/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.10273749]

Why was Jack Vance so good? Dude wrote like no one else.

[Anonymous No.10273822]

>>10273749
he had a style all his own, forged from writers of the 20s that he favored. i loved the way his characters were unfailingly polite to each other, even when they were about to torture and kill:

"Manting's duties occasionally included a stint of torture, where again he proved himsef not only the adept at classical techniques, but deft and clever with his innovations.
Manting, however, while pursuing some theoretical concept, tended to over-reach himself. One day his schedule included the execution of a young witch named Zanice, accused of drying the udders of her neighbor's cow. Since an element of uncertainty entered the case, it was ordained that Zanice die by the garrote rather than by fire. Manting, however, wished to test a new and rather involved idea, and he used this opportunity to do so, and thereby aroused the fury of the sorcerer Qualmes, the lover of Zanice.
Qualmes took Manting deep into the Forest of Tantrevalles, along an obscure trail known as Ganion's Way, and led him a few yards off the trail into a little glade.
Qualmes asked: "Manting, how do you like this place?"
Manting, still wondering as to the reason for the expedition, looked all about. "The air is fresh. The verdure is a welcome change from the dungeons. The flowers yonder add to the charm of the scene."
Qualmes said: "It is fortunate that you are happy here, inasmuch as you will never leave this place."
Manting smilingly shook his head. "Impossible! Today I find myself at leisure, and this little outing is truly pleasant, but tomorrow I must conduct two hangings, a strappado and a flogging."
"You are relieved of all such duties, now and forever. Your treatment of Zanice has aroused my deep emotion, and you must pay the penalty of your cruelty. Find yourself a pleasant place to recline, and choose a comfortable position, for I am imposing a spell of stasis upon you, and you will never move again."
Manting protested for several minutes, and Qualmes listened with a smile on his face. "Tell me, Manting, have any of your victims made similar protests to you?"
"Now that I think of it: yes."
"And what would be your response?"
"I always replied that, by the very nature of things, I was the instrument, not of mercy, but of doom. Here, of course, the situation is different. You are at once the adjudicator, as well as the executioner of the judgement, and so you are both able and qualified to consider my petition for mercy, or even outright pardon."
"The petition is denied. Recline, if you will; I cannot chop logic with you all day."
Manting at last was forced to recline on the turf, after which Qualmes worked his spell of paralysis and went his way.
Manting lay helpless day and night, week after week, month after month, while weasels and rats gnawed at his hands and feet, and hornets made their lodges in his flesh, until nothing remained but bones and the glowing green pearl, and even these were gradually covered under the mold."
- Lyonnesse 3: The Green Pearl

[Anonymous No.10273826]

>>10273749

"Still, the girl is thin," Lord Uls pointed out. "For adequacy and advantage, a female needs proper amplitude." Duke Cypris gave qualified agreement.

"A learned Moor has worked out the exact formula, though I forget the numbers; so many square inches of skin to so many hands in height. The effect must be sumptuous but neither expansive nor rotund."

"Quite so. That would be carrying the doctrine too far."

Jack Vance, 'Lyonesse:Madouc'

[Anonymous No.10273831]

>>10273822
>- Lyonnesse 3: The Green Pearl

actually book 2. i got the text from a bunch of badly scanned PDFs where some dick had renumbered the books.

[Anonymous No.10273838]

Railto suxx

[Anonymous No.10274274]

>>10273822
Love this.So formal and absurd