Posted by Philby on September 20, 1996 at 09:24:13:
Recently a friend classified Vance's setting as a form of Picaresque. Now this friend claims a "Picaresque" is an Italian literary tradition wherein the characters occupy an amoral universe, selfishness and revenge being the primary motivators - much like Jacobean plays. My question I pose to all and sundry - is their such thing as a " picaresque " and, if so, can Vance's universe of eleoquent pennypinchers be described as occupying such a place?