HYPERBOREA / Planet of Adventure

**Posted by Spider of Leng** 2/19/2019 10:21 pm

Well I finished the Planet of Adventure series by Jack Vance. I'll admit that it did get better and had its moments, but overall I'm not super impressed with Vance. Not sure I'll read anything else by him. There were a few interesting characters and settings, but the novels overall were a bit slow and somewhat repetitive in that the plots were basically the same in a different setting. Cool to have read it, but he's nowhere near the top of my favorite writers list. At least I know where some of the other AS&SH monsters, like the Oon, come from.

**Posted by rhialto** 2/20/2019 8:10 am

Spider of Leng wrote:
Well I finished the Planet of Adventure series by Jack Vance. I'll admit that it did get better and had its moments, but overall I'm not super impressed with Vance. Not sure I'll read anything else by him. There were a few interesting characters and settings, but the novels overall were a bit slow and somewhat repetitive in that the plots were basically the same in a different setting. Cool to have read it, but he's nowhere near the top of my favorite writers list. At least I know where some of the other AS&SH monsters, like the Oon, come from.

As an avowed Vance fan I agree: they were not my favorite, either, but would suggest you try one of the Dying Earth books for a significantly different type of tale.

**Posted by Handy Haversack** 2/20/2019 11:02 am

Holy crap, I think the PoA books are his most D&D by a long shot.

**Posted by rhialto** 2/20/2019 11:29 am

Handy Haversack wrote:
Holy crap, I think the PoA books are his most D&D by a long shot.

Perhaps, but not amongst my favorite Vance tales: de gustibus and all that.
I'd argue the Dying Earth and Lyonesse books are more "D&D like", but not with any zeal.

**Posted by Handy Haversack** 2/20/2019 11:44 am

I guess I just mean a party of disparate alignments, backgrounds, and motivations coming together to literally kill monsters and take their stuff in order to get the magicest item recharged.

**Posted by Handy Haversack** 2/20/2019 11:44 am

Plus they serve as caravan guards! As if all of creation is a lazy DM!

**Posted by Ghul** 2/27/2019 6:11 pm

Personally, I loved the PoA series, as well as the Demon Princes (incidentally, Gary told me this was his favorite Vance series; not Dying Earth like many assumed). Also loved the Durdane and Alastor series; the former more than the latter. I still have one series I have not gotten to, yet: Cadwal Chronicles. I absolutely adore Vance. But, hey, that's fine, Spider of Leng -- YMMV and all.

**Posted by Brock Savage** 3/01/2019 12:33 am

Ghul wrote:
Personally, I loved the PoA series, as well as the Demon Princes (incidentally, Gary told me this was his favorite Vance series

I probably have to turn in my old school gamer card after admitting this but I haven't managed to read any Vance. Thanks for helping me choose my next vacation read!

**Posted by Handy Haversack** 3/01/2019 11:20 am

Ghul wrote:
Personally, I loved the PoA series, as well as the Demon Princes (incidentally, Gary told me this was his favorite Vance series; not Dying Earth like many assumed). Also loved the Durdane and Alastor series; the former more than the latter. I still have one series I have not gotten to, yet: Cadwal Chronicles. I absolutely adore Vance. But, hey, that's fine, Spider of Leng -- YMMV and all.

Cadwal . . . has some good stuff. The books are long, which lets him pace them a little better. They have lots of cool Vance touches and set pieces. He's pretty terrible at trying to write women, and these have a woman as a main character, and that leads to occasional moments of squickiness, but, you know, Golden Age. These are solid books but don't pack the punch of some others, though there's plenty still to recommend them.

**Posted by Hackhamster** 3/04/2019 3:35 pm

Already mentioned, but Dying Earth and Lyonesse are must-reads. I'm trying to get a friend of mine into them and his observation was that Vance isn't someone you can read casually, but the work you put in is rewarded.