Jack Vance is one of the most remarkable talents to ever grace the world of science fiction. His unique, stylish voice has been beloved by generations of readers. One of his enduring classics is his 1964 novel, The Dying Earth, and its sequels–a fascinating, baroque tale set on a far-future Earth, under a giant red sun that is soon to go out forever. This omnibus volume comprised all four books … comprised all four books in the series
The Dying Earth
The Eyes of the Overworld
Cugel’s Saga
Rialto the Marvellous
A must-read for every Science Fiction fan.
At the Publisher’s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
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I debated putting the Book of the New Sun series by Wolfe here, but Vance has the advantage of brevity. In fact, that might be the key to his success. He was, in a single paragraph, able to sketch the most incredible cultures and societies. With a throwaway line, he’d outline a world as interesting as all of Dune. And he did it again and again and again. His approach didn’t lend itself to constructing large, self-sustaining epics, but that’s okay. The gleaming spots of brilliance dotted throughout his stories are pleasure enough.
Jack Vance may well be the most-overlooked fantasy/science fiction writer of his generation. Although this is nominally a review of Tales of the Dying Earth, the unique prose style and copious imagination on display that makes this book so fascinating, can be found in almost any of the prolific Vance’s other fantasy/science fiction novels (I do not differentiate between the two types of literature when discussing Vance, because his “science-fiction” is not particularly scientific when compared with Asimov, Clarke, David Brin, etc.)
Tales of the Dying Earth is a collection of novels and shorter fiction set on Earth in a distant future where the Sun has grown old, dim and on the verge of flickering out altogether ( this is not what actually happens when stars get old, but, as stated above, Vance does not write hard science fiction,) and the laws of science have in some fashion been displaced by magic. The stories, Cugel’s Saga, Rhialto the Marvelous, Mazrian the Magician and the others, are overflowing with unique cultures, religions, lifestyles and beings sprung straight from the Vance’s seemingly bottomless imagination, and this is equally true for Vance’s other series and individual novels. If you are looking for an author who excels in building unique detailed imagined worlds, and who never repeats himself, you cannot do much better than Vance’s series such as The Demon Princes (5 novels,) Planet of Adventure (3,) the Lyonesse Trilogy, the Cadwal Chronicles, Showboat World, to name only a fraction of the prolific Vance’s fantasy output. Vance is equally adept at creating engaging characters, interesting things for them to say, and unique, witty, ways for them to say them.
Jack Vance is one of Science Fiction’s demi-gods – he was voted Grand Master by Science Fiction and Fantasy writers of America, inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame, won a couple of Hugos, etc. He may be best known for the short stories collected in “Tales of the Dying Earth”. These stories are situated millions, if not billions of years in the future. Science has become completely indistinguishable from magic. The sun is dying. Human civilization is in decline and decadent. Most of the characters in his stories are comically vain or venial or both.
Vance spins his tales using a light, overly elegant language. The main characters of most of his stories are sympathetic scoundrels or anti-heroes who fail much more often than they succeed (especially Cugel the Clever – the main character in many stories). Even the most straightforward adventures have comic, odd, and sometimes grotesque elements.
I recommend this book. There is a lot of similarity in the style and rhythm of the stories. Some readers may find reading a few stories at a time to be more enjoyable than reading them all at once.
This book is made up of short stories vs a novel. It was okay.
Only a Jack Vance book could have me choosing adjectives ranging from “wonderful characters” and “inspirational” to “haunting” and “twisted” while still “romantic” and “whimsical” and always, always witty. (And that doesn’t include the inspired world-building, maybe the thing that pops most.) One of the most original and distinctive writers of all time is at the top of his form with “The Dying Earth.” If you’ve ever played Dungeons and Dragons, this will ring a few bells … but of course, the Vance came first.
Multiple story lines around the main character who I developed a love/hate relationship with. His troubles revolved around his poor choices is the most interesting ways!
Excellent hard core science fiction from a past master. Vance was obviously an influence on Ellison and the new wave of authors in the late sixties through the eighties and beyond…
Not for everyone, but Vance is one of my favorites
Jack Vance wrote the book about the unimaginably distant future, when all the Golden Ages, their achievements and technologies are lost in the mists of antiquity. This is the book.
Jack Vance at his best. This classic was the basis for the Dungeons and Dragons games. Totally inventive, way ahead of its time. Inspired many a writer.