Posted by Gene Muehlbauer on August 07, 1998 at 19:27:33:
In Reply to: Re: jack vance mailing list posted by Linda Heaphy on August 06, 1998 at 17:00:49:
: By the way, Jack Vance once said that his readers were 90% highly educated, intelligent, males. He said this as part of a conversation about his desire to sell more books by appealing to a larger audience. I do know a few highly educated intelligent women who like his
: : :
: : : --Gene
: : Gene--That is so interesting, 90% male! It seems so strange to me as I have always found his work so creative and fun and have eagerly watched for each new story. I actually became hooked on sci-fi in my late teens when I was introduced to Theodore Sturgeon's work. It wasn't long before I came across Vance. Now, 40 years down the road I am still impressed and captivated by his complex societies and the way he tells their tale. I still eagerly watch for new stories.
: As a female Jack Vance fan, I thought I would join the lists - I have been a fan ever since I was a little girl and came across a Vance book (Emphyrio) in a relative's book case one rainy afternoon. I didn't actually understand it all, but I loved his work even then, and over the years have collected as many Vance books as possible (about two thirds now).
: And yes, I suppose I fit the reader profile - I have a PhD in ecology - although I did not know what I would become when I read my first Vance book!
: Until recently, I had no idea that there were other Vance fans out there - nobody I know in Sydney reads him, not even my many science fiction fan friends. I'm only a relative newcomer to 'net world, and the very first search I ever carried out was for the word "Vance". What a world has been opened up to me! I received my first parcel of second-hand Vance books a couple of months ago and a copy of "Ports of Call" from Amazon a month later - I thought I had died and gone to heaven!
: Linda
Hi Linda,
You might be interested to know that one of the regulars on the
Vance BBS is Peter Booth, who lives in Sydney.
My wife, Mary Hoberg, also likes Vance. We met him at a World Fantasy Con a few years ago, and she spoke with him about SF in general. They agreed that neither of them thought much of most (other) SF writers, although Mary does her best to find someone she can enjoy. It's not easy--I think Jack Vance spoils us.
Gene