Jack Vance is a prolific author widely considered to be one of the great masters of science fiction and fantasy. When he finished high school during the Great Depression, he travelled through America practising a variety of trades, including fruit picking, factory work, mining and on oil wells.

After a period of time at Berkeley studying physics and journalism, he worked for the American Intelligence Service and then joined the Merchant Marines, since when he has travelled extensively during the course of his writing career.

Vance has a very singular style of writing, and it is immediately obvious every time you pick up one of his books. If you like it, then you'll like all of his novels, if not, then you won't like any.

His characters are almost always endowed with an extensive vocabulary, and are fond of using it, and his heros have an amazing ability to construct elaborate plans and schemes to get where they want, or to get out of trouble.

Good adventuring fun, with a dry and ironic style of humour.