Posted by Richard Behrens on January 26, 1998 at 08:59:54:
In Reply to: Vance and Edgar Rice Burroughs posted by Fredrik Ekman on August 10, 1997 at 12:47:54:
: Has it occured to others that there are many similarities between Vance and Burroughs, the author of Tarzan? I wonder if Burrougs could be one of Vance's influences.
: What other writers influenced Vance?
In an interview with Vance available at http://204.250.42.1/ ~mikeb/jvm/reviews/halpern1.html, the great JV says
"I read Smith as a kid and was intrigued by his writing, so he has influenced me to some extent. Cabell, though, no, I didn't like. There were a lot of influences and it would be most difficult to put names to all of them. Robert Louis Stevenson, for one ... GOLDEN BOOK MAGAZINE had a fantasy story each month, a wonderful magazine. A hundred writers who I assimilated on how to write a story, but I didn't set out to imitate any one style. I loved the OZ books as a child too, but you'll not see any of those influences in my work. I loved Edgar Rice Burroughts as a kid -- Barsoom!
P.G. Wodehouse is my God. I think he's the greatest 20th Centrury writer, but he ran out of gas after the war. His best stories were in the 20's. "
I agree. Anyone who reads the John Carter of Mars (Barsoom) series will see a Jack Vance book without the humor (and not as well written of course). And anyone who reads even a simple Wodehouse short story will immediately see a giant influence on Vance's satire, sarcasm and understated humor.