Here’s a laudatory article about Vance that you might enjoy.
For those of you who haven’t read Vance yet, you owe it to yourselves to do so.
I really enjoyed reading it - I gotta go back and revisit some of his stuff.
That’s a marvelous article on a great, great writer. Vance has been a passion of mine since I came across the first Demon Prince novel, Star King, in the 60s. I’ve been addicted ever since. He deserves to be far better known. I do urge those Dopers who have never read him to get a copy of The Eyes of the Overworld and acquaint yourself with the adventures of its central character, the rascally Cugel the Clever. Once read, never forgotten.
I’d recommend this volume.
ETA: Also, the Planet of Adventure books, as well as The Last Castle and The Dragon Masters.
Also, Subterranean Press has a couple volumes of collections, as well as the autobiography and Songs of the Dying Earth volumes mentioned in the article.
I’ve never been disappointed by Vance.
I can’t think of any other writer I can say that about,
I love his “Dying World” books. They were the basis for the original magic system in D&D/AD&D, the “memorize/cast/forget” paradigm.
One of the best sci-fi writers ever. In fact, the second science fiction book I remember reading was his Eight Fantasms and Magics.
Excellent article. Thank you for sharing.
Totally love Vance and all his writing. Too bad so much of it (all of it?) is out of print. I haunt the used book stores looking for his books…TRM (whose screen name is from a Vance novel)
I’m looking forward to reading the article. The Dying Earth series was one of the most unexpectedly, pleasantly surprisingly unique books I’ve ever read. I found myself laughing out loud at many moments throughout the book. Cugel’s trials and travails, and his improbably success, made for incredible reading.
At the risk of seeming ignorant, was the florid prose supposed to be intentionally humorous, or was that just typical Vance writing? I haven’t ready any of Vance’s other works (yet…) so I have no basis for comparison.
Also, are there any other books in the Dying Earth series besides The Dying Earth, The Eyes of the Overworld, Cugels Saga and Rialto the Magnificent?
The florid prose was intentionally humorous. Vance is all about dealing with language, so for the Dying Earth series he turned it up to 11. You can see the same sort of approach in some of the works of Clark Ashton Smith and James Branch Cabell.
Vance also has a similar use of language in the Planet of Adventure novels, and somewhat so in a couple of other books, but he does vary his style between different settings.
There aren’t any more Dying Earth books by Vance, but do note the tribute volume mentioned upthread.
Would you recommend the Planet of Adventure novels if the picaresque aspect of The Dying Earth series appealed to me?
It’s about time Vance got some respect, not just with Sci-fi circles, but in the literary world. His florid dialogue is very much intentional; baroque and pompous words often are used to convey venal and nasty messages.
Yes, indeed. The plot is somewhat simplistic, but the sly characterisations and the myriad cultures and activities described are wonderful!
MikeT, a major Vance fan…
Gookin! Why do you lie amongst the cheeses? 
Michael Shea wrote ‘A quest for Simbalis’ featuring Cugel, as a tribute work. It’s not the real McCoy, but Shea is a good writer, and it’s worth picking up just to see Cugel get a run out. Be surprised if it was in print now.
Later on, Shea wrote a book called ‘Nifft the lean’ which is really excellent. Nifft is a thief, but more of a heroic one than Cugel - clearly influenced by Vance, but stands on its own two feet with its own voice.
Thanks! Added to my Amazon Wish List.