Hughes, and Terry Dowling in the next story, 'The Copsy Door,' have a good handle on the whimsical side of Vance's magic. Grolion is an anti-hero who cares mostly for himself, an archetype we will see pop up frequently throughout this anthology. I liked 'Grolion of Almery,' by Matthew Hughes, even more. But it gets you into the mood of the Dying Earth, that sense of inevitability that seems to plague every action. The first story, by Robert Silverberg, is 'The True Vintage of Erzuine Thale.' It's a good way to start off the collection, for it isn't a travelling tale and has few characters. As Dan Simmons notes in the afterword to his fun novella, The Guiding Nose of Ulfänt Banderōz, they aren't imitating Vance so much as paying homage to him. That's what make this book work, especially for a reader like me, who isn't too enthusiastic about the original Vance tales. Every author brings his or her interesting perspective to the table. There are no two ways about it: fans of The Dying Earth will love most, maybe not all, of these stories neophytes like myself will still find something to enjoy. See my review of The Dying Earth for thoughts about Vance and my reaction to his series.Īs far as anthologies go, this one is awesome. Subterranean Press told me it was publishing a huge anthology of short stories by authors I love, all as a tribute to this Jack Vance guy, who is apparently a Big Deal. This is the reason why I hunted down a copy of The Dying Earth and read it.

Jack vance tales of the dying earth