7 of the Best SFF Books by Jack Vance

Cugel the Clever, the hero of one hundred mischiefs, is marooned. After his spell misfires, Cugel is defeated at the hands his nemesis, Iucounu the Laughing Magician. Now, he’s penniless, forced to dredge in a slime pit for disassembled demiurge scales. Armed with only his flamboyant personality and clever resourcefulness, he’s determined to get back to Almery. His journey will be an extensive and exhausting trek halfway across the world. But if anyone can do it, it’s Cugel.

Rhialto the Marvellous is trying to sort out the political and personal conflicts between two conclaves of magicians when a powerful female force from an aeon ago appears. Throwing the balance into disarray, the magicians turn against Rhialto, forcing him to travel back in time to find the missing Perciplex, the original constitution of their association. Through his travels, he takes on dimension, transforming into one of the wisest and most sympathetic wizards in the land.

In the Bay of Biscay, off the coast of Gaul, are the Elder Isles. Within them lie ten kingdoms, all vying for power. And in the midst of it all is Casmir, the ruthless king of Lyonesse. He plans on cementing control and gaining important alliances by marrying his daughter, Suldrun. Only, she has other plans. Angry at her defiance, Casmir locks her in her garden. But instead of isolation, Suldrun finds love and sparks a series of events that can only end in tragedy.

Far in the future, the workers of Halma create beautiful goods that are coveted throughout the galaxy. But the humans who create them have no idea. That’s because they live under the despotic control of their overlords where any deviation, including use of any machinery, is punishable by death. When Ghyl’s father is killed for processing old documents with a camera, he rebels, setting off across the galaxy with only an ancient legend to guide him. If he can interpret it, he can find the secret to free his people. To do that, he has to return to the planet his ancestors abandoned thousands of years ago—Earth.

When five intergalactic masterminds known as the Demon Princes raid Mount Pleasant, they leave the tranquil planet in ruins. Orphaned in that slaughter, Kirth Gerson, grows up with vengeance in his heart. He roams the galaxy searching for clues, finding one in a seedy tavern on Planet Smade. The criminal Attel Malagate is taking refuge with an alien species known as the Star Kings. They masquerade as human and provide a protective screen for Malagate. But with subtle cunning and a deft hand for violence, Gerson is determined to put himself face-to-face with Malagate and take down the first Demon Prince in his quest for revenge.

When a distress call comes from the planet Tschai, Adam Reith is the unlucky human sent to investigate. Everything goes wrong as he approaches the planet and is torpedoed, killing everyone on board except Adam who barely escapes with his life. Enslaved by humans, Adam has to learn everything he can about the strange planet and the other intelligent non-human species on the planet. To find answers, he has to win his freedom and make his way across the planet to the city of Chasch, where the truth might be hiding.

For centuries, humanity has battled with a reptilian race called Basics. In each encounter, the winner enslaves the loser. But in this future existence, both sides aren’t leaving victory up to chance. Through genetic modification, they each create monstrous and fearsome opponents. On planet Aerlith, humans have bred Basics into powerful soldiers. And on Coralyne, Basics have turned humans into mutant warriors. But in the background, watching quietly, the mysterious Sacerdotes watch to see who wins the final battle.