Talk:Jack Vance

Anyone have This is Me on hand?

I just noticed that the LA Times obit quotes John Vance as saying his father never graduated, which contradicts this article. I thought he said in his memoir that he graduated, too, but don't own a copy. Can anyone confirm that? Laura Scudder | talk 14:41, 31 May 2013 (UTC)

The View from Chickweed's Window

Just noticed this excellent mystery by Jack Vance isn't listed anywhere among his works. Is it listed under an alternate title? Saratoga Sam (talk) 19:22, 31 May 2013 (UTC)

Cugel Victorious

Cugel is a complete rogue, who is nevertheless worthy of sympathy in always failing to achieve his goals.[17]

This statement is inaccurate. At the end of "Cugel's Saga", Cugel has achieved wealth and power, having destroyed Iucounu, his nemesis.

There is also a massive inconsistency between the two Cugel novels. In "The Eyes of the Overworld", it is Cugel's trespass into Iucounu's mansion that initiates their conflict, and Cugel's nasty situation at the conclusion, is caused not by the then helpless Iucounu's malice, but by Cugel's misuse of Iucounu's magic. Yet in "Cugel's Saga", the reader is told that it had been Ioucounu's malice that was the cause, not Cugel's incompetence. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 50.80.151.228 (talk) 04:59, 28 December 2014 (UTC)

I think the latter is to be taken as from Cugel's self-serving point of view, Vance writing in the third-person subjective narrative form.137.205.183.109 (talk) 14:10, 4 April 2016 (UTC)

Date of birth

Most of the numerous Vance titles I own have JV born in 1920. I'll respect the comment to the contrary in the lead, but in view of the ambiguity it would be good to have a reference for the 1916 date. I've noted that it often appears as 1920 Chrismorey (talk) 06:48, 6 July 2015 (UTC)

Until quite recently Vance's birth year was given as 1920 wherever you looked, but then 1916 became more common. I can't give a reference but I'm pretty sure that I've read that the latter (1916) is the correct year. Just why and when the 1920 date began to float around, I do not know.--Floozybackloves (talk) 00:30, 2 October 2021 (UTC)

Lurulu (and a couple of other favorite words of Vance)

The word "Lurulu" also occurs in one of Vance's early SF stories reprinted in the Spatterlight complete edition. It joins "Araminta" and "blue ruin" as a word/phrase that appears repeatedly in Vance's oeuvre but not necessarily with the same meaning in all instances.

It isn't clear to me that this idiosyncrasy in Vance's writing is worth remarking on in the main Wikipedia article, but perhaps others have other opinions. If it's thought important, I can dig out the exact, early reference to "Lurulu." Floozybackloves (talk) 00:45, 2 October 2021 (UTC)

Move discussion in progress

There is a move discussion in progress on Talk:List of Ellen G. White writings which affects this page. Please participate on that page and not in this talk page section. Thank you. —RMCD bot 02:46, 22 October 2022 (UTC)