What great minds lie in the dust,” said Guyal in a low voice. “What gorgeous souls have vanished into the buried ages; what marvellous creatures are lost past the remotest memory … Nevermore will there be the like; now in the last fleeting moments, humanity festers rich as rotten fruit. Rather than master and overpower our world, our highest aim is to cheat it through sorcery – Jack Vance

I loved every sentence, every paragraph, and every chapter of The Dying Earth. This short novel never outstays its welcome and rewards readers with some of the most engaging stories I’ve ever had the fortune to read. Jack Vance’s prose, style, and understanding of character truly make this work stand out from other fantasy and sci-fi novels.

The last time I was so captivated by a story on a first read was over twenty years ago when I discovered Robert E. Howard’s Conan stories. It’s hard to articulate exactly what makes The Dying Earth so great, but Vance has a unique way with words. He conjures fantastic images and scenes that set fire to my imagination, much like Ashton Clarke Smith and Lord Dunsany. In many ways, Vance feels like all my favorite fantasy writers rolled into one, yet he maintains a distinct style that I found wonderful to read and re-read purely for the enjoyment.

This novel sits alongside Dune, The Lord of the Rings, The Conan Chronicles, and Hyperion in the pantheon of fantasy nirvana. It’s part sci-fi, part sword and sorcery, and I found the experience of reading it deeply satisfying. Every fantasy video game from Final Fantasy and Baldur’s Gate to Elden Ring owes a huge debt to this novel, its magic system, and its otherworldliness. Even the magic-wielding wizards in Harry Potter and Star Wars seem to have been influenced to some degree by Vance’s depiction of spells, incantations, and magic, where wizards can only memorize five spells at a time.

Why there isn’t a series or film adaptation of this great material is anyone’s guess. But we have this fantastic old book, and I highly recommend it to modern readers raised on J.K. Rowling or Game of Thrones. Seek it out and enjoy a master storyteller taking you to another realm.

The Dying Earth series, written by American author Jack Vance, comprises four books originally published between 1950 and 1984. The first book, The Dying Earth, was ranked number 16 of 33 “All Time Best Fantasy Novels” by Locus in 1987. These stories, set in a far future where the sun is nearly exhausted, were initially written while Vance served in the United States Merchant Marine during World War II. Influenced by the style of James Branch Cabell, Vance created a series that blends picaresque adventures with profound themes of decline and longing.

The Dying Earth is set in a distant future where the sun is almost burnt out and magic has become a dominant force. The moon has disappeared, and the sun flickers as if about to extinguish. Civilization has largely collapsed into decadence and religious fanaticism, with inhabitants adopting a fatalistic outlook. The Earth is barren and cold, infested with predatory monsters possibly created by magicians of a bygone age.

Magic in this world is performed by memorizing syllables, with the human brain only able to accommodate a limited number at once. When a spell is used, the syllables vanish from the caster’s mind. More complex actions can be performed by summoning creatures called sandestins, though they are dangerous to rely on. Magic also retains loose links to ancient science and advanced mathematics, treated as arcane lore.

The Dying Earth comprises six loosely connected stories:

1. Turjan of Miir
2. Mazirian the Magician
3. T’sais
4. Liane the Wayfarer (also known as “The Loom of Darkness”)
5. Ulan Dhor Ends a Dream (also known as “Ulan Dhor”)
6. Guyal of Sfere

The stories in The Dying Earth series are characterized by their melancholic tone and the sense of a world in decline. The sun’s impending death casts a shadow over the narrative, creating a backdrop of existential dread and fatalism. The unique magic system, where spells must be memorized and are forgotten once used, adds a layer of complexity and strategy to the use of magic.

The series also explores themes of longing and entrapment through the existence of Overworlds and Underworlds. These parallel realms add a sense of profound longing, as characters can mentally visit these utopian worlds but are physically trapped in the decaying Earth. This theme is particularly evident in the journeys of Cugel, who repeatedly finds himself in horrific Underworlds.

The characters in The Dying Earth are often archetypal and picaresque, embarking on adventures that highlight their flaws and virtues. From the resourceful but often morally ambiguous Cugel the Clever to the introspective and tragic Turjan of Miir, Vance’s characters navigate a world filled with danger and mystery.

The writing evokes strong imagery, Vance’s descriptive prose brings the decaying world to life, creating a vivid and immersive reading experience.