I’m a huge Jack Vance fan. And, I very much like the pastiches Matthew Hughes has written to emulate Vance. But back in 1974, DAW books published Michael Shea’s pastiche of Vance’s classic, Dying Earth.
In the early 70s, Michael Shea found a copy of Jack Vance’s Dying Earth novel The Eyes of the Overworld in the lobby of a hotel in Juneau, Alaska. Shea wrote to Jack Vance, asking if he could write a sequel…and shockingly, Vance gave Shea permission to write a novel.
A Quest for Simbilis is an early work of Michael Shea. He produced better fiction over the years. But Shea did capture the essence of Vance’s Dying Earth in this book. The Sun is about to fail. The Earth is a mish-mash of cultures featuring demons, aliens, and a variety of humans living on a planet in decline. Shea takes one of Vance’s most famous characters, Cugel the Clever, and sends him on a quest to find an arch-wizard missing for long, long time. Mumber Sull, the exiled Thane of Icthyll, makes Cugel his partner in the journey to find Simbilis.
Rumors allege that Simbilis is locked in battle with the hordes of the subwords league. Sull and Cugel travel the wastelands to reach Simbilis and gain his favor.
While A Quest for Simbilis is not equal to Jack Vance’s Dying Earth stories, it manages to foreshadow Michael Shea’s superior works like Nifft the Lean while still providing entertaining adventures. GRADE: B
I recall buying the DAW edition back in the day. I don’t think I actually read it, alas.
Fred, this reprint includes an informative introduction by one of Michael Sheas’ friends.
For people who like this kind of book, this is a book those people will like! To paraphrase Abe Lincoln!
Bob, A QUEST FOR SIMBILIS was a hit for DAW in 1974. Michael Shea’s later work was even better! Shea is an underrated writer!
The new cover probably doesn’t help. I wonder what Shea was doing in Juneau.
Todd, I think Michael Shea liked to travel.