odustin's review
3.0
Ok got sucked into a Jack Vance tribute. About half are good and half not so much which seems to be par for books like this. Most did a good job of mimicking his writing style and getting to hear about how Vance influenced the different writers writing was cool. If you like Vance its worth checking out. Some neat continuations of some of his most interesting characters were written which was fun.
grimhand's review against another edition
4.0
Like most anthologies, especially themed ones where authors are asked to write a certain way, this book is a little uneven in quality. All of the stories are interesting but only a few really capture the Jack Vance style. Those few make the book worthwhile.
diesmali's review against another edition
4.0
A thoroughly enjoyable collection of short stories, if you like Tales of the Dying Earth.
4/5 "The True Vintage of Erzuine Thale" by Robert Silverberg
3/5 "Grolion of Almery" by Matthew Hughes
4/5 "The Copsy Door" by Terry Dowling
3/5 "Caulk the Witch-Chaser" by Liz Williams
4/5 "Inescapable" by Mark Resnick
5/5 "Abrizonde" by Walter Jon Williams
4/5 "The Traditions of Karzh" by Paula Volsky
4/5 "The Final Quest of the Wizard Sarnod" by Jeff Vandermeer
3/5 "The Green Bird" by Kage Baker
5/5 "The Last Golden Thread" by Phyllis Eisenstein
4/5 "An Incident at Uskvosk" by Elizabeth Moon
4/5 "Sylgarmo's Proclamation" by Lucius Shepard
5/5 "The Lamentably Comical Tragedy (or The Laughably Tragic Comedy) of Lixal Laqavee" by Tad Williams
4/5 "Guyal the Curator" by John C. Wright
3/5 "The Good Magician" by Glen Cook
3/5 "The Return of the Fire Witch" by Elizabeth Hand
4/5 "The Collegeum of Mauge" by Byron Tetrick
5/5 "Evillo the Uncunning" by Tanith Lee
5/5 "The Guiding Nose of Ulfänt Banderoz" by Dan Simmons
2/5 "Frogskin Cap" by Howard Waldrop
4/5 "A Night at the Tarn House" by George RR Martin
3/5 "An Invocation of Incuriosity" by Neil Gaiman
4/5 "The True Vintage of Erzuine Thale" by Robert Silverberg
3/5 "Grolion of Almery" by Matthew Hughes
4/5 "The Copsy Door" by Terry Dowling
3/5 "Caulk the Witch-Chaser" by Liz Williams
4/5 "Inescapable" by Mark Resnick
5/5 "Abrizonde" by Walter Jon Williams
4/5 "The Traditions of Karzh" by Paula Volsky
4/5 "The Final Quest of the Wizard Sarnod" by Jeff Vandermeer
3/5 "The Green Bird" by Kage Baker
5/5 "The Last Golden Thread" by Phyllis Eisenstein
4/5 "An Incident at Uskvosk" by Elizabeth Moon
4/5 "Sylgarmo's Proclamation" by Lucius Shepard
5/5 "The Lamentably Comical Tragedy (or The Laughably Tragic Comedy) of Lixal Laqavee" by Tad Williams
4/5 "Guyal the Curator" by John C. Wright
3/5 "The Good Magician" by Glen Cook
3/5 "The Return of the Fire Witch" by Elizabeth Hand
4/5 "The Collegeum of Mauge" by Byron Tetrick
5/5 "Evillo the Uncunning" by Tanith Lee
5/5 "The Guiding Nose of Ulfänt Banderoz" by Dan Simmons
2/5 "Frogskin Cap" by Howard Waldrop
4/5 "A Night at the Tarn House" by George RR Martin
3/5 "An Invocation of Incuriosity" by Neil Gaiman
arthurbdd's review against another edition
4.0
A tribute project like this cannot help but have the side effect of exposing just how short of Vance's greatness some of his imitators fall, but despite being hit-and-miss it's on the whole a worthy collection whose best tales make up for the shortcomings of the lesser efforts. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/2010/09/08/the-apprentices-perform-for-their-master/
luana420's review against another edition
5.0
The tribute anthology is a genre I have very little experience with, but I feel like this is a particularly high bar for any future entries to reach. Almost every author in this hefty collection (almost as big as the entirety of Jack Vance's Dying Earth oeuvre) is at what I assume must be the top of their game.
Unsurprisingly, I greatly enjoyed GRRM's "Night at the Tarn House," but I was equally impressed by Dan Simmons' "Guiding Nose of Ulfant Banderoz" -- probably the highlight of the book in length as well as scope.
The stories can be divided in roughly three types:
1) prequels/sequels to Vance stories: "Grolion of Almery", "Inescapable"
2) I wanna do a Cugel: "The Green Bird", "The Collegeum of Mauge"
3) the Dying Earth is just vibez man: "True Vintage of Erzuin Thale", "Tarn House"
Special shout-out to Phyllis Eisenstein's "The Last Golden Thread," a surprisingly heart-felt and sincere entry about a young boy wanting to become a wizard who gets semi-adopted by Turjan of Miir and his wife T'Sain. Free of (most of) the petty venality that usually permeates the Dying Earth, Golden Thread felt like an oasis of emotional vulnerability in a series, uh, not quite known for it. Very nice and sweet, which is something you won't hear me say about Dying Earth very quickly.
In any case, this anthology is so good, I daresay if your interest in the series is only passing, you could do worse than only read Vance's original collection and then this one to read some real good takes on the world.
Unsurprisingly, I greatly enjoyed GRRM's "Night at the Tarn House," but I was equally impressed by Dan Simmons' "Guiding Nose of Ulfant Banderoz" -- probably the highlight of the book in length as well as scope.
The stories can be divided in roughly three types:
1) prequels/sequels to Vance stories: "Grolion of Almery", "Inescapable"
2) I wanna do a Cugel: "The Green Bird", "The Collegeum of Mauge"
3) the Dying Earth is just vibez man: "True Vintage of Erzuin Thale", "Tarn House"
Special shout-out to Phyllis Eisenstein's "The Last Golden Thread," a surprisingly heart-felt and sincere entry about a young boy wanting to become a wizard who gets semi-adopted by Turjan of Miir and his wife T'Sain. Free of (most of) the petty venality that usually permeates the Dying Earth, Golden Thread felt like an oasis of emotional vulnerability in a series, uh, not quite known for it. Very nice and sweet, which is something you won't hear me say about Dying Earth very quickly.
In any case, this anthology is so good, I daresay if your interest in the series is only passing, you could do worse than only read Vance's original collection and then this one to read some real good takes on the world.
adamjcalhoun's review
2.0
Okay, I give up on this book. There are too many mediocre stories trying to hard to be like Vance. The occasional story will get it right and it will be pretty decent - but often when I read those I will wonder, why aren't I just reading Vance?
In the end, it is the fact that there is too much chaff among the wheat that pulls the book down. If it was narrowed down, it at least would be worth reading - and sometimes it is! - but I couldn't recommend buying this even to a hardcore Vance fan. Vance is too particular a stylist to be copied without falling into parody, and reading an accidental parody is about the worst thing in the world, right?
In the end, it is the fact that there is too much chaff among the wheat that pulls the book down. If it was narrowed down, it at least would be worth reading - and sometimes it is! - but I couldn't recommend buying this even to a hardcore Vance fan. Vance is too particular a stylist to be copied without falling into parody, and reading an accidental parody is about the worst thing in the world, right?
wmhenrymorris's review
Anyone who doesn't like Jack Vance is incredibly unlikely to seek out this collection, which means that everyone who seeks out this collection is in for a major treat. All the stories are solid -- no duds. Some are simply amazing. Not groundbreaking amazing. All these authors are sticking solidly in Vance's Dying Earth 'verse. But just good, readable, fun, almost always humorous in parts and haunting in parts (e.g. Totally Vance) stories.
nwhyte's review
4.0
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2749746.html
This is a collection of short stories set in the world of Jack Vance's Dying Earth, which I read and enjoyed back in 2004. The lineup of contributors was indeed amazing: Dan Simmons, Robert Silverberg, Elizabeth Moon, Elizabeth Bear, Neil Gaiman. (One sad reflection is that several of them - Kage Baker, Lucius Shepard, Tanith Lee - are no longer with us.) The quality of the stories, as Ian Whates reflected at the time, is a bit variable. This is pastiche rather than originality, and Vance's style in the Dying Earth stories is easy to pastiche. But they are almost all enjoyable enough (as it happens, I didn't particularly care for the John C. Wright one). Several others grabbed me, though: "The Copsy Door", by Terry Dowling, quoted above; "The Green Bird", by Kage Baker; "The Traditions of Karzh", by Paula Volsky; "Evillo the Uncunning", by Tanith Lee.
Basically, if you liked the original Vance stories, most of these will appeal. But if you don't know them, I think it would be a bit confusing.
This is a collection of short stories set in the world of Jack Vance's Dying Earth, which I read and enjoyed back in 2004. The lineup of contributors was indeed amazing: Dan Simmons, Robert Silverberg, Elizabeth Moon, Elizabeth Bear, Neil Gaiman. (One sad reflection is that several of them - Kage Baker, Lucius Shepard, Tanith Lee - are no longer with us.) The quality of the stories, as Ian Whates reflected at the time, is a bit variable. This is pastiche rather than originality, and Vance's style in the Dying Earth stories is easy to pastiche. But they are almost all enjoyable enough (as it happens, I didn't particularly care for the John C. Wright one). Several others grabbed me, though: "The Copsy Door", by Terry Dowling, quoted above; "The Green Bird", by Kage Baker; "The Traditions of Karzh", by Paula Volsky; "Evillo the Uncunning", by Tanith Lee.
Basically, if you liked the original Vance stories, most of these will appeal. But if you don't know them, I think it would be a bit confusing.