Songs of the Dying Earth

Songs of the Dying Earth
George Raymond Richard Martin

Gardner Dozois

Return to the unique and evocative world of The Dying Earth in this tribute anthology featuring the most distinguished fantasists of our day. Here are twenty-one brand-new adventures set in the world of Jack Vance's greatest novel.A dim place, ancient beyond knowledge. The sun is feeble and red. A million cities have fallen to dust. Here live a few thousand souls, dying, as the Earth dies beneath them. Just a few short decades remain to the long history of our world. At the last, science and magic are one, and there is evil on Earth, distilled by time … Earth is dying.Half a century ago, Jack Vance created the world of the Dying Earth, and fantasy has never been the same. Now, for the first time, Jack has agreed to open this bizarre and darkly beautiful world to other fantasists, to play in as their very own.The list of twenty-one contributors eager to honour Jack Vance by writing for this anthology includes Neil Gaiman, Elizabeth Hand, Tanith Lee, Michael Moorcock, Terry Dowling, Lucius Shepherd, Dan Simmons, Robert Silverberg, Tad Williams, Walter Jon Williams and George R.R. Martin himself.

SONGS OF THE DYING EARTH

STORIES IN HONOUR OF JACK VANCE

Edited by

George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois

with an Appreciation by Dean Koontz

ROBERT SILVERBERG, MATTHEW HUGHES, TERRY DOWLING, LIZ WILLIAMS, MIKE RESNICK, WALTER JON WILLIAMS, PAULA VOLSKY, JEFF VANDERMEER, KAGE BAKER, PHYLLIS EISENSTEIN, ELIZABETH MOON, LUCIUS SHEPARD, TAD WILLIAMS, JOHN C. WRIGHT, GLEN COOK, ELIZABETH HAND, BYRON TETRICK, TANITH LEE, DAN SIMMONS, HOWARD WALDROP, GEORGE R.R. MARTIN, NEIL GAIMAN

Copyright (#ulink_f087cc7b-d8f4-56ec-86bd-4f0cf0f2e7bd)

HarperCollinsPublishers 77-85 Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith, London W6 8JB

www.voyager-books.co.uk (http://www.voyager-books.co.uk)

First published in Great Britain by HarperVoyager An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 2009

Copyright © George R R Martin and Gardner Dozois 2009

Full copyright information here (#litres_trial_promo)

The authors assert the moral right to be identified as the authors of this work

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

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Source ISBN: 9780007277483

Ebook Edition © SEPTEMBER 2009 ISBN: 9780007290666

Version: 2014-11-28

Dedication (#ulink_678bfa36-43cc-52f7-9d77-ccba7a681e99)

to Jack Vance, the maestro, with thanks for all the great tales, and for letting us play with your toys.

Table of Contents

Cover Page (#ub4cc6d18-3684-5733-bde5-fdf56124090f)

Title Page (#u89278272-b673-5c4c-b875-6830ee786e10)

Copyright (#uba1cddfd-52e8-5a86-a66f-94cd3aeb9333)

Dedication (#u6cbaf41a-ba2d-526f-a388-a5d1213cd033)

Thank You, Mr. Vance DEAN KOONTZ (#ufe30903f-4d20-5545-a5b5-45959a097a8e)

Preface JACK VANCE (#udb8b70c7-c180-51ea-a0dd-ed5309f58992)

The True Vintage of Erzuine Thale ROBERT SILVERBERG (#u0c072c48-2c67-5f5d-a290-d572764f96ab)

Grolion of Almery MATTHEW HUGHES (#u97b1bbb5-54e1-54b0-9c03-d59d5be636b2)

The Copsy Door TERRY DOWLING (#u63bd1195-4323-5080-862f-6929992dfa57)

Caulk the Witch-chaser LIZ WILLIAMS (#ue2f559f5-01f2-5a01-91ed-7af21262ac18)

Inescapable MIKE RESNICK (#u92902d46-4be2-5667-9a58-5f76894a08fb)

Abrizonde WALTER JON WILLIAMS (#u17f76722-85b7-5fea-bd72-7b6fa5d9271b)

The Traditions of Karzh PAULA VOLSKY (#u36728a5c-21cc-5073-a3dd-a09c7f64841a)

The Final Quest of the Wizard Sarnod JEFF VANDERMEER (#litres_trial_promo)

The Green Bird KAGE BAKER (#litres_trial_promo)

The Last Golden Thread PHYLLIS EISENSTEIN (#litres_trial_promo)

An Incident in Uskvosk ELIZABETH MOON (#litres_trial_promo)

Sylgarmo’s Proclamation LUCIUS SHEPARD (#litres_trial_promo)

The Lamentably Comical Tragedy (or The Laughably Tragic Comedy) of Lixal Laqavee TAD WILLIAMS (#litres_trial_promo)

Guyal the Curator JOHN C. WRIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)

The Good Magician GLEN COOK (#litres_trial_promo)

The Return of the Five Witch ELIZABETH HAND (#litres_trial_promo)

The Collegeum of Mauge BYRON TETRICK (#litres_trial_promo)

Evillo the Uncunning TANITH LEE (#litres_trial_promo)

The Guiding Nose of Ulfänt Banderōz DAN SIMMONS (#litres_trial_promo)