In a far-off future, criminals have the freedom to pursue their most violent passions among the civilized worlds of the Oikumene, assured that justice cannot follow when they escape into the lawless Beyond—a vast playground where the most elusive and monomaniacal murderers, thieves, and slavers can conquer a world of their own, play out complex fantasies of bloodlust, pursue revenge and immortality over generations, give themselves to a psychotic world of self-absorption, and devalue their...

The four Planet of Adventure volumes chronicle Adam Reith's saga on the planet Tschai, under the amber glow of the star Carina 4269. Reith is a Terran first-in scout stranded on a planet which he learns is now occupied, after an ancient struggle which has come to a standstill, by three technically advanced cultures who now guardedly share the surface while the original inhabitants- the mysterious Pnume- dwell in subterranean depths. On Tschai, Reith discovers to his surprise (and disgust) ...

For centuries the breathtakingly beautiful planet Cadwal has been held in trust by a centuries-old Charter of Conservancy, created by the now-defunct Naturalist Society on Old Earth.Over time, restrictions on population expansion written into the Charter have become irksome to some who live on Cadwal—those who would take the unexploited wealth of Cadwal for themselves, also those forced to leave the planet to keep population in check.Glawen Clattuc grows to manhood within t...

Enjoy the ride as Jack Vance takes you on an informal trip through his life. Starting with his memories of childhood in a privileged San Francisco family, Vance leads us through lean times, picking fruit during the Depression, pranks at Cal, experiences at sea during the War, his early writing, and life in California in general, before marrying Norma; then a hard-working adulthood distinguished by writing, travel, colorfully noisy parties, and through it all- a deep love of traditional jaz...

Time and technology will change the role of the modern literary private investigator. Rather than don a trench coat, engage in snooping, interrogation, prying, and producing disheartening snapshots, detectives of the future will by necessity command stealth and a variety of arcane techniques to satisfy their stingy and demanding clients, who seek results over interstellar distances.Miro Hetzel is a special breed of investigator—an Effectuator, one who goes beyond mere fact-finding ...

Zeshonderd jaar geleden werd Grote Planeet ontdekt: een enorme bewoonbare wereld met een omtrek van drie keer die van de Aarde, maar met vergelijkbare massa en zwaartekracht dankzij het ontbreken van metalen en zware elementen in haar samenstelling. Er volgde een exodus: alle minderheden, cultussen en fanatici die zich door de Aardse samenleving gehinderd, beperkt of buitengesloten voelden, emigreerden naar Grote Planeet. Op de weidse landmassa's stichtten ze er hun eigen gemeenschappen di...

Een schriel mannetje op leeftijd met witte haren, een zorgvuldig gecultiveerde sik en fattige maniertjes: niet het voorkomen dat je zou verwachten van een interstellaire speurneus, befaamd wiskundige, beruchte schelm en levensgenieter. Maar wee de tegenstander die het geslepen intellect van Magnus Ridolph onderschat... In deze tien verhalen aanvaardt Magnus Ridolph, immer krap bij kas, een aantal verbijsterende opdrachten: van het stopzetten van de rituele oorlogvoering tussen de 81 krijge...

A legend has to start somewhere...As so many writers have said, it’s in the shorter and mid-length work that the storytelling craft is best learned. Hard-Luck Diggings brings together fourteen such pieces from the first twelve years of Grand Master Jack Vance’s genre-defining career, from back when he first worked to pay the mortgage, buy the groceries, travel the world, eventually building his own private “dream castle” and starting a family.Like any writer seriou...

Jack Vance is one of the most remarkable talents to ever grace the world of science fiction. His unique, stylish voice has been beloved by generations of readers. One of his enduring classics is his 1964 novel, The Dying Earth, and its sequels--a fascinating, baroque tale set on a far-future Earth, under a giant red sun that is soon to go out forever.This omnibus volume comprised all four books in the seriesThe Dying EarthThe Eyes of the ...

De Lekthwans, een van de talrijke mensachtige rassen die de melkweg bevolken, hebben handelsposten opgericht op de Aarde en delen bereidwillig hun superieure wetenschap en technologie met de Aardbewoners. In vergelijking met Lekthwa is de Aarde nog maar net het barbarendom ontstegen en alle menselijke kennis is ofwel achterhaald of verouderd. Daar heeft de koppige Roy Barch het moeilijk mee. In dienst van Markel, de handelscommissaris van Lekthwa in Californië, worstelt Barch met een minde...

In the far-future city of Clarges, you can live forever if you can make the grade.In Clarges, everyone competes for the ultimate prize: immortality. Gavin Waylock had that prize the live-forever rank of Amaranth, but lost it when he was accused of murder. Now, after seven years in hiding he begins again the struggle to reach the top. But a strong-willed woman,The Jacynth Martin, is determined to see him fail and failure means death.SF Grandmaster Jack Vance crafts a classic tale of man aga...

Wilbur Murphy sought romance, excitement, and an impossible Horseman of Space. With polite smiles, the planet frustrated him at every turn—until he found them all the hard way!