# Vance? Novella. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 16, 2018, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vance-novella/816229 "2018-06-16T22:52:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2018, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vance-novella/816229/1 "2018-06-16T22:52:36Z")
I remember a novella, I think it was by Jack Vance. It reminded me of the Last Castle and The Dragon Masters. Anyway, again we have the decadent remnants of Humans. They have developed magic of a sort, curses , hexes and conjurations (which may be phantasms, but can certainly kill). Life goes along until they are attacked by some sort of elf-like native sapient. The hexes, etc have no effect but one apprentice HexMaster develops something like science. Vinegar for example, dissolves one attack by the “elves”. Title? ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2018, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vance-novella/816229/2 "2018-06-17T00:16:18Z")
Something out of the “Dying Earth” series perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2018, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vance-novella/816229/3 "2018-06-17T00:50:00Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > Something out of the “Dying Earth” series perhaps? No, of that I am sure, I was a early D&D designer, so I am very conversant with those. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2018, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vance-novella/816229/4 "2018-06-17T04:16:39Z")
Your description didn’t ring any bells for me. Maybe try perusing his [vast bibliography](http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?136+None) might help you remember the title? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2018, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vance-novella/816229/5 "2018-06-17T05:07:15Z")
> [@lisiate](#): > > Your description didn’t ring any bells for me. Maybe try perusing his [vast bibliography](http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?136+None) might help you remember the title? I did. But perhaps it was just Vance-like. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2018, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vance-novella/816229/6 "2018-06-17T07:47:51Z")
Reminds me of something from Galaxy or Astounding - was masks involved at all? Not masks like in “The Moon Moth”, but more witchdoctor-like? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2018, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vance-novella/816229/7 "2018-06-17T08:52:37Z")
_The Miracle Workers,_ maybe? [Description](http://variety-sf.blogspot.com/2010/03/jack-vance-miracle-workers-short-novel.html). ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2018, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vance-novella/816229/8 "2018-06-17T08:58:26Z")
That’s the one _I’m_ thinking of - it was in [Astounding](http://www.luminist.org/archives/SF/AST/AST_1958_07_L.jpg). Seems like it matches the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2018, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vance-novella/816229/9 "2018-06-17T09:07:07Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > That’s the one _I’m_ thinking of - it was in [Astounding](http://www.luminist.org/archives/SF/AST/AST_1958_07_L.jpg). Seems like it matches the OP. I have it in a 1970 Collier paperback called _Eight Fantasms and Magics._ You can find some interesting stuff in used book stores. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2018, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vance-novella/816229/10 "2018-06-17T18:09:30Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > _The Miracle Workers,_ maybe? > > [Description](http://variety-sf.blogspot.com/2010/03/jack-vance-miracle-workers-short-novel.html). That’s it!! Thank you!:):)🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vance-novella/816229/11 "2018-06-18T06:59:32Z")
My pleasure.