Rating: 
Summary: a gem
Review: Jack Vance writes like an Impressionist painter.. rich colors, few brush strokes, rich in nuance, evoking clear and compelling images. His action sequences are a remarkable experience: sometimes everything happens within one or two pages, but within that brief space heroism and knavery have danced before the reader's eyes, and the plot has done a back-flip. Adam Reith's escape from Tschai is as often diverted as thwarted, and the authors's roving eye follows the path with substantial realism and credibility, within the sci-fi premise. The many minute details of observation are always rewarding, augmenting the vividness of characters and polts. Vance's deft and straightforward writing make his work an enjoyable experience for all ages. Written in the late 1960's, Planet of Adventure reflects the flamboyance of the times, and also the joys and tragedies, but Vance neither makes nor requires references to anything beyond his distant vision, and he remains a robust read today.
Rating:
Summary: An epic sci-fi story
Review: Jack Vance's Planet Of Adventure held me in its grip for the week or so it took me to read it. Who can forget the indomitable Adam Reith, who journeys and fights his way across an entire hostile planet to achieve one goal: to get home.
Rating:
Summary: a real reading adventure
Review: Nowhere else but in a Jack Vance story would you come across such a name as "Ankh-At-Afram-Anacho the Dirdirman" and what a character! At the top of his form, Jack Vance whisks the reader to far away, far, far into the future, with more worlds and compelling beings in one novel than most fantasy/scifi authors produce in a lifetime. Highly entertaining in Vance's trademark literate irony, and full of thrills -- Planet of Adventure is aptly titled.
Rating:
Summary: It is a tribute to courage,ingenuity,compassion,tolerance
Review: The following statement may seem a bit iconoclastic but this book is to me what the Bible and some other inspired texts are for other people.It is a tribute to courage,ingenuity,compassion,cooperation,respect of the others,tolerance and I often use it when facing myself some difficult situation or decision.Needless to say I have read the four volumes of "Tschai" many times, both in french and in english.I have visited many exotic places all around the world but the best journeys I have ever done,to the strangest places, where when reading this book.Indeed, I consider that the hunting party described in volume three(the Dirdir)is one of the greatest pieces of litterature ever written;when reading it I am always afraid that some Maxwell demon will change the outcome of the hunt(it has not happened so far). It is a pity that such a book has never inspired someone like Steven Spielberg since there is a lot of similarities between Adam Reith and Indiana Jones. If you never read this book order it via Amazon,read it and buy more copies as gifts for your friends. Thank you again Mr Vance.
Rating:
Summary: One of the true classics of Science Fiction
Review: The Planet of Adventure stories compare favorably with the great all time science fiction sagas. Jack Vance is a master prose stylist, but best of all, he is a great storyteller. Anyone who even remotely likes science fiction will enjoy these timeless stories. It is not surprising that many reviewers said they read the P of A tetralogy many years ago, and then re-read them again, and even again. (I confess, I have read them 3 or 4 times, and gave them to my teenage son who promptly sat down and read the entire four books through to the end) What makes the Planet of Adventure stories so great? Simple, classic adventure science fiction with marvelously developed characters, an exciting plot that moves the action along compellingly, and a setting that is magnificently imagined. It is no wonder that virtually every reviewer gives these books a five star review. Read 'em and you'll be willing to write your own, too.
Rating:
Summary: Exquisitely entertaining
Review: There is something strangely beautiful about the way Jack Vance writes dialogue-his characters all sound stately and formal, using language best described as courtly, deadpan explicit, absurdly erudite... oh heck! it's really hard to explain it, but you will notice it right away. This typical Vance style is not as pronounced as it is in his "Dying Earth" series, but it's there, adding an unlooked for source of humor and fun to his stories of shipwrecked spaceman, Adam Reith. Besides a pronounced writing style, Vance is a superb story teller, as anyone who has read his "Demon Princes" stories will attest. So, I am primarilly writing this for Vance fans who haven't yet read the Tschai series-you won't be disappointed, this is Jack Vance at his best. But if you've never read anything by the author, I suspect you will find this book entertaining and just a plain fun read. A perfect book to go to sleep with, to read from cover to cover, over and over again. I absolutely loved it, from the first time I read the series, to now.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful science-fiction adventure series
Review: This book contains 4 excellent short SF novels by the masterful Jack Vance. Vance's descriptions and distinctive, elegant dialog combine to take the reader to an alternate reality in ways that very few writers can match. These books are perhaps my favorites by Vance. The alien beings depicted here are strange and fascinating, and Adam Reith is a resourceful, inspiring hero.
Rating:
Summary: Read this book! A true Science Fiction classic
Review: THis book is a perfect example of Vance's masterful storytelling ability. Adam Reith is a terrific hero. I'd love to make it into a movie so the world can know this story. In classic 1950's style, you will be held in perpetual in awe and suspense.
Rating:
Summary: Simply Timeless !
Review: This is sci-fi fiction with a touch of fantasy at its best. It may be written over 25 years ago but still holds its own today and surpasses most of its kind. The hero may lack depth but the astounding imagination of Vance in his creation of the Planet and its colourful mystical inhabitants more than make up for it. A truly amazing classic.
Rating:
Summary: READ ON
Review: This is the best adventure story I have ever come across. The world of Tschai is as intricate and complex as the Star Wars universe. The story is compelling and easily readable. And Vance still retains a sophisticated manner of writing remeniscent to classic literature. What you find is one man's desperate struggles on an alien planet to not only survive, but somehow find a way back to Earth. Tschai is a world so diverse and cruel, you are drawn to keep reading in fear for Adam Reith's and his friends' lives. A marvelous work brimming with care and attention which ultimately captivates your full attention as though it were real. If there be any kind of complaint, the consistent spelling errors were deterring of the main intrigue, but this noted, Planet of Adventure comes highly recommended to anyone who doesn't mind staying up late at night trying to finish the last book. Worth every minute.
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