The Dying Earth

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Summary: A Wierd Masterwork
Review: A exquisite exotic, as terrible in beauty, and sweet in dreamworlds as any penned since Poe, very much it's shadow. Vance weaves a world as bejeweled in color and fantastique as readers could imagine, in a earth perched at the end of time, while the sun sputters its last gasp. Magic rules, and poor Cugel, its hero wanders from the lilac-flavoured poisons of Mazirian's garden to the autumn-cut glass palaces of the Dying Earth. He is betrayed, bewitched, and perplexed by his environs, all to our joy, and such is his adventures that we hope for more, but it takes a genius such as Vance to realize it. Some say NIGHT LAMP is his last, but his readers, his children, will reimagine the lost lands of this book long after he is gone, perhaps to the end of this incredible, dream-haunted journey.

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Summary: A true classic, beautiful beyond belief.
Review: Any attempt to convey even a vague sense of the wonder and beauty of Jack Vance's writing in this book is doomed to failure. It takes its place alongside the works of Lord Dunsany (The King of Elf Land's Daughter), E.R. Eddison (The Worm Ourobouros), and, yes, Tolkien. Read and be enchanted.

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Summary: The most believable, best work written in the fantasy genre
Review: As a true fan of good fantasy and science fiction for some 20 years now, I've always searched for books which really fulfull the promise of those genres. In a time when both genres seem to have collapsed into a state where one rarely finds work which isn't some sort of commercial advertisement for childrens toys and tv shows, Jack Vance stands out like a beacon of pure genius. The dying earth is a series of vignettes in the fantasy realm of the same name invented by Vance. Humorous and brilliantly witty, yet darker and in many ways more believable (on a human level) than his space operas, the dying earth presents characters and situations using Vance's unique and eclectic mastery of the english language which sweep the reader away into another world from which it is hard to escape. This, ultimately is what good fantasy should do, and so often fails to accomplish. Readers should also seek out "The eyes of the overworld", "Cugels saga", and "Rhialto the marvelous", which occur in the same 'world'...

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Summary: Not a copy of Tolkien or Robert Howard !
Review: At last a fantasy world that is not a pale imitation of The lord of The Rings or Conan. its amazingly good and unique.

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Summary: Vance got even better
Review: I am a great fan of Jack Vance, but this is not one of my favourite works. I find the characters opaque and unlikeable. Vance's verbal pyrotechnics remain spectacular, of course. But I far prefer later Vance such as the 'Lyonnesse' series, the 'Cadwall Chronicles' ('Araminta Station' et seq.), and the 'Alastor' novels. These contain heroes who are likeable as well as dauntless, and romantic interests who are loveable as well as beautiful. For people who like 'The Dying Earth', I suggest 'Cugel's Saga', 'Eyes of the Overworld', 'Rhialto the Marvellous', and 'Showboat World'. People who find the characters of 'The Dying Earth' repellent, or the language over-elaborate, should try 'Araminta Station' (SF) or 'Lyonnesse I: Suldrun's Garden' (Fantasy) before they give up on Vance.

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Summary: One of the most influential fantasy novels of all time
Review: Originally written in 1950, this 'novel' is actually six semi-interlocked tales of Earth millions of years in the future. The sun has become red and dim, the landscape is peopled with sorcerers, demons, weird nightmare creatures, and the baroque remnants of mankind. Magic and science have blended almost into one.

Vance's language is evocative and unique; his style is unmistakable. Other of his novels- far below this in quality- have won the Hugo and Nebula. Read this book and live a dream.

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Summary: exellent,a one book,one sit read.
Review: this is a book of science fiction and fantasy combined.in book one of this four book sieres we,re introduced to a variety of people.turjan,creator of life.t,sais,who see's everything with evil intent.on her planet she meets her sister who sees everything with the goodness of her soul.here her sister travles to a planet called earth where the sky is blue to find love.here t,sais meets a hooded man who saves her from distruction his name is etarr(I liked him)his is a story of love for the wrong woman! there are manny other characters in this book to many for me to give a proper feel for each one. mazirian,liane,ulan dhor... JACK VANCE IS A MASTER STORRYTELLER...

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Summary: Hard to describe
Review: Vance's writing is ornate and in some ways archaic; his characters, although ostensibly human, are oftentimes incomprehensible, yet for all that, this novel (really a series of interconnected short stories) is still very appealing. Set who-knows-when (or, for that matter, who-knows-where, even though it's supposed to be Earth), this book is populated with scamps and thieves, cannibalistic deodands and murderous erbs, bizarre religious cults, ghosts and magicians. If you like this one, make sure you also pick up "The Eyes of the Overworld." Both aren't really science fiction, but fantasy, of a kind that only Vance has been able to produce.