Jack Vance: Difference between revisions

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{{quote| ''"An idea of great merit! While we are alive we should sit among colored lights and taste good wines, and discuss our adventures in far places; when we are dead, the opportunity is past."''}}

Jack Vance (1916-2013) was a [[Science Fiction]] and [[Fantasy]] author, who wrote, continuously, since the 1950s. Arguably, he is most well-known for the ''[[Dying Earth (~~Literature~~)|Dying Earth]]'' series, set in the last days of Earth when technology has become a kind of magic; this system of magic was a huge influence on ''[[Dungeons and Dragons]]''. However, he also wrote a massive amount of incredibly diverse science fiction and fantasy, making his work fairly hard to categorize.

Jack Vance (1916-2013) was a [[Science Fiction]] and [[Fantasy]] author, who wrote, continuously, since the 1950s. Arguably, he is most well-known for the ''[[Dying Earth (novel)|Dying Earth]]'' series, set in the last days of Earth when technology has become a kind of magic; this system of magic was a huge influence on ''[[Dungeons and Dragons]]''. However, he also wrote a massive amount of incredibly diverse science fiction and fantasy, making his work fairly hard to categorize.

Many of his science fiction works share a common, very broad setting called the Gaean Reach, a huge area with many, many settled stars. The area is so large that the works actually have little in common, except some details of shared culture.

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* ''[[~~The Demon Princes (Literature)|~~The Demon Princes]]'': a five volume series set in the Gaean Reach.

* ''[[The Demon Princes]]'': a five volume series set in the Gaean Reach.

* ''[[Literature/The Dragon Masters|The Dragon Masters]]'': Hugo-winning novella

* ''[[Dying Earth (~~Literature~~)|Dying Earth]]'': an influential science-fantasy series set in the distant future.

* ''[[Dying Earth (novel)|Dying Earth]]'': an influential science-fantasy series set in the distant future.

* ''[[Literature/The Languages Of Pao|The Languages Of Pao]]''

* ''[[Literature/The Last Castle|The Last Castle]]'': Nebula-winning novella.

* ''[[~~Lyonesse (Literature)|~~Lyonesse]]'': a huge and popular fantasy trilogy.

* ''[[Lyonesse]]'': a huge and popular fantasy trilogy.

** ''Lyonesse: Suldrun's Garden''

** ''The Green Pearl''

** ''Madouc''

* ''[[~~Planet of Adventure (Literature)|~~Planet of Adventure]]''

* ''[[Planet of Adventure]]''

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** One reviewer commented that part of the charm of Vance's work is the incongruity of "dull, stupid, ignorant" people who from time to time use implausibly erudite turns of phrase.

* [[Blue and Orange Morality]] -- A constant theme in his works. No two settings have the same prevailing moral code.

* [[Brain In A Jar]] -- Rogol Domedonfors, ruler of Ampridatvir

* [[Brain In a Jar]] -- Rogol Domedonfors, ruler of Ampridatvir

* [[Clarke's Third Law]] -- Ampridatvir

* [[Character Development]] -- Cugel the Clever behaves quite differently towards the end of the second book, capable of making friends who he does ''not'' plan to backstab later.

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* [[Dating Catwoman]] -- Aillas, protagonist of the ''Lyonesse'' trilogy, falls in love with the haughty viking-like maiden Tatzel while being a slave at her father's castle. He escapes, comes back as a warrior king, kidnaps her and undergoes many adventures together with her, saving her life several times. Throughout he acts as the perfect gentleman, not taking advantage of his power over her. At one moment she actually offers him sexual favors in exchange for her liberty - but Aillas, wanting a love she is unwilling and unable to give him, declines the offer and sets her free anyway. Finally, when Aillas brings his army to assault the castle, Tatzel takes up a bow and arrow and dies among the last-ditch defenders. The victorious Aillas sadly refuses to look for "the body of the valiant maiden" among the scorched bodies in the ruins of the castle, and goes on to find another and more rewarding love.

* [[Defrosting Ice Queen]] -- Skirl Hutsenreiter in ''Night Lamp'' fits this fairly well. As do many of Vance's female characters, really. In ''Planet of Adventure'', Adam would perhaps have been smarter to keep Ylin Ylan in the fridge.

* [[Determinator]] -- Kirth Gersen, from the ''[[~~The Demon Princes (Literature)|~~The Demon Princes]]'' series. Kirth is quite aware of his own nature and frets about what happens to Determinators who achieve their goal.

* [[Determinator]] -- Kirth Gersen, from the ''[[The Demon Princes]]'' series. Kirth is quite aware of his own nature and frets about what happens to Determinators who achieve their goal.

* [[Devil in Plain Sight]] -- In the ''[[~~The Demon Princes (Literature)|~~The Demon Princes]]'' series, all the villains are essentially this.

* [[Devil in Plain Sight]] -- In the ''[[The Demon Princes]]'' series, all the villains are essentially this.

* [[Eldritch Abomination]] -- Pandelume looks like one, to the point that anyone who looks upon him will instantly go insane, but he behaves like a pretty nice guy. Magnatz is a more straightforward example, since he is unambiguously evil.

* [[Encyclopedia Exposita]] -- In many of the Gaean Reach novels, Vance quotes at length from the philosophical encyclopedia ''Life'', by Unspiek, Baron Bodissey (who was excommunicated from the human race by the Assemblage of Egalitarians. The Baron's response was to comment, "The point is moot." To this day the most erudite thinkers of the Gaean Reach ponder the significance of the remark.).

* [[Exactly What It Says On the Tin]] -- Chun the Unavoidable, who because of his rather unusual cloak also qualifies as [[Eye Scream]], since it is made out of woven-together {{spoiler|human eyeballs}}.

* [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin]] -- Chun the Unavoidable, who because of his rather unusual cloak also qualifies as [[Eye Scream]], since it is made out of woven-together {{spoiler|human eyeballs}}.

* [[Happy Place]] -- The Overworld

* [[Hypocritical Humor]] -- In ''Maske: Thaery'', Nai the Hever signs Jubal Droad up in his intelligence agency -- with a contract that fades away within a day or so to leave blank paper, giving Nai [[Plausible Deniability]]. Until Jubal produces the '''copy''' he made and had notarized before the original faded. Nai calls Jubal "an unscrupulous man." The young Droad may do quite well in Nai the Hever's employ.

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* [[Vancian Magic]] -- The [[Trope Namer]]. Incidentally, the way it was described in the Dying Earth books had little in common with the magic of ''[[Dungeons and Dragons]]'' -- there were no spell levels of any kind, and it was possible for anyone to attempt to memorize and cast it given enough practice. In addition, extremely powerful spells that could kill people instantly were apparently quite common. Of course, without sufficient practice, [[Hilarity Ensues]]

* [[Wild Card]] -- Cugel the Clever,

* [[You Didn't Ask]] -- In the ''[[~~Planet of Adventure (Literature)|~~Planet of Adventure]]'' series. [[Noble Fugitive|Anacho]] has spent the first two books assuming that Adam Reith is crazy because he claims to have come from some other planet called "Earth". Until [[Noble Savage|Traz]] mentions that he saw Reith's space boat.

* [[You Didn't Ask]] -- In the ''[[Planet of Adventure]]'' series. [[Noble Fugitive|Anacho]] has spent the first two books assuming that Adam Reith is crazy because he claims to have come from some other planet called "Earth". Until [[Noble Savage|Traz]] mentions that he saw Reith's space boat.