(Quote from the official Jack Vance website)
On a day when posts about Jack Vance abound, another one may simply be white noise. When one of the greats in the world of Fantasy and Science Fiction passes away, I often find myself in the position of lamenting having not read their work while they were alive. Later on when I pick up one of their books I feel that small pang of regret that I cannot express my appreciation, whether said author would ever see it or not.
Gratefully this is not the case with Jack Vance, and thus I thought I might use the opportunity of his passing to remember my small but significant exposure to his work, and in the process hopefully encourage you to give him a try.
While the name “Jack Vance” was familiar to me prior to this, he and his worked popped on my radar back in 2007 when Subterranean Press released The Jack Vance Treasury. I was a fan of the illustrative work of Tom Kidd, the cover caught my eye, and I put in my order. When it arrived I was greeted with a true tome, a door stopper of a collection of the quality that Subterranean Press is known for.
To this day I have not read the entire collection, merely the first four stories: “The Dragon Masters”, “Liane the Wayfarer”, “Sail 25”, and “The Gift of Gab”. I liked them all, in particular my first taste of his skill in his Hugo-award-winning “The Dragon Masters”. While Vance wrote some stories that could easily be classified as “fantasy” or “science fiction”, much of my exposure to his work has been in reading genre-blending stories told in a unique voice. As I thought of Jack Vance this morning the work of Paul Linebarger (Cordwainer Smith) came to mind. Both men crafted stories with a lyrical quality to them, and once captivated by that tune it will never get out of your head. “The Dragon Masters” was different from much of the short genre fiction I had been exposed to and all these years later I can clearly recollect the day I first read it.
My other exposure to the works of Jack Vance is in reading the first two novels in the Tales of the Dying Earth collection. Vance’s Dying Earth stories are set in a far distant future in which our sun is burning out. Advanced civilization has long since crumbled and societies have settled back into simplified structure. Magic is reasserting itself and technology that remains in the shells of once-great cities is to be shunned. The first book in this collection, The Dying Earth, is a favorite. It is a novel that consists of six loosely-related short stories, the first three of which share characters and something of a story arc. If you haven’t read Jack Vance, I highly recommend starting there. Fans of fantasy will find a kindred spirit in these stories and fans of science fiction will see the sfnal underpinnings of Vance’s creation.
In becoming aware of Jack Vance it was impressed upon me that he had a marked influence on the genre, inspiring many story tellers who have come along after him. Once exposed to his work I began to see that influence for myself. Jack Vance lived a long life. 96 years is a good run, and he lived an active, engaged life full of diverse interests. He has an impressive body of work that will live on, and though I have experienced a small portion of that work, I am glad to know there is more to be discovered.
96! wow. Good for him and he has influenced and entertained so many. A wonderful tribute Carl.
Yes, he had a full life, that is for sure. And was a very prolific author.
Very nice, Carl. I did a lot of my Vance reading in the Seventies and Eighties, so some of it – most of it, I guess – is vague in my memory at this point. But I do know I enjoyed it a lot and started re-reading Dying Earth last night.
My classic nomination for the book club for this round was The Dying Earth and it got picked. We are reading it in December, but now that this has happened I’m wondering if I’ll get to my re-read of it sooner.
I actually haven’t read any Vance – but that’s because I seem to live under a rock located in a black hole! (Or more to the point I’ve only just discovered sci-fi – mainly due to your efforts and those of Little Red Reviewer).
This is a loverly tribute piece.
Thanks
Lynn 😀
If it is the rock, I live under that same rock. There are so many of the classic authors I have yet to read.
Little Red Reviewer does a great job of making books enticing, doesn’t she?
As do you! Just read Ready Player One – which I think I picked up off your blog??
Lynn 😀
Yes, I reviewed that sometime last year. I ‘read’ the audio version. Thought it was quite fun. I’ll head over to check out your review.
I was moved by your heartfelt words about Jack Vance, a giant in science fiction and one of the best writers of the 20th Century. I envy you all the delight you’re going to experience as you read more of Jack Vance’s work. The man was prolific, but he kept the quality high. I’ll post a tribute to Jack Vance next week.
He was prolific! I look forward to your tribute. I’ve barely scratched the surface of his work and know so little about him, but I look forward to learning more.
Carl, I finished DYING EARTH this morning. Honestly, not as good as I remembered it, but still good. I wish I’d re-read DRAGON MASTERS instead. Still, can’t go wrong with Vance.
It will be interesting to see what I think of my re-read. The club moved it up from Dec. to July so I’ll be at it sooner than I thought.
I’ve got several of Jack Vance’s books on my wishlist at the Paperback Swap, trying to get them for my dad. I wasn’t aware that he wrote a whole slew of Westerns and Mysterys in under John Holbrook Vance. Dad’s a sucker for a good western!
I have nearly all Jack’s works in hard cover, limited editions, nearly all of those signed. I have a library edition copy of the 44-volume VIE, on which I also helped work as a lesser minion (scanned and proofed 5 novels & 9 short stories). I was most sad to read of his passing as I actually met and spoke to him at length once (a weekend work session of the VIE).
He most graciously allowed me to purchase translation rights into the language Esperanto, thus affording me a most wonderful lifetime hobby. I not a monomaniac (at least entirely). I do read many other authors, some of them plural times. But the Demon Princes are the only series that I’ve now read through seven whole times. His like we shall not see again.