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Jack Vance (1916–2013)

Autor(a) de Tales of the Dying Earth

325+ Works 30,921 Membros 576 Críticas 156 Favorited

About the Author

John Holbrook Vance (August 28, 1916 - May 26, 2013) was an American mystery, fantasy and science fiction writer. Most of his work was published under the name Jack Vance. He also wrote 11 mystery novels as John Holbrook Vance and three as Ellery Queen, and once each used pseudonyms Alan Wade, mostrar mais Peter Held, John van See, and Jay Kavanse. Vance won the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 1984. The Science Fiction Hall of Fame inducted him in 2001. Among his awards for particular works were: Hugo Awards, in 1963 for The Dragon Masters, in 1967 for The Last Castle, and in 2010 for his memoir This is Me, Jack Vance!; a Nebula Award in 1966, also for The Last Castle; the Jupiter Award in 1975; the World Fantasy Award in 1990 for Lyonesse: Madouc. He also won an Edgar (the mystery equivalent of the Nebula) for the best first mystery novel in 1961 for The Man in the Cage. He died at his home in Oakland, California, on May 26, 2013, aged 96. (Bowker Author Biography) mostrar menos
Image credit: Jack Vance

Séries

Obras por Jack Vance

Tales of the Dying Earth (2000) 1,848 exemplares
Lyonesse: Suldrun's Garden (1983) 1,550 exemplares
The Dying Earth (1950) 1,418 exemplares
Emphyrio (1969) — Autor — 841 exemplares
The Green Pearl (1985) 836 exemplares
The Eyes of the Overworld (1966) 802 exemplares
Madouc (1989) 732 exemplares
The Star King (1966) 657 exemplares
Planet of Adventure (1980) 640 exemplares
Araminta Station (1987) 637 exemplares
The Languages of Pao (1958) 633 exemplares
City of the Chasch (1968) 584 exemplares
Cugel's Saga (1983) 582 exemplares
Big Planet (1957) 556 exemplares
The Dragon Masters (1962) 551 exemplares
The Blue World (1966) 542 exemplares
The Killing Machine (1964) 527 exemplares
To Live Forever (1956) 502 exemplares
The Gray Prince (1975) 495 exemplares
Ecce and Old Earth (1991) 494 exemplares
The Palace of Love (1967) 489 exemplares
The Face (1979) 480 exemplares
The Faceless Man (1971) 472 exemplares
The Pnume (1970) 469 exemplares
Servants of the Wankh (1969) 465 exemplares
Rhialto the Marvellous (1984) 463 exemplares
Night Lamp (1996) 462 exemplares
Maske: Thaery (1976) — Autor — 453 exemplares
The Dirdir (1969) 451 exemplares
The Book of Dreams (1981) 441 exemplares
Showboat World (1975) 432 exemplares
Marune: Alastor 933 (1975) 400 exemplares
The Brave Free Men (1972) 385 exemplares
Trullion: Alastor 2262 (1973) 385 exemplares
The Asutra (1973) 366 exemplares
Wyst: Alastor 1716 (1978) 349 exemplares
Throy (1992) 324 exemplares
Space Opera (1965) 321 exemplares
The Last Castle [short fiction] (1966) 319 exemplares
Ports of Call (1998) 308 exemplares
Galactic Effectuator (1980) 268 exemplares
The Five Gold Bands (1953) 260 exemplares
Alastor (1978) 253 exemplares
The Jack Vance Treasury (2007) — Autor — 238 exemplares
The Many Worlds of Magnus Ridolph (1966) 238 exemplares
The Demon Princes (1986) 235 exemplares
Lurulu (1953) 227 exemplares
The Complete Lyonesse (1985) 185 exemplares
The Best of Jack Vance (1976) 174 exemplares
The Houses of Iszm (1954) 159 exemplares
Dust of Far Suns (1964) 151 exemplares
The Narrow Land (1945) 145 exemplares
Slaves of the Klau (1958) 142 exemplares
Son of the Tree (1951) 124 exemplares
Fantasms and Magic (1978) 109 exemplares
Durdane (1975) 108 exemplares
The Moon Moth [graphic adaptation] (2012) 101 exemplares
The Worlds of Jack Vance (1973) — Autor — 95 exemplares
Nopalgarth [collection] (1966) 92 exemplares
The Last Castle / Nightwings (1989) 90 exemplares
This is Me, Jack Vance! (2009) 88 exemplares
Vandals of the Void (1953) — Autor — 85 exemplares
Bad Ronald (1973) 73 exemplares
The Last Castle / World of the Sleeper (1966) — Autor — 67 exemplares
The Augmented Agent (1986) 66 exemplares
The Jack Vance Reader (2008) 60 exemplares
The Kragen (2007) 56 exemplares
The Moon Moth and Other Stories (1976) 53 exemplares
The Brains of Earth (1966) 49 exemplares
Wild Thyme, Green Magic (2009) 48 exemplares
Telek (1972) 47 exemplares
Eight Fantasms and Magics (1969) 47 exemplares
A Short, Sharp Shock/The Dragon Masters (1990) — Contribuidor — 40 exemplares
Ports of Call and Lurulu (2004) 38 exemplares
The Dark Side of the Moon (1986) 33 exemplares
Sjambak (2010) 33 exemplares
La station d'Araminta (1987) 32 exemplares
Alambar (1981) 29 exemplares
Monsters in Orbit (1977) 29 exemplares
The Deadly Isles (1969) 29 exemplares
The Pleasant Grove Murders (1967) 29 exemplares
Araminta 2 (1987) 29 exemplares
Morreion (1978) 27 exemplares
Chateau D'If: And Other Stories (1990) 27 exemplares
Sulwens planeet (1976) 26 exemplares
The Moon Moth [short story] (1961) 25 exemplares
The Men Return (1957) 24 exemplares
The Man in the Cage (1983) 24 exemplares
The Fox Valley Murders (1966) 24 exemplares
Dangerous Ways (2011) 22 exemplares
Golden Girl and Other Stories (2012) 21 exemplares
When the Five Moons Rise (1992) 20 exemplares
The View from Chickweed's Window (1982) 19 exemplares
Lost Moons (1982) 19 exemplares
The Seventeen Virgins (1974) 18 exemplares
De tempel van Han (1991) 16 exemplares
Ihmisen paluu (1999) 16 exemplares
Drachenbrut (1989) 16 exemplares
Slaven van de Klau (1980) 16 exemplares
Vancextasy (1994) 15 exemplares
The Miracle-Workers [novella] (1958) 14 exemplares
The Bagful of Dreams (1977) 14 exemplares
Son of the Tree and Other Stories (2011) 13 exemplares
Abercrombie Station {novella} (1977) 13 exemplares
Take My Face (1957) 13 exemplares
Assault on a City [novella] (1998) 13 exemplares
Light from a Lone Star (1985) 12 exemplares
The House on Lily Street (1982) 12 exemplares
Croisades (1951) 12 exemplares
The Kokod Warriors [novelette] (1952) 12 exemplares
Liane the Wayfarer (1950) 11 exemplares
Strange People, Queer Notions (2012) 10 exemplares
Het groot drakenboek (2004) 10 exemplares
Docteur Bizarre : [nouvelles] (1992) 9 exemplares
Gadget stories 9 exemplares
De wereldbedenker (1997) 9 exemplares
Morreion (1997) 9 exemplares
The Complete Magnus Ridolph (1984) 9 exemplares
Sail 25 and Other Stories (2012) 9 exemplares
Rumfuddle [novella] (1973) 9 exemplares
The Dark Ocean (2002) 8 exemplares
Chateaux en espace (1993) 8 exemplares
Coup De Grace and Other Stories (2002) 8 exemplares
Crimes et enchantements (1989) 8 exemplares
Planète géante : L'intégrale (2003) 7 exemplares
De man van Zodiac (1967) 7 exemplares
Emphyrio : Et autres aventures (2004) 7 exemplares
The New Prime [novelette] (1951) 7 exemplares
Bird Isle (2012) 6 exemplares
The Men Return and Others (2009) 6 exemplares
Bird Isle and Take My Face (1988) 6 exemplares
Das Gehirn der Galaxis (1973) 5 exemplares
Green Magic [short story] (1963) 5 exemplares
Freitzke's Turn (1977) 4 exemplares
Turjan Of Miir (1950) 4 exemplares
Baroudeur (2009) 4 exemplares
The Ten Books [Novella] (1951) 4 exemplares
Telek [Short story] (1952) 4 exemplares
Guyal of Sfere (1950) 4 exemplares
The Sorcerer Pharesm (1966) 3 exemplares
Flug der Zauberer (1973) — Autor — 3 exemplares
Coup de Grace [novelette] (1958) 3 exemplares
The King Of Thieves (1949) 3 exemplares
L' opera dello spazio (1955) 3 exemplares
The Overworld (1965) 3 exemplares
The Masquerade On Dicantropus (1951) 3 exemplares
Where Hesperus Falls (1956) 3 exemplares
Sail 25 [short story] 3 exemplares
Noise [short story] (1952) 3 exemplares
Cil [novelette] (1966) 3 exemplares
The Narrow Land [novelette] (1967) 3 exemplares
Nouvelles : Tome 1 (2019) 3 exemplares
Miro Hetzel, Effectuator (2018) 3 exemplares
The World-Thinker [novelette] (1945) 3 exemplares
Chateau D’If [novella] (1950) 3 exemplares
The Manse of Iucounu (1966) 2 exemplares
The Mountains of Magnatz (1966) 2 exemplares
The Pilgrims (1966) 2 exemplares
The Cave in the Forest (1966) 2 exemplares
The Secret 2 exemplares
Sjambak : Et autres récits (2006) 2 exemplares
De Dirdir ; De Pnume (1971) 2 exemplares
Planet Of The Black Dust (1946) 2 exemplares
Cosmic Hotfoot 2 exemplares
The Spa Of The Stars 2 exemplares
De zeven uitgangen van Bocz (1952) 2 exemplares
T'sais 2 exemplares
Un plat qui se mange froid (1992) 2 exemplares
The Howling Bounders 2 exemplares
The Potters Of Firsk 2 exemplares
Three-Legged Joe 2 exemplares
Meet Miss Universe 1 exemplar
Nouvelles: TOME 4 (4) (2021) 1 exemplar
Tschaï 1 exemplar
Terre mourante, intégrale (2021) 1 exemplar
Estación Araminta 1 exemplar
Madman theory 1 exemplar
Green magic [hb] 1 exemplar
Lost moons [hb] 1 exemplar
Faucelme 1 exemplar
The Four Wizards 1 exemplar
The Murthe 1 exemplar
Fader's Waft 1 exemplar
The Mitr 1 exemplar
Dp! 1 exemplar
On the Docks 1 exemplar
Kaleidoskop der Welten (1998) 1 exemplar
Wizard 1 exemplar
Isle of peril 1 exemplar
The Caravan 1 exemplar
The Columns 1 exemplar
Professeur Poltron (1985) 1 exemplar
Zeil 25 en andere verhalen (2020) 1 exemplar
Flutic 1 exemplar
Nouvelles : Tome 2 (2021) 1 exemplar
Nouvelles : Tome 3 (2021) 1 exemplar
HaldoklFd (1992) 1 exemplar
The Ocean of Sighs 1 exemplar
I racconti inediti 1 exemplar
Aboard the Galante 1 exemplar
Lausicaa 1 exemplar

Associated Works

The Hugo Winners: Volumes One and Two (1972) — Contribuidor — 697 exemplares
Songs of the Dying Earth (2009) — Prefácio — 629 exemplares
The Science Fiction Century (1997) — Contribuidor — 529 exemplares
Science Fiction Omnibus (1952) — Contribuidor — 340 exemplares
Masterpieces of Fantasy and Wonder (1989) — Contribuidor — 328 exemplares
Space Opera (1974) — Contribuidor — 265 exemplares
The Hugo Winners: Volume Two, Book 1 (1962-1967) (1973) — Contribuidor — 255 exemplares
Robert Silverberg's Worlds of Wonder (1987) — Autor — 246 exemplares
Flashing Swords! #1 (1974) — Contribuidor — 245 exemplares
Nebula Award Stories Number Two (1967) — Contribuidor — 240 exemplares
Isaac Asimov's Magical Worlds of Fantasy, Volume 1: Wizards (1983) — Contribuidor — 228 exemplares
The 13 Crimes of Science Fiction (1979) — Contribuidor — 226 exemplares
The World Turned Upside Down (2005) — Contribuidor — 219 exemplares
Flashing Swords! #4: Barbarians and Black Magicians (1977) — Contribuidor — 211 exemplares
Epoch (1975) — Contribuidor — 209 exemplares
The Seven Deadly Sins of Science Fiction (1980) — Contribuidor — 208 exemplares
Modern Classics of Fantasy (1939) — Contribuidor — 206 exemplares
Don't Open This Book! (1998) — Contribuidor — 203 exemplares
Modern Classics of Science Fiction (1991) — Contribuidor — 201 exemplares
Modern Classic Short Novels of Science Fiction (1994) — Contribuidor — 201 exemplares
The Arbor House Treasury of Modern Science Fiction (1980) — Contribuidor — 196 exemplares
The Fantasy Hall of Fame (1998) — Contribuidor — 192 exemplares
The Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories (1994) — Contribuidor — 190 exemplares
Strange Dreams (1993) — Contribuidor — 186 exemplares
The Arbor House Treasury of Great Science Fiction Short Novels (1980) — Contribuidor — 173 exemplares
My Favorite Fantasy Story (2000) — Contribuidor — 166 exemplares
Deep Space (1973) — Contribuidor — 156 exemplares
Blood and Iron (1984) — Contribuidor — 148 exemplares
The Mammoth Book of Fantasy (2001) — Contribuidor — 144 exemplares
Time Probe: The Sciences in Science Fiction (1966) — Contribuidor — 142 exemplares
The Young Magicians (1969) — Contribuidor — 139 exemplares
Universe 4 (1974) — Contribuidor — 139 exemplares
A Magic-Lover's Treasury of the Fantastic (1998) — Contribuidor — 132 exemplares
A Treasury of Modern Fantasy (1981) — Contribuidor — 129 exemplares
The Road to Science Fiction #4: From Here To Forever (1982) — Autor — 127 exemplares
Isaac Asimov's Magical Worlds of Fantasy, Volume 4: Spells (1942) — Contribuidor — 125 exemplares
The Best Science Fiction of the Year #3 (1974) — Contribuidor — 121 exemplares
Great Stories of Space Travel (1963) — Contribuidor — 110 exemplares
Science Fiction of the 50's (1971) — Contribuidor — 109 exemplares
The Big Book of Modern Fantasy (2020) — Contribuidor — 108 exemplares
The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction: 13th Series (1964) — Contribuidor — 98 exemplares
Sorcerers! (1986) — Contribuidor — 98 exemplares
The Good Old Stuff (1998) — Contribuidor — 97 exemplares
The Spell of Seven (1965) — Contribuidor — 96 exemplares
Star Science Fiction Stories No. 3 (1955) — Contribuidor — 91 exemplares
Three Trips in Time and Space (1973) — Autor — 88 exemplares
The Year's Best Fantasy Stories (1980) — Artista da capa — 86 exemplares
SF: Authors' Choice 4 (1974) — Contribuidor — 84 exemplares
The Mammoth Book of Fantasy All-Time Greats (1983) — Contribuidor — 81 exemplares
Mammoth Book of Short Fantasy Novels (1986) — Contribuidor, algumas edições77 exemplares
A Room to Die In (1965) — Ghostwriter — 76 exemplares
Year's Finest Fantasy (1977) — Contribuidor — 74 exemplares
The Madman Theory (1966) — Autor, algumas edições71 exemplares
Great Short Novels of Science Fiction (1970) — Autor — 68 exemplares
The Furthest Horizon: SF Adventures to the Far Future (2000) — Contribuidor — 67 exemplares
Triax (1977) — Contribuidor — 66 exemplares
Alpha 1 (1970) — Contribuidor — 66 exemplares
Isaac Asimov Presents The Great SF Stories 23 (1961) (1991) — Contribuidor — 66 exemplares
Masters of Fantasy (1992) — Contribuidor — 63 exemplares
Tales from Super-Science Fiction (2012) — Contribuidor — 57 exemplares
Best SF Three (1958) — Contribuidor — 56 exemplares
Isaac Asimov's Magical Worlds of Fantasy, Volume 10: Ghosts (1988) — Contribuidor — 55 exemplares
Immortals (1998) — Contribuidor — 55 exemplares
Survival of Freedom (1981) — Contribuidor — 54 exemplares
Alpha 2 (1971) — Contribuidor — 51 exemplares
This Way to the End Times: Classic Tales of the Apocalypse (2016) — Contribuidor — 48 exemplares
Alpha 3 (1972) — Contribuidor — 47 exemplares
Ace Science Fiction Reader (1971) — Contribuidor — 44 exemplares
The Ends of Time (1970) — Contribuidor — 42 exemplares
Baker's Dozen: 13 Short Fantasy Novels (1984) — Contribuidor — 39 exemplares
Shoredanin kellot (1992) — Autor — 35 exemplares
Windows Into Tomorrow (1974) — Contribuidor — 34 exemplares
The Four Johns / Blow Hot, Blow Cold (1978) — Autor, algumas edições34 exemplares
The Complete Masters of Darkness (1991) — Contribuidor — 31 exemplares
Sense of Wonder: A Century of Science Fiction (2011) — Contribuidor — 30 exemplares
Analog Anthology #9: From Mind to Mind (1984) — Contribuidor — 29 exemplares
The Hugo Winners: Volume Two (1962-1970) (1971) — Contribuidor — 29 exemplares
Bootcamp 3000 (1992) — Contribuidor — 26 exemplares
Swords Against Darkness (2016) — Contribuidor — 26 exemplares
Histoires de planètes (1975) — Contribuidor — 24 exemplares
Pimeyden linnake (1991) — Contribuidor — 24 exemplares
The Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction: Volume Two (1997) — Contribuidor — 23 exemplares
Strange Glory (1977) — Contribuidor — 22 exemplares
The Best from Amazing Stories (1973) — Contribuidor — 22 exemplares
Realms of wizardry (1976) — Contribuidor — 21 exemplares
Exploring the Horizons (2000) — Contribuidor — 20 exemplares
Le livre d'or de la Science-Fiction : Le manoir des roses (1978) — Contribuidor — 20 exemplares
Spaceworlds: Stories of Life in the Void (2021) — Contribuidor — 18 exemplares
Galactic Dreamers: Science Fiction as Visionary Literature (1977) — Contribuidor — 15 exemplares
Science Fiction Jahrbuch 1983. (1982) — Contribuidor, algumas edições14 exemplares
Political science fiction;: An introductory reader (1974) — Contribuidor — 13 exemplares
Astounding Science Fiction 1955 09 (1955) — Contribuidor — 13 exemplares
The Best Science Fiction Stories: 1954 (1954) — Contribuidor — 11 exemplares
Galaxy Science Fiction 1966 October, Vol. 25, No. 1 (1966) — Contribuidor — 10 exemplares
Le livre d'or de la Science-Fiction : La cathédrale de sang (1982) — Contribuidor — 9 exemplares
Galaxy Science Fiction 1966 April, Vol. 24, No. 4 (1966) — Contribuidor — 9 exemplares
The Infinite Web (1977) — Contribuidor — 8 exemplares
Astounding Science Fiction 1958 07 (1958) — Contribuidor — 8 exemplares
Galaxy Science Fiction 1964 February, Vol. 22, No. 3 (1964) — Contribuidor — 8 exemplares
Welten der Zukunft 11 (1987) — Contribuidor — 7 exemplares
Impulse : The New Science Fantasy, Vol. 1, No. 1, March 1966 (1966) — Contribuidor — 7 exemplares
Space Police (1956) — Contribuidor — 7 exemplares
Startling Stories, September 1951 (1951) — Contribuidor — 7 exemplares
Startling Stories, March 1951 (2014) — Contribuidor — 7 exemplares
Galerij der Giganten 6 (1979) — Contribuidor — 6 exemplares
Amazing Stories Vol. 49, No. 2 [September 1975] (1975) — Autor — 6 exemplares
Amazing Stories Vol. 49, No. 1 [July 1975] (1975) — Autor — 5 exemplares
Amazing Stories Vol. 48, No. 2 [August 1974] (1974) — Autor — 5 exemplares
Satellite Science Fiction December 1957 (1957) — Contribuidor — 5 exemplares
Worlds of If Science Fiction 9, July 1953 (Vol. 2, No. 3) (1953) — Contribuidor — 4 exemplares
Fantastic. No. 151 (June 1969) (1969) — Contribuidor — 4 exemplares
Startling Stories, September 1950 (1950) — Contribuidor — 4 exemplares
Galaxy Science Fiction 1966 December, Vol. 25, No. 2 (1966) — Contribuidor — 4 exemplares
Gefangen im Jenseits. Neue Fantasy-Storys. (1979) — Autor — 3 exemplares
Super-Science Fiction : 1958-02 : Vol 2 No 2 (1958) — Contribuidor — 3 exemplares
Millemondi Estate 2001 speciale: pianeti per tutti — Contribuidor — 3 exemplares
Fantastic. No. 140 (July 1967) (1967) — Contribuidor — 3 exemplares
Die Zaubergärten (1969) — Contribuidor — 2 exemplares
Astounding Science Fiction 1952 May (British Edition) (1952) — Contribuidor — 2 exemplares
Trilogy of the Future (1972) — Contribuidor — 2 exemplares
Startling Stories, June 1952 (1952) — Contribuidor — 2 exemplares
Fantastic Universe March 1955 (1955) — Contribuidor — 1 exemplar

Etiquetado

a ler (1,527) Ace Double (150) antologia (2,207) autografado (104) aventura (102) colecção (241) contos (1,399) contos (174) DAW (130) Demon Princes (98) dying earth (218) e-livro (236) encadernado (232) Fantasia (3,411) Fantasia científica (85) Ficção (3,211) ficção científica (2,998) Ficção científica (7,646) ficção especulativa (104) gaean reach (97) Jack Vance (492) lido (350) Livro de bolso (321) Lyonesse (108) Mistério (114) mmpb (163) omnibus (172) PB (115) por ler (357) possuído (104) Romance (522) romano (96) Science Fiction/Fantasy (210) sff (654) Século XX (80) terror (112) Vance (365) Vance Integral Edition (114) vie (128) ópera espacial (281)

Conhecimento Comum

Nome legal
Vance, John Holbrook
Outros nomes
Wade, Alan
Held, Peter
See, John van
Kavanse, Jay
Data de nascimento
1916-08-28
Data de falecimento
2013-05-26
Sexo
male
Nacionalidade
Amerika
Local de nascimento
San Francisco, Californië, Amerika
Local de falecimento
Oakland, Californië, Amerika
Locais de residência
Oakland, Californië, Amerika
San Francisco, Californië, Amerika
Educação
Universiteit van Californië (Mijnbouw | Natuurkunde | Journalistiek)
Ocupações
Zeeman (Internationale koopvaardij)
Auteur
Relações
Alexander, David M. (friend)
Organizações
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America
Prémios e menções honrosas
SFWA Grand Master (1996)
SF Hall Of Fame ( [2001])
Edgar Allan Poe Award ( [1961])
Hugo ( [1963])
Author Guest of Honor, World Science Fiction Convention (MagiCon ∙ 1992)
Agente
John Vance

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Amerikaanse sciencefiction- en fantasyauteur met een zeer omvangrijk oeuvre dat meer dan 50 boeken en ongeveer 100 korte verhalen omvat. Hij studeerde mijnbouw en natuurkunde, en tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog werkte hij in de internationale koopvaardij. Ook na de oorlog bleef hij veel reizen. Zijn hobby's waren o.a. zeilen, muziek maken (hij bespeelde de kornet) en pottenbakken. Zowel het reizen als de genoemde hobby's zijn terugkerende elementen in zijn werk. Zijn vroegere werken missen echte diepgang, maar in de rijpere elementen van zijn oeuvre toont hij zich een literair meester. (Wikipedia)

SF-auteur Jack Vance overleden, Publicatiedatum: 30-05-2013, Literatuurplein:
‘Het uiterlijk der dingen lijkt hem minder te intrigeren dan hun structuur. Dientengevolge hebben zijn beschrijvingen een diepte en complexiteit die in de geest van de lezer beelden scheppen die in feite poëtisch zijn. De fascinatie voor structuren is overduidelijk in elk aspect van zijn fictie, of het nu de structuur van talen is in De talen van Pao dan wel een systeem van magie in De stervende aarde. En in alle lange en kortere verhalen die hij heeft geschreven, wekken de buitenaardse beschavingen of de menselijke samenlevingen uit de verre toekomst de nadrukkelijke impressie van echtheid, omdat Jack Vance voor ons het fundament, de muren, de dwarsbalken en het dak heeft getekend van de bouwsels die hij beschrijft.’

Eerbetoon
Dat noteert Dean Koontz in de proloog van De Stervende Aarde : ode aan Jack Vance, waarin 22 auteurs, onder wie Robert Silverberg, Tad Williams, Tanith Lee, Dan Simmons, George R. Martin en Neil Gaiman, een eerbetoon brengen aan de SF-auteur in de vorm van een verhaal dat is geïnspireerd op zijn cyclus De stervende aarde. Deze hommage van meer dan 700 pagina’s werd hem gebracht in 2009 toen hij 93 was. Zondag is hij in zijn huis in Oakland in Californië overleden. Hij is 96 geworden.

Populariteit
In 1998 verschenen niet minder dan elf boeken van Jack Vance in Nederlandse vertaling. Op één na waren het allemaal herdrukken, zij het merendeels in nieuwe edities. Het geeft aan hoe populair zijn werk in die dagen in Nederland was. ‘Je kunt dan wel de best verkopende SF-auteur van de wereld zijn, in Nederland ben ik niet te kloppen,’ kon hij in de jaren ’80 met gerust hart tegen Isaac Asimov zeggen. ‘Dan keek hij me altijd even bedenkelijk aan. Maar hij had een groot hart, hij gunde het me.’ Die populariteit is in de jaren daarna verbleekt, enerzijds omdat SF bij de lezers uit de gratie was geraakt, maar ook omdat er nauwelijks nog nieuw werk van hem verscheen.

Avontuur
In 1968 verscheen, bij Meulenhoff, het eerste boek van Vance in Nederlandse vertaling. Dat was Een stad vol chash, het eerste van de vier delen van zijn cyclus Tschai : de waanzinnige planeet. Die cyclus is een voorbeeld hoe het avontuur het bij hem niet altijd moet afleggen tegen zijn voorliefde zich uit te leven in het beschrijven van exotische werelden. Tschai is het verhaal van de tocht van een sterverkenner over een planeet die wordt beheerst door vier machtige sterrenvolkeren. Een vergelijkbare avontuurlijke odyssee is Grote Planeet, waarin een gestrande expeditie een tocht moet ondernemen over een reusachtige planeet, waarop talloze sekten en beschavingen in anarchie leven. Schepper van cycli
Wat meteen opvalt in het werk van Vance is het grote aantal trilogieën, tetralogieën en quintologieën. Zijn sterrencomplexen en planetenzwermen zijn vaak zo rijk aan mogelijkheden dat hij meerdere boeken nodig heeft om die uit te werken. Zo telt de serie De duivelsprinsen vijf romans en Durdane en De kronieken van Cadwal elk drie. Vance weet in al die werelden bijna tastbaar een sfeer van dreiging en van onbehagen op te roepen, maar evenzeer van beslotenheid en veiligheid, zelfs in verder volstrekt onherbergzame oorden. Smade's Herberg in De Sterrekoning, gelegen op een lang en smal heideplateau tussen de bergen en de oceaan op een verder niet bewoonde planeet in een tamelijk leeg gebied van de ruimte, is een van de vele bijzondere locaties in zijn werk. De afzondering, rust en soberheid ervan spreken tot de verbeelding.

Hugo en Nebula voor één boek
Vance die naast sciencefiction ook fantasy heeft geschreven (onder meer de driedelige serie Lyonesse), werd in 1916 geboren in San Francisco. Hij studeerde mijnbouw, natuurkunde en journalistiek. Vele jaren heeft hij gevaren op de internationale koopvaardij, ook tijdens de oorlog. In 1945 verkocht hij zijn eerste SF-verhaal aan een tijdschrift. Later werd het als ‘De wereldbedenker’ opgenomen in de bundel Morreion en in 1997 werd het (samen met enkele andere verhalen) in de bundel De wereldbedenker opnieuw uitgebracht. Hij won enkele belangrijke SF-prijzen, in 1966 zelfs de Nebula Award en de Hugo Award voor één boek: Het laatste kasteel. Een belangrijk ingrediënt in zijn werk is de humor, al is die, zoals Ursula LeGuin opmerkt, ‘zo rustig dat je er overheen leest als je even met je ogen knippert’. LeGuin typeert hem ook als een van de grootste stylisten van het genre. Afhankelijk van gebeuren en situatie is zijn stijl gedragen, flitsend of archaïsch.

Tekst en copyright: Jef van Gool

Membros

Discussions

Cabell's Heirs? em The Rabble Discuss Cabell: James Branch Cabell &c (Novembro 2020)
Jack Vance 1916-2013 em Science Fiction Fans (Janeiro 2016)
Shabacus #7: The Dying Earth by Jack Vance em 75 Books Challenge for 2013 (Janeiro 2013)

Críticas

A really fun adventure, ingenious world-building, and social commentary. I will definitely be reading more Jack Vance.
 
Assinalado
Aidan767 | 3 outras críticas | Feb 1, 2024 |
One of Vance's more serious novels, addressing the racial and political tensions on a colonized planet. Builds a fair amount of tension and suspense.
 
Assinalado
SteveMcSteve | 8 outras críticas | Dec 2, 2023 |
This is the first in a series, and the edition I had is called 'Lyonesse' whereas I realise it was subsequently reissued as 'Sudrun's Garden', after the character of the princess with which the book begins. The story is set in a legendary set of islands which I have previously heard about - there was supposed to be another continent or at least an island chain off the coast of Cornwall which sunk beneath the waves centuries ago. Possibly this is some memory of a small area of coast that was lost.

However, the author creates an entire society - the main island and its outlying ones were formerly ruled by one king, but for some time have existed in a state of semi-anarchy with each part of the main island and the other islands all having their own ruler, and some of them in a state of on-off war with the others. This legendary land does have ties with real-life places such as Britain, parts of what became France and even further off into the heart of Europe.

The book is rather episodic, in that it stays for a while with one character and then switches to another, usually at a point of high tension in the previous character's life. The trouble is, sometimes the character being switched to doesn't seem very interesting although it does eventually become clear what each character's role is in the book. There are fantastical elements - fairies, ogres and such, plus unicorns, strange horses and magicians who have rather odd lifecycles as a magician can split himself or herself into two or three other characters. Some of the ordinary humans are helped by magical objects given to them either by magicians or fairies.

Princess Sudrun is disregarded by her family who view her as only a pawn to make some dynastic marriage, following the feudal setting borrowed from historical Europe. Her life is a sad one, and her one chance of happiness is dashed by the cruelty and callousness of her parents. Other characters also suffer unwarranted disasters and innocence is no guarantee of happiness or even survival, with robbers and such taking advantage of children, rape frequently being threatened and those in charge dishing out ghastly punishments to those below them in the pecking order. So to some extent it comes across as quite a gloomy story, even though eventually some of the characters win through. It also has a rather abrupt ending with an afterword tacked on that seems also a rough note for what might happen next, and I am not sure if that will be the subject of book 2 in the series.

Some of it was entertaining, some of it downbeat, so on the whole I rate this as a 3 star read.
… (mais)
 
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kitsune_reader | 27 outras críticas | Nov 23, 2023 |
This second volume in the series begins with a flashback which gives additional information on something already covered in book 1. It seems that the sorcerer Tamurello, who has been an opponent of the helpful sorcerer Shimrod and his patron, was behind the decision of the witch Desmei to split herself into three components: Melancthe, who seems stupefied by ennui (as Desmei was as a result of Tamurello's spell) and has already acted as his pawn against Shimrod, Carfilhot, who was known for his cruelties until he was finally defeated and executed in book 1, and a green vapour which had been breathed in by Carfilhot and was released at his death. That vapour, which is the essence of evil, went into the ocean and became a green pearl, so in this volume it is retrieved by a fisherman after being swallowed by a fish, and brings him and others to death and disaster.

However, the story soon leaves the tale of the pearl for some time and returns to King Aillas and his attempts to bring order to his new kingdom in South Ulfland which has been beset by the ruthless Ska invaders who had enslaved him in book 1. Also, his enemy, King Casmir who was responsible for his own daughter's misery and death, is still conspiring against Aillas and trying to discover who is the father of the girl whom he believes to be his daughter's, Suldrun's, child, but whom (as revealed in book 1) is a changeling swapped for her son Dhrun. That son, his growth accelerated by his year with the fairy folk, is now with Aillas, as is Glyneth, the friend who helped Dhrun on his search for his father. Casmir also wants to find out who Dhrun's mother was, and engages Visbhume, a minor sorcerer, a vile character who is a sexual predator of young girls, to find out. And Visbhume eventually targets Glyneth.

I was confused at the beginning where Casmir pays a state visit to Aillas - they have a temporary truce - because at the end of book 1 the villainous priest who betrayed Aillas and Suldrun actually told Casmir. He seemed incredulous, but at least I would have expected him to remember what the priest had said and wonder about it when he comes face to face with Aillas and thinks he looks familiar.

The part of the book where Visbhume kidnaps Glyneth and takes her to another world where he attempts to extort the secret from her, and to assault her, and is continually thwarted by a being sent into that world who combines the virtues of certain others plus the stalwart courage and love of Aillas, does become a bit long and drawn out. It is also a bit irritating that characters such as Glyneth remain naive and prone to falling for the ploys of those that they know are totally evil. It was more believable in book 1 when Glyneth was a child, but not when she is a grown woman and that character has already wrecked havoc.

Therefore, although this was an enjoyable read with plenty of incident, the flaws in the story mean that it balances out at a 3 star read for me.
… (mais)
 
Assinalado
kitsune_reader | 14 outras críticas | Nov 23, 2023 |

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