R.I.P. Jack Vance

[oball]

Jack Vance, author of the Dying Earth series and many other classics of fantasy and sci-fi, has passed away aged 96. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/may/30/jack-vance-dies-96-science-fiction)

I'm surprised this hasn't been noted here yet (unless I missed it), as his Dying Earth series was a major influence on the creation of D&D, giving us the eponymous Vancian magic system, as well as (the most excellent) prismatic spray and ioun stones.

Out of his works, I have personally only read the Dying Earth, but it is absolutely fantastic and I have been meaning to pick up some of his other stuff. I guess now I have a good reason to do so, and I would encourage anyone else who hasn't read his books to do the same. Even if it's just to read about the exploits of Cugel the Clever, who has got to be one of the most memorable characters I have come across in any medium.

[Rosstin]

I loved the Dying Earth. It's one of the most beautiful series of stories I've ever read.

[Zaydos]

That's sad, the man was a great author. I mean The Dying Earth and its sequels were actually far from the best of his books I've read (at least in my opinion) and they're great books (Cugel is still one of my favorite rogues in fiction). I hadn't even heard he had passed away.

[Ravens_cry]

A little bit of the magic of the world just passed away.
Rest in Peace, Mister Vance.

[Killer Angel]

Plus, the Demon Princes, Lyonesse, Cadwal chronicles...
Goodbye Jack, you had a great part in forming my love for fantasy and FS. :smallfrown:

[BWR]

Now I'm really bummed. He was an amazing author.
I'm just shocked it's so hard to find his work in the bookstores. Apart from the reprints that came in the Fantasy Masterworks and Science Fiction Masterworks series (which is where I first encountered his work), I've found all his stuff used.

[Saph]

Just found out about this last night. Very sad – he's one of my favourite writers. Had an amazingly long career.

[Doctor Foreman]

I've always been curious about Vance, but haven't gotten the chance to read his work. Anyone have particular recommendations?

[BWR]

I've always been curious about Vance, but haven't gotten the chance to read his work. Anyone have particular recommendations?

Anything, really, but I suppose the best place to start would be his Dying Earth stories (The Dying Earth, Eyes of the Overworld, Cugel' saga, Rhialto the Marvellous) are the best introduction. Those were mine, at least, and it is these stories which gave D&D so much.

The Lyonesse saga is a pseudo-Mediaeval story about the Elder Islands, set between England and France.
I was also very fond of the Durdane trilogy and the Cadwall Chronicles.

I'm pretty damn fond of everything of his I have read, frankly.

[Saph]

Seconding BWR.

Dying Earth for the D&D influences (and for one of the more entertaining examples of the Rogue class).
Lyonesse if you're into fantasy. Has a very good portrayal of faeries.
Cadwal Chronicles if you'd rather try sci-fi.
Night Lamp for one of his very late-in-life books – it feels as much YA as anything else.
Vance had an amazingly long writing career, publishing for more than 50 years, which was one of the reasons he was so influential. The later books can feel very different from the early ones.

[Ianuagonde]

He was one of my favorite authors, and his influence on RPG's, sci-fi and fantasy is subtle but persistent.

Time to brush off my Dying Earth RPG books for a new game...

He will be missed.

[Zaydos]

I've always been curious about Vance, but haven't gotten the chance to read his work. Anyone have particular recommendations?

If you're big into D&D then Dying Earth and its sequels (I haven't actually read Rhialto the Marvelous) are a good starting point, but I actually prefer his harder sci-fi. To Live Forever is my little brother's favorite, The Dragon Masters (yes this was hard sci-fi) was one of mine (a short novella), and he had a series of mostly unconnected books about various planets in an interstellar empire which were possibly my favorites of his work.

[PlusSixPelican]

This is troubling. I hope he's happier wherever he is, though.

I really should pick up a copy of Dying Earth. That's probably the best way to honor his memory.

[turkishproverb]

Wow. That's a heavy loss.

It's funny, I've read a few of his books, but the time I went to try to find out about the "complete works" version, there were problems with the fan-forum for him.

Still, I do enjoy the man's work.

Best wishes to his family.

[Ichneumon]

That is really sad to hear. He really had a great influence on D&D.


This is troubling. I hope he's happier wherever he is, though.

I really should pick up a copy of Dying Earth. That's probably the best way to honor his memory.

That's what I'm going to do today.

[Callos_DeTerran]

I have never read this man's work before, which I find a bit regrettable. Still, I admire the level of influence he had on D&D and it's sad that he died.

...But maybe, just maybe, we can finally get away from Vancian casting now. :smallfurious:

[Axolotl]

You know Vance did much more than just influence DnD. I he gave us half a dozen or so landmark SFF series and numerous great smaller books and short stories. But even ignoring those he's been hugely influential or the genre as a whole. I certainly can't imagine that Pratchett of Gene Wolfe's works would be at all similar if Vance had never existed. He's a great underrated author who filled his works with a level of wit and whimsy that's really lacking in a lot of fantasy.

However and I don't want to sound callous here but it's hard to feel sad that someone dies age 96. I can think of literary geniuses whose lives don't overlap who lived entirely within Vance's life. Full sympathy to his family but it's not a life tragically cut short.

[BWR]

...But maybe, just maybe, we can finally get away from Vancian casting now. :smallfurious:

I'm sure we can, because obviously the only reason that came about and has persisted is because Vance forced it on us.

[Lvl45DM!]

Luckily I prepared crushing despair :smallfrown: