Tales Of The Dying Earth

Tale of the Dying Earth truly stands as one of the greatest works ever penned. Everything that's good and bad about the human condition is eloquently expressed within this tale. You get the full range of heroics, adventure, drama, atmosphere and excitement all wrapped by Vance's dry sense of humor and terse yet flowery prose.Dying Earth is more science fiction than fantasy, but it certainly does have many fantasy elements as told through several characters within the story (most notable Cugel the Clever).The characters are often over-the-top characterizations by intention and are used by Vance as sharp instruments to perceptively express the full extremes of the human condition -- both the best and the worst of it.This is literary fantasy of the highest form, written by a man who's had wide ranging influence on the genre. Many of the best modern fantasy authors cite Vance as a huge influence on their work.Beautifully and cleverly written prose that jabs and pokes at the human condition in such a way that all the foibles, follies, and glories are laid bare to the reader.Fans of Lionesses, Books of the New Sun, and Ghormenghast will die for joy with this series.

Books in The Dying Earth Series (3)

Booklists having this book

Best Fantasy Series

Do you love those fantasy novels with many kingdoms, protagonists, politics, and cultures? Do you like the epic struggles between small bands of heroes against impossible evil? Do you eagerly... Read more

Other books by Vance, Jack

Lyonesse

If you were to open a copy of Lyonesse and give it a good shake, a bunch of (very annoyed) fairies would fall out. Because they're everywhere in this book.... Read more

The Green Pearl

Madouc (1990)

Madouc by Jack Vance won the 1990 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel Read more

Madouc

Lyonesse Trilogy

High kings, evil sorcerers, exiled princes, tricky fairies, and willful princesses this highly influential series has it all. There is nothing derivative about this series, being one of the founding... Read more

The Green Pearl

Tales Of The Dying Earth

Tale of the Dying Earth truly stands as one of the greatest works ever penned. Everything that's good and bad about the human condition is eloquently expressed within this tale.... Read more

The Eyes Of The Overworld

Cugel's Saga

Rhialto The Marvellous

Madouc

1990: Madouc

The story follows the protagonist, Madouc, and the adventures around her quest for her pedigree. Casimir, the ruthlessly devious king of Lyonesse, has discovered that the girl he initially thought... Read more