Songs of the Dying Earth

I probably should've realised that it'd be a good idea to read some Jack Vance before picking up this collection. But I didn't, and I only managed 160 pages before calling it a day. I understand that the stories are a homage to Vance and his particular style of writing but, unfortunately, it's a style that's not for me (especially when there's nearly 700 pages of it).

I did skip ahead to look at the stories by two of my favourite authors - Tad Williams and GRRM himself - but couldn't even finish those. I did, however, enjoy Neil Gaiman's story, which is fortunate as he's been on my to-read list for a long time.

This is probably one to avoid if you're unfamiliar with Vance or don't like a high-flown writing style in fantasy. ( )

Didn't read all of these. ( )

http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2749746.html

This is a collection of short stories set in the world of Jack Vance's Dying Earth, which I read and enjoyed back in 2004. The lineup of contributors was indeed amazing: Dan Simmons, Robert Silverberg, Elizabeth Moon, Elizabeth Bear, Neil Gaiman. (One sad reflection is that several of them - Kage Baker, Lucius Shepard, Tanith Lee - are no longer with us.) The quality of the stories, as Ian Whates reflected at the time, is a bit variable. This is pastiche rather than originality, and Vance's style in the Dying Earth stories is easy to pastiche. But they are almost all enjoyable enough (as it happens, I didn't particularly care for the John C. Wright one). Several others grabbed me, though: "The Copsy Door", by Terry Dowling, quoted above; "The Green Bird", by Kage Baker; "The Traditions of Karzh", by Paula Volsky; "Evillo the Uncunning", by Tanith Lee.

Basically, if you liked the original Vance stories, most of these will appeal. But if you don't know them, I think it would be a bit confusing. ( )

Some excellent stories; some very good; All enjoyable!

Silly me ... I've never read ANY of Jack Vance's books, which seems backwards, but that's how I pick books from the library ... hunches, and serendipity.

Really enjoyed getting such a varied introduction to Vance's Dying Earth "universe" ... and yes, I will probably look up some of the original stories.

I'm holding on to the library book for a bit - so as to add more details in either this review, or to the book info here on Shelfari ( )

This is a collection of short stories written in honor of Jack Vance, taking place on the Dying Earth. The contributors, most well known in the field of fantasy and science fiction, take up the flavor of his tales and either revisit some of his characters or introduce us to new ones in the same vein. In these stories nothing and no one is fully as he seems and fate has a way of turning sly triumph into unexpected defeat. Most of the stories fit in well with the original world in terms of characters and atmosphere. ( )