Synopses & Reviews
Myron's parents insisted that he study economics, and Myron dutifully applied himself. But Myron had an aunt--his great aunt Hester Lojoie, a woman of great wealth inherited from a dead husband, and even greater flamboyance of nature. And when Dame Hester came into possession of a space yacht, Myron suddenly saw his long-supressed dreams of adventure bloom into new life.
Review
"
Ports of Call is a picaresque adventure which begins very much in the style of Wodehousian comedy of manners....Authorial maturity, like well-aged whisky, can offer a remarkable combination of merriment, philosophical musings, and a wicked bite."--
Locus"Classic space opera is alive and kicking....This jaunty, politically incorrect tale provides first-rate escapist entertainment."--Publishers Weekly
"Simply to announce that Jack Vance has a new novel out should be enough to send you scurrying to your nearest bookstore, cash in hand and Vance's name quivering on your lips. Vance's achievements over the past five decades have been of such consistently high quality that his books rank as must-buys, no foreknowledge of subject matter or ostensible genre necessary." -SF Eye
About the Author
Jack Vance, born John Holbrook Vance in 1916, was one of the greatest masters of fantasy and science fiction. He was the winner of many awards for his work and career: the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement. Among his awards for particular works were the Hugo award in 1963 for
The Dragon Masters, in 1967 for
The Last Castle, and in 2010 for his memoir
This is Me, Jack Vance! He won a Nebula Award in 1966 for
The Last Castle. He won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1990 for
Lyonesse: Madouc. . He also won an Edgar for the best first mystery novel in 1961 for
The Man in the Cage. Vance published more than 60 books in his long career, sometimes under pseudonyms. Among them were 11 mystery novels, three of them as Ellery Queen. He wrote some of the first, and perhaps best, examples of "planetary adventures", including a novel called
Big Planet. His “Dying Earth” series were among the most influential fantasy novels ever written, inspiring both generations of writers, and the creators of Dungeons and Dragons.
Vances series from Tor include The Demon Princes, The Cadwal Chronicles, The Dying Earth, The Planet of Adventure, and Alastor. Vances last novels were a series of two: Ports of Call and Lurulu.
Jack Vance was a sailor, a writer, an adventurer, a music critic, and a raconteur. He died in May 2013.