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February 18, 2005
Everybody loves Jack Vance
I don’t smoke. I’m not a huge fan of chocolate. I’m a light drinker. But I do gorge myself on huge science-fiction tomes.
I’m a big fan of the modern hard British sci-fi: Iain M. Banks, Ken MacLeod, Alistair Reynolds. But, like a lot of sci-fi, these authors often use their work as social commentary; what-if scenarios of the future.
On the other hand, some of the best sci-fi is just a bunch of stuff that happens. I’m currently reading Jack Vance’s Tales of the Dying Earth. Vance basically imagines fantastic backdrops, then places ordinary people in extraordinary situations, governed by the whims of powerful agencies with unexplained motives. These people do their best, and often do well.
Despite the fantasy, there’s a banality that pervades the characters and their responses (they all use the same overblown language) that you’d expect to find off-putting. In fact, it’s hugely appealing. Their normalcy is the key that unlocks these bizarre worlds. These characters change very slowly, preferring to adopt the world to their view rather than changing their views to reflect reality. Live and don’t learn, they chorus. I completely relate.
Lyonesse was my introduction to Vance. It’s another great example.
Posted by Oliver at February 18, 2005 05:20 PM
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