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The Dying Earth #2
The Eyes of the Overworld
The Eyes of the Overworld is the first of Vance’s picaresque novels about the scoundrel Cugel. Here he is sent by a magician he has wronged to a distant unknown country to retrieve magical lenses that reveal the Overworld. Conniving to steal the lenses, he escapes and, goaded by a homesick monster magically attached to his liver, starts to find his way home to Almery. The journey takes him across trackless mountains, wastelands, and seas. Through cunning and dumb luck, the relentless Cugel survives one catastrophe after another, fighting off bandits, ghosts, and ghouls—stealing, lying, and cheating without insight or remorse leaving only wreckage behind. Betrayed and betraying, he joins a cult group on a pilgrimage, crosses the Silver Desert as his comrades die one by one and, escaping the Rat People, obtains a spell that returns him home. There, thanks to incompetence and arrogance he misspeaks the words of a purloined spell and transports himself back to the same dismal place he began his journey.
220 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1966
126 people are currently reading
4249 people want to read
About the author
Jack Vance
779 books1,588 followersAka John Holbrook Vance, Peter Held, John Holbrook, Ellery Queen, John van See, Alan Wade.
The author was born in 1916 and educated at the University of California, first as a mining engineer, then majoring in physics and finally in journalism. During the 1940s and 1950s, he contributed widely to science fiction and fantasy magazines. His first novel, The Dying Earth , was published in 1950 to great acclaim. He won both of science fiction's most coveted trophies, the Hugo and Nebula awards. He also won an Edgar Award for his mystery novel The Man in the Cage . He lived in Oakland, California in a house he designed.
The author was born in 1916 and educated at the University of California, first as a mining engineer, then majoring in physics and finally in journalism. During the 1940s and 1950s, he contributed widely to science fiction and fantasy magazines. His first novel, The Dying Earth , was published in 1950 to great acclaim. He won both of science fiction's most coveted trophies, the Hugo and Nebula awards. He also won an Edgar Award for his mystery novel The Man in the Cage . He lived in Oakland, California in a house he designed.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 385 reviews
April 19, 2024
In this treasure island of a book Jack Vance had hidden two treasure troves: his wild imagination and his flowery language. And it is pure delight to find them both.
I wish I knew some tricks Cugel did know…
The Dying Earth is a fantastic place populated with malicious magicians, frivolous pranksters and all possible and impossible sorts of eccentric and cunning jugglers.
But if one has enough imagination one would manage to survive in any fantastic world…
Cugel was a man of many capabilities, with a disposition at once flexible and pertinacious. He was long of leg, deft of hand, light of finger, soft of tongue. His hair was the blackest of black fur, growing low down his forehead, coving sharply back above his eyebrows. His darting eye, long inquisitive nose and droll mouth gave his somewhat lean and bony face an expression of vivacity, candor, and affability. He had known many vicissitudes, gaining therefrom a suppleness, a fine discretion, a mastery of both bravado and stealth. Coming into the possession of an ancient lead coffin – after discarding the contents – he had formed a number of leaden lozenges.
These, stamped with appropriate seals and runes, he offered for sale at the Azenomei Fair.
I wish I knew some tricks Cugel did know…
The Dying Earth is a fantastic place populated with malicious magicians, frivolous pranksters and all possible and impossible sorts of eccentric and cunning jugglers.
But if one has enough imagination one would manage to survive in any fantastic world…
October 6, 2021
Underneath the fading sun, Cugel--a hero--emerges. Well, sort of a hero, but more of a trickster. Less Hector, more Ulysses; less Samson, more Jacob; less Tom, and a lot more Huck. Cugel, however, is less likable than any of the these. Selfish, exploitative, and filled with unlimited self-regard, he continually overestimates his own considerable intelligence and fails where a lesser man might have succeeded.
Paradoxically, it is Cugel's flaws and failures that keep us on his side during his picaresque journey, and his personality helps organize what might otherwise seem a disconnect series of tales. Vance's prose is still eccentric but more fluid than in the previous "Dying Earth" collection, and his imagination continues to astound: his descriptions of landscapes, individual flora and fauna are mesmerizing, and his plot inventions--particular the "eyes" mentioned in the title--are a source of continual delight.
June 23, 2019
Tales of a trickster god.
Like stories about Anansi, Coyote and Loki Jack Vance describes the misadventures of Cugel the Clever in picaresque fashion. Set in Vance’s far, far future world of the The Dying Earth, in his inimitable style blending elements of science fiction and fantasy, this 1966 publication is at times hilarious but always entertaining.
While reading I smiled frequently and laughed out loud at least a couple of times and Vance made me think about the irascible nature of loveable rogues. No doubt from time immemorial, their have been stories about those who think outside the box, those who march to the beat of a different drummer, who – for all purposes – make their own rules and make the rest of us insane, make us roll our eyes and smirk.
My wife and I raised three boys and there were times when, as parents, we needing to punish a child for some behavior. I can recall many times when, even amidst the scolding, I had to turn my head so the little imp would not see me smile.
What is it about mischievous comportment that draws the grudging veneration from us all at some time or another? Is it a latent sense of respect for creativity? Are we inside at least a little jealous or admiring of those who can set convention aside and accomplish outside of rules what we wish we could?
Reading Vance’s story, I thought of the fascination with outlaws and criminals, of the charisma of gangsters and ne’er do wells. Vance, in describing Cugel, has hit the nail on the head of a true anti-hero and Vance with his tongue in cheek wit and his subtle humor is uniquely qualified to deliver such a work.
A must read for Vance fans, this is just fun reading and let me opine that American readers who do not quite get Sir Terry Pratchett’s British humor, may enjoy Vance’s quirky writing.
Like stories about Anansi, Coyote and Loki Jack Vance describes the misadventures of Cugel the Clever in picaresque fashion. Set in Vance’s far, far future world of the The Dying Earth, in his inimitable style blending elements of science fiction and fantasy, this 1966 publication is at times hilarious but always entertaining.
While reading I smiled frequently and laughed out loud at least a couple of times and Vance made me think about the irascible nature of loveable rogues. No doubt from time immemorial, their have been stories about those who think outside the box, those who march to the beat of a different drummer, who – for all purposes – make their own rules and make the rest of us insane, make us roll our eyes and smirk.
My wife and I raised three boys and there were times when, as parents, we needing to punish a child for some behavior. I can recall many times when, even amidst the scolding, I had to turn my head so the little imp would not see me smile.
What is it about mischievous comportment that draws the grudging veneration from us all at some time or another? Is it a latent sense of respect for creativity? Are we inside at least a little jealous or admiring of those who can set convention aside and accomplish outside of rules what we wish we could?
Reading Vance’s story, I thought of the fascination with outlaws and criminals, of the charisma of gangsters and ne’er do wells. Vance, in describing Cugel, has hit the nail on the head of a true anti-hero and Vance with his tongue in cheek wit and his subtle humor is uniquely qualified to deliver such a work.
A must read for Vance fans, this is just fun reading and let me opine that American readers who do not quite get Sir Terry Pratchett’s British humor, may enjoy Vance’s quirky writing.
July 9, 2013
I have already gushed enthusiastic about the opening volume in the Dying Earth epic. It seems I should have kept some of the hyperbole in reserve for later books, as the appeal of the setting and of the characters show no sign of slacking with this second book. It's also interesting to note that the saga of Cugel the Clever is not simply an iteration of a success formula. In many ways it is an improvement over the experiments in style from the first book.
For one thing, the book is better structured, with a framing story of the hero being sent on a quest and a sequence of related picaresque adventures as Cugel traverses exotic lands and meets monsters, maidens, ghosts, flying men, pygmies, giants, grotesque mutants and magic adepts. Concentrating on a single main character also helps, as there's no need to introduce and establish a new face in every episode.
“What lands lie between us and Almery?”
“They are wide and dangerous and peopled by gids, erbs, and deodands, as well as leucomorphs, ghouls and grues. Otherwise I am ignorant. If we survive the journey, it will be a miracle indeed.”
For a second thing, the presentation is less melancholic and resigned to a doomed future. Cugel is a lot more pro-active about saving his skin and getting ahead in the rat race. The book is a lot funnier that I expected, often in a subtle, sarcastic way, as the self-annointed 'Clever' scoundrel gets tricked time and time again. I would make a last observation on general approach: it seems that once the worldbuilding was established with the first collection, the author felt less need to include the science-fiction elements (flying cars, underground data centers, nanotechnology, cloning tanks. etc) and the new saga is almost pure sword & sorcery fun.
Cugel was a man of many capabilities, with a disposition at once flexible and pertinacious. He was long of leg, deft of hand, light of finger, soft of tongue. His hair was the blackest of black fur, growing low down his forehead, coving sharply back above his eyebrows. His darting eye, long inquisitive nose and droll mouth gave his somewhat lean and bony face an expression of vivacity, candor, and affability. He had known many vicissitudes, gaining therefrom a suppleness, a fine discretion, a mastery of both bravado and stealth.
Word of the day, kids: Pertinacious :
1 a: adhering resolutely to an opinion, purpose, or design
b: perversely persistent
2 : stubbornly tenacious
Sound like a swell hero in this first presentation, does he not? I'm not well enough versed in Jack Vance lore to say whether Cugel is a typical hero or not for the author, but he sure makes for a memorable scoundrel. Usually, when we say anti-heroes, we refer to grumpy, cankerous, reluctant fighters who hide a heart of gold and who are ultimately ready to sacrifice themselves for some cause or some friend. Not so with Cugel, who manages to be thoroughly self-absorbed and without any moral scruples. From the opening sequence where he casually tries to rob a powerful wizard only to get caught and sent on the main quest to recover a magical lens, Cugel will thoroughly demolish the myth of the noble Knight Errant by lying through his teeth, cheating at dice and cards, cowardly pushing other people in front when it comes to fighting, bashing innocent people on the head, selling the ladies he meets in bondage, leading a bunch of gullible pilgrims to their death, and on an on. Yet, I have come to enjoy following the rascal around, mostly because his schemes usually go awry and he gets tricked in his turn. Here's just one example of the sneaky sense of humor to be found in these pages (Cugel tries to get a free meal and 'nympharium privileges' from a wizard; the wizard tries to discourage him):
- "I will gladly perform a more comprehensive divination, though the process requires six to eight hours.”
- “So long?” asked Cugel in astonishment,
- “This is the barest minimum. First you are swathed head to foot in the intestines of fresh-killed owls, then immersed in a warm bath containing a number of secret organic substances. I must, of course, char the small toe of your left foot, and dilate your nose sufficiently to admit an explorer beetle, that he may study the conduits leading to and from your sensorium. But let us return to my divinatory, that we may commence the process in good time.”
... Uhmm, Thanks, but no thanks!
The use of language is superb throughout the volume, a little toned down in terms of polychrome / psychedelic landscapes but with a more jocular bent in the dialogue and in the pseudo-scientifical theories:
Since like subsumes like, the variates and intercongeles create a suprapullulation of all areas, qualities and intervals into a crystorrhoid whorl, eventually exciting the ponentiation of a pro-ubietal chute.
(I guess that's a wizard explaining how a summoning spell works, or the operating principle of a washing machine, I can't remember precisely)
Beyond the picaresque adventures, there are deeper meanings for the reader that wants to discover them in the text. The central quest sends Cugel to a village where all the inhabitants live in squalor, but also wear all wear rose-tinted glasses that permit them to look upon the Overworld:
I dimly recall that I inhabit a sty and devour the coarsest of food — but the subjective reality is that I inhabit a glorious palace and dine on splendid viands among the princes and princesses who are my peers. It is explained thus: the demon Underherd looked from the sub-world to this one; we look from this to the Overworld, which is the quintessence of human hope, visionary longing, and beatific dream. We who inhabit this world — how can we think of ourselves as other than splendid lords? This is how we are.”
This ecosystem is not self-supporting, so a second village must exist, where peasants toil for years in the hope oneday they will inherit one of the magical lenses. If you want, you might look upon it as a metaphor of the American Dream : you might live in the gutter, but one day you too could live in the house on the top of the hill, eating posh food and hobnobbing with the jet-set, looking at the world through distoring glasses and seeing only beauty and happiness all around.
Another recurring theme for Vance is religious intolerance and faith as a con game. In the first book, there was an island with two warring sects. Here there's a group of pilgrims discussing their varied points of view around campfires and during a river journey. A hilarious anti-young-earth argument develops:
The so-called Funambulous Evangels, who, refusing to place their feet upon the ground, went about their tasks by tightrope. In a curt voice Lodermulch exposed the fallacies of this particular doctrine. “They reckon the age of the earth at twenty-nine eons, rather than the customary twenty-three. They stipulate that for every square ell of soil two and one quarter million men have died and laid down their dust, thus creating a dank and ubiquitous mantle of lich-mold, upon which it is sacrilege to walk.
True to his character, Cugel is using his silvered tongue to make it look like he is one of the pilgrims, only to offer another opportunity to Vance to showcase his sarcastic sense of humor:
- “And you, Cugel the Clever, for once you are reticent. What is your belief?”
- “It is somewhat inchoate,” Cugel admitted. “I have assimilated a variety of viewpoints, each authoritative in its own right: from the priests at the Temple of Teleologues; from a bewitched bird who plucked messages from a box; from a fasting anchorite who drank a bottle of pink elixir which I offered him in jest. The resulting visions were contradictory but of great profundity. My world-scheme, hence, is syncretic.”
The ending is superb, I can't tell you much about it without spoiling the fun, but it is a typical Cugel messy project, one I believe would make a great Pink Panther or Monty Python skit.
On to the third book.
For one thing, the book is better structured, with a framing story of the hero being sent on a quest and a sequence of related picaresque adventures as Cugel traverses exotic lands and meets monsters, maidens, ghosts, flying men, pygmies, giants, grotesque mutants and magic adepts. Concentrating on a single main character also helps, as there's no need to introduce and establish a new face in every episode.
“What lands lie between us and Almery?”
“They are wide and dangerous and peopled by gids, erbs, and deodands, as well as leucomorphs, ghouls and grues. Otherwise I am ignorant. If we survive the journey, it will be a miracle indeed.”
For a second thing, the presentation is less melancholic and resigned to a doomed future. Cugel is a lot more pro-active about saving his skin and getting ahead in the rat race. The book is a lot funnier that I expected, often in a subtle, sarcastic way, as the self-annointed 'Clever' scoundrel gets tricked time and time again. I would make a last observation on general approach: it seems that once the worldbuilding was established with the first collection, the author felt less need to include the science-fiction elements (flying cars, underground data centers, nanotechnology, cloning tanks. etc) and the new saga is almost pure sword & sorcery fun.
Cugel was a man of many capabilities, with a disposition at once flexible and pertinacious. He was long of leg, deft of hand, light of finger, soft of tongue. His hair was the blackest of black fur, growing low down his forehead, coving sharply back above his eyebrows. His darting eye, long inquisitive nose and droll mouth gave his somewhat lean and bony face an expression of vivacity, candor, and affability. He had known many vicissitudes, gaining therefrom a suppleness, a fine discretion, a mastery of both bravado and stealth.
Word of the day, kids: Pertinacious :
1 a: adhering resolutely to an opinion, purpose, or design
b: perversely persistent
2 : stubbornly tenacious
Sound like a swell hero in this first presentation, does he not? I'm not well enough versed in Jack Vance lore to say whether Cugel is a typical hero or not for the author, but he sure makes for a memorable scoundrel. Usually, when we say anti-heroes, we refer to grumpy, cankerous, reluctant fighters who hide a heart of gold and who are ultimately ready to sacrifice themselves for some cause or some friend. Not so with Cugel, who manages to be thoroughly self-absorbed and without any moral scruples. From the opening sequence where he casually tries to rob a powerful wizard only to get caught and sent on the main quest to recover a magical lens, Cugel will thoroughly demolish the myth of the noble Knight Errant by lying through his teeth, cheating at dice and cards, cowardly pushing other people in front when it comes to fighting, bashing innocent people on the head, selling the ladies he meets in bondage, leading a bunch of gullible pilgrims to their death, and on an on. Yet, I have come to enjoy following the rascal around, mostly because his schemes usually go awry and he gets tricked in his turn. Here's just one example of the sneaky sense of humor to be found in these pages (Cugel tries to get a free meal and 'nympharium privileges' from a wizard; the wizard tries to discourage him):
- "I will gladly perform a more comprehensive divination, though the process requires six to eight hours.”
- “So long?” asked Cugel in astonishment,
- “This is the barest minimum. First you are swathed head to foot in the intestines of fresh-killed owls, then immersed in a warm bath containing a number of secret organic substances. I must, of course, char the small toe of your left foot, and dilate your nose sufficiently to admit an explorer beetle, that he may study the conduits leading to and from your sensorium. But let us return to my divinatory, that we may commence the process in good time.”
... Uhmm, Thanks, but no thanks!
The use of language is superb throughout the volume, a little toned down in terms of polychrome / psychedelic landscapes but with a more jocular bent in the dialogue and in the pseudo-scientifical theories:
Since like subsumes like, the variates and intercongeles create a suprapullulation of all areas, qualities and intervals into a crystorrhoid whorl, eventually exciting the ponentiation of a pro-ubietal chute.
(I guess that's a wizard explaining how a summoning spell works, or the operating principle of a washing machine, I can't remember precisely)
Beyond the picaresque adventures, there are deeper meanings for the reader that wants to discover them in the text. The central quest sends Cugel to a village where all the inhabitants live in squalor, but also wear all wear rose-tinted glasses that permit them to look upon the Overworld:
I dimly recall that I inhabit a sty and devour the coarsest of food — but the subjective reality is that I inhabit a glorious palace and dine on splendid viands among the princes and princesses who are my peers. It is explained thus: the demon Underherd looked from the sub-world to this one; we look from this to the Overworld, which is the quintessence of human hope, visionary longing, and beatific dream. We who inhabit this world — how can we think of ourselves as other than splendid lords? This is how we are.”
This ecosystem is not self-supporting, so a second village must exist, where peasants toil for years in the hope oneday they will inherit one of the magical lenses. If you want, you might look upon it as a metaphor of the American Dream : you might live in the gutter, but one day you too could live in the house on the top of the hill, eating posh food and hobnobbing with the jet-set, looking at the world through distoring glasses and seeing only beauty and happiness all around.
Another recurring theme for Vance is religious intolerance and faith as a con game. In the first book, there was an island with two warring sects. Here there's a group of pilgrims discussing their varied points of view around campfires and during a river journey. A hilarious anti-young-earth argument develops:
The so-called Funambulous Evangels, who, refusing to place their feet upon the ground, went about their tasks by tightrope. In a curt voice Lodermulch exposed the fallacies of this particular doctrine. “They reckon the age of the earth at twenty-nine eons, rather than the customary twenty-three. They stipulate that for every square ell of soil two and one quarter million men have died and laid down their dust, thus creating a dank and ubiquitous mantle of lich-mold, upon which it is sacrilege to walk.
True to his character, Cugel is using his silvered tongue to make it look like he is one of the pilgrims, only to offer another opportunity to Vance to showcase his sarcastic sense of humor:
- “And you, Cugel the Clever, for once you are reticent. What is your belief?”
- “It is somewhat inchoate,” Cugel admitted. “I have assimilated a variety of viewpoints, each authoritative in its own right: from the priests at the Temple of Teleologues; from a bewitched bird who plucked messages from a box; from a fasting anchorite who drank a bottle of pink elixir which I offered him in jest. The resulting visions were contradictory but of great profundity. My world-scheme, hence, is syncretic.”
The ending is superb, I can't tell you much about it without spoiling the fun, but it is a typical Cugel messy project, one I believe would make a great Pink Panther or Monty Python skit.
On to the third book.
December 9, 2018
Oddly enough, I think I enjoyed this second book of Vance's Dying Earth much better than the first. It's not only smoother but it also tickles most of my funny bones.
Cugel is one hell of a damned rogue! Very flexible of morals, quick of wit, and easily a loveable/hateable anti-hero. In most respects, I felt like I was reading a high-fantasy version of Gulliver's Travels, always skirting the edge of high satire and always roving knee-deep in extremely lucky circumstance, tragic reversals, and yet more inexplicable adventure.
The man is charmed and cursed in a very enjoyable fashion.
Best of all, Vance never dumbs down his text. I was very amused to find some awesome language and a highbrow vocabulary inserted so deftly. I'm not used to ANY modern fantasy being allowed a free hand with words.
Fortunately, this came out in 1966 by a firmly established master of the craft with little interest in catering to the lowest common denominator. :) Go, Vance! :)
Cugel is one hell of a damned rogue! Very flexible of morals, quick of wit, and easily a loveable/hateable anti-hero. In most respects, I felt like I was reading a high-fantasy version of Gulliver's Travels, always skirting the edge of high satire and always roving knee-deep in extremely lucky circumstance, tragic reversals, and yet more inexplicable adventure.
The man is charmed and cursed in a very enjoyable fashion.
Best of all, Vance never dumbs down his text. I was very amused to find some awesome language and a highbrow vocabulary inserted so deftly. I'm not used to ANY modern fantasy being allowed a free hand with words.
Fortunately, this came out in 1966 by a firmly established master of the craft with little interest in catering to the lowest common denominator. :) Go, Vance! :)
October 22, 2016
Whereas Vance's previous volume in the The Dying Earth series was composed of several short stories, each featuring a different character, The Eyes of the Overworld focuses on one character, Cugel the Clever. Though the book is episodic in nature (each story was published separately over the course of a couple of years before being compiled in this volume), the character is consistent. And while the characters in The Dying Earth were capably presented in their individual stories, Cugel the Clever is featured in every story in this volume.
And rightfully so! The character that Vance has created here deserves, nay, needs a more lengthy format to shine. Vance is able to extrude the subtleties (if they can be called that) of his main character with this form because Cugel is, if not clever, complex. Well, he is clever from time to time or, more appropriately, cunning, but there are several times when he fancies himself much more clever than he actually is. Still, he is no clown. This presents a wonderful Wodehousian dynamic to the whole book. In a nutshell, it is rather funny throughout. The section that I will call "The Lodermulch Ruse" had me laughing aloud, and demonstrated one instance in which Cugel's ability to improvise proved brilliant. Still, his mis-steps make me think that Sergio Aragones must have read this work before penning his comic Groo The Wanderer. If anything, the title "clever" should have been reserved for Vance, not Cugel, though Vance's use of the title for Cugel shows some genius.
Cugel, caught in the act of thievery from the powerful magician Iocounu, The Laughing Magician, is forced on a quest for items of interest to Iocounu. To ensure cooperation, a small demonic, alien being named Firx is affixed to Cugel's liver. Firx, a'la the bomb implant in Snake Plissken in the movie Escape from New York, keeps Cugel "on task" by torturing his liver whenever he became distracted. This enforced quest is a sort of Grand Tour of the Dying Earth, introducing the reader to several strange peoples and customs. I was about to say "magic," as well, but in this setting, the line between magic, as thought of in most fantasy settings, and technological artifacts, as one would find in a science fictional setting, is blurred and sometimes altogether erased. There is a sense of deep time here. Not just of ancient magics, but of even more ancient technology whose creators are forever lost in the dull light of the giant red sun that once glowed bright yellow when these artifacts were first conceived.
Vance continues in the wonderful writing voice from his first volume in the series. Not too baroque or flamboyant (as, I admit, my own work can sometimes be), but with enough flair to keep one enthralled and engaged. The more I read Vance's style, the more I like it. It strikes a great balance: not too presumptuous, but not treating the reader like an idiot.
He's saved the idiocy for Cugel, and the world, whether out own or that of the Dying Earth, is better for it!
And rightfully so! The character that Vance has created here deserves, nay, needs a more lengthy format to shine. Vance is able to extrude the subtleties (if they can be called that) of his main character with this form because Cugel is, if not clever, complex. Well, he is clever from time to time or, more appropriately, cunning, but there are several times when he fancies himself much more clever than he actually is. Still, he is no clown. This presents a wonderful Wodehousian dynamic to the whole book. In a nutshell, it is rather funny throughout. The section that I will call "The Lodermulch Ruse" had me laughing aloud, and demonstrated one instance in which Cugel's ability to improvise proved brilliant. Still, his mis-steps make me think that Sergio Aragones must have read this work before penning his comic Groo The Wanderer. If anything, the title "clever" should have been reserved for Vance, not Cugel, though Vance's use of the title for Cugel shows some genius.
Cugel, caught in the act of thievery from the powerful magician Iocounu, The Laughing Magician, is forced on a quest for items of interest to Iocounu. To ensure cooperation, a small demonic, alien being named Firx is affixed to Cugel's liver. Firx, a'la the bomb implant in Snake Plissken in the movie Escape from New York, keeps Cugel "on task" by torturing his liver whenever he became distracted. This enforced quest is a sort of Grand Tour of the Dying Earth, introducing the reader to several strange peoples and customs. I was about to say "magic," as well, but in this setting, the line between magic, as thought of in most fantasy settings, and technological artifacts, as one would find in a science fictional setting, is blurred and sometimes altogether erased. There is a sense of deep time here. Not just of ancient magics, but of even more ancient technology whose creators are forever lost in the dull light of the giant red sun that once glowed bright yellow when these artifacts were first conceived.
Vance continues in the wonderful writing voice from his first volume in the series. Not too baroque or flamboyant (as, I admit, my own work can sometimes be), but with enough flair to keep one enthralled and engaged. The more I read Vance's style, the more I like it. It strikes a great balance: not too presumptuous, but not treating the reader like an idiot.
He's saved the idiocy for Cugel, and the world, whether out own or that of the Dying Earth, is better for it!
August 13, 2010
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.
I’ve already said, numerous times, how much I love Jack Vance, so I’ll skip all that this time. You can read other reviews on this page if you missed that.
The Eyes of the Overworld is the second part of Tales of the Dying Earth and the main character is one of my favorite Vance characters: the self-titled Cugel the Clever. Cugel is not the kind of guy you want to have dealings with — he’s clever, sneaky, completely selfish and remorseless. He is always trying to figure out how he can take advantage of other people in order to make his own circumstances better.
In The Eyes of the Overworld, Cugel decides to burglarize the house of Iucounu the Laughing Magician so he can sell some of Iucounu’s thaumaturgical artifacts. But the magician catches Cugel and punishes him by setting him on a quest to procure a lens which allows the wearer to view the overworld.
Cugel is clever, but as clever as he is, he often finds himself facing a foe who, at least temporarily, manages to outwit him (which invariably surprises Cugel). This time his quest leads him on a series of misadventures in which he: gets captured by rat people… is forced to be the watchman of a village… steals more than one person’s inheritance… deals with demons… trades a woman for information… impersonates a god… and travels a million years into the past. Wherever he goes, Cugel, sometimes purposely and sometimes unwittingly, leaves sorrow and destruction in his wake. He deprives people of their hope, their faith and, often, their lives.
This doesn’t sound like it should be very entertaining, but oh, it is! That’s because the story is written in Jack Vance’s singular style: high language, bizarre occurrences, and Vance’s characteristic humor. I hate to say it again, but the best comparison I can make is to Monty Python. If you’re a fan of that type of strange dark humor, then this should be your thing.
I listened to The Eyes of the Overworld in audio format. I can’t express how excited I was to learn that Brilliance Audio was producing these, and I’m pleased to report that they did an excellent job. Arthur Morey once again brought out all of the nuances of Vance’s humor and he made a perfect Cugel. In fact, The Eyes of the Overworld was even better than The Dying Earth, probably because it follows the same main character rather than being divided up into separate short stories. I loved it.
I’ve already said, numerous times, how much I love Jack Vance, so I’ll skip all that this time. You can read other reviews on this page if you missed that.
The Eyes of the Overworld is the second part of Tales of the Dying Earth and the main character is one of my favorite Vance characters: the self-titled Cugel the Clever. Cugel is not the kind of guy you want to have dealings with — he’s clever, sneaky, completely selfish and remorseless. He is always trying to figure out how he can take advantage of other people in order to make his own circumstances better.
In The Eyes of the Overworld, Cugel decides to burglarize the house of Iucounu the Laughing Magician so he can sell some of Iucounu’s thaumaturgical artifacts. But the magician catches Cugel and punishes him by setting him on a quest to procure a lens which allows the wearer to view the overworld.
Cugel is clever, but as clever as he is, he often finds himself facing a foe who, at least temporarily, manages to outwit him (which invariably surprises Cugel). This time his quest leads him on a series of misadventures in which he: gets captured by rat people… is forced to be the watchman of a village… steals more than one person’s inheritance… deals with demons… trades a woman for information… impersonates a god… and travels a million years into the past. Wherever he goes, Cugel, sometimes purposely and sometimes unwittingly, leaves sorrow and destruction in his wake. He deprives people of their hope, their faith and, often, their lives.
This doesn’t sound like it should be very entertaining, but oh, it is! That’s because the story is written in Jack Vance’s singular style: high language, bizarre occurrences, and Vance’s characteristic humor. I hate to say it again, but the best comparison I can make is to Monty Python. If you’re a fan of that type of strange dark humor, then this should be your thing.
I listened to The Eyes of the Overworld in audio format. I can’t express how excited I was to learn that Brilliance Audio was producing these, and I’m pleased to report that they did an excellent job. Arthur Morey once again brought out all of the nuances of Vance’s humor and he made a perfect Cugel. In fact, The Eyes of the Overworld was even better than The Dying Earth, probably because it follows the same main character rather than being divided up into separate short stories. I loved it.
October 8, 2009
5.0 stars. Jack Vance deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke and Robery Heinlein. He is a master story teller and, unlike the aforementioned authors, Vance's books do not seem dated and can be read today with the same sense of wonder as when they were first written. The Dying Earth books are special, timeless classics that should be read and enjoyed by all fans of Science fiction. Superb world-building, amazing characters, like Cugel the Clever, and top notch writing make these books as good as it gets. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
August 13, 2011
The Eyes of the Overworld is the second novel in Jack Vance's Tales of the Dying Earth. I think I liked this installment even better than the first (which I loved). The story is about the adventures and misadventures of a Cugel the "clever," who is a pretty thorough rogue. I suppose he is clever at times, but he can also be stupid. Fortunately for Cugel, he does have some luck (good and bad -- though the bad is of the non-killing sort). I know this is Fantasy, but if you like the historical fiction character Flashman, you may also like Cugel. Just imagine Flashman in Alice's Wonderland.
The first story in the Dying Earth sequence (also titled The Dying Earth), introduced the reader to a strange world that is a dangerous mix of science and magic. (In many ways I was reminded of The Wizard of Oz.) That "novel" is really a collection of short stories -- all taking place in the same world, a world increasingly haunted by shadows as the sun burns itself out. The fact that the world is dying doesn't stop or alter the weirdness in any way. In other words, humans will be humans no matter the circumstances. The fact that the world may be ending is always on the back burner, and never of immediate concern. In Eyes of the Overworld, the story more resembles a novel, though the book is also a collection of stories. However this time the book centers around one character, Cugel (a thief), and his attempt to get back to his home after being sent away to perform a task by a vengeful wizard.
What follows is a series of adventures that are quite funny, and often horrific. Cugel will lie, betray, rape, and kill, though usually the people he's doing these terrible things to are not much better. It's an amazing world filled with wizards, vampires, were-things, rat people with ears on top of their heads, a long sleeping giant, a walking boat with detachable legs (that will chase you), etc. As a piece of imaginative writing, you would be hard pressed to find something more original. Enhancing all of this is Vance's appropriately baroque language that will have you, at least for a while, scrambling for a dictionary. (After a while, I just gave up and decided to go along for the ride and quit worrying about the verbal speed bumps.) In the end, as bad as Cugel can be, I found myself rooting for him. Excellent!
Cover Art: 4 1/2 stars.
The first story in the Dying Earth sequence (also titled The Dying Earth), introduced the reader to a strange world that is a dangerous mix of science and magic. (In many ways I was reminded of The Wizard of Oz.) That "novel" is really a collection of short stories -- all taking place in the same world, a world increasingly haunted by shadows as the sun burns itself out. The fact that the world is dying doesn't stop or alter the weirdness in any way. In other words, humans will be humans no matter the circumstances. The fact that the world may be ending is always on the back burner, and never of immediate concern. In Eyes of the Overworld, the story more resembles a novel, though the book is also a collection of stories. However this time the book centers around one character, Cugel (a thief), and his attempt to get back to his home after being sent away to perform a task by a vengeful wizard.
What follows is a series of adventures that are quite funny, and often horrific. Cugel will lie, betray, rape, and kill, though usually the people he's doing these terrible things to are not much better. It's an amazing world filled with wizards, vampires, were-things, rat people with ears on top of their heads, a long sleeping giant, a walking boat with detachable legs (that will chase you), etc. As a piece of imaginative writing, you would be hard pressed to find something more original. Enhancing all of this is Vance's appropriately baroque language that will have you, at least for a while, scrambling for a dictionary. (After a while, I just gave up and decided to go along for the ride and quit worrying about the verbal speed bumps.) In the end, as bad as Cugel can be, I found myself rooting for him. Excellent!
Cover Art: 4 1/2 stars.
March 31, 2023
This book taught me the meaning of the word "picaresque".
adjective pi·ca·resque \ˌpi-kə-ˈresk, ˌpē-\
: telling a story about the adventures of a usually playful and dishonest character
Cugel the Clever (who sometimes seems like he should be called Cugel the "Clever") allows himself to be persuaded to visit the manse of Iocounu the Laughing Magician while Iocounu is otherwise occupied. Needless to say, it doesn't end well, and Cugel finds himself on a rocky northern shore facing the prospect of a long, long journey south.
It's a very episodic book.
picaresque (ˌpɪkəˈrɛsk)
adj
1. (Literary & Literary Critical Terms) of or relating to a type of fiction in which the hero, a rogue, goes through a series of episodic adventures. It originated in Spain in the 16th century
It was originally serialized in SF magazines (remember those?) back in the 1960s; each longish chapter has Cugel, having barely escaped from some (often self-inflicted) peril, finding a new way to get himself into yet more trouble.
The tone is very, very different from that of Mazirian the Magician: -- that book had a faintly mournful tone to it; Cugel the Clever is often out-and-out ridiculous, which is a major part of its charm -- to read Jack Vance's clever and often elliptical descriptions and circumlocution-laden dialogue.
Warning: Cugel is actually kind of a terrible person and occasionally does some Not Very Nice Things, either out of expediency or from simple pique.
adjective pi·ca·resque \ˌpi-kə-ˈresk, ˌpē-\
: telling a story about the adventures of a usually playful and dishonest character
Cugel the Clever (who sometimes seems like he should be called Cugel the "Clever") allows himself to be persuaded to visit the manse of Iocounu the Laughing Magician while Iocounu is otherwise occupied. Needless to say, it doesn't end well, and Cugel finds himself on a rocky northern shore facing the prospect of a long, long journey south.
It's a very episodic book.
picaresque (ˌpɪkəˈrɛsk)
adj
1. (Literary & Literary Critical Terms) of or relating to a type of fiction in which the hero, a rogue, goes through a series of episodic adventures. It originated in Spain in the 16th century
It was originally serialized in SF magazines (remember those?) back in the 1960s; each longish chapter has Cugel, having barely escaped from some (often self-inflicted) peril, finding a new way to get himself into yet more trouble.
The tone is very, very different from that of Mazirian the Magician: -- that book had a faintly mournful tone to it; Cugel the Clever is often out-and-out ridiculous, which is a major part of its charm -- to read Jack Vance's clever and often elliptical descriptions and circumlocution-laden dialogue.
Warning: Cugel is actually kind of a terrible person and occasionally does some Not Very Nice Things, either out of expediency or from simple pique.
August 6, 2025
Vance is amazing. After more than 25 years, he returns to the Dying Earth with The Eyes of the Overworld. Like The Dying Earth, this too began as a series of short stories in the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and hence is a 'fixup' novel, but unlike the latter, these focus upon the trials and tribulations of one character: Cugel the Clever. Cugal is the consummate anti-hero, a cad, a scoundrel of first degree, a self-centered ruffian entranced by his own feelings of self-worth and ego. For better or worse, he lives in a world populated with many such characters-- talk about a dog-eat-dog world!
The Eyes of the Overworld begins with Cugel not having a very good day selling his worthless trinkets at a fair. One of his competitors (and one doing great business!), suggest to Cugel that shortly he will keep the magician Incounu the Laughing Magician busy for a few hours haggling, so now might be a good time to visit his manse and basically steal some of his treasures. Well, Cugel takes the bait but alas, falls into a trap and is caught. Incounu decides to send Cugel to a far off land to 'obtain' a magic cusp affording a view into the Overworld. To keep him 'honest', the magician inserts an alien lifeform into his body that causes him pain when Cugel deviates from the mission.
Each chapter (e.g., short story) chronicles Cugel's adventures in first obtaining the cusp and his long journey back. Definitely a quest story, but the adventure is not the quest per se, but the journey back, where Cugel encounters a wide range of strange beings, peoples and mysteries. True to his scandalous nature, Cugel always tries to take advantage of the people/beings he meets, and always seems to be outmaneuvered by other clever folks. Vance is on full snark mode here with witty dialogue, but the world building really takes the cake. This often had me laughing out loud. Is this a spoof? Not really; more like a satire of the human condition when one's egoism takes place of compassion and morality. 4.5 droll stars, happily rounding up!!
The Eyes of the Overworld begins with Cugel not having a very good day selling his worthless trinkets at a fair. One of his competitors (and one doing great business!), suggest to Cugel that shortly he will keep the magician Incounu the Laughing Magician busy for a few hours haggling, so now might be a good time to visit his manse and basically steal some of his treasures. Well, Cugel takes the bait but alas, falls into a trap and is caught. Incounu decides to send Cugel to a far off land to 'obtain' a magic cusp affording a view into the Overworld. To keep him 'honest', the magician inserts an alien lifeform into his body that causes him pain when Cugel deviates from the mission.
Each chapter (e.g., short story) chronicles Cugel's adventures in first obtaining the cusp and his long journey back. Definitely a quest story, but the adventure is not the quest per se, but the journey back, where Cugel encounters a wide range of strange beings, peoples and mysteries. True to his scandalous nature, Cugel always tries to take advantage of the people/beings he meets, and always seems to be outmaneuvered by other clever folks. Vance is on full snark mode here with witty dialogue, but the world building really takes the cake. This often had me laughing out loud. Is this a spoof? Not really; more like a satire of the human condition when one's egoism takes place of compassion and morality. 4.5 droll stars, happily rounding up!!
April 15, 2018
Vance's writing style is more refined in the second volume in the Dying Earth series (this story can be read without reading the first volume) which makes for a smoother and more interesting read. Vance packs in a number of interesting locations and ideas along with his usual assortment of chaotic-evil characters whose back-stabbing antics are a never-ending source of amusement. The Vancian magic system was an inspiration to Dungeons & Dragons and the fantasy genre in general.
August 6, 2016
The Eyes of the Overworld is a great book, but I'm going to take a contrarian stance and say that I actually preferred The Dying Earth. Yes, I can admit that I wasn't totally smitten by the amoral, not-so-clever misadventures of Cugel the Clever after he crosses Iucounu the Laughing Magician. Yes, this book contained all the same sly, tongue-in-cheek humor, the strong imagery of a decaying and run-down world, and the wonderfully-stilted high language used by all the humans and other creatures of this autumnal far-future world.
Basically, Cugel is not a charming scoundrel with panache like James Bond or Arsene Lupin III. Instead, he basically is just morally bankrupt and self-serving with a thin veneer of suave talk. He doesn't hesitate to betray companions at the first opportunity, and has loyalty to no one. I think Jack Vance's take on the anti-hero is quite fresh, I find it hard to be sympathetic to Cugel, but on further reflection I think that it is his inept selfishness and repeated failures to achieve his goals that has endeared him to a lot of readers, an unwitting Inspector Clouseau in an epic fantasy setting.
What I liked most about The Dying Earth was the amazingly rich imagery, strange characters, and self-contained storylines that the prevented it from being just a long string of episodes for the main character to extricate himself from. The sense of melancholy and sheer fatigue of an unimaginably-old Earth was somewhat lacking in The Eyes of the Overworld. Cugel's adventures are still miles above your average sword-and-sorcery tale, but fail to reach the sublime heights of The Dying Earth.
Basically, Cugel is not a charming scoundrel with panache like James Bond or Arsene Lupin III. Instead, he basically is just morally bankrupt and self-serving with a thin veneer of suave talk. He doesn't hesitate to betray companions at the first opportunity, and has loyalty to no one. I think Jack Vance's take on the anti-hero is quite fresh, I find it hard to be sympathetic to Cugel, but on further reflection I think that it is his inept selfishness and repeated failures to achieve his goals that has endeared him to a lot of readers, an unwitting Inspector Clouseau in an epic fantasy setting.
What I liked most about The Dying Earth was the amazingly rich imagery, strange characters, and self-contained storylines that the prevented it from being just a long string of episodes for the main character to extricate himself from. The sense of melancholy and sheer fatigue of an unimaginably-old Earth was somewhat lacking in The Eyes of the Overworld. Cugel's adventures are still miles above your average sword-and-sorcery tale, but fail to reach the sublime heights of The Dying Earth.
February 23, 2012
I am officially in love with Jack Vance's writing and now I want to add Cugel the Clever among my list of favorite characters. Book 2 of the Dying Earth series follows Cugel as he lies, cheats and steals his way across the Dying Earth in order to find a rare artifact for conniving wizard. Vance's prose is so much fun to read and he has a real talent for writing. I can't believe it took me so long to find him.
February 25, 2023
Cugel the "clever" antihero, an inveterate liar, thief, scoundrel and rogue, is caught while stealing from the laughing wizard and sentenced to a book-long quest to recover a magical item. Along the way, he discovers more creative items and spells and frequently cheats his temporary companion.
Anti-hero aside, there is humor and a great deal of creativity as Vance describes many different areas of his world. Time travel makes an appearance as well! I enjoyed the situations and stories and Vance did as well, coming back to a sequel many years later.
This book consists of stories published in 1965 and 66, collected in one volume - but with a single thread running through them (Cugel), unlike the first volume The Dying Earth. While this book was published in 1966, the original was from 1950 - quite a gap! Especially relevant to the D&D magic system is the last story, where Cugel tries to learn spells but has problems miscasting them...
Anti-hero aside, there is humor and a great deal of creativity as Vance describes many different areas of his world. Time travel makes an appearance as well! I enjoyed the situations and stories and Vance did as well, coming back to a sequel many years later.
This book consists of stories published in 1965 and 66, collected in one volume - but with a single thread running through them (Cugel), unlike the first volume The Dying Earth. While this book was published in 1966, the original was from 1950 - quite a gap! Especially relevant to the D&D magic system is the last story, where Cugel tries to learn spells but has problems miscasting them...
April 12, 2014
An absolute masterpiece of literature. Every word is sublimely exquisite, and reading this book is a sheer pleasure for those who appreciate language. Deft turns of phrase, arcane vocabulary, and humorous (yet adultly gruesome) situations abound in this classic. A simply magnificent and wondrous book - definitely one that should not be missed.
Do NOT delay - get this book and immerse yourself into the most sumptuous writings you'll encounter. But don't read this book when your mind is cluttered - you'll miss so much if you attend to this book with anything less than your full attention.
Definitely a strong contender for my FAVORITE book ever... 5 stars are insufficient and a surfeit of multiples of stars should instead be available!
Do NOT delay - get this book and immerse yourself into the most sumptuous writings you'll encounter. But don't read this book when your mind is cluttered - you'll miss so much if you attend to this book with anything less than your full attention.
Definitely a strong contender for my FAVORITE book ever... 5 stars are insufficient and a surfeit of multiples of stars should instead be available!
July 9, 2014
-Mucho más picaresca que la primera parte.-
Género. Ciencia-Ficción.
Lo que nos cuenta. El mercader Fianosther convence a Cugel el Astuto, un ladrón que valora mucho sus propias habilidades personales y técnicas, para que robe en casa de Iucounu el Mago Reidor. Cuando el mago sorprende al ladrón en la faena, a Cugel no le quedará otro remedio que servir a Iucounu buscando unas lentillas violetas de legendario poder, pero para asegurarse la colaboración del ladrón, Iucounu fija al hígado de Cugel una criatura espinosa llamada Firx que le recordará su misión cuando haga falta. Segundo libro de la saga de la Tierra Moribunda.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://www.librosdeolethros.blogspot....
Género. Ciencia-Ficción.
Lo que nos cuenta. El mercader Fianosther convence a Cugel el Astuto, un ladrón que valora mucho sus propias habilidades personales y técnicas, para que robe en casa de Iucounu el Mago Reidor. Cuando el mago sorprende al ladrón en la faena, a Cugel no le quedará otro remedio que servir a Iucounu buscando unas lentillas violetas de legendario poder, pero para asegurarse la colaboración del ladrón, Iucounu fija al hígado de Cugel una criatura espinosa llamada Firx que le recordará su misión cuando haga falta. Segundo libro de la saga de la Tierra Moribunda.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://www.librosdeolethros.blogspot....
October 16, 2018
Cugel the Clever, what a giant A-hole. He is likely to be one of the most despicable characters I have ever read about, selfish, often cowardly, and incapable of remorse or empathy, nothing seems to be below him, burglary, perjury, murder, you name it. His one decent act in the entire book was in reality motivated by spite, if it was; maybe he simply saw profit in it.
I wonder what his alignment would be in a D&D game… I guess it would be chaotic neutral, at least from his own point of view. It is not that Cugel relishes in his own evil (he doesn’t), nor that he simply does not care (he really does not), the thing is that in truth I do not think Cugel is even aware enough to be able understand the nature of his acts. He will just plow ahead, doing whatever he thinks will help him achieve his own ends. He doesn’t even think of his acts as particularly evil, he just sees them as basically “the only sensible option”.
Cugel is always trying to profit over others, to take advantage of other people no matter their circumstances or dispositions. Say one thing for Cugel, say he is a practical man, and he is very very clever, but often his cleverness and his greed will get the best of him, for Cugel thinks he is cleverer than he really is, and that is how these tales begin and end.
Despite all that, the World Jack Vance created is so compelling, imbued with such a solemn, eschatological beauty; and Cugel himself is so well written, and so unaware of his own faults that in these last days of Earth we can’t help but, despite ourselves, live vicariously through him.
Can’t wait to read the next.
I wonder what his alignment would be in a D&D game… I guess it would be chaotic neutral, at least from his own point of view. It is not that Cugel relishes in his own evil (he doesn’t), nor that he simply does not care (he really does not), the thing is that in truth I do not think Cugel is even aware enough to be able understand the nature of his acts. He will just plow ahead, doing whatever he thinks will help him achieve his own ends. He doesn’t even think of his acts as particularly evil, he just sees them as basically “the only sensible option”.
Cugel is always trying to profit over others, to take advantage of other people no matter their circumstances or dispositions. Say one thing for Cugel, say he is a practical man, and he is very very clever, but often his cleverness and his greed will get the best of him, for Cugel thinks he is cleverer than he really is, and that is how these tales begin and end.
Despite all that, the World Jack Vance created is so compelling, imbued with such a solemn, eschatological beauty; and Cugel himself is so well written, and so unaware of his own faults that in these last days of Earth we can’t help but, despite ourselves, live vicariously through him.
Can’t wait to read the next.
February 5, 2017
Vance enjoys forcing a dollar word into a nickel slot. While one can usually puzzle it out, putting your vocabulary processor into overdrive produces a Lorax-like swept-away-by-the-pants effect. Combine this with radical jumps across space and time, and you have the recipe for something better read than listened to.
The audiobook's sound is poor, while the reader is below average. This makes a plethora of creatures sound similar. The reader's Cugel Voice is harder for him to manage than his critter voice, so it always sounds gruff. Cugel isn't sympathetic by nature, so no delicacy can be found here, and events are forced into a tired wilting. No emphasis is made for important events and characters, so they are overwhelmed by minutia, and cause backtracking. If this was a painting, everything would look swirled together into a tan baby food fart color, indistinguishable from the rest. Perhaps the printed book would be worthy of four stars. Couldn't wait for this painful listening to end.
The audiobook's sound is poor, while the reader is below average. This makes a plethora of creatures sound similar. The reader's Cugel Voice is harder for him to manage than his critter voice, so it always sounds gruff. Cugel isn't sympathetic by nature, so no delicacy can be found here, and events are forced into a tired wilting. No emphasis is made for important events and characters, so they are overwhelmed by minutia, and cause backtracking. If this was a painting, everything would look swirled together into a tan baby food fart color, indistinguishable from the rest. Perhaps the printed book would be worthy of four stars. Couldn't wait for this painful listening to end.
January 4, 2019
A wild, brutal ride through the wondrous palaces and dark forest of imaginative fantasy. Follows a despicable protagonist through a series of unlikely misadventures, and it is more cohesive and engaging than the series' first volume.
August 17, 2019
Cugel the Clever is the original Dirty Rotten Scoundrel!
September 1, 2019
The second volume of Dying Earth mostly pulls off the good bits of the first, with the wondrous and grim landscape of a planet breathing its last, great narrative style and prose, and plotlines where shit often gets all too real. Where it stumbles, where the last one did not, is the characters.
The main hero Cugel is an asshole. Slimy, self-centered, vindictive, easily angered, and unrepentant sociopath. He never learns a thing and usually gets away with whatever he does, with far less injury and peril than many others his mischief usually get killed. It's virtually impossible to relate to him, and difficult to follow his adventures with any sense of tension or thrill. This would be fine in a world filled with similarly repugnant folk - indeed the first book pulled this off in several of its tales - but many of his victims actually come across as relatively innocent and nice, the sort I at least wouldn't want to see hurt nearly as badly and for as petty reasons as they ended up.
Also, he has a terrible fashion sense. What's up with that hat?
If he'd been remotely more decent person capable of some introspection, or perhaps a complete dunce that hurts people by accident, it could've come across as a more heroic tale or some black comedy. As it stands, however, I just didn't enjoy it a whole lot even in spite of the story's many other upsides. Maybe you don't mind so much and you'll be able to see all the bizarre landscapes and creatures, in which case feel free to add a star or even two and give it a read yourself.
The main hero Cugel is an asshole. Slimy, self-centered, vindictive, easily angered, and unrepentant sociopath. He never learns a thing and usually gets away with whatever he does, with far less injury and peril than many others his mischief usually get killed. It's virtually impossible to relate to him, and difficult to follow his adventures with any sense of tension or thrill. This would be fine in a world filled with similarly repugnant folk - indeed the first book pulled this off in several of its tales - but many of his victims actually come across as relatively innocent and nice, the sort I at least wouldn't want to see hurt nearly as badly and for as petty reasons as they ended up.
Also, he has a terrible fashion sense. What's up with that hat?
If he'd been remotely more decent person capable of some introspection, or perhaps a complete dunce that hurts people by accident, it could've come across as a more heroic tale or some black comedy. As it stands, however, I just didn't enjoy it a whole lot even in spite of the story's many other upsides. Maybe you don't mind so much and you'll be able to see all the bizarre landscapes and creatures, in which case feel free to add a star or even two and give it a read yourself.
December 20, 2011
And so, continuing on with the "Dying Earth" series, this time following in the footsteps of Cugel (the "clever"), a conniving and amoral rogue as he attempts to fulfil a quest he is unwillingly enrolled on by a wizard.
Cugel is an interesting character, an anti-hero and unusual protagonist for a fantasy novel. He is not especially well endowed with any particular skills or abilities (he's not even particularly clever). He is opportunistic and cowardly, quite willing to sacrifice his friends and acquaintances in order to protect his own skin, puffed up with his own sense of worth and just generally not a very nice fellow. Then again, he's not excessively cruel, sadistic or malicious. He only does what he needs to do but he won't let any scruples get in his way.
Throughout the story, one feels alternately unsympathetic one minute and then quietly hoping for him to succeed the next. Sometimes one feels that he gets dealt an impossibly harsh hand in life but at other times it seems that it is his own stupidity or greed that got him into a sticky situation.
Pervading the narrative was Vance's distinctive style and humour but again, as I did with the previous volume, felt that his prose style matured and improved somewhat later on in his career. But all in all a good and enjoyable read marred only by sometimes finding the prose style not as engaging as I would have liked (and I know Vance often capable of).
Cugel is an interesting character, an anti-hero and unusual protagonist for a fantasy novel. He is not especially well endowed with any particular skills or abilities (he's not even particularly clever). He is opportunistic and cowardly, quite willing to sacrifice his friends and acquaintances in order to protect his own skin, puffed up with his own sense of worth and just generally not a very nice fellow. Then again, he's not excessively cruel, sadistic or malicious. He only does what he needs to do but he won't let any scruples get in his way.
Throughout the story, one feels alternately unsympathetic one minute and then quietly hoping for him to succeed the next. Sometimes one feels that he gets dealt an impossibly harsh hand in life but at other times it seems that it is his own stupidity or greed that got him into a sticky situation.
Pervading the narrative was Vance's distinctive style and humour but again, as I did with the previous volume, felt that his prose style matured and improved somewhat later on in his career. But all in all a good and enjoyable read marred only by sometimes finding the prose style not as engaging as I would have liked (and I know Vance often capable of).
August 9, 2015
Vance's preferred title, Cugel the Clever, best fits this wandering yarn about a selfish vagabond whose arrogance never falters, no matter how often he is outwitted. A classic anti-hero: You'll laugh when he abandons his damsels to distress; you'll cheer when he finally gets laid.
August 22, 2017
"This is well enough," he said. "We are safe now, and there is much that lies between us."
The girl shrank to her end of the boat. Cugel stepped astern and joined her. "Here I am, your spouse! Are you not overjoyed that finally we are alone? My chamber at the inn was far more comfortable, but this boat will suffice."
"No," she whimpered. "Do not touch me! The ceremony was meaningless, a trick to persuade you to serve as Watchmen."
"For three-score years perhaps, until I rang the gong from utter desperation?"
"It is not my doing! I am guilty only of merriment! But what will become of Vull? No one watches, and the spell is broken!"
"So much the worse for the faithless folk of Vull! They have lost their treasure, their most beautiful maiden, and when day breaks Magnatz will march upon them. "
Marlinka uttered a poignant cry, which was muttered in the mist. "Never speak the cursed name!"
"Why not? I shall shout it across the water! I will inform Magnatz that the spell is gone, that now he may come for his revenge!"
"No, no indeed not!"
"Then you must behave toward me as I expect."
Weeping, the girl obeyed, and at last a wan red light filtering through the mist signaled dawn.
Jack Vance's Cugel the Clever may just be the rogue-iest rogue whoever rogued in all of fantasy and science fiction.
As you hopefully guessed from the passage I chose to head this review with, I mean this in the most unflattering manner possible. Considering one of the primary recurring elements in the Dying Earth stories is the resulting human bastardry that would surely follow when everyone knows any day could be the day when the red sun finally goes out there is no doubt this was the reaction Vance was aiming for.
I think that the above passage serves as a good litmus test for any potential would-be readers as to what they should expect from their protagonist since this is one of the worst things Cugel does in The Eyes of the Overworld.
And I'm not talking about the rape.
Cugel the Clever reads like a savage, satiric takedown of anti-heroes (especially the rogue-ish ones) so much so that I feel like even calling him an antihero - even a narcissistic, conniving, cowardly, self-interested, morally bankrupt one - is giving him a tad too much credit since it would imply he actually does something heroic on occasion. Cugel shares more in common with certain other archetypes and it is this intentional unlike-ability that ironically made Cugel something of a breath of fresh air for me. In this day where there are arguably more anti-heroes than their are heroes in pop culture, and where even a clear villain protagonist like Walter White has a depressing number of fans who don't consider him a villain, Cugel's horrible behavior and Vance making zero attempts to make him remotely sympathetic or cool was a surprising welcome. Kinda like the Gang from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (which just so happens to be one of my favorite shows, so maybe my willingness to accept unsympathetic, uncool bastards in the main character role is higher than the average person's) only Cugel gets into a lot more weird shit and he leaves a ton more ruined lives in his wake.
After botching a robbery of Iucounu the Laughing Magician's mansion the notorious wizard sends Cugel away across the world on a quest to recover the titular Eyes of the Overworld with no means of a quick, easy way to get back. Iucounu can give Cugel a run for his money in the amorality and cleverness department (he's called the Laughing Magician because of his creative, sadistic sense of humor), with the added bonus of being more intelligent, more powerful, and more dangerous. For example, to make sure Cugel doesn't run off with the Eyes or simply take his sweet time getting back Iucounu affixes a small demon named Firx to his liver to "motivate" him.
The short stories that comprise The Eyes of the Overworld come across like a giant irreverent parody of your typical fantasy quest. For starters, against his complete will our "hero" sets off on his quest, and he has no one to blame but himself for that (but of course Cugel would never blame himself). As for the macguffin he must find? He gets it pretty early on. The real conflict is getting back (to get revenge on the wizard who set him off on this quest). How many fantasy stories even acknowledge the return journey? The macguffin itself? It gets stolen from an innocent man who has been toiling for decades to receive one (oh yeah, there are several versions of the macguffin). The beautiful woman who decides to travel with our hero? Let's just say she doesn't stick around for long (and that it's not the woman referred to in the above passage). This is all in the first few stories, mind you.
What separates the good parodies from the bad parodies is that the good parodies also work as an effective tale of the story or genre they are lampooning. (Shaun of the Dead is the first example that comes to mind. Ignore the jokes, and it's a emotional zombie story). Likewise Cugel's bizarre, picaresque misadventures are still lushly written, unpredictable sword and sorcery adventures with highly amusing Shakespearean dialogue (for maximum enjoyment imagine the cast of Monty Python reciting the lines). The short stories and novellas that comprise The Eyes of the Overworld are the most consistently exciting, imaginative, and humorous batch of tales in Vance's Dying Earth setting, and are the main reason I feel why you should read Tales of the Dying Earth if you are at all curious.
4 1/4 stars
The girl shrank to her end of the boat. Cugel stepped astern and joined her. "Here I am, your spouse! Are you not overjoyed that finally we are alone? My chamber at the inn was far more comfortable, but this boat will suffice."
"No," she whimpered. "Do not touch me! The ceremony was meaningless, a trick to persuade you to serve as Watchmen."
"For three-score years perhaps, until I rang the gong from utter desperation?"
"It is not my doing! I am guilty only of merriment! But what will become of Vull? No one watches, and the spell is broken!"
"So much the worse for the faithless folk of Vull! They have lost their treasure, their most beautiful maiden, and when day breaks Magnatz will march upon them. "
Marlinka uttered a poignant cry, which was muttered in the mist. "Never speak the cursed name!"
"Why not? I shall shout it across the water! I will inform Magnatz that the spell is gone, that now he may come for his revenge!"
"No, no indeed not!"
"Then you must behave toward me as I expect."
Weeping, the girl obeyed, and at last a wan red light filtering through the mist signaled dawn.
Jack Vance's Cugel the Clever may just be the rogue-iest rogue whoever rogued in all of fantasy and science fiction.
As you hopefully guessed from the passage I chose to head this review with, I mean this in the most unflattering manner possible. Considering one of the primary recurring elements in the Dying Earth stories is the resulting human bastardry that would surely follow when everyone knows any day could be the day when the red sun finally goes out there is no doubt this was the reaction Vance was aiming for.
I think that the above passage serves as a good litmus test for any potential would-be readers as to what they should expect from their protagonist since this is one of the worst things Cugel does in The Eyes of the Overworld.
And I'm not talking about the rape.
Cugel the Clever reads like a savage, satiric takedown of anti-heroes (especially the rogue-ish ones) so much so that I feel like even calling him an antihero - even a narcissistic, conniving, cowardly, self-interested, morally bankrupt one - is giving him a tad too much credit since it would imply he actually does something heroic on occasion. Cugel shares more in common with certain other archetypes and it is this intentional unlike-ability that ironically made Cugel something of a breath of fresh air for me. In this day where there are arguably more anti-heroes than their are heroes in pop culture, and where even a clear villain protagonist like Walter White has a depressing number of fans who don't consider him a villain, Cugel's horrible behavior and Vance making zero attempts to make him remotely sympathetic or cool was a surprising welcome. Kinda like the Gang from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (which just so happens to be one of my favorite shows, so maybe my willingness to accept unsympathetic, uncool bastards in the main character role is higher than the average person's) only Cugel gets into a lot more weird shit and he leaves a ton more ruined lives in his wake.
After botching a robbery of Iucounu the Laughing Magician's mansion the notorious wizard sends Cugel away across the world on a quest to recover the titular Eyes of the Overworld with no means of a quick, easy way to get back. Iucounu can give Cugel a run for his money in the amorality and cleverness department (he's called the Laughing Magician because of his creative, sadistic sense of humor), with the added bonus of being more intelligent, more powerful, and more dangerous. For example, to make sure Cugel doesn't run off with the Eyes or simply take his sweet time getting back Iucounu affixes a small demon named Firx to his liver to "motivate" him.
The short stories that comprise The Eyes of the Overworld come across like a giant irreverent parody of your typical fantasy quest. For starters, against his complete will our "hero" sets off on his quest, and he has no one to blame but himself for that (but of course Cugel would never blame himself). As for the macguffin he must find? He gets it pretty early on. The real conflict is getting back (to get revenge on the wizard who set him off on this quest). How many fantasy stories even acknowledge the return journey? The macguffin itself? It gets stolen from an innocent man who has been toiling for decades to receive one (oh yeah, there are several versions of the macguffin). The beautiful woman who decides to travel with our hero? Let's just say she doesn't stick around for long (and that it's not the woman referred to in the above passage). This is all in the first few stories, mind you.
What separates the good parodies from the bad parodies is that the good parodies also work as an effective tale of the story or genre they are lampooning. (Shaun of the Dead is the first example that comes to mind. Ignore the jokes, and it's a emotional zombie story). Likewise Cugel's bizarre, picaresque misadventures are still lushly written, unpredictable sword and sorcery adventures with highly amusing Shakespearean dialogue (for maximum enjoyment imagine the cast of Monty Python reciting the lines). The short stories and novellas that comprise The Eyes of the Overworld are the most consistently exciting, imaginative, and humorous batch of tales in Vance's Dying Earth setting, and are the main reason I feel why you should read Tales of the Dying Earth if you are at all curious.
4 1/4 stars
January 25, 2026
“Or I inflict upon you the Spell of the Macroid Toe, whereupon the signalized member swells to the proportion of a house”. Vance combines fantasy and humor as we follow his rogue/mage Cugel from adventure to mishap through a crazy and wild if not wooly world. A pretty fun read despite the crazy character names and locations and jumps literally page to page at times in a whirlwind of flow. Some spots Cugel finds himself in are of his own making and some not. But in the end I’m glad I read this and planning to read the next two as well.
December 31, 2025
Muy divertido, la verdad. Que gran personaje es Cugel. Ahora sí que he entendido porque me comentaron que Pratchetteaba.
March 23, 2010
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.
The Eyes of the Overworld is the second part of Tales of the Dying Earth and the main character is one of my favorite Vance characters: the self-titled Cugel the Clever. Cugel is not the kind of guy you want to have dealings with — he’s clever, sneaky, completely selfish and remorseless. He is always trying to figure out how he can take advantage of other people in order to make his own circumstances better.
In The Eyes of the Overworld, Cugel decides to burglarize the house of Iuounu the Laughing Magician so he can sell some of Iuounu’s thaumaturgical artifacts. But the magician catches Cugel and punishes him by setting him on a quest to procure a lens which allows the wearer to view the overworld.
Cugel is clever, but as clever as he is, he often finds himself facing a foe who, at least temporarily, manages to outwit him (which invariably surprises Cugel). This time his quest leads him on a series of misadventures in which he: gets captured by rat people… is forced to be the watchman of a village… steals more than one person’s inheritance… deals with demons… trades a woman for information… impersonates a god… and travels a million years into the past. Wherever he goes, Cugel, sometimes purposely and sometimes unwittingly, leaves sorrow and destruction in his wake. He deprives people of their hope, their faith and, often, their lives.
This doesn’t sound like it should be very entertaining, but oh, it is! That’s because the story is written in Jack Vance’s singular style: high language, bizarre occurrences, and Vance’s characteristic humor. I hate to say it again, but the best comparison I can make is to Monty Python. If you’re a fan of that type of strange dark humor, then this should be your thing.
I listened to The Eyes of the Overworld in audio format. I can’t express how excited I was to learn that Brilliance Audio was producing these, and I’m pleased to report that they did an excellent job. Arthur Morey once again brought out all of the nuances of Vance’s humor and he made a perfect Cugel. In fact, The Eyes of the Overworld was even better than The Dying Earth, probably because it follows the same main character rather than being divided up into separate short stories. I loved it.
Read this review in context at
The Eyes of the Overworld is the second part of Tales of the Dying Earth and the main character is one of my favorite Vance characters: the self-titled Cugel the Clever. Cugel is not the kind of guy you want to have dealings with — he’s clever, sneaky, completely selfish and remorseless. He is always trying to figure out how he can take advantage of other people in order to make his own circumstances better.
In The Eyes of the Overworld, Cugel decides to burglarize the house of Iuounu the Laughing Magician so he can sell some of Iuounu’s thaumaturgical artifacts. But the magician catches Cugel and punishes him by setting him on a quest to procure a lens which allows the wearer to view the overworld.
Cugel is clever, but as clever as he is, he often finds himself facing a foe who, at least temporarily, manages to outwit him (which invariably surprises Cugel). This time his quest leads him on a series of misadventures in which he: gets captured by rat people… is forced to be the watchman of a village… steals more than one person’s inheritance… deals with demons… trades a woman for information… impersonates a god… and travels a million years into the past. Wherever he goes, Cugel, sometimes purposely and sometimes unwittingly, leaves sorrow and destruction in his wake. He deprives people of their hope, their faith and, often, their lives.
This doesn’t sound like it should be very entertaining, but oh, it is! That’s because the story is written in Jack Vance’s singular style: high language, bizarre occurrences, and Vance’s characteristic humor. I hate to say it again, but the best comparison I can make is to Monty Python. If you’re a fan of that type of strange dark humor, then this should be your thing.
I listened to The Eyes of the Overworld in audio format. I can’t express how excited I was to learn that Brilliance Audio was producing these, and I’m pleased to report that they did an excellent job. Arthur Morey once again brought out all of the nuances of Vance’s humor and he made a perfect Cugel. In fact, The Eyes of the Overworld was even better than The Dying Earth, probably because it follows the same main character rather than being divided up into separate short stories. I loved it.
Read this review in context at
June 15, 2019
Proper weird fantasy.
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