Cugel's Saga

Set in the world of Vance's Dying Earth series, when the sun has all but sputtered out, this book, continues the story of Vance's anti-hero Cugel, a vain popinjay of a man who finds himself once again stranded half a world away from home by his arch-enemy Iocunnu (better known as the Laughing Magician because of his penchant for playing morbid jokes upon his enemies).Vance's Dying Earth is a world of Machiavellian sorcery and science, where a person's every deed is viewed with suspicion - and a good deed even more so! Magicians and monsters vie with everyday mortals for power in the form of powerful runes, ancient amulets, otherworldly gems, etc. "Trust" and "compassion" are basically forgotten terms, as is "generosity" and "goodwill." How bad is this place? It can best be seen by the conversation between Cugel and the fiendish sorceror Fauculme (whom a suspicious Cugel ties up before even introducing himself): Fauculme: How then is one to distinguish between enemy and altruist? Cugel: It is not an important distinction...Cugel's adventures are absolutely hilarious, as he schemes and scams his way back home across a world of "dangers and woners abundant."

Jack Vance's "Cugel's Saga" is my favourite fantasy novel (the other "Dying Earth" novels coming a close second) - his unique style of writing is unparalleled in fantasy fiction. How often have you read a fantasy novel that tried to furbish you with a so-so plot, but used a style of writing so hackneyed and drab that it hurt? In Vance, you not only get a lovable protagonist in ne'er-do-well Cugel, who's so utterly selfish and vainglorious that the reader can only be baffled and thoroughly amused, but you also get witty characterizations, weird plot turns and the most artistic dialogue you'd ever expect in a fantasy novel. Acidic irony, villainy carefully disguised under a mantle of impeccable (?) politeness, and enough high-brow expressions to fill a mid-level dictionary. The plot is basically a chain of unconnected "scenes", one more imaginative than the other, which could go on indefinitely, but sadly has to end at a point. And here we have the one downside to the book: Its end. Compared to the colorful happenings during the whole of the novel, the end is somewhat of an anticlimax. But Vance, who excels at creating highly complex and enjoyable mini-scenarios, can be forgiven the fact that epic plots are not one of his strengths. If you can get ahold of this out-of-print book, give it a try. Chances are that you will at least like it.

Many years ago, in the depths of a crushing depression, I picked up Cugel's Saga and began reading. Vance's sentences tolled like bells; his humor made me laugh in ways I never had before; his characterizations made real people seem shallow and indistinct. I got over the depression, but not Vance. Since then I've collected almost all his books - twice. Once I thought I was through with Vance and tossed the ragged paperbacks in the trash. Before long, however, I began sifting through dusty used bookstores literally coast to coast to replenish my shelves. It was worth every step, every penny and every sneeze. I will never let go of my Vances again. He is the best writer this writer and book reviewer has ever read. Cugel's Saga is his best book.

Cugel's Saga is the sequel to Eyes of the Overworld. Jack Vance's questionable hero, Cugel, struggles southward to avenge himself upon the Laughing Magician, encountering some of the most inventive situations ever put to paper. Always self-centered and vain to a flaw, Cugel nevertheless is possessed of a cruel and delightful sense of justice. As he wreaks havoc, either intentionally or by blind dumb luck, on the deserving of the world, one cannot help but cheer the miscreant on. Jack Vance is the greatest fantasy writer of our time. This book is part of the Dying Earth series, including The Dying Earth, Eyes of the Overworld, and Rhialto the Marvelous.

Continuing to explore the fantastic world first seen in "The Dying Earth" and in the second volume of the series, "The Eyes of the Overworld" (another must-have!), Vance spins the tale of an ordinary fellow, Cugel, of no great moral fiber, who ires the wizard Iucounu, known as the Laughing Magician. The mage then sends him on a quest, with an on-board passenger named Firx (from Achernar, a far star) to goad him. Intrigued? You should well be-- this is one of Vance's greatest works, eclipsed in this reviewer's estimation only by "The Eyes of the Overworld" for pure picaresque adventure and humor. Rogues tend to be Vance's funniest characters, and Cugel is his best. Also highly recommended: "Rhialto the Marvellous"