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Writer Jack Vance Dead At 96
New submitter angelofdarkness writes "Jack Vance died Sunday evening. He was 96. Thank you for the stories and adventures and for influencing the games I still play after all these years.
From the article: 'A science fiction Grand Master, Vance is probably best remembered for his four Dying Earth novels, which take place in a far-future Earth where the sun has dimmed and magic has been reestablished as a dominant force. They feature a brilliant picaresque adventure tone, including the unforgettable thief Cugel the Clever, and they were also celebrated in a recent anthology Songs of the Dying Earth, edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois. These books contain Vance's characteristic ironic, lightly humorous style, which has influenced generations of science fiction writers." Reader paai points to the official Jack Vance website, and this 2009 profile in the New York Times.
For many, Vance is most remembered for "Vancian" casting in Dungeons and Dragons where spellcasters prepare their spells in advance and then cast the spells, causing them to leave their minds. Gary Gygax, one of the two major founders of D&D, liked Dying Earth and so incorporated the idea into the game. The casting idea does show up in the Dying Earth, but in a very different way, where spells are big and rare, and having a spell in one's mind takes up a lot of space. In contrast, in most versions of Dungeon's and Dragons a wizard could have many spells memorized at the same time. To some extent, Vancian casting has been a cause of controversy, with some people blaming it for being partially responsible for the overpowerd nature of spellcasters in some editions, especially 3.0 and 3.5. Yet, many who rejected 4th edition did so because 4th dropped the Vancian casting.
Vance is also remembered in D&D in a different way- the legendary lich-wizard "Vecna" was named that as an anagram of Vance. Jack Vance had a lot of influence on a lot of different aspects of scifi and fantasy culture.
The girl I met in Eridu
Was kind beyond belief;
The hours that I spent with her
Were hours far too brief.
Where willows shade the river bank,
She urged that I recline.
She fed me figs and poured me full
Of pomegranate wine.
I told of force and time and space,
I told of hence and yonder;
I asked if she would come with me
To know my worlds of wonder.
She clasped her knees; her voice was soft;
"It dazes me to ponder
The blazing stars and tintamars,
The whirling ways you wander!
"You are you and I am I,
And best that you return.
And I will stay in Eridu
With all this yet to learn."
- Navarth
R.I.P. mad poet, you will be missed dearly
A favorite of mine was the novella the Moon Moth, which was his entry in the Science Fiction Hall of Fame anthologies. The society depicted was about as foreign as could be imagined, and described in such amazing detail:
"And what instruments do you play?"
"Well—I was given to understand that any small instrument
was adequate, or that I could merely sing."
"Very inaccurate. Only slaves sing without accompaniment.
I suggest that you learn the following instruments
as quickly as possible: The hymerkin for your slaves. The ganga for conversation between intimates or one a trifle
lower than yourself in strakh. The kiv for casual polite intercourse. The zachinko for more formal dealings. The
strapan or the krodatch for your social inferiors—in your case, should you wish to insult someone. The gomapard*
or the double-kamanthil** for ceremonials." He considered a moment. "The crebarin, the water-lute and the slobo are
highly useful also—but perhaps you'd better learn the other instruments
first. They should provide at least a
rudimentary means of communication."
* Gomapard: one of the few electric instruments used on Sirene. An oscillator produces an oboelike tone which is modulated,
choked, vibrated, raised and lowered in pitch by four keys.
** Double-kamanthil: an instrument similar to the ganga, except the tones are produced by twisting and inclining a disk of
rosined leather against one or more of the forty-six strings.
Those who haven't read The Dying Earth series, or Jack Vance's later Lyonesse series really are missing a treat. It isn't for no reason that in 2006 his fans published a meticulously copy-edited 44-volume edition of his works, usually selling for over $3500. (There are cheaper editions, of course.)
Gene Wolfe is a big fan of Jack Vance's writing. Wolfe himself is one of the best writers ever - the Science Fiction Writer's Association named him Grand Master for lifetime achievement this year. (29 named in the last 38 years, 10 still living, Jack Vance was named in 1997)
Wolfe's Book of the New Sun, which made his name, recasts Vance's Dying Earth series, while adding mind-bending depths. Highly recommended.
"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?" - Patrick Henry
Seems all the authors I grew up on are going. Anne McCaffrey last year, David Eddings in 2009, Fred Saberhagen in 2007, Robert Jordan and Roger Zelazny at the far too young age of 58 in 2007 and 1995 respectively, Robert Asprin in 2008 at the hardly older age of 61, Isaac Asimov age 72 in 1992, Arthur Clarke in 2008, and Robert Heinlein in 1988. Just glad Jack Vance lived this long.
I suppose it's only natural-- published, successful authors were all at least 20 years older than I was when I started reading for fun. The first author I read for fun on my own was Tolkien, 4 years after his death, and from there I got into SF/Fantasy. It was also my introduction to bookstores, as the public libraries at that time either didn't carry Tolkien-- still too new for them, or always had all their copies checked out.
When the price of paperbacks went over $5 in the early 1990s, rising at more than double the rate of inflation, it seemed like sheer greed to me. Jarred with the generally positive morality depicted in the books, making that seem hypocritical. So I gradually dropped out, quit buying new from bookstores, and now I hardly ever even visit anymore, not even used bookstores or libraries, and have lost my familiarity with the titles available. Too many other leisure activities to do. And I haven't taken to the e-readers, too much DRM. For me the golden age of the SF/Fantasy book and bookstore was the 1980s. $1.95 each in the early 80s, cheap enough I'd try lots of books, no need to check a review or award list beforehand to see if it was worth the money. Was good while it lasted.
Intellectual Property is a monopolistic, selfish, and defective concept. It is "tyranny over the mind of man"