Jack Vance

Born

in San Francisco, California, The United States

August 28, 1916

Died

May 26, 2013

Website

http://www.jackvance.com/

Genre

Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Thrillers

Influences

P.G. Wodehouse, Jeffery Farnol, Lord Dunsany, James Branch Cabell

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Aka John Holbrooke Vance, Peter Held, John Holbrook, Ellery Queen, John van See, Alan Wade.

The author was born in 1916 and educated at the University of California, first as a mining engineer, then majoring in physics and finally in journalism. During the 1940s and 1950s, he contributed widely to science fiction and fantasy magazines. His first novel, The Dying Earth, was published in 1950 to great acclaim. He won both of science fiction's most coveted trophies, the Hugo and Nebula awards. He also won an Edgar Award for his mystery novel The Man in the Cage. He lived in Oakland, California in a house he designed.

Combine Editions
Jack Vance's Books

Average rating: 3.99 · 58,304 ratings · 3,520 reviews · 451 distinct works · Similar authors

	The Dying Earth (The Dying Earth, #1) 3.94 avg rating — 5,469 ratings — published 1950 — 51 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Tales of the Dying Earth 4.15 avg rating — 3,692 ratings — published 1998 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Suldrun's Garden (Lyonesse #1) 3.93 avg rating — 3,854 ratings — published 1983 — 42 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Eyes of the Overworld (The Dying Earth, #2) 4.17 avg rating — 2,631 ratings — published 1966 — 32 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Green Pearl (Lyonesse #2) 4.16 avg rating — 1,905 ratings — published 1985 — 33 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Madouc (Lyonesse, #3) 4.14 avg rating — 1,779 ratings — published 1989 — 37 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Cugel's saga (The Dying Earth, #3) 4.24 avg rating — 1,678 ratings — published 1983 — 34 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Emphyrio 3.86 avg rating — 1,723 ratings — published 1969 — 30 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Planet of Adventure (Planet of Adventure, #1-4) 4.25 avg rating — 1,361 ratings — published 1968 — 26 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Demon Princes, Volume One: The Star King, The Killing Machine, The Palace of Love 4.25 avg rating — 1,079 ratings — published 1997 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Jack Vance…

Series by Jack Vance

The Dying Earth (4 books)
by Jack Vance
4.04 avg rating — 17,199 ratings

Lyonesse (3 books)
by Jack Vance
4.07 avg rating — 8,464 ratings

Demon Princes (5 books)
by Jack Vance
4.13 avg rating — 6,115 ratings

Gaean Reach (11 books)
by Jack Vance
3.88 avg rating — 5,126 ratings

Planet of Adventure (4 books)
by Jack Vance
4.07 avg rating — 4,588 ratings

More series by Jack Vance…

Quotes by Jack Vance

“Good music always defeats bad luck.”
― Jack Vance

tags: fantasy, music

65 likes

“What are your fees?" inquired Guyal cautiously. "I respond to three questions," stated the augur. "For twenty terces I phrase the answer in clear and actionable language; for ten I use the language of cant, which occasionally admits of ambiguity; for five, I speak a parable which you must interpret as you will; and for one terce, I babble in an unknown tongue.”
― Jack Vance, Tales of the Dying Earth

58 likes

“Notice this rent in my garment; I am at a loss to explain its presence! I am even more puzzled by the existence of the universe.”
― Jack Vance, Tales of the Dying Earth

tags: jack-vance, lodermulch, the-eyes-of-the-overworld

44 likes

See all Jack Vance's quotes »

Polls

JULY SCIENCE FICTION: This run-off poll determines which novel becomes our July 2011 SF Book of the Month.

The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder

38 votes, 50.0%

The Languages of Pao by Jack Vance

38 votes, 50.0%

76 total votes

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