Re: Do Vance fans like Patrick O'Brian's sea books?

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: An interesting question, and I wouldn't think many persons had read both. Heck, it's hard enough to find people who have read either one, and I've been talking them up for years. : As a matter of fact, I have read the O'Brian series right through twice (well, only once for Yellow Admiral, as it hadn't been published on the first occasion) as an adult over 50, getting far more out of it all the second time. : I read Dying Earth as a young teen sometime in the '50s and have reread it half a dozen times since, and read it to children; I've read the sequels twice and the Aillas/Suldren/Elder Isles trilogy twice; I've read most of his science fiction opus at least once. : The two writers are both favorites with me - but I have been considering the issue, and apart from both being good writers I can see no similarities, no reason why my liking of one has anything to do with liking the other. Except that I like Tolkein, and have read him several times through, and I like Gallsworthy. Perhaps it is that the worlds these writers have created are so thoroughly complete, each in its own way. The author clearly believes in his characters as people and works out their problems against a background that has a set of rules which is knowable and finite. : I will consider further. Thanks for the question ( I see that it's been up there for a year) Allan Church : : : On the basis of rather slender evidence, I have formed the hypothesis that people who like JV books would also like Patrick O'Brian's books about the Hornblower-era adventures of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin. : : : Has anybody out there read enough of both to have formed an opinion? : : : Brian McCue : : At the risk of stating the obvious, O'Brian is *recreating* the past while Vance is creating future worlds, never worlds and universes in splendid proliferation. This is no denigration of O'Brian's work; indeed impressive and English fit for a king. : : His long series (I bought and read no. 17, _The Commodore_ in which Aubrey receives fleet rank) is a record of amazing persistence and his construction of the 18th century sailing and the British royal navy is an impressive achievement and (as far as one book is fair sample). I read _TC_ with admiration and enjoyment - much more tightly controlled than Vance, but rich language and precision or writing, no doubt. : : My point is that Vance's work is of nearly pure invention, while O'Brian's is of re-invention. Liked the latter well enough to buy _Master and Commander_, but doubt that I'll get through (what?) 25 books in the series. : : Terry Doyle

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