Jack Vance
– An Incomplete Annotated and Illustrated Bibliography
A
selection of some of the things the name Jack Vance (1916- ) summons to mind:
glorious sunsets watched in comfort with trays of sweetmeats and goblets of exotic
distillations readily at hand; the company of a pretty girl at a wharf-side
cafe; caravans conveying all manner of goods and personalities negotiating
wide, lawless steppes; rich, brightly coloured costumes; boats lit prow and
stern with huge ornate lamps sailing placid oceans; crafty bartering over the
price of ancient, stoppered urns of unknown, but certainly magical, content;
carnivorous hybrids who happily discuss philosophical nuances prior to dining
on their fellow conversationalists; unsolvable mysteries which nevertheless
must be solved; and, throughout, in both undertone and over, Mankind in all his
vanity, selfishness, perversity, madness, and ultimate invincibility.
Jack
Vance (full name John Holbrook Vance), on the surface, is a writer of the old
school: the concerns of his worlds do not obviously touch upon this; he often
leaves his readers longing to be a part of his magical, eerie, melancholy
set-pieces; his work is mainly male-orientated; his heroes —and, more
rarely, heroines— are straightforward creations with a minimum of
characterisation (yet always distinctive and never cardboard); his plotting
classic. And it’s all done in such an effortless, timeless style I have
not seen equalled in SF (and there have been many imitators). Under the
surface, however, Vance has more to offer than escapism. The majority of his
books bear re-reading, some many times, and on different levels. He has much to
say concerning society as a whole and comments tellingly on its particulars.
His wit is clear, precise, and often quite damning. He hints at Mankind’s
dark side without ever actually descending too far in to it. He… Well,
just read the guy, will you?
I
fervently wish this bibliography was complete — it irks me —and yet
gives me pleasure— to know that there are still Jack Vance books out
there to be read.
*NOTE:
screen tips are used on certain covers.
The Dying Earth (1950)
Interconnected
short stories. The sun dims, the awesome achievements of Mankind’s past
are forgotten. Sinister creatures roam the dark forests and deep valleys;
wizards vie with one-another for the possession of powerful artefacts or grow
beautiful women in vats; once magnificent cities rot — untended by their
ignorant populace. Vance’s first book. Within this sub-genre, equalled
only by Wolfe’s “The Book of the New Sun” in its feeling of
infinite antiquity. Perhaps his best (certainly my favourite).
The Five Gold Bands (1950)
Novel. The five Sons of Langtry have
a stranglehold on the galaxy in general and Earth in particular due to the fact
that only they know the secret of interstellar travel. Paddy Blackthorn gains
the information that could lead to the information that could lead to Earth
being able to produce its own space drives, and sets out to break the monopoly.
An almost complete lack of usual style, an irritatingly stereotypical Irish
hero, and a plot devoid of surprises, make this book probably the worst Vance
in the world.
Son of the Tree (1951)
Novel. Joe Smith is roaming the
galaxy in search of the man who has stolen his love’s heart. During his
travels he becomes involved with a power struggle taking part between two
worlds —one religious, the other cultural— over possession of a
developing, but potentially lucrative, third. Somewhat slight, somewhat
predictable, but nevertheless entertaining.
Big Planet (1952)
Novel. Claude Glystra of Earth had
been sent to the aptly named world of Big Planet to investigate slaver and would-be
planet ruler, Charley Lysidder. However, Glystra and his fellows become the
victims of sabotage, and find themselves forty-thousand miles from the safe
area of Earth Enclave. Many consider this one of Vance’s best, personally
I’m not too sure why. It is a readable enough adventure, agreed, but
somewhat uninvolving.
Monsters in Orbit (1952)
Two novelettes. Comprising
“Monsters in Orbit” and “Cholwell’s Chickens”
(but in this Ace Double edition printed simply as, “Part One” and
“Part Two”).
Entertaining tales featuring a rare thing in a Vance tale: a female lead
(a foreunner, perhaps, to Madouc in Lyonness III (see below)). Jean Parlier
wants a million dollars (or more) and gets involved in a scam involving lots of
floating fat people. In the second story, she decides to seek out who her
parents were, and, after many an unlikely coincidence, does. Nothing
extraordinary here, but Jean is a likeable heroine and it’s a pity there
isn’t any more of her.
Slaves of the Klau (1952)
Novel. Roy Barch is an escaped
slave upon a nightmarish factory planet. Only a diverse and incomprehensible
crew of spiritless humanoids, and his own indomitable will to live, offer any
hope of return to Earth (a situation that draws immediate parallels with the
“Planet of Adventure” books). Though unrealistic in places and
predictable in others, this is a highly enjoyable romp, in which, to be candid,
Mankind says fuck you to the rest of the galaxy, and manages to prove Himself
the best thing ever to have happened to it. What were the words of that old
Queen song? “Just a man, with a man’s courage, nothing but a man,
who can never fail.” And yes, the guy does get the girl.
The Houses of Iszm (1954)
Novel. The living tree-houses of
Iszm are in very high demand — especially by those who would steal a
female house-seed and so break the Iszic’s monopoly. Ignoring the silly
names and —for Vance— fairly conventional style, this is a very
readable novel; especially when it details the Iszic’s botanical
creations (where the phrase “mad house” takes on literal meaning).
To
Live Forever (1956)
Novel. Clarges is a city built upon
immortality, its every citizen striving for social advancement in order to one
day join the exalted ranks of the Amaranth and live forever. An excellent,
rather dark work; very well thought out concerning immortality’s
practicalities.
The Languages of Pao (1957)
Novel. In general, this is a tale of
planetary revolution; in detail it covers such subjects as languages dictating
societies, megalomania, exile, coming-of-age, hive mentality, solipsism,
artificial augmentation of the body — and all clearly, thoroughly, and
engagingly depicted within only a hundred and sixty pages (a number others
would need to treble in order to properly present the same ideas). A very good
read.
The Dragon Masters (1962)
Novel. Winner of the Hugo Award.
The last vestiges of Man live out their lives on the planet Aerlith,
selectively breeding armies of dragons — semi-intelligent reptiles
derived from ancient alien adversaries, the Basics. Only one man, Joaz Banbeck,
expected the Basics to return; and, when they of course did, only he was in a
position to effectively pit his dragons against their selectively bred
man-things. A very readable and imaginative book, the battle scenes proving
especially vivid.
Dust of Far Suns (1964)
Novelette collection. Four gems,
the last being the most highly polished and the penultimate the most gaudy and
common. Consists of, “Dust of Far Suns” (previously published as,
“Sail 25”), “Dodkin’s Job,” Ullward’s
Retreat,” and “The Gift of the Gab.” Here we have space
cadets and their impossible-to-please tutor, Kafka and Fritz Lang, the virtues
of virtual reality over reality itself, and a tempered down The Thing on water. Superb – you
won’t be able to help the small smiles of satisfaction spreading over
your face.
Star King (1964)
Novel. First in the “Demon Princes”
series. Mankind has spread far and wide throughout the galaxy, encountering few
beings with intelligence to match his own — except, that is, for the Star
Kings, whose sole drive in life is to excel. Possessed, as they are, of a humanoid
appearance, many of them set out to prove Mankind their inferior by bettering
him in all his aspects of existence — including the worst. To this end,
one Star King, accompanied by four human master-criminals (all five
collectively named the Demon Princes), lay waste to a town, enslaving or
killing its inhabitants; amongst whom is the family of Kirth Gersen. Gersen
swears vengeance. Often melancholy, often dark, often funny, and always most
enjoyable.
The Killing Machine (1964)
Novel. Second in the “Demon
Princes” series. Gersen seeks out the second of the five Demon Princes
who destroyed his childhood family and friends. Another girl, further strange
planets and societies, but generally more of the same enjoyable stuff.
The World Between (1965)
Collection. Consists of tales also
printed in The Worlds of Jack Vance. “The World Between,”
“The Moon Moth,” “Brain of the Galaxy,” “The
Devil on Salvation Bluff,” and “The Men Return.” (See that
entry for details).
Space Opera (1965)
Novel. Dame Isabel Grayce has
decided to take Earth-style grand opera to the various other races of the
galaxy. The performances, however, rarely meet with the reception hoped for.
Amusing enough, and Vance —at least to a prole like myself— shows
he has some knowledge of opera; but the book only just stays this side of
tedium in its episodic plotting. A better bet for this sort of thing is Kim
Stanley Robinson’s “The Memory of Whiteness”.
The Last Castle (1966)
Novella. Hugo and Nebula Award
winner. The population of Earth is small, and housed, for the most part, in
nine castles. Without warning the alien servants at each castle revolt, and,
due to their erstwhile masters’ foolish contempt and overblown belief in
their own resources, swiftly take eight of the castles. However, waiting at
Hagedorn, The Last Castle, is a man with sufficient vision to comprehend the
only way in which the aliens can be defeated... Very colourful, perfect prose and
execution, but, all in all, typical Vance and surely not his most deserving
work for the Hugo and Nebula.
The Eyes of the Overworld (1966)
Novel. Episodic sequel to
“The Dying Earth”. Lacks some of the antiquity of its precursor,
but this is its only fault. Cugel the Clever, a vain, self-centred rogue, has
been cast halfway around the world by Iucounu the Laughing Magician in order to
acquire one of the Eyes of Overworld. His journey back, of course, is filled
with the weirdest happenings, not least of which is his unwitting consumption
—after toasting it over a brazier!— of TOTALITY, the universe
inversely viewed. Constantly witty, often surprising, “Overworld”
is a worthy sequel.
The Blue World (1966)
Novel. Explores one of
Vance’s favourite themes: Man as slave. On a water-bound world a peaceful
community living upon huge lily-pads worships a semi-intelligent underwater
being, King Kragen. In return for this worship and the food that is grown for him,
Kragen keeps at bay his lesser relatives. Only the pride of Sklar Hast and one
or two others is offended by this situation, and they resolve to do something
about it. Enjoyable, but barely manages to cover its short story origins.
The Brains of Earth (1966)
Novella. Paul Burke has discovered
that Mankind is under the sway of ethereal creatures occupying a dimension
adjacent to our own. He has been tasked by a powerful alien race to rid us of
our invisible masters before the race rids Earth of Mankind. But how can one
man convince the world of the horrible truth? A good page turner, though it
lacks much of Vance’s usual wit and style.
The Many Worlds of Magnus Ridolph (1966)
Collection.
Stories from the late forties and early fifties concerning the adventures of
Magnus Ridolph — one of those characters who you just know will sort things out in the end, no
matter the odds against success. An unlikely Vance hero, old, with no
particular physical attributes (whether in strength or appearance, unless you
count his white goatee), but possessed of a considerable intelligence and
confidence in his own abilities. These tales are all light-hearted
entertainment, written with precision. Consists of, “The Kokod
Warriors,” “The Unspeakable McInch,” “The Howling
Bounders,” “The King of Thieves,” “The Spa of the
Stars” (probably the best, with a very funny ending), and, “Coup de
Grace.”
The Palace of Love (1967)
Novel. Third in the “Demon
Princes” series. Again, a further girl, further planets and societies,
another Demon Prince to execute. This time, however, Gersen is accompanied by a
sidekick in the interesting and humorous guise of the mad poet Navarth.
City
of the Chasch (1968)
Novel. See “Planet of
Adventure Omnibus.”
Servants
of the Wankh (1969)
Novel. Sequel to above. See
“Planet of Adventure Omnibus.”
The
Dirdir (1969)
Novel. Sequel to above. See
“Planet of Adventure Omnibus.”
Emphyrio (1969)
Novel. On the planet Halma a stifling
guild system tantamount to slave labour keeps the populace under strict
control. Ghyl Tarvok, fascinated by the ancient legend of Emphyrio (who
supposedly saved the original settlers from alien conquest), and angered by the
wrongful death of his father, becomes disillusioned with the system and seeks
its destruction — in enigmatic parallel with the Emphyrio legend. A
well-depicted childhood and denouncement of certain aspects of everyday life,
ensconced within the familiar Vance tropes of star-yachts, theosophical
piss-taking, and boy-meets-girl, make this a very good, more serious than
usual, book.
The
Pnume (1970)
Novel. Sequel to “The
Dirdir.” See “Planet of Adventure Omnibus.”
The Faceless Man (1971)
Novel. First in the Durdane Trilogy.
The inhabitants of Durdane lead a comfortable, trouble-free existence —
controlled as they are by exploding torcs about their necks. Gastel Etzwane,
wronged by Durdane law, escapes the torc to seek justice from He Whose Finger
is On The Button, so to speak. A highly unlikely society set in a beautiful
world, and both wonderfully evoked, make this worthy Vance and an excellent
start to a trilogy.
.
The Brave Free Men (1972)
Novel. Second in the Durdane
trilogy. Gastel Etzwane must unite the wildly diverse cantons of Shant against
the threat of the monstrous Roguskhoi. Very entertaining page-turner,
imaginative, inventive, employing all of Vance’s trademarks to their best
effects
The Asutra (1973)
Novel. Third in the Durdane trilogy.
The Roguskhoi and their parasitic alien puppeteers have been forced from Shant.
But what of the rumours originating from the vast and wild continent of Caraz
— rumours of fearsome battles between huge copper-coloured saucers and
vast black globes? Gastel Etzwane feels compelled to investigate. A satisfying
close to the trilogy, surprisingly downbeat at the very end.
Trullion: Alastor 2262 (1973)
Novel. An “Alastor
Cluster” book (tenuously connected to the “Gaean Reach”
books). After ten years, Glinnes Hulden has returned to his homeworld of
Trullion, to find circumstances not at all to his liking: his older brother is
missing, gipsies camp in his back garden, and half of his land has been
illegally sold. And what of the new cult of Fanscherade that has claimed his
younger brother and is sweeping over Trullion’s fens and islands, its
doctrines completely contrary to the normal easy-going ways of the Trill?
Detailed and beautifully written (especially concerning the languorous paradise
of Trullion itself).
The Worlds of Jack Vance (1973)
Collection. Classic Vance, with
stories —and one novella— from the forties, fifties, and sixties.
There isn’t a dud amongst them, though one or two lack some of the grace
and style of Vance’s best work. Consists of, “The World
Between,” “The Moon Moth,” “Brain of the Galaxy,”
“The Devil on Salvation Bluff,” “The Men Return,” “The
Kokod Warriors,” “The King of Thieves,” “Coup de
Grace,” and the novella, “The Brains of Earth,” (see above).
The Grey Prince (1974)
Novel. A “Gaean Reach”
book. On the planet Koryphon, revolution looms. The nomadic Uldras want the vast
stretches of land, forcibly taken from them centuries ago by the settling
Outkers, returned. But other, far older races than the Uldra exist upon
Koryphon — what of their claim? A detailed, interesting book, especially
where it concerns the political differences between Koryphon’s various
peoples. A journey across open steppe aboard a wheeled land-yacht lingers in the mind.
Showboat World (1975)
Novel. A “Big Planet”
book. Apollon Zamp, master of the showboat Miraldra’s Enchantment, has won
permission to compete in a Grand Festival at far-off Mornune. However, due to
the devious machinations of his arch-rival, Zamp loses boat, possessions,
troupe, and crew. How now will he get to Mornune? How can he compete without a
troupe? And what of the mysterious beauty who would accompany him no matter his
vicissitudes, and yet declines his every amorous advance? Written with high
style and wit, a book more like “Cugel’s Saga” —see
below— than “Big Planet.”
Marune: Alastor 993 (1975)
Novel. An “Alastor
Cluster” book. Pardero has lost his memory. However, by processes of
deduction and elimination, his origins are traced to the planet Marune, where
he holds a position of some distinction amongst its stifling society of Rhunes.
His return is not greeted with joy — quite the opposite, in fact. He
finds himself at the centre of a power-struggle of which he knows nothing, and
only by deciphering its intricacies can he learn who stole his memory. A trifle
uninvolving at first, but soon builds into an interesting mystery-cum-court
intrigue.
Maske: Thaery (1976)
Novel. A “Gaean Reach”
book. On the planet Maske, proud Jubal Droad, a younger brother and therefore
ineligible to become master of his ancestral home, roams the district of Thaery
in search of a befitting life. Due to certain revengeful desires, he becomes
embroiled in a plot that could change the whole of Maske. A mystery novel
slightly more light-hearted than “The Grey Prince”, imaginative, in
places eerily magical, drily ironic, and beautifully written throughout.
Wyst: Alastor 1716 (1978)
Novel. An “Alastor
Cluster” book. On little more than a whim, Jantiff Ravensroke travels to
the hyper-egalitarian city of Arrabus on Wyst. There, unwittingly, he becomes the
instigator of a plot of usurpation — and
ultimately expendable. A rich, detailed work, somewhat slower-paced than usual,
and written as two distinct halves — the first concerning Jantiff’s
adventures in the subtly —and not so subtly— sinister city of Arrabus,
the second his attempts to gain transport off-planet in the Weirdlands
surrounding the city. Gently anti-communist, this is the best of the
“Alastor” books.
Fantasms and Magics (published as
collection, 1978)
Collection (though this is not even
alluded to on the cover of the Grafton copy). Headed by the novella “The
Miracle Workers,” the subjects of these stories range from voodooism to
the re-emergence of Earth into reality after a long sojourn in Chaos (of the
visible-sound, heard-aromas variety). There are no valuable insights or lessons
to be learned from any of these works (as Vance himself, in his introduction,
testifies) — they are simply good-old
suspend-your-disbelief-and-read-with-a-smile-on-your- face tales. Consists of
“The Miracle Workers,” “When the Five Moons Rise,”
“Noise,” “The New Prime,” “Guyal of Sfere”
(a “Dying Earth” extract), and “The Men Return.”
The Face (1979)
Novel. Fourth in the “Demon
Princes” series. Yet another girl, more weird planets, customs, and
pastimes, and another Demon Prince to be revenged upon. Only one more to go,
and there’s some interesting stuff here concerning Kirth Gersen’s
wish —only touched upon by the earlier books— that he could end his
obsessive lifestyle and live more conventionally — I think Vance was
actually feeling a little sorry for him by this point. Detailed, interesting,
and with an absolutely beautiful ending.
Galactic Effectuator (1980)
Novel (The Dogtown Tourist Agency)
and novella (Freitzke’s Turn).A “Gaean Reach” book. Miro
Hetzel is the eponymous Galactic Effectuator – basically an upper
echelon PI who never gets flustered
and will always solve the case he’s on – though some clients might
grumble at his fees and taste for luxury. The character and plotting seems to
be a revision/ revival of the earlier Magnus Ridolph, and is none the worse for
that. Enjoyable, witty, colourful, amusing. Simply good Vance.
The Narrow Land (1980)
Collection. Themes vary from an
immortal’s efforts to commit suicide in “Where Hesperus
Falls,” to an entertaining play on the Waking Up in Someone Else’s
Body sub-genre in the novella “Chateau D’If” (originally published
as “New Bodies for Old”). Another highly entertaining collection.
Consists of “The Narrow Land,” “The Masquerade on
Dicantropus,” “Where Hesperus Falls,” “The World
Thinker,” “Green Magic,” “The Ten Books,” and
“Chateau D’If.”
The Book of Dreams (1981)
Novel. Fifth in the “Demon
Princes” series. Kirth Gersen searches for the final Demon Prince, Howard
Alan Treesong — Overlord of Crime and would-be Triune of the Interworld
Police Coordinating Company. Howard, though he is supposed to be the ultimate
in criminal evil, is almost conventional in comparison to his now-dead peers;
and, when his time does arrive (as was inevitable), it is rather a damp squib.
A strange choice to complete the series, and, in feeling, unexpectedly at odds
with the other four.
Lyonesse: Suldrun’s Garden (1983)
Novel. A complex tale of a land now
sunk below the Atlantic. Kings strive against one-another for what they believe
to be their rightful domains; wizards variously help and hinder the kings
whilst bickering amongst themselves; fairy folk replace royal offspring with
changelings; a disowned princess lives out her days in a hidden garden; kings
seek for their sons and princes seek for their fathers; armies lay siege to
impregnable castles; unctuous monks ingratiate themselves with queens in order
to further Christianity’s cause; doors are opened into other realities...
It’s all here, and revealed in a beautiful, often haunting fashion. Quite
excellent.
Cugel’s Saga (1983, 1985)
Novel. Sequel to “The Eyes of
Overworld.” Cugel again finds himself on the other side of the world,
faced with the prospect of another long, danger-fraught journey home. On this
occasion, however, he chooses a different route... Another, very worthy
addition to “The Dying Earth” line, played more for laughs than the
two previous novels.
Rhialto the Marvellous (1984)
Novel. A Dying Earth book. This
details, in three episodes, the exploits of a group of some two-dozen rather
vain, petty, and selfish magicians (focusing on the eponymous Rhialto).
Amusing, witty, stylish as always — but left wanting due to the almost
total lack of antiquarian impression its setting demands. “The Dying
Earth” deserves better.
Planet of Adventure Omnibus (1985)
Comprising “City of the
Chasch,” “Servants of the Wankh,” “The Dirdir,”
and “The Pnume.” Adam Reith is marooned upon the huge, ancient
world of Tschai. Five races constitute the world’s populace: the
indigenous and subterranean Pnume, the star-faring Chasch, Wankh(!), and
Dirdir. Astoundingly, Man is also present, and split for the most part into
four factions more interested in aping the ways of their alien masters than in
freeing themselves from oppression. A rich work, full of ornate air-boats and
ruined cities. Manages to evoke something of “The Dying Earth” in
its impression of Tschai’s great age.
Lyonesse II: The Green Pearl
(1985)
Novel. Sequel to Lyonesse. More of
the same, though none the worse for that. Sadly though, this work lacks some of
its predecessor’s grace and freshness. Nevertheless, a good read.
The Augmented Agent and Other
Stories (1986)
Collection. Subjects range from the
tragic tale of an alien girl stranded on contemporary Earth, to a kind of
“Harry Tuttle, Heating Engineer,” for interstellar transport
booths, to near-future espionage with James Bonds whose gadgets are part of
their physiology. Not a bad collection, with many of the stories running to
novella length, but not quite up with “The Narrow Land” and
“Fantasms and Magics.” Consists of “Shape-Up,”
“The Man from Zodiac,” “Golden Girl,” “The Planet
Machine,” “Crusade to Maxus,” “Three-Legged Joe,”
“Sjambak,” and “The Augmented Agent.”
Araminta Station (1988)
First book of “The Cadwal Chronicles.”
Cadwal is a world governed by the ultimate in environmental policies, namely
that any person discovered to be adversely affecting the planet’s
beautiful flora and fauna, is punishable by death. Glawen Clattuc is the hero
who finds himself embroiled in events that would ultimately lead to
Cadwal’s taming and development along more profitable lines. Richly
detailed, with memorable characters and plenty of the usual Vance wry humour,
this a very good read indeed.
Ecce and Old Earth (1991)
Sequel to “Araminta
Station.” Glawen Clattuc is searching across the galaxy for his
girlfriend, who is also searching for “the Charter” — the decree
that keeps Cadwal safe from development. And where is the Charter kept? You
guessed it. Tightly written, with around half of the book shown from
Glawen’s girlfriend, Wayness Tamm’s viewpoint. “Old
Earth,” however, was a bit of a disappointment — nothing much seems
to have changed there from what it is now.
Lyonesse III: Madouc (1989)
Novel. Sequel to Lyonesse II: The
Green Pearl. World Fantasy Award-winner. Concentrates, for the most part, on
the adventures of the changeling Madouc. These are entertaining enough, but
Vance dallies far too long with her, and relegates other, more interesting
characters to a virtual summary of catastrophic events in the last few pages.
The priorities of this book should have been reversed. Presumably the last in
the series, and as such a disappointment.
Throy (1992)
Sequel to “Ecce and Old
Earth.” Glawen Clattuc continues in his quest to secure Cadwal from
“development.” Entertaining, but very sparse compared to its two precursors.
A somewhat disappointing close to the trilogy.
Night Lamp (1996)
A “Gaean Reach” book.
Jaro Fath, orphan, is haunted by his past, and the only way he can resolve his
situation is by travelling to the distant planet Kammerwelt, at the tip of one
of the galaxy’s arms. This book is lush with the atmosphere of the worlds
Jaro voyages to, and becomes more than a little haunting —in a vaguely
Lovecraftian manner— towards the end, when his past and heritage is
explained. Rather exquisite.
Ports of Call (1998)
A “Gaean Reach” book.
Myron Tany, after revealing certain truths to his aunt Dame Hester Lajoie she
would rather not have known, finds himself marooned on a not-very hospitable
planet. The position of supercargo becomes available on the Glicca, and we once more find ourselves
in another romp from world to weird and wonderful world. A lot of this book is
played for laughs, or rather wry smirks. However, interspersed with the humour
are darker elements, and not a little poignancy. Very enjoyable, marred only by
an abrupt ending that leaves matters wide open for the sequel, Lurulu.
Lurulu (2004)
A “Gaean Reach book. Billed as
the sequel to Ports of Call, but really a continuation of the same book. Thin,
almost plotless, with the first couple of chapters cheekily copied nearly
verbatim from the last couple of Ports of Call. But forget that, as what we
have here is something very special on a number of levels. Everything typical
of the best Jack Vance is here – style, dry wit, haunting wonder. But
this is not a book for those with little or no experience of his work. It
should not be attempted unless you have read –and, obviously,
enjoyed– at least ten of his other works plus Ports of Call. I see this as a book –possibly even a
thank you– for the converted. So much would be lost on neophitic
Vance-samplers, who would come away feeling almost cheated at its sudden
resolutions (where there are such), its almost total lack of action or
confrontation, its –as has been said– seemingly deliberate
avoidance of plot. But the experienced Vanceian (and I consider myself as such,
though lacking the fanaticism of some)? There are nuances that hint at things
being said even though they aren’t written. Jack’s smiling benignly
at us, gently ribbing, lovingly knowing, but never condescending. He gives us
work to do to get the best from Lurulu, but not too much, and it’s never anything
less than enjoyable. I completed the book with ambiguous feelings. Part of me
was sad – this is probably his last [EDIT NOTE: is looks almost certain
to be his last, though there is now an autobiography]. However, part of me was
also quietly euphoric: it is a really rather beautiful last.
-oOo-