The Eyes of the Overworld

Author: Jack Vance
released: 01-01-1966
Part of: The Dying Earth Books
First Read: 23-05-2025
Last Read: 30-05-2025
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/872816.The_Eyes_of_the_Overworld

I really enjoyed this book. After reading The Dying Earth I expected it to be another series of short stories and was initially disappointed it was not. Then when I began reading I found this story very compelling, because although Cugel, the main character, was not likeable, he was very interesting. He cared little for anyone but himself and this both got him into and out of increasingly absurd situations. Jack Vance writes these situations with great whit which had me laughing out loud multiple times, and the payoff at the end felt worthwhile. I also really enjoyed the settings and the idea of such a distant future that magic and technology are practically indistinguishable which caries over from the first book. I highly recommend trying this even if you didn't like the first book.

Notes While Consuming

Don't read on if you don't want spoilers

Jack Vance uses many uncommon words. I don't think this is solely a product of the time he wrote said books. It feels like he is trying to convey an unusualness through his words. Because of this book I started a list of Good Words for writing.

The Overworld - People believe what they see through the eyes is true. If it was the end of the world and you were likely to get nothing better maybe you would, but wouldn't you still know it was false?
Cil - In The Dying Earth Books people often resolve conflicts through conversation, or at least try to, before fighting. The characters are also generally quite talkative without monologuing.
The Sorcerer Pharesm - The people in the Dying Earth all somehow feel strange. I think it is their tendency to talk and their tendency to have odd beliefs that conveys this. Cugel is also a very interesting character being at once a terrible person and being lovable. I think the fact that everything seems to go wrong for him but he always manages to get out of it in some unusual manner is great. The hilarity of the situations has made me laugh out loud multiple times while reading. My mother finds this quite funny.
The Cave in the Forest - This feels very Dungeons and Dragons. The weird plot hook which goes wrong, the unusual people, the requirements to leave. This could make a fun game session.
The Manse of Iucounu - Cugel finally gets back, spends some time planning and trying to exact his revenge on Iucounu only to miss cast a spell and send himself back to where he began. Had Cugel been someone you were rooting for this ending would have felt unfulfilling but was actually quite funny.