Handbook of Vance Space Michael AndreDriussi 9780964279575 Books
Download As PDF : Handbook of Vance Space Michael AndreDriussi 9780964279575 Books
A dictionary-style guide to the science fiction worlds of Jack Vance. A souvenir of the worlds you have visited in the past! A planning guide for your next excursion off world! A handy survival manual for unexpected occasions! A reference work on the science fiction of award-winning Grand Master Jack Vance! A handbook!
Handbook of Vance Space Michael AndreDriussi 9780964279575 Books
The Handbook of Vance Space should be on the book shelf of any fan of the late Jack Vance's writing. Along with the Jack Vance Lexicon (see my review of that book on Amazon), it lends great insight into the richly imagined worlds of Vance's science fiction and fantasy literature. This volume not only details all the worlds in Vance's fiction, it provides a great deal of insight into the common backgrounds that Vance used for his various series.Mr. Andre-Driussi manages to do something that I felt was both impossible and not actually needed, he manages to put all Vance's sci-fi into one giant future history. While the Gaen reach tales and the Alastor Cluster tales do share occasional references to each other, the universe of the Oikumene was mainly a stand alone with Earth being the only constant in all Vance's series. Various timelines connect the books including ones that appear to be stand alone such as Tschai series.
The Handbook also lists the various spacecraft that appear in Vance's fiction, although very little detail is given regarding their relative capabilities other than size and accommodations (so it won't be of much use to Traveler fans looking to set a campaign in Vance's universe LOL).
Like all handbooks or guides to an author's universe, this book reveals itself on many levels and has the ability to make one want to go back and re-read the stories set on these exotic worlds. I for one have a hankering to re-read the "Demon Princes" series and the Tschai books now that I am more conversant with Vance's fiction and language.
While Vance has always struck me as not being too concerned with any detailed back story to his many series, this book makes it quite clear that he must have written down some guidelines that certainly evolved over the many decades of writing career. While universe building has become an accepted and too frequently expected part of modern sci-fi and fantasy, this was no always such. While those who role play or miniature game expect back ground material, a good series doesn't need the level of detail that Tolkien, Niven, Anderson or Weber present their readers with. But like any good writer, Vance liked to revisit the universe that some of his better stories were written in and it never hurts to have an outline to avoid inconsistencies (at least this eliminates the need for retroactive continuity or retcon such as we see in the Star Trek universe).
Vance in his final years was more willing to discuss the creative process of this writing and with his eyesight failing, spent a good deal of time working with a group of dedicated fans to preserve and expand his future vision. This Handbook is an example of such and will enrich the reading experiences of all those who are lucky enough to fall under the spell of one of fiction's most unique authors. Highly recommended!
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Tags : Handbook of Vance Space [Michael Andre-Driussi] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. A dictionary-style guide to the science fiction worlds of Jack Vance. A souvenir of the worlds you have visited in the past! A planning guide for your next excursion off world! A handy survival manual for unexpected occasions! A reference work on the science fiction of award-winning Grand Master Jack Vance! A handbook!,Michael Andre-Driussi,Handbook of Vance Space,Sirius Fiction,0964279576,Fiction - Science Fiction,Fiction Science Fiction General,Science Fiction - General,Science fiction
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Handbook of Vance Space Michael AndreDriussi 9780964279575 Books Reviews
Interesting book, but for Jack Vance fans only.
A must have for any die-hard Jack Vance fan.
good coverage of Vance's worlds, one of his strong suits.
excellent book, exactly what it claims to be a very interesting encyclopedia of the world of the Gaean Reach and beyond. A must for Vance fans, particularly if you recall the Atlas of the Gaean Reach from the Cadwal Chronicles.
Jack Vance's universe at your fingertips! What more can you ask for? I've read Jack Vance's books for over forty years, and I knew his imagination was extensive, but I never really wrapped my brain around how extensive, detailed, and complex it really was. This is an informative, serious dictionary, complete with alphabetized descriptive entries, tables, and charts of Vance Space, and it's so much fun to read!
If you love Jack Vance's incredibly-detailed universe, like I do, you'll want to add Mr. Andre-Driussi's Handbook of Vance Space to your collection!
This is a fascinating book. It covers human-inhabited star systems, planets, and empires in Jack Vance's science fiction -- no fantasy, no alien SF like "The Narrow Land." For planets, you get a consolidated history and notes on populations, customs, currency, history, relations with other worlds...the works. It does not list characters or individuals except for historical figures. At the back is an overall timeline of the books. Also delicious extras such as a list of spaceships like "Fantamic Flitterwing" and "Sissle Wanderway." Highly recommended.
The book is more than a simple listing of astronomical references from the voluminous body of Jack Vance's work. The book appeals mainly to the Vance addicted, like me. If a Vance story mentioned a star, planet, nebula, or moon it's made it into this reference volume. Many planetary surface locations are mapped and described. Hussade, the phases of Marune's suns, and the puzzling Rigel Concourse planetary distribution are explicated with great insight.
Cataloged also are the many space vehicles of Vance's tales, from the Ariel, a commercial descendant of the ubiquitous Model 11-B "Locator" to the commodious Teleflo, a steal at SVU 18,500.
Like I said, for the fans mostly.
The Handbook of Vance Space should be on the book shelf of any fan of the late Jack Vance's writing. Along with the Jack Vance Lexicon (see my review of that book on ), it lends great insight into the richly imagined worlds of Vance's science fiction and fantasy literature. This volume not only details all the worlds in Vance's fiction, it provides a great deal of insight into the common backgrounds that Vance used for his various series.
Mr. Andre-Driussi manages to do something that I felt was both impossible and not actually needed, he manages to put all Vance's sci-fi into one giant future history. While the Gaen reach tales and the Alastor Cluster tales do share occasional references to each other, the universe of the Oikumene was mainly a stand alone with Earth being the only constant in all Vance's series. Various timelines connect the books including ones that appear to be stand alone such as Tschai series.
The Handbook also lists the various spacecraft that appear in Vance's fiction, although very little detail is given regarding their relative capabilities other than size and accommodations (so it won't be of much use to Traveler fans looking to set a campaign in Vance's universe LOL).
Like all handbooks or guides to an author's universe, this book reveals itself on many levels and has the ability to make one want to go back and re-read the stories set on these exotic worlds. I for one have a hankering to re-read the "Demon Princes" series and the Tschai books now that I am more conversant with Vance's fiction and language.
While Vance has always struck me as not being too concerned with any detailed back story to his many series, this book makes it quite clear that he must have written down some guidelines that certainly evolved over the many decades of writing career. While universe building has become an accepted and too frequently expected part of modern sci-fi and fantasy, this was no always such. While those who role play or miniature game expect back ground material, a good series doesn't need the level of detail that Tolkien, Niven, Anderson or Weber present their readers with. But like any good writer, Vance liked to revisit the universe that some of his better stories were written in and it never hurts to have an outline to avoid inconsistencies (at least this eliminates the need for retroactive continuity or retcon such as we see in the Star Trek universe).
Vance in his final years was more willing to discuss the creative process of this writing and with his eyesight failing, spent a good deal of time working with a group of dedicated fans to preserve and expand his future vision. This Handbook is an example of such and will enrich the reading experiences of all those who are lucky enough to fall under the spell of one of fiction's most unique authors. Highly recommended!
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