Rating: 
Summary: overrated
Review: I agree with most of what elyon has written above in his review. Our largest point of disagreement, I think, is the final rating to be given the book in light of the many (fatal) flaws he points out. I cannot get beyond the bad plotting and characterization to see its historical significance as making this a worthy read.The first book is a collection of short stories set in a vaguely interesting world. That it is the "earth" is neither here nor there, really, as there is nothing in the world to make it seem anything at all like our own. I'm not usually one for short stories so I found very little to like in this. Glimpses of a possibly interesting world tied together with shallow characterization and simple plots. The next two books should really be treated as one volume as they follow Cugel through a series of misadventures. Frankly I became bored and stopped reading before the end of the second volume of Cugel. The separate adventures are largely incoherent. There is nothing tying them together other than a vaguely defined need for Cugel to get from point A to point B. There are numerous continuity lapses that are hard to understand. All of these could perhaps be overlooked if Cugel himself were an interesting person to read about. Except he isn't. He is stupid, vain, cruel, and scheming. None of which are necessarily bad but Cugel lacks that certain charisma that good anti-heroes and villains have. You simply don't care if Cugel makes it to point B. He could have died at any of a hundred spots along the journey and I wouldn't have cared. If I don't care about the main character and the setting isn't interesting enough to keep my attention why pain myself further by continuing to read? Two stars. Read the first book of short stories if you're really interested. It is a quick read, gives you a taste for what the world is like, and lets you see the generally shallow plotting and characterization that will dominate the remainder of the volume. If you fall in love with those short stories then you might find the rest of the book to your liking.
Rating: 
Summary: Among the Best
Review: I read this 20 years ago, and reread it last year. I still count it among the best fiction, SF or otherwise.
Rating:
Summary: Cugel the marvelous
Review: I will always remember the first time I read "Cugel's saga" (part of this omnibus) several years ago. I was entranced by the dialogue and the way the words flowed smoothly. Jack Vance is a true storyteller. He is descriptive without being too wordy, wise without being too righteous. My favourite part is Bunderwal v/s Cugel in the pub, especially when they choose their champions...Truly a masterpiece. Another part is the village of the "reclining men" who must strain ever higher to catch the feeble rays of sunlight. To me this signals the strength and folly of social norms, even in our present day society. I recommend this book. Definitely among the best in any genre.
Rating:
Summary: So good we made a game of it
Review: I've always loved this book - it's so different from the vanilla epic quests that typify so much other fantasy literature. The characters cloak their dishonesty and selfishness in convoluted speech. I like it so much that we created a licensed role playing game "The Dying Earth Roleplaying game" based on this material, also available through Amazon.
Rating:
Summary: So sue me
Review: I've been an avid Jack Vance fan since I read his Planet of Adventure series some 25 years ago. So my review is very prejudiced. Take it as you will.
Jack Vance is an iconoclast to say the least. He is the only writer to win prestigious awards in both Science Fiction and Mystery genres. He takes hits often for his lack of political correctness or some shallow idea that he is a mysogynist. (Perhaps there are too many writing students writing reviews. These people are similar to film students who would watch a movie that showed steaming cow manure for 90 minutes and then find some sort of positive "art" value to it.) Reading many of his works reveals quite the opposite.
The Dying earth tales are entrancing. Jack invents a unique universe. Few other writers can match his wit. It's quite simple really. Go to a library and check out a book by Vance. Read it. If you like him then you will love this book. If you don't just put the book back and don't bother the rest of us with your useless critcisms. After all, if Jack Vance is "shallow" and deals only in "thin plots" who, pray tell, does better?
Anyhow, that's my advice. Try a Jack Vance book. You'll either love it or hate it. If you love it then buy this book.
Rating:
Summary: the classic of classics
Review: If you can't judge a book by its cover, well, that's darn poor graphic design if you ask me, and the cover to this collection of fantasy novels looks like the Starship Enterprise or something. It has literally nothing to do with the book's contents. Ignore it. Ok, that's the only way anybody could have possibly have messed up this book, because what matters -- all the words and stories and stuff inside, you know, that Jack Vance wrote -- is classic by any standard. If you are any kind of fantasy reader and haven't read this, you have no excuse whatsoever for not dropping everything and doing so right now. No, I take that back. There is one possible excuse. If you haven't read Vance's equally classic Lyonesse books, I guess you might also drop everything and read them first, then come back to Tales of the Dying Earth. Six of one, half dozen of the other. Hey! Why are you still bothering with this review? You are wasting valuable seconds that could be spent procuring a copy of Tales of the Dying Earth! Go to it!
Rating:
Summary: Fun, enjoyable fantasy
Review: If you enjoy escapist fantasy, you should read Vance's Tales of the Dying Earth. The stories are light-hearted, and not what I would think of as serious literature. However, for sheer entertainment value, they can't be beat.
Rating:
Summary: Ever Wonder Where D&D Came From?
Review: If you want to know what shaped the mind of Gary Gygax here it is. From the first story you will recognize the Jack Vance influence. It's strikingly obvious in fact. Right down to the prismatic spray. Not only are his stories original and still fresh after all these years they tend to be better than more current offerings. After first discovering Vance at the tender age of 13 by way of his Lyonesse trilogy I have since scoured the used book stores and library book sales to find those covetted out of print titles. Now at the ripe age of 31 I have never been disappopinted with anything the man has written and that is what amazes me most. Doesn't every author have to have the requisite stinker? One would think so and yet if Jack Vance has one I have yet to find it. Buy it. Read it. Love it.
Rating:
Summary: Life Changing
Review: In the ancient Earth's Last Days, even the collected remnants of mankind's Forgotten Lore will make a man into a Magician King. My all time favorite fictional work. Jack is the master of Science Fantasy and romantic sci-fi adventure. Awesome.
Rating:
Summary: Life Changing
Review: In the ancient Earth's Last Days, even the collected remnants of mankind's Forgotten Lore will make a man into a Magician King. My all time favorite fictional work. Jack is the master of Science Fantasy and romantic sci-fi adventure. Awesome.
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