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Minding the Stars (The Early Jack Vance) Hardcover – 31 Mar. 2014

by Terry Dowling (Editor), Jonathan Strahan (Editor)
4.3 out of 5 stars 36 ratings
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  1. Print length
    367 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Subterranean Pr
  4. Publication date
    31 Mar. 2014
  5. Dimensions
    16.51 x 3.81 x 23.5 cm
  6. ISBN-10
    1596066458
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1596066458
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Product description

From the Inside Flap

Throughout his long and impressive career as a celebrated professional storyteller, Jack Vance showed a fascination not only with having characters solve mysteries in all sorts of dramatic and wondrous situations using their powers of observation, deduction and common sense, but also with the possibility of higher states of mind in play, other realms of existence, even spirit worlds.Vance approached such things with a healthy, properly wary, scientific curiosity, even while embracing the liberties allowed any popular entertainer, and so made the exploration of such higher states part of his stock in trade.Whether richly displayed in his Dying Earth stories with their wizardly spellcasting, eldritch beings and strange dimensions, or in his science fiction tales with the incredible mental powers afforded races like the Green Chasch, the Fwai-chi, the Meks of Etamin 9 besieging the final human strongholds in The Last Castle, even given to divergent human peoples on Koryphon, Maske and countless other worlds, or to the likes of his most extraordinary Demon Prince, Howard Alan Treesong, Vance was forever drawn to what else might comprise human (and other) natures in all their myriad forms.Minding the Stars: The Early Jack Vance Volume 4 reflects this beguiling blend of the practical and the otherworldly, combining tales that explore the workings of such mental powers with other stories selected from the earlier days of the Grandmaster's illustrious career.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Subterranean Pr
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 31 Mar. 2014
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Deluxe
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 367 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1596066458
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1596066458
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 748 g
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 16.51 x 3.81 x 23.5 cm
  • Customer reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 36 ratings

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4.3 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Manly Reading
    4.0 out of 5 stars The Early(ish) Jack Vance, 4th time around
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 May 2014
    Format: Hardcover
    The new dedication on the copyright page - to the Estate of Jack Vance - saddened me greatly, in part because although I knew of the author's death in 2013, I had not expected a reminder in that fashion. It was not an untimely death - Mr Vance lived to 96 - but it was one of a number of the golden age greats leaving us recently. The TOC is as follows:

    Nopalgarth
    Telek
    Four Hundred Blackbirds
    Alfred's Ark
    Meet Miss Universe
    The World Between
    Milton Hack from Zodiac
    Parapsyche

    At least in this volume most of the work is early Vance, from the 1950 pulps, but there is a significant minority of stuff from the mid to late 60's (the novellas Nopalgarth and Parapsyche) when "early" is no longer really a valid descriptor. Nopalgarth and Telek are probably the most high profile works in this collection, but its all Jack Vance, so its all pretty good. Nopalgarth is a Vance version of space opera previously published as half of an Ace Double and on several occasions since. All the other stories however are pretty hard to track down for a modern reader, which makes this worth getting for any Vance fans (especially as the publisher's stock here appears to be sold out).

    Get it while you still can.
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • heather b
    5.0 out of 5 stars Jack Vance - immer der Meister
    Reviewed in Germany on 28 October 2015
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Wonderful stories showing the Vance genius. One of a series of collections of hard to obtain early works Great stuff!
    Report
  • John M
    5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome reads
    Reviewed in the United States on 20 July 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Jack Vance brilliantly creates conflict between opposing forces. His dialogues are incredibly sharp, witty, insightful and fun. He’s a true stylist. It doesn’t matter if it’s early Vance or later Vance — Jack Vance is a true master.
    Report
  • Manly Reading
    4.0 out of 5 stars The Early(ish) Jack Vance, 4th time around
    Reviewed in the United States on 15 May 2014
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    The new dedication on the copyright page - to the Estate of Jack Vance - saddened me greatly, in part because although I knew of the author's death in 2013, I had not expected a reminder in that fashion. It was not an untimely death - Mr Vance lived to 96 - but it was one of a number of the golden age greats leaving us recently. The TOC is as follows:

    Nopalgarth
    Telek
    Four Hundred Blackbirds
    Alfred's Ark
    Meet Miss Universe
    The World Between
    Milton Hack from Zodiac
    Parapsyche

    At least in this volume most of the work is early Vance, from the 1950 pulps, but there is a significant minority of stuff from the mid to late 60's (the novellas Nopalgarth and Parapsyche) when "early" is no longer really a valid descriptor. Nopalgarth and Telek are probably the most high profile works in this collection, but its all Jack Vance, so its all pretty good. Nopalgarth is a Vance version of space opera previously published as half of an Ace Double and on several occasions since. All the other stories however are pretty hard to track down for a modern reader, which makes this worth getting for any Vance fans (especially as the publisher's stock here appears to be sold out).

    Get it while you still can.
    Report
  • Arthur W Jordin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Unusual Experiences
    Reviewed in the United States on 20 August 2014
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Minding the Stars (2014) is the fourth SF collection in the Early Jack Vance sequence, following Magic Highways. The initial collection in this sequence is Hard Luck Diggings.

    This volume contains an introduction and eight stories.

    - "Introduction" by the editors provides the basis of the selection of these stories.

    - "Nopalgarth" (Brains of Earth, 1966) tasks a DARPA scientist/administrator with elimination of a parasite infestation.

    - "Telek" (Astounding, 1952) portrays a world in which a few thousand people are telekinetics.

    - "Four Hundred Blackbirds" (Future SF, 1953) examines telepathic communications.

    - "Alfred's Ark" (New Worlds, 1965) updates Noah's story to contemporary times.

    - "Meet Miss Universe" (Fantastic Universe, 1955) judges each contestants by her own species standards.

    - "The World Between" (Future SF, 1953) brings an exploration ship to an unclaimed world betwixt Blue Star and the Kays.

    - "Milton Hack from Zodiac" (Amazing, 1967) forces a contract upon an employee of a management company.

    - "Parapsyche" (Amazing, 1958) lead a couple to establish a foundation to investigate the afterlife.

    These tales explore the strange things occuring in life. Much involves the field of parapsychology. Others concern unusual human experiences.

    Life is seldom routine and without surprises. Another installment in this sequence has not yet been announced on Amazon, but The Jack Vance Treasury and Wild Thyme, Green Magic are precursors to this series.

    Highly recommended for Vance fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of the paranormal, strange and unexpected. Read and enjoy!

    -Arthur W. Jordin
    Report
  • Gletkin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Snapshot of Vance Maturing as a Writer
    Reviewed in the United States on 8 May 2015
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Again, a varied sampling from this series on Jack Vance's early efforts. A steal here. All of the books in the series have taken off in price as this latecomer to the party knows all too well. Good stories from the growth days of Science Fiction.
    Report