Jack Vance, the master.

Ah, Jack Vance.  There is not much I can say about the man that hasn't been said, and better, by better writers than I.  But I feel the need to leave a record of my feelings on Vance and his fiction,  if for no other reason than in the hope that even one person might read this post and go on to read something by Mr. Vance.

I first heard of Jack Vance back around 2000, when I was waist deep in A Song of Ice and Fire and a regular visitor to George R.R. Martin's site.  On his favorite books page was listed something called The Dying Earth by someone named Jack Vance.  Bleh, I thought.  I'm not into SF, only fantasy.  See how crazy was my 22 years-old self?  Years passed and I would come across the title and the name from time to time, but never in any way that caught my interest.

In 2005 I discovered the fiction of Gene Wolfe (that's another post) and found myself in awe of it.  As is my habit when discovering something that affects me so, I found out everything I could about Mr. Wolfe--his bibliography, his age, biographical details, and his influences.  And on that list was a somewhat familiar name and title:

Jack Vance.  The Dying Earth.

Well, thought I, if this book had any influence on The Book of the New Sun, I must read it.
So I did.

Fast forward three months or so, and the entire bottom shelf of my bookcase is heaving with the works of one author.  Wanna guess his name?   Right.  Oh, and that silly aversion to SF?  Gone, transformed into love by the pages of Vance's Tschai series, the Alastor Cluster books, Big Planet, The Demon Princes, and others.  As was the case with Gene Wolfe, I found out everything about Vance that I could.  I learned a bit.  Firstly, that Vance was not and never had been interested in doing interviews, going to cons, or having his picture taken.  The available info was rather scant in comparison to "modern" SF/F writers.  I also learned that Vance's fans are the most loyal and intelligent bunch I have ever had the honor of joining.  Hell, I still visit the Jack Vance Message Board.  There I met yet another amazing writer who is also a hell of a nice guy.  That guy is Matthew Hughes, creator of the awesome Archonate series.

Anyway, this past winter, I finally got the opportunity to speak to Mr. Vance.  While it was not in person, I was thrilled.  I got his number from a mutual friend, and I just stared at it for several minutes.  My heart rate increased, my palms sweated.  I just knew I was about to make a fool of myself.  Ah, to hell with it, I thought.  I dialed the numbers.

And Vance picked up.

Wow.  We talked for well over an hour and-a-half  about all sorts of things, from aliens and ghosts to favorite mystery writers to restaurants.  He was friendly, enthusiastic, encouraging, didactic, everything I had hoped he would be.

And he invited me to call him back any time I wanted.

I'm still waiting for the courage...