One of the results of this effort was that a number of wealthy patrons donated sets to various libraries. I can’t decide if the lucky first time Vance reader stumbling onto such a trove would gorge themselves or have the self control to make it last… 

The houseboat had been built to the most exacting standards of Sirenese craftsmanship, which is to say, as close to the absolute as human eye could detect. The planking of waxy dark wood showed no joints, the fastenings were platinum rivets countersunk and polished flat. In style, the boat was massive, broad beamed, steady as the shore itself, without ponderosity or slackness of line. The bow bulged like a swan’s breast, the stem rising high, then crooking forward to support an iron lantern. The doors were carved from slabs of a mottled black-green wood; the windows were many sectioned, paned with squares of mica, stained rose, blue, pale green and violet. The bow was given to service facilities and quarters for the slaves; amidships were a pair of sleeping cabins, a dining saloon and a parlor saloon, opening upon an observation deck at the stern.

Such was Edwer Thissell’s houseboat, but ownership brought him neither pleasure nor pride.

In the first volume of The Book of the New Sun, the old librarian, Master Ultan, says, “Such a child eventually discovers, on  some low but obscure shelf, The Book of Gold. You have never seen this book and you will never see it, being past the age at which it is met.”
   “It must be very beautiful,” says Severian.
   “It is indeed. Unless my memory betrays me, the cover is of black buckram, considerably faded at the spine. Several of the signatures are coming out and certain of the plates have been taken. But it is a remarkably lovely book. I wish that I might find it again . . .”

For Wolfe, The Book of Gold is Jack Vance’s The Dying Earth.

I had a guy in a comic shop tell me that “En France Jack Vance est un bestseller”.

I thought the Neil Gaiman one really stood out – he really nailed just how cruel Vance stories are beneath that beautiful language.

Planet of Adventure is also far and away my favourite, possibly due to it being one of the first things I saw when I came out of the egg. Were you aware that there was a French comic adaption of the whole series – two graphic novels per volume. I’ve got them – well, six of them – and I love them, though the artwork  is only fair. There’s no English translation that I know of, but it’s not as if you don’t know the story by now. The adaption is very fairthful.

And thinking of the French – in a megabookstore in Paris I saw ten or twelve different Vance books (in French translation) on the shelves. Here in Australia the best I’d expect to see in a non specialist bookshop would be the Lyonesse series.

Ditto!

You may also enjoy The Spiral Labyrinth: A Tale Of Henghis Hapthorn by Matthew Hughes.  Definitely an homage to the master.  Another even better/weirder author (and great friend and protege of Jack’s) is Terry Dowling from Australia.  His short story collection Wormwood, Rhynosserus/BlueTyson series are all wonderful (a future where aborigines rule the world due to their ability to tune into the strong AI spirits and powers, just try it…)  I think he typically writes short stories, so it isn’t a huge investment of time to give it a go.

I had the pleasure of meeting Jack Vance a few years ago at Borderlands in SF (great bookstore btw).  Also met Michael Moorcock there at a book signing and thanked him for a lifetime of enjoyment.