Jack Vance

Jack Vance (1916–2013) was an American writer of science fiction and fantasy, known for ornate prose, eccentric societies, and works including The Dying Earth and the Lyonesse trilogy.

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The Dying Earth: A fantasy sequence set on Earth in its distant, dying future, where magic and science coexist. This cycle established the setting and style most closely associated with Vance.
Dying Earth genre: A speculative-fiction mode set in the far future, when Earth is old, diminished, or near its end. Vance’s sequence became a defining example of this far-future setting.
John Holbrook Vance: The full name of the American writer published as Jack Vance. His legal name distinguishes the author from the many fictional names in his bibliography.
Vancian magic: A tabletop role-playing magic system in which spells are prepared in advance and expended when cast. Dungeons & Dragons adapted this system from spellcasting in The Dying Earth.
J. R. R. Tolkien: English writer whose Middle-earth legendarium shaped modern high fantasy. Tolkien’s mythic histories contrast with Vance’s emphasis on irony and local customs.
Lyonesse trilogy: A fantasy trilogy set in an imagined archipelago west of medieval Europe. Its intricate politics and folklore show Vance working in a medieval fantasy mode.
Dying Earth subgenre: A fantasy and science-fiction subgenre depicting civilization on an Earth nearing its end. The label captures the setting that recurs across Vance’s signature stories.
Fritz Leiber: American fantasy and science-fiction writer who created the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories. Leiber and Vance helped define witty, urban, and adventurous fantasy for overlapping audiences.
The Dying Earth role-playing game: A tabletop role-playing game based on Jack Vance’s Dying Earth stories. It translates Vance’s setting, vocabulary, and spellcraft into a playable system.
Robert E. Howard: American writer who created Conan the Cimmerian and helped establish sword and sorcery. Howard’s forceful pulp action offers a contrast to Vance’s elaborate social and verbal play.