Songs of the Dying Earth

Stories in Honor of Jack Vance

By: Gardner Dozois - editor, George R. R. Martin - editor/author

Narrated by: Arthur Morey

Jack Vance was a seminal figure in the development of modern fantasy - so much so that it's nearly impossible to imagine the genre as we know it today without him. In the course of his more than 50-year career, he has published dozens of major novels, as well as collections filled with marvelously crafted stories, winning the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, the Edgar Award, the Grand Master Award from the Science Fiction Writers of America, and several World Fantasy Awards, including the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.

Vance's masterpiece, The Dying Earth, may be the most influential fantasy novel of the 20th century, surpassed only by J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy. It has not only inspired several generations of fantasy writers, from Gene Wolfe and Michael Moorcock to Neil Gaiman and George R.R. Martin, but its influence has reached deep into the realms of graphic novels, comics, fantasy role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, and even computer gaming.

The anthology Songs of the Dying Earth has assembled one of the most distinguished casts of authors ever - including Dan Simmons, Neil Gaiman, George R. R. Martin, Paula Volsky, Mike Resnick, Robert Silverberg, Lucius Shepard, Tad Williams, Tanith Lee, Liz Williams, Glen Cook, and eleven other famous writers - to write stories in honor of the genius of Jack Vance, stories using the bizarre and darkly beautiful far future setting of the Dying Earth, near the very end of Earth's lifespan, where mighty wizards duel with spells of dreadful potency under a waning and almost burnt-out red sun, and adventurers and cutpurses strive to hoodwink and out-trick each other in haunted forests full of demons and monsters strange almost beyond comprehension.

Authors include George R. R. Martin (editor and author), Gardner Dozois (editor), Dan Simmons, Neil Gaiman, Paula Volsky, Mike Resnick, Robert Silverberg, Lucius Shepard, Tanith Lee, Liz Williams, Jeff VanderMeer, Kage Baker, Elizabeth Moon, Elizabeth Hand, Walter Jon Williams, Howard Waldrop, John C. Wright, and Glen Cook. Preface by Jack Vance.

©2009 George R. R. Martin (P)2009 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

pretty solid anthology

pretty good listen, some really good stories and some weaker ones but on the whole it was entertaining

Great Stories, So so reading

I would have given this 5 stars--except for the fact that the reader is a real mis-match for the material. Morey has a voice and approach that would be great for a gritty realistic crime novel, but for these flights of fantasy, with an emphasis on flowing language and exotic locales Morey works against the material.

You don't have to be a Vance fanatic to enjoy these tributes to his most famous creation - they are all finely wrought far future fairy tales, visionary and playful. This collection provides excellent storytelling for any lover of fantasy.

A powerhouse of fantasy and storytelling

I feel I must lead with the utmost praise for Arthur Morey. He does such a phenomenal job of narration, and I admire his skill greatly. The stories in this book are a heap of fun with all manner of focus on magic, trickery and charlatanism, everything that you would expect from Vance himself.

Some very good stories but...

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I don't want to listen to the biography of each of the contributing authors, especially not a long list of the their published works, before the start of each story. It might not have been so bad if skipping a chapter missed this out but doing that seems to jump right into the middle of the story. It's a shame as I've read the anthology and there are some quality stories in there.

Fantastic

Loved this collection. Some really great stuff inside. The style of Vance is captured by all the contributors in some fashion. Highly recommend!