Songs of the Dying Earth: Stories in Honour of Jack Vance

by George R.R. Martin
Songs of the Dying Earth: Stories in Honour of Jack Vance cover
Good Books rating 4.17
Technical
  • ID: 2147
  • Added: 2025-10-12
  • Updated: 2025-10-12
  • Reviews: 3
Reviews
The StoryGraph · 2025-10-12
praiseworthy 4.50

The anthology features a mix of high-quality stories, with some standouts that capture the essence of Jack Vance's work. The atmosphere is dark yet playful.

The reviewer from The StoryGraph praises the anthology for its mix of high-quality stories, noting that some truly stand out. They particularly enjoyed how the stories capture the dark yet playful atmosphere characteristic of Jack Vance's work. The collection is a fitting tribute, with each story offering a unique take on the Dying Earth setting. While there are some less impressive entries, the overall quality is high, making it a must-read for fans of Vance's style.

Quick quotes

    A Night at the Tarn House by George R R Martin (5/5) This read like a breeze, of course.

    The atmosphere was dark, yet playful and really captured the essence of Jack Vance's work.

    Like most anthologies, especially themed ones where authors are asked to write a certain way, this book is a little uneven in quality.

Concatenation · 2015-09-12
pleasurable 4.00

The stories are well-written and a pleasure to read, though the anthology is a bit uneven in quality. The tribute to Jack Vance is well-executed.

The reviewer from Concatenation highlights that all the stories in this anthology are well-written and enjoyable. They note that, like many themed anthologies, the quality can be a bit uneven, but overall, it's a pleasure to read. The tribute to Jack Vance is particularly well-executed, with each story capturing different aspects of his unique style. The variety ensures that there's something for every fantasy fan, making it a worthwhile collection.

Quick quotes

    But what of the Songs Of The Dying Earth, this compendium of stories written in Jack's honour?

    All the stories are well written and a pleasure to read.

    The tribute to Jack Vance is particularly well-executed.

kara.reviews · Kara Babcock · 2011-01-09
enjoyable 4.00

The anthology is enjoyable with a few disappointments, taking longer to read than expected but still engaging. The stories capture the essence of Jack Vance's unique style.

Kara found this anthology to be a delightful read overall, despite a few stories that didn't quite hit the mark. The collection took longer to get through than she initially thought, but the unique and evocative stories kept her engaged. She appreciated how the authors captured the spirit of Jack Vance's work, making it a worthwhile tribute. The variety in the stories ensures there's something for every fantasy fan, even if not every tale is a standout.

Quick quotes

    The few disappointments aside, I really liked this anthology.

    It took me longer to read than I had hoped but shorter than it might have—usually with anthologies I either fly through them or get bogged down.

    The stories capture the essence of Jack Vance's unique style.

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