The Dying Earth (Tales of the Dying Earth Series) [Audiobook, MP3 Audio, Unabridged] [Audio CD]

Jack Vance (Author), Arthur Morey (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 15, 2010 | Series: Tales of the Dying Earth Series (Book 1)

The stories included in The Dying Earth introduce dozens of seekers of wisdom and beauty, lovely lost women, wizards of every shade of eccentricity with their runic amulets and spells. We meet the melancholy deodands, who feed on human flesh and the twk-men, who ride dragonflies and trade information for salt. There are monsters and demons. Each being is morally ambiguous: The evil are charming, the good are dangerous. All are at home in Vance’s lyrically described fantastic landscapes like Embelyon where, “The sky [was] a mesh of vast ripples and cross-ripples and these refracted a thousand shafts of colored light, rays which in mid-air wove wondrous laces, rainbow nets, in all the jewel hues....” The dying Earth itself is otherworldly: “A dark blue sky, an ancient sun.... Nothing of Earth was raw or harsh—the ground, the trees, the rock ledge protruding from the meadow; all these had been worked upon, smoothed, aged, mellowed. The light from the sun, though dim, was rich and invested every object of the land ... with a sense of lore and ancient recollection.” Welcome. “The Dying Earth and its sequels comprise one of the most powerful fantasy/science-fiction concepts in the history of the genre. They are packed with adventure but also with ideas, and the vision of uncounted human civilizations stacked one atop another like layers in a phyllo pastry thrills even as it induces a sense of awe [at] ... the fragility and transience of all things, the nobility of humanity’s struggle against the certainty of an entropic resolution.” — Dean Koontz, author of the Odd Thomas novels. “He gives you glimpses of entire worlds with just perfectly turned language. If he’d been born south of the border, he’d be up for a Nobel Prize.” — Dan Simmons author of The Hyperion Cantos.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jack Vance is one of the greats of science fiction. He has been writing for more than 60 years, and in 1997 was honored as a Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America. He is the author of dozens of science fiction and fantasy novels, including the World Fantasy Award winning Lyonnesse series, and the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning The Last Castle. He lives in Oakland, California.

From AudioFile

Technology has come full circle and is intertwined with and, in some cases, is indistinguishable from magic. This collection of linked short stories is set against the backdrop of an earth that is long past its prime. Four of the stories share a number of the same characters, but all are connected through setting and mood. Arthur Morey is a consistent storyteller who uses pace and timing to good effect. He imparts the awe of the characters in describing the natural beauty of the earth. Further, he has a light touch as he depicts their wistfulness and nostalgia toward the changes taking place as the earth continues to fade. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio on MP3-CD; MP3 Una edition (February 15, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1441814574
• ISBN-13: 978-1441814579
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,371,057 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most believable, best work written in the fantasy genre, January 9, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Dying Earth (Hardcover)

As a true fan of good fantasy and science fiction for some 20 years now, I've always searched for books which really fulfull the promise of those genres. In a time when both genres seem to have collapsed into a state where one rarely finds work which isn't some sort of commercial advertisement for childrens toys and tv shows, Jack Vance stands out like a beacon of pure genius. The dying earth is a series of vignettes in the fantasy realm of the same name invented by Vance. Humorous and brilliantly witty, yet darker and in many ways more believable (on a human level) than his space operas, the dying earth presents characters and situations using Vance's unique and eclectic mastery of the english language which sweep the reader away into another world from which it is hard to escape. This, ultimately is what good fantasy should do, and so often fails to accomplish. Readers should also seek out "The eyes of the overworld", "Cugels saga", and "Rhialto the marvelous", which occur in the same 'world'...

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars exellent,a one book,one sit read., March 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Dying Earth (Paperback)

this is a book of science fiction and fantasy combined.in book one of this four book sieres we,re introduced to a variety of people.turjan,creator of life.t,sais,who see's everything with evil intent.on her planet she meets her sister who sees everything with the goodness of her soul.here her sister travles to a planet called earth where the sky is blue to find love.here t,sais meets a hooded man who saves her from distruction his name is etarr(I liked him)his is a story of love for the wrong woman! there are manny other characters in this book to many for me to give a proper feel for each one. mazirian,liane,ulan dhor... JACK VANCE IS A MASTER STORRYTELLER...

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Six fascinating stories, August 20, 2010

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Dying Earth (Mass Market Paperback)

I have been rediscovering some of the older classics of the Fantasy genre, and my latest find is The Dying Earth by Jack Holbrook Vance. This is the first book in his Dying Earth series of (four) books, and like the other is a collection of short stories.

The six short stories in this book are:
Turjan of Miir, which tells the story of Turjan the wizard, who dreams of perfecting the art of growing fully-developed humans in a chemical vat. Seeking out Pandelume, the greatest living wizard, Turjan goes to him, and learns the secrets that he craves. But, the woman he creates has a mind of her own.

In Mazirian the Magician, we meet Mazirian, a wizard who is trying to learn all of the magical spells still known to man, and has captured Turjan, with the design of forcing him to reveal the secret of successfully growing humans in chemical vats. But, a strange woman has been haunting the forest around his castle, and Mazirian will stop at nothing to capture her...no matter the cost.

T'sais is the story of the fractured woman created by the wizard Pandelume. Leaving Embelyon, she journeys to Earth to learn of love and beauty and joy, if it can be found on Earth.

Liane the Wayfarer is the most handsome and desirable of men (in his own estimation), and what more logical course should he take but the win the hand of Lith the Golden, the most beautiful of women? But, when Lith makes her love conditional on Liane fulfilling a quest, he little realizes what he is in for. It is not without reason that his opponent is called Chun the Unavoidable!

Ulan Dhor is the story of the nephew of Prince Kandive the Golden, who uncle has set him a most dangerous quest. He must travel to the lost city of Ampridatvir and learn the secrets of its long-lost wizard-king, Rogol Domedonfors. But, little does he know that Rogol may have plans of his own.

And finally, Guyal of Sfere tells the story of a young man who has an overwhelming desire to learn the secrets that most other men do not worry about. Sent to the fabled Museum of Man, to learn from its famed curator, Guyal encounters many dangers, but the greatest dangers seem to await him within the doors of the Museum itself!

I must say that I really enjoyed these stories. The author spins six fascinating stories, each with fascinating monsters and people. I love stories of strange and powerful wizards, and this book is chockfull of them! So, if you like good fantasy literature, then read The Dying Earth, you won't be disappointed.