What Jack Vance book should I get?

[Grayhawk]

In a week I'm off to Thailand for 14 days and I want to bring a couple of good books. I've encountered the name of Jack Vance a lot on these boards but have yet to read anything by him.

What would be your recommendations? (1 or 2 books, maybe the start of a series. Preferably fantasy.)

Are any of his books on the recommended reading list in the 1st ed. AD&D DM's guide?

 

[Faraer]

You bet -- he's Gary Gygax's favourite author.

Vance, Jack. THE EYES OF THE OVERWORLD; THE DYING EARTH; et al.

These are collected in Tales of the Dying Earth -- two different editions, Orb (US) and Gollancz (UK).

 

[Grayhawk]

In researching Jack Vance, his body of work seems quite large.

Is The Dying Earth series the one to read?

As I understand it, it mixes Sci-Fi and fantasy. How much Sci-Fi?

Are any of his series/novels pure Fantasy? (I found a list of some of his series here.

Also, AFAIK the D&D magic system is sometimes called 'Vancian', because it works like in Vance's books. Correct? In all of them, or in some particular ones?

 

[Liminal Syzygy]

Seconded re: Tales of the Dying Earth.

The Vancian magic system specifically comes from the Dying Earth series.

I think the Lyonesse series is more pure fantasy, but I would still say that Dying Earth is "mostly" fantasy.

 

[Lazybones]

Tales of the Dying Earth is actually four novels in a single omnibus edition. The first one and the last one are mostly independent; the second and third tell the story of Cugel, a naer-do-well who you can't help but like even as he gets everything that's coming to him.

I also enjoyed the Lyonesse trilogy, although it's harder to find those in print. A digital edition of the three books was recently published, however, and is available on Amazon.

Many of his other series (Planet of Adventure, The Demon Princes, Arminta Station) are pure sci-fi, but still a lot of fun.

 

[Felix]

Another for Tales of the Dying Earth. I, like you, wanted to know what all the fuss about Vance was about on these boards, and after reading it I wasn't disappointed at all.

The first and last books are a kind of short story collection that sets the scene of the Dying Earth, instead of create a plot, like the Eyes of the Overworld and Cugel's Saga do.

 

[Geoff Watson]

I quite liked The Dying Earth. Unfortunately Cugel's Saga was terrible. I gave up since the protaganist was completely boring, unlikeable and obnoxious.

Geoff.

 

[Lazybones]

I quite liked The Dying Earth. Unfortunately Cugel's Saga was terrible. I gave up since the protaganist was completely boring, unlikeable and obnoxious.

Geoff.

Obnoxious, yes. Unlikeable and boring? Not to me, but I enjoy flawed protagonists (and Cugel was fun, to me at least). Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

 

[jester47]

Another for Tales of the Dying Earth. I am enjoying it right now.

Aaron.

 

[Faraer]

Cugel is the model for the D&D thief in about equal part with the Gray Mouser.

Needless to say, unlikeable protagonist does not equal terrible book. The idea of having to 'identify' with the protagonist is one of the worst tyrannies of modern commercial fiction.