…from the June, 1898 issue
Man, have I been remiss in my LJ posting or what? I think it might have something to do with a combination of S.A.D. and my new night time work schedule. The old “oomph” is just not there. Maybe it will return with the good weather.
Anyway, here are a couple of quick book reviews.
The Dying Earth & The Eyes of the Overworld, both by Jack Vance
It had been on the order of 27 years since I last read any of the Dying Earth stories, so a few weeks ago, I cracked these tho books open. As I remembered from my science fiction/fantasy devouring youth (the mid 60’s to early 70’s), Jack Vance is a hell of a good writer and the Dying Earth is one of the most interesting and engaging settings of all time. True, every character you encounter is, at the very least, morally ambiguous, but that’s what makes them so fascinating. Besides, the sun could wink out any day, so fuck morality.
But besides the characters, the world of these stories is just as interesting. Covered with ruins, forests and wastelands (all of them full of creatures that will kill you, eat you or both), this is a world ripe for adventuring in, altho it is seldom the choice of the characters to do so unless circumstances force them to.
Another thing about these books that any gamer will pick up on is how they influenced both D&D and the way Gary Gygax wrote. I sometimes wonder if Gary typed with one hand while holding a copy of The Dying Earth in the other.
If you haven’t read these books, you really should. If you haven’t read them in a long time, re-read them.
The Dociverse Blog 