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A review by hakimbriki
The Eyes of the Overworld by Jack Vance
4.0
3.5
Now I can see why people compare this series to The Book of the New Sun; the protagonist is not your typical hero; he travels through a strange future version of earth with a grimdark vibe and a dim sun; he meets a bunch of wild characters who (try to)play tricks on him; both series have sorcery and futuristic science/tech. The Eyes of the Overworld is not as hypnotizing as Gene Wolfe's masterpiece, but it's an imaginative, funny, and mostly entertaining entry in the series. I did find parts of it very dull, and I do not really enjoy Vance's writing style, but the good far outweighs the bad.
One last thing - if you're considering reading this, let me propose a drinking game. Have a drink each time Vance uses the verb "to ejaculate" to mean "to exclaim". You can thank me later!
Now I can see why people compare this series to The Book of the New Sun; the protagonist is not your typical hero; he travels through a strange future version of earth with a grimdark vibe and a dim sun; he meets a bunch of wild characters who (try to)play tricks on him; both series have sorcery and futuristic science/tech. The Eyes of the Overworld is not as hypnotizing as Gene Wolfe's masterpiece, but it's an imaginative, funny, and mostly entertaining entry in the series. I did find parts of it very dull, and I do not really enjoy Vance's writing style, but the good far outweighs the bad.
One last thing - if you're considering reading this, let me propose a drinking game. Have a drink each time Vance uses the verb "to ejaculate" to mean "to exclaim". You can thank me later!