Re: Where to start ?

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: : : : : [snip] what JV book to recommend as a first initiation ? : : : : : : : : Perhaps the best criterion for choosing The Starting Vance Book is whether it fully exemplifies Vance's writing style and his great gift for descriptive prose. : : : : All things considered, I'd suggest "The Dirdir" or "Araminta Station" or "Eyes of the Overworld", but there are many others of equal stature in the Vancean oeuvre. : : : : Would your question be better if you asked "which Vance books would enthusiasts *not* recommend for a first timer?" : : : : : : It might be interesting to do a "Straw-poll" of the contributers to this site, to find out what their first Vance novel was, and how they became addicted. : : : My first was The Blue World, followed by The Dragon Masters, both of which I enjoyed immensely. However, I would say that it was when I subsequently read the short story anthology Fantasms and Magics (sp?) that I became a true convert. : : : As for the books I would not recommend for a Vance newcomer, well personally I wouldn't suggest any of the series, I've found that the prospect of three or four books in a row puts some people off immediately. Of the single titles I wouldn't recommend Showboat World, Big Planet, The Grey Prince or The Languages of Pao. I think these books do not have the kind of straightforward plot development which would hook a new reader. I would recommend Emphyrio, The Blue Planet or even Slaves of the Klau! : : How about a smaller dose then? I always start interested enqirerers on 'Chateau D'if' or 'The men return'. If they don't like those, in my experience they seldom go on to enjoy any more. Conversely, I've had a number of successful 'converts' with these stories : Though each of Jack's stories scintillates with marvel and music (excepting "Sons of the Tree" and "The Five Gold Bands," which were lackluster efforts), the one dearest to me is "Wyst," for it contains all of the descriptive power and "short sharp shock" of the other works and additionally has an emotional story the lead character of which inevitably brings me back to my own young adulthood of some years ago. Who can forget Jantiff Ravensroke's departure from his family--despite his father's appeal to practicality and his youngest sister's tears--so that he can pursue the pure tones of the light of Wyst? And remember the somber concern of his quiet ally, the woman manning the local office of the IPCC? The letters to home asking for more funds are hilarious, and the lesson of the book--to avoid rascals while in pursuit of one's dreams--is good advice for any youngster seeking his way in the world. "Wyst" is the Vance book I would have most readers start with; failing this, I would suggest "Emphyrio," for similar reasons. Of course, the "Dying Earth" stories will hook any reader (even the stories in this series which were written early in Jack's career were already at least as good as the best of, say, Bradbury from the same period); but they possess a complex refinement like some of the music of the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra, and so I think are best appreciated after becoming familiar with a few other of Vance's works. Younger readers would do well to start with the exciting adventures of Adam Reith on the planet Tschai. : David Pierce

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