want me to lend you some,Conn?
dunno what the cost of shipping would be,though
Might be a few quid
anybody here a fan of the Magnus ridolph series???????????????

Loan isnt worth the shipping cost.

If you want to sell some of his books though

 

[GOLLUM]

I'm looking forward to next year's Songs of the Dying Earth immensely. The idea of Neil Gaiman, Tad Williams, Dan Simmons, GRRM and Robert Silverberg creating new Dying Earth stories approved by Vance is enticing, and reportedly Kage Barker's Cugel story is really impressive.

That should be truly awesome!...

 

[Urlik]

morning, Ace
as usual,you're right
if anything,Tim Burton would be my best bet.
Hollywood doesn't sit well with the fantastic genre,somehow

I think I'd rather see Terry Gilliam directing any book to film adaptation.
I love the way that he refuses to compromise and chop out parts of the narrative to make the film into a nice package, but keeps faithful to the book and its readers.

 

[JoanDrake]

One of Vance's ideas that particularly struck me was the politics of the Oikumene and Beyond, which seemed a big part of the Demon Princes novels. Were any of his other works written with them as a background? Do any go into their history etc in more detail?