# Jack Vance / Dying Earth bestiary?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-vance-dying-earth-bestiary/521437>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [December 16, 2009, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-vance-dying-earth-bestiary/521437 "2009-12-16T02:41:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-vance-dying-earth-bestiary/521437/41 "2014-10-27T20:42:10Z")

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Vance is a giant. I also recommend the _Lyonesse_ trilogy and \*The Blue Planet \*and _To Live Forever_. The Grayven Warlock (from the latter novel) is a great anti-hero.

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**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-vance-dying-earth-bestiary/521437/42 "2014-10-27T23:26:39Z")

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> [@Aplonis](#):
>
> . . . The Jack Vance Lexicon: from Ahulph to Zipangote  
> compiled by Dan Temianka . . .

One copy on Amazon…for $260. I’m a fan…but I haven’t pilfered Interchange for ten billion SVU…

Yet…

The Dying Earth role-playing-game system can be had for around $20. An interesting approach to Vance’s style, although, alas, I think not a great success.

But, then, I don’t really think that Vance’s own Rhialto the Marvelous was a great success; it simply isn’t up to the standards of Eyes of the Overworld or Cugel’s Saga, and certainly not as good as “Guyal of Sfere,” possibly the best of the “Dying Earth” offerings.

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**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-vance-dying-earth-bestiary/521437/43 "2014-10-27T23:30:23Z")

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> [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](#):
>
> Vance is a giant. I also recommend the _Lyonesse_ trilogy and \*The Blue Planet \*and _To Live Forever_. The Grayven Warlock (from the latter novel) is a great anti-hero.

Wonderful, wonderful stuff! My personal faves are the five “Demon Prince” novels.

The “Cadwal Chronicles” are a bit bland, but Ecce and Old Earth is noteworthy, I think, for it is Vance’s breakthrough novel in one respect: it’s the first time he presents us with a female protagonist of any significance. Until then, most of his women have been princesses needing to be rescued…or vitriolic old harridans. (He does viragos very well indeed!) But with Wayness Tamm, he transcends the limitations of a lifetime and gives us a believable, likeable, worthy heroine, as clever and intrepid as any of his men and boys.

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