Jack Vance
Overview
 
John Holbrook Vance is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 mystery
Mystery fiction
Mystery fiction is a loosely-defined term.1.It is often used as a synonym for detective fiction or crime fiction— in other words a novel or short story in which a detective investigates and solves a crime mystery. Sometimes mystery books are nonfiction...

, fantasy
Fantasy literature
Fantasy literature is fantasy in written form. Historically speaking, literature has composed the majority of fantasy works. Since the 1950s however, a growing segment of the fantasy genre has taken the form of films, television programs, graphic novels, video games, music, painting, and other...

 and science fiction author. Most of his work has been published under the name Jack Vance. Vance has published 11 mysteries as John Holbrook Vance and 3 as Ellery Queen
Ellery Queen (house name)
Ellery Queen was the pen name for two cousins, Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee, who wrote novels and short stories about a fictional detective character named Ellery Queen. At various points in their history, the cousins allowed the name of Ellery Queen to be used as a house name;...

. Other pen names (each used only once) included Alan Wade, Peter Held, John van See, and Jay Kavanse.

Among his awards are: Hugo Award
Hugo Award
The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...

s, in 1963 for The Dragon Masters
The Dragon Masters
"The Dragon Masters" is a science fiction novella by American author Jack Vance. It was first published in Galaxy magazine, August 1962, and in 1963 in book form, as half of Ace Double F-185...

, in 1967 for The Last Castle, and in 2010 for his memoir This is Me, Jack Vance!; a Nebula Award
Nebula Award
The Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...

 in 1966, also for The Last Castle; the Jupiter Award
Jupiter Award
The Jupiters were an annual award presented to science fiction writing infrequently between 1974 and 1978. The awards for the best novel, novella, novelette and short story were presented by the Instructors of Science Fiction in Higher Education.- Winners :...

 in 1975; the World Fantasy Award
World Fantasy Award
The World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...

 in 1984 for life achievement and in 1990 for Lyonesse: Madouc; an Edgar
Edgar Award
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...

 (the mystery equivalent of the Nebula) for the best first mystery novel in 1961 for The Man in the Cage; in 1992, he was Guest of Honor at the WorldCon in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...

; and in 1997 he was named a SFWA
SFWA
SFWA may refer to:*Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America*Scottish Football Writers' Association...

 Grand Master
Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award
The Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award is an award given by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. It is awarded to a living author for lifetime achievement in science fiction and/or fantasy. Officially, it is not a Nebula Award though it is awarded at the Nebula ceremony...

.
Quotations

Cease the bickering! I am indulging the exotic whims of a beautiful princess and must not be distracted.

Grue: man, ocular bat, the unusual hoon.

Until work has reached its previous stage nympharium privileges are denied to all.

My clever baton holds your unnatural sorcery in abeyance.

My eye went to you like the nectar moth flits to jacynth.

Gid: hybrid of man, gargoyle, whorl, leaping insect.

Mischief moves somewhere near and I must blast it with my magic!

She contrived to twist her body into first one luxurious position, then another.

I become drunk as circumstances dictate.

Am I known as Cugel the Clever for nothing?

 
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