Jack Vance - What to Read

[Destan]

After reading so many posts about D&D's 'Vanician' spell system, and seeing numerous story hours with a 'Vanican' appeal, I think it's about time to actually read something the guy as written.

Problem is, I don't know where to start. Could someone point me in the right direction? I prefer fantasy more than sci-fi, if that's an option. Thanks!

D

 

[drnuncheon]

Well, they collected the four Dying Earth books into one big omnibus volume recently, titled (appropriately enough) Tales of the Dying Earth.

The individual books are:

The Dying Earth
Eyes of the Overworld
Cugel the Clever
Rhialto the Marvelous

J

 

[ColonelHardisson]

The Dying Earth is his best single work. The Eyes of the Overworld, a sequel to the Dying Earth, is good, but not nearly as good as its predecessor. The other books in that setting are sort of average, in my opinion.

 

[Destan]

What about the Lyonesse series?

Just grabbed a use copy of Tales of the Dying Earth. Thanks fellas.

D

 

[bwgwl]

yeah, i'd say i enjoyed the Lyonesse books more than Dying Earth.

i also like his SF stuff, though i had some issues with Planet of Adventure.

 

[tleilaxu]

lyonesse - suldrun's garden is where to start.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

To go back to the original post, if one is looking to read the material that directly influenced D&D's magic system, then The Dying Earth and Eyes of the Overworld are the specific books. Gygax lists them in his "suggested reading" in the 1e Dungeon Master's Guide. The rest of the books set in that setting, and the Lyonesse material, were written many, many years after D&D was created.

 

[Ron]

To go back to the original post, if one is looking to read the material that directly influenced D&D's magic system, then The Dying Earth and Eyes of the Overworld are the specific books. Gygax lists them in his "suggested reading" in the 1e Dungeon Master's Guide. The rest of the books set in that setting, and the Lyonesse material, were written many, many years after D&D was created.

The Dying Earth and Eyes of the Overworld were the source of the magic system as well as the 1ed thief class, which is much more like Cugel, a character from Eyes than Leiber's Gray Mouser, who is frequently cited.

The remaining books of the Dying Earth series were written after the release of D&D and further develop the magical system, including the latter addition of Sandestines, outplanar creatures under the control of wizards.

Another great series is Lyonesse, a triology including Suldrum's Garden, The Green Pearl, and Madouc. Although is completely unrelated with The Dying Earth, it uses the same magical system and I greatly recommend it.

 

[Assenpfeffer]

I've read the Dying Earth stuff, the Demon Princes series, and Planet of Adventure, and some other odds and ends, and it's all good.

I'd start with the original Dying Earth, though.

 

[Lazybones]

I picked up his first Cadwal book (SF) at a library book sale, it was entertaining. But the Cugel books were a real hoot--that guy was a great anti-heroic hero.