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

outstanding and mediocre but worth it

As with any collection of stories you're bound to get a few bad apples, but I believe the good ones make it worth a listen. Also, before each story the authors give a forward about how they were introduced to Vance. I especially enjoyed the last three stories, starting from chapter 36-39 By Dan Simons, followed by George RR Martin and finally Neil Gaiman. I wish the stories were titled in the app.

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!

Pretty good

A variety of tales. Some were mediocre, some were awfully boring, but their were a few towards the end that i liked very much.