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The Dying Earth #2.5
A Quest for Simbilis
Cugel the Clever was seeking revenge when he met Mumber Sull who was seeking justice. Revenge and justice may seem empty dreams when the sun may flicker out at any moment, but such is the nature of man as it has always been since the dawn of time.
Mumber Sull owed his loyalty to the long-vanished overlord Simbilis, whose knowledge and science were legendary, whose domains had extended over a vast terrain, and whose whereabouts had been lost for centuries. He persuaded Cugel that if they could but find Simbilis, they would both gain their just rewards.
The story of their quest for Simbilis is a marvellous fantasy of wonder and adventure millions of years from now, on the Dying Earth that Jack Vance first described and which has now, by permission, been further chronicled by Michael Shea.
Mumber Sull owed his loyalty to the long-vanished overlord Simbilis, whose knowledge and science were legendary, whose domains had extended over a vast terrain, and whose whereabouts had been lost for centuries. He persuaded Cugel that if they could but find Simbilis, they would both gain their just rewards.
The story of their quest for Simbilis is a marvellous fantasy of wonder and adventure millions of years from now, on the Dying Earth that Jack Vance first described and which has now, by permission, been further chronicled by Michael Shea.
204 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1974
16 people are currently reading
841 people want to read
About the author
Michael Shea
73 books189 followersFor the British author of thrillers and non-fiction see Michael Shea
Michael Shea (1946-2014) was an American fantasy, horror, and science fiction author who lived in California. He was a multiple winner of the World Fantasy Award and his works include Nifft the Lean (1982) (winner of the World Fantasy Award) and The Mines of Behemoth (1997) (later republished together as The Incomplete Nifft, 2000), as well as The ARak (2000) and In Yana, the Touch of Undying (1985).
Michael Shea (1946-2014) was an American fantasy, horror, and science fiction author who lived in California. He was a multiple winner of the World Fantasy Award and his works include Nifft the Lean (1982) (winner of the World Fantasy Award) and The Mines of Behemoth (1997) (later republished together as The Incomplete Nifft, 2000), as well as The ARak (2000) and In Yana, the Touch of Undying (1985).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
November 3, 2014
Cugel the Clever, his mind bent on revenge against Iouconnou, throws in with Mumber Sull, a deposed ruler seeking the legendary wizard Simbilis for help against the minions of Slaye. Will either find what he is looking for?
A Dying Earth tale set after the events of Eyes of the Overworld, Shea wrote the continuation of Cugel's adventure before Jack Vance decided to tell the tale himself. Is Shea a worthy successor to Vance? Yes, but I preferred Vance's ending to Cugel's tale. Shea does a good job of capturing Vance's style, complete with humor and overly formal dialogue. Cugel and Mumber go up against cannibals, a crooked bridge keeper, and have a short stint as exorcists, among other things, en route to their goals.
Aside from Michael Shea not being Jack Vance, the main gripe I had with the story is that Cugel was in the background for a great portion of the proceedings, taking a backseat to Polderbag, Sull, and others. Cugel's character was also a little too nice. The ending also kind of sucked and made me very glad Vance decided to write Cugel's Saga a few years later.
Quest for Simbilis is still an enjoyable read, despite these gripes. Where else would you see a society so opposed to carnality that the people use a bellows to reproduce?
Not a bad read for Michael Shea and Jack Vance fans. Just be thankful Vance decided to pick up where he left off after Eyes of the Overworld.
A Dying Earth tale set after the events of Eyes of the Overworld, Shea wrote the continuation of Cugel's adventure before Jack Vance decided to tell the tale himself. Is Shea a worthy successor to Vance? Yes, but I preferred Vance's ending to Cugel's tale. Shea does a good job of capturing Vance's style, complete with humor and overly formal dialogue. Cugel and Mumber go up against cannibals, a crooked bridge keeper, and have a short stint as exorcists, among other things, en route to their goals.
Aside from Michael Shea not being Jack Vance, the main gripe I had with the story is that Cugel was in the background for a great portion of the proceedings, taking a backseat to Polderbag, Sull, and others. Cugel's character was also a little too nice. The ending also kind of sucked and made me very glad Vance decided to write Cugel's Saga a few years later.
Quest for Simbilis is still an enjoyable read, despite these gripes. Where else would you see a society so opposed to carnality that the people use a bellows to reproduce?
Not a bad read for Michael Shea and Jack Vance fans. Just be thankful Vance decided to pick up where he left off after Eyes of the Overworld.
October 6, 2020
Nobody can rival Vance at his best, which most definitely includes his Dying Earth writings and the Cugel stories in particular. However, Shea brings his own distinct flavor, thrusting Cugel into some dark territory as he embarks on a grand series of increasingly preposterous and droll adventures in search of a shortcut home.
He has some gory encounters with cannibals replete with gardens of dismembered body parts, stumbles into a town beset with demonic possessions, and finally traverses the twisted, unending depths of the demon infested subworld. The setting in fact seems like a preview to Shea's excellent Nifft the Lean, published several years later. Still, he doesn't get overly grim, in keeping with the spirit of Cugel as a haughty scoundrel engaged in endless skulduggery, to his detriment and our amusement. Cugel generally uses and disposes of people as it suits him, so it's a bit of a surprise to see him form some enduring relationships here, making this more of a group rather than a solo quest.
Certainly recommended for Vance fans looking for more Dying Earth stories, as is Songs of the Dying Earth: Stories in Honour of Jack Vance, one of the best tribute anthologies out there.
He has some gory encounters with cannibals replete with gardens of dismembered body parts, stumbles into a town beset with demonic possessions, and finally traverses the twisted, unending depths of the demon infested subworld. The setting in fact seems like a preview to Shea's excellent Nifft the Lean, published several years later. Still, he doesn't get overly grim, in keeping with the spirit of Cugel as a haughty scoundrel engaged in endless skulduggery, to his detriment and our amusement. Cugel generally uses and disposes of people as it suits him, so it's a bit of a surprise to see him form some enduring relationships here, making this more of a group rather than a solo quest.
Certainly recommended for Vance fans looking for more Dying Earth stories, as is Songs of the Dying Earth: Stories in Honour of Jack Vance, one of the best tribute anthologies out there.
November 3, 2019
Author Shea wrote this official-unofficial sequel to The Eyes of the Overworld, but several years later Jack Vance wrote his own sequel - Cugel's Saga - leaving Simbilis lost and forgotten. Although Shea isn't quite the writer Vance was, it's a kick to re-visit the Dying Earth for more adventures of Cugel the Clever who might be Vance's most beloved character. The story might have been titled "Cugel Goes to Hell, Literally" but oddly enough this quest story to find the Great and Powerful Wizard of Simbilis ends up becoming a sly homage to .
January 11, 2021
I don’t write reviews.
This was Shea’s very first novel. It’s a sequel to Jack Vance’s Eyes of the Overworld, written with his well wishes. Shea understands Vancian style and the character of Cugel. His dying earth is more chilling than Vance’s and had plenty of creepy places and creatures.
As it got going, Shea did display a good sense of humour which is a hallmark of the Cugel and Rhialto dying earth stories. I was a bit nervous because the start was shaky and dry. He rectified that quickly and I wandered, lost in his imagination. He’s descriptions were so vivid, my mind made pictures better than a digital camera. Great story. Satisfying ending. Fascinating journey. Lizz is pleased.
This was Shea’s very first novel. It’s a sequel to Jack Vance’s Eyes of the Overworld, written with his well wishes. Shea understands Vancian style and the character of Cugel. His dying earth is more chilling than Vance’s and had plenty of creepy places and creatures.
As it got going, Shea did display a good sense of humour which is a hallmark of the Cugel and Rhialto dying earth stories. I was a bit nervous because the start was shaky and dry. He rectified that quickly and I wandered, lost in his imagination. He’s descriptions were so vivid, my mind made pictures better than a digital camera. Great story. Satisfying ending. Fascinating journey. Lizz is pleased.
June 14, 2020
DAW Collectors #88
Cover Artist: George Barr
Name: Shea, Michael, Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA, (3 July 1946- 16 February 2014
This novel was a sequel to "The Eyes of the Overworld" written at a time before Vance resumed writing in the Dying Earth universe. When Vance returned to the milieu, his "Cugel's Saga" continued the events of "The Eyes of the Overworld" in a different direction, at which point "A Quest for Simbilis" became non-canonic.
In the early 70s, Mr. Sheafound a copy of Jack Vance’s Dying Earth novel The Eyes of the erworld in the lobby of a hotel in Juneau, Alaska. The book stayed with him for four years, through a brief first marriage and extensive travels, hitch-hiking through France and Spain, until he sat down to write an homage to Vance and a sequel to his novel. It was published in paperback by DAW Books in 1974 and was a finalist for the British Fantasy Award.
There are dangers to playing in someone else’s playground, and some at the time saw Shea as a dabbler, not really serious about writing. But nothing could have been further from the truth, as his wife Lynn noted in the announcement of his death at Michael Shea’s website on March 7th.
Jack Vance graciously declined to share the advance offered by DAW Books for A Quest for Simbilis, but allowed the book to be released as an authorized sequel to his Dying Earth novels. Eventually, Vance took the series in a different direction when he published a third book, Cugel’s Saga, in 1983.
By dint of a mispronounced spell, Cugel the Clever finds himself once again unceremoniously dumped by a winged demon onto the bleak far northern shores of the Sea of Cutz - the location of a fierce battle aeons past between the archmagician Simbilis and the hordes of the subworlds league. Vowing to exact comprehensive revenge from Iucounu, the Laughing Magician, Cugel sets forth on the long journey back to Almery.
Expecting potent magical gifts in recompense, Cugel swears fealty to Mumber Sull, the exiled Thane of Icthyll. Under the guttering blood-red sun, the two set off across the lands of the Dying Earth to obtain the aid of the legendary Simbilis. They must face cannibals, sorcery, demons, and all the other deadly and sinister creatures that populate the Earth in its final days...
In this was his first published novel. Michael Shea recounts the further adventures of Cugel the Clever with the permission of Jack Vance, author of "The Eyes of the Overworld". Shea subsequently wrote his seminal Nifft the Lean stories.
Series Nifft:
1. Nifft the Lean (1982)
2. The Mines of Behemoth (1997)
3. The A'Rak (2000)
4. The Incompleat Nifft (2000)
Cover Artist: George Barr
Name: Shea, Michael, Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA, (3 July 1946- 16 February 2014
This novel was a sequel to "The Eyes of the Overworld" written at a time before Vance resumed writing in the Dying Earth universe. When Vance returned to the milieu, his "Cugel's Saga" continued the events of "The Eyes of the Overworld" in a different direction, at which point "A Quest for Simbilis" became non-canonic.
In the early 70s, Mr. Sheafound a copy of Jack Vance’s Dying Earth novel The Eyes of the erworld in the lobby of a hotel in Juneau, Alaska. The book stayed with him for four years, through a brief first marriage and extensive travels, hitch-hiking through France and Spain, until he sat down to write an homage to Vance and a sequel to his novel. It was published in paperback by DAW Books in 1974 and was a finalist for the British Fantasy Award.
There are dangers to playing in someone else’s playground, and some at the time saw Shea as a dabbler, not really serious about writing. But nothing could have been further from the truth, as his wife Lynn noted in the announcement of his death at Michael Shea’s website on March 7th.
Jack Vance graciously declined to share the advance offered by DAW Books for A Quest for Simbilis, but allowed the book to be released as an authorized sequel to his Dying Earth novels. Eventually, Vance took the series in a different direction when he published a third book, Cugel’s Saga, in 1983.
By dint of a mispronounced spell, Cugel the Clever finds himself once again unceremoniously dumped by a winged demon onto the bleak far northern shores of the Sea of Cutz - the location of a fierce battle aeons past between the archmagician Simbilis and the hordes of the subworlds league. Vowing to exact comprehensive revenge from Iucounu, the Laughing Magician, Cugel sets forth on the long journey back to Almery.
Expecting potent magical gifts in recompense, Cugel swears fealty to Mumber Sull, the exiled Thane of Icthyll. Under the guttering blood-red sun, the two set off across the lands of the Dying Earth to obtain the aid of the legendary Simbilis. They must face cannibals, sorcery, demons, and all the other deadly and sinister creatures that populate the Earth in its final days...
In this was his first published novel. Michael Shea recounts the further adventures of Cugel the Clever with the permission of Jack Vance, author of "The Eyes of the Overworld". Shea subsequently wrote his seminal Nifft the Lean stories.
Series Nifft:
1. Nifft the Lean (1982)
2. The Mines of Behemoth (1997)
3. The A'Rak (2000)
4. The Incompleat Nifft (2000)
September 11, 2014
I found it a little more accessable than Jack Vance's own works on the subject: the language is less ornate, the situations less bizarre, and the presence of the character of the stolid, ruthlessly honest Mumber Sull acts as a control rod on Cugel the Clever's excessive behavior. As a result, it feels like something has been lost.
Shea clearly has some interesting ideas and an interesting style, but I'm having trouble reconciling this book to both The Eyes of the Overworld and to Vance's own further adventures in the Dying Earth.
Shea clearly has some interesting ideas and an interesting style, but I'm having trouble reconciling this book to both The Eyes of the Overworld and to Vance's own further adventures in the Dying Earth.
June 18, 2009
An authorized followup to Jack Vance's Dying Earth tale "The Eyes of the Overworld," Michael Shea's "A Quest for Simbilis" was quite an ambitious project for an (at the time) unproven author. Yet this is no mere Cudgel fan faction. While "Simbilis" lacks the polish of Shea's later works, a lot of his trademark themes are present and while Vance's world is the springboard for "Simbilis," a great deal of the wonders and nightmares one encounters in this book is pure Shea.
This book can be taken as an alternative sequel (Vance later wrote his own Cudgel followup) to "Eyes of the Overworld" or as a stand-alone fantasy novel. Either way, its a fine read.
UPDATE: Bumping this down just a tad on the re-read. Much of it still holds up, but it's not quite as inspired as Shea's later work.
This book can be taken as an alternative sequel (Vance later wrote his own Cudgel followup) to "Eyes of the Overworld" or as a stand-alone fantasy novel. Either way, its a fine read.
UPDATE: Bumping this down just a tad on the re-read. Much of it still holds up, but it's not quite as inspired as Shea's later work.
March 4, 2012
Shea makes Cugel a sidekick rather than a protagonist in this "sequel by another hand". And that is what makes this effort a near-failure. No wonder Vance did his own sequel many years later. Shea has what it takes - imagination, phrasing and enthusiasm - but he's not Vance. Nobody out there is Jack Vance but Jack Vance. Instead of experiencing more of Cugel's Flashman-like forays into cowardice and womanising, we get to see him play attendant and second fiddle to the colourless Mumber Sull.
For Vance completists only. Anyone else? Read Cugel's Saga instead and reward yourself.
For Vance completists only. Anyone else? Read Cugel's Saga instead and reward yourself.
January 14, 2012
I really enjoyed this Vance-approved sequel to 'Eyes of the Overworld'. Shea really captures the picaresque adventure of Vance's best works, and adds a grotesque flavor of his own. I think the book rises above a mere imitation of Vance. Not only does Shea fully grasp the gleefully archaic language of the Dying Earth, but he also fully understands the wholly selfish motivations of Cugel. He adds an interesting twist by pairing him with the somewhat less self-absorbed Mumber Sull, creating a clever dynamic between the somewhat begrudging partners. Shea also spends just enough time with each increasingly inventive scenario that the two stumble upon, filling out the wild and weird world of the Dying Earth.
December 5, 2022
The only person who tried to get the Vancean writing style and mostly succeeded is Shea, to the surprise of no one. Is this is as good as the actual sequel to Eyes of the Overworld that would come out years later by Vance himself? No. But so long as you enter into this knowing its more of a party of protagonists rather than Cugel-centric and see it as a more of a Dying Earth setting novel in general you are bound to have a good time.
March 6, 2025
Initially entertaining, but unfortunately Shea runs out of ideas around the middle of the text and the trip to hell is frankly uninteresting and verged on boring. There are some moments of undigested misogyny that further rob the book of its lustre. Not a valuable addition to the Vancean canon, I'd say.
June 23, 2022
The author is exceptional in his way of writing, a very addictive book.
October 20, 2020
Excellent continuation from the The Eyes of the Overworld. The writing is uncanny in how similar it is to Jack Vance's. If you enjoy Vance, this is definitely worth reading.
May 22, 2020
This was the author's first published novel in 1974 and apparently the author asked Jack Vance for permission to write a sequel to Vance's novel "The eyes of the overworld" and Vance gave his permission. However although this novel starts with the same character in the same place as Vance's novel ended it does not really continue the story. The Cugel in this book bears little relation to Vance's creation and apart from a few place names there is little in common with Vance's book. There is no humour and a complete lack of the witty dialogue of Vance's book. Some strange episodes occur but all in all this is not much of a read.
I suspect Jack Vance was not much impressed either as he wrote his own sequel to "The eyes of the overworld" some years later.
I suspect Jack Vance was not much impressed either as he wrote his own sequel to "The eyes of the overworld" some years later.
February 28, 2013
Liked the first half, from then on it went down hill. At least it motivated Jack Vance to write his own sequel!
January 24, 2023
Michael Shea's A Quest for Simbilis is certainly no masterpiece. Being what is essentially an authorized work of fan fiction, Shea presents to us an alternative storyline featuring further misadventures of our beloved scoundrel Cugel the Clever. Published some 9 years before Cugel's Saga, A Quest for Simbilis is the work of a younger, arguably, equally talented author with a vibrant imagination and a distinct flavor of originality. Despite those two positive traits, however, this does not make up for the blatant flaws that the book has. But before I get into that, a brief summary is necessary.
A Quest for Simbilis centers around the journey of Cugel the Clever and his newfound master, a thane by the name of Mumber Sull, whose hereditary position as the leader of a community was stolen from him by the agents of the rivaling house of Slaye, the old man whom Cugel stole from in the previous book. Seeking to recover his status, Sull goes on a quest to look for a powerful Wizard, Simbilis the 16th, who had lordship over both houses in the past. Along the way, Cugel and Sull encounter several terrifying creatures and venture into incredible places while meeting new friends and allies along the way. The story ends with Cugel and his allies meeting Simbilis and getting their wishes fulfilled, sort of.
Like Vance, Shea takes on a wild and incredible journey across a remarkably enchanting world. Who could ever forget the horrors of Cannibal Keep, the labyrinthine wonder of Millions' Gather, or the mesmerizing purple lake in Subworld? Vance and Shea are especially talented with regard to developing majestic settings to populate their characters and sticky situations for them to get out of. Rather than it being a story centered primarily around the exploits of Cugel, Shea instead chose to devote significant screen time to other characters such as Sull and Polderbag. While it is nice to see what these characters can do, the iconic trickeries and schemes of Cugel are unfortunately left absent as a result, which brings me to this book's primary weaknesses.
Like Vance, Shea also lacks any sense of character development and substantial themes for his story. Cugel, Sull, and Polderbag remain very much the same from beginning to end as they transfer from one place to the next. A fourth character is introduced but she comes out so late into the story that she might as well have been written out entirely. The characters don't really seem to be affected by the experiences they undergo and any opportunities for them to have developed further are quickly brushed aside to move the plot forward.
Upon encountering the abrupt ending and closing the book, the entire experience felt like an Adult theme park ride that dazzles you with a bunch of captivating visuals, creatures, and locations (and violence, lots of it) before concluding without so much of an explanation other than "it's done, time to get off kid."
While Shea further broadens the horizons by vastly expanding and completing the already rich setting that Vance built in the previous Dying Earth books, he fails in taking almost any advantage whatsoever of the fertile ground he has laid before him and dooms himself to repeating the same formulas that made the series nothing more than entertaining genre fiction. This is in stark contrast to Gene Wolfe who saw the same fertile soil that Vance had prepared and grew an entire forest of ideas while telling a magnificent story and characters of his own.
Perhaps I expected too much from this book, which could very well have been a potboiler novel given how Shea was living at the time he read the Dying Earth books. But the fact remains that it could have been so much that it was had the author chosen to reflect substantial themes in his work.
Nonetheless, I had my share of the fun and as a fiction author myself, I've learned quite a lot about its mistakes and I'm thankful for that as I now know what to avoid in my own writing in the future.
A Quest for Simbilis centers around the journey of Cugel the Clever and his newfound master, a thane by the name of Mumber Sull, whose hereditary position as the leader of a community was stolen from him by the agents of the rivaling house of Slaye, the old man whom Cugel stole from in the previous book. Seeking to recover his status, Sull goes on a quest to look for a powerful Wizard, Simbilis the 16th, who had lordship over both houses in the past. Along the way, Cugel and Sull encounter several terrifying creatures and venture into incredible places while meeting new friends and allies along the way. The story ends with Cugel and his allies meeting Simbilis and getting their wishes fulfilled, sort of.
Like Vance, Shea takes on a wild and incredible journey across a remarkably enchanting world. Who could ever forget the horrors of Cannibal Keep, the labyrinthine wonder of Millions' Gather, or the mesmerizing purple lake in Subworld? Vance and Shea are especially talented with regard to developing majestic settings to populate their characters and sticky situations for them to get out of. Rather than it being a story centered primarily around the exploits of Cugel, Shea instead chose to devote significant screen time to other characters such as Sull and Polderbag. While it is nice to see what these characters can do, the iconic trickeries and schemes of Cugel are unfortunately left absent as a result, which brings me to this book's primary weaknesses.
Like Vance, Shea also lacks any sense of character development and substantial themes for his story. Cugel, Sull, and Polderbag remain very much the same from beginning to end as they transfer from one place to the next. A fourth character is introduced but she comes out so late into the story that she might as well have been written out entirely. The characters don't really seem to be affected by the experiences they undergo and any opportunities for them to have developed further are quickly brushed aside to move the plot forward.
Upon encountering the abrupt ending and closing the book, the entire experience felt like an Adult theme park ride that dazzles you with a bunch of captivating visuals, creatures, and locations (and violence, lots of it) before concluding without so much of an explanation other than "it's done, time to get off kid."
While Shea further broadens the horizons by vastly expanding and completing the already rich setting that Vance built in the previous Dying Earth books, he fails in taking almost any advantage whatsoever of the fertile ground he has laid before him and dooms himself to repeating the same formulas that made the series nothing more than entertaining genre fiction. This is in stark contrast to Gene Wolfe who saw the same fertile soil that Vance had prepared and grew an entire forest of ideas while telling a magnificent story and characters of his own.
Perhaps I expected too much from this book, which could very well have been a potboiler novel given how Shea was living at the time he read the Dying Earth books. But the fact remains that it could have been so much that it was had the author chosen to reflect substantial themes in his work.
Nonetheless, I had my share of the fun and as a fiction author myself, I've learned quite a lot about its mistakes and I'm thankful for that as I now know what to avoid in my own writing in the future.
November 10, 2024
A Quest For Simbilis by Michael Shea
A Book of the Dying Earth
DAW Books
Paperback
1974
George Barr illustrated the cover and frontispiece
This is a title that I have never seen in the wild. I would attribute that scarcity to how well fans favor Shea's fiction. I acquired my copy online, and the cover has not one, but two drink rings from where someone used this book as a coaster in the past. The pages within are dog-eared too. None of this is surprising since this is a discarded library book, complete with stickers on the spine and card holder inside the back cover. Despite the possible use and misuse of this book, its binding remains tight and spine unlined.
I am unaware of the discussion and story behind how this book came to be written, but Shea easily mimics Vance in this sequel. The names, the locations, the motivations of the characters and the absurd turns of plot all resonate with Vance.
The seven chapters are basically individual stories. In each chapter Cugel never seems any closer to his goal of finding Iouconnou the Laughing Magician and enacting his revenge against him. Cugel's main companion, Mumber Sull, acts as the straight man and constantly foils Cugel's dishonest plans. Often with disastrous results force the duo to flee with nothing but the clothes on their backs. All the while, Sull, seeks the legendary wizard Simbilis. The twain pass through many strange locales and encounters even stranger denizens. The closer they get to Simbilis the more alien and bizarre things become. In the last chapter it becomes evident that Shea was well on his way to being accomplished author in the Lovecraft vein.
Overall, I enjoyed the book greatly. It was only towards the end of the book I became weary of the repetitiveness of the narrative. One tidbit that has stuck with me even now, as Cugel travels across the desert it was warm but not hot like we know a desert to be. This simple thing never occurred to me and is possible because of the dying sun.
It has come to my attention that A Quest for Simbilis has been reprinted by Spatterlight books under the Paladins of Vance label. This new edition features a forward by Daniel Temianka, a lifelong friend of Shea.
A Book of the Dying Earth
DAW Books
Paperback
1974
George Barr illustrated the cover and frontispiece
This is a title that I have never seen in the wild. I would attribute that scarcity to how well fans favor Shea's fiction. I acquired my copy online, and the cover has not one, but two drink rings from where someone used this book as a coaster in the past. The pages within are dog-eared too. None of this is surprising since this is a discarded library book, complete with stickers on the spine and card holder inside the back cover. Despite the possible use and misuse of this book, its binding remains tight and spine unlined.
I am unaware of the discussion and story behind how this book came to be written, but Shea easily mimics Vance in this sequel. The names, the locations, the motivations of the characters and the absurd turns of plot all resonate with Vance.
The seven chapters are basically individual stories. In each chapter Cugel never seems any closer to his goal of finding Iouconnou the Laughing Magician and enacting his revenge against him. Cugel's main companion, Mumber Sull, acts as the straight man and constantly foils Cugel's dishonest plans. Often with disastrous results force the duo to flee with nothing but the clothes on their backs. All the while, Sull, seeks the legendary wizard Simbilis. The twain pass through many strange locales and encounters even stranger denizens. The closer they get to Simbilis the more alien and bizarre things become. In the last chapter it becomes evident that Shea was well on his way to being accomplished author in the Lovecraft vein.
Overall, I enjoyed the book greatly. It was only towards the end of the book I became weary of the repetitiveness of the narrative. One tidbit that has stuck with me even now, as Cugel travels across the desert it was warm but not hot like we know a desert to be. This simple thing never occurred to me and is possible because of the dying sun.
It has come to my attention that A Quest for Simbilis has been reprinted by Spatterlight books under the Paladins of Vance label. This new edition features a forward by Daniel Temianka, a lifelong friend of Shea.
September 14, 2024
For the record, I've not read any of the actual Dying Earth books, or even any Vance for that matter, despite pretty extensive familiarity with the material and concepts thanks to a lifetime of ttrpgs. I'm sure that influences how I felt about this one to some degree, maybe if I'd read Vance's stuff first I wouldn't care for this as much as I do. Because I loved this.
Shea's Lovecraft sequel, per a review way back, fell pretty flat for me. Which left me a little apprehensive about this sequel written in someone else's world, though less so due to its reputation (including amongst such notable as Patton Oswalt). This was such a pleasantly surprising experience though.
It certainly has some of the sword and sorcery tropes, though it never feels like its really embracing that subgenre. It reminds me a little bit of some of Moorcock's work in that regard.
I think what really made the book was that it was funny, which was something I wasn't expecting. Its not poking fun at the genre, or Vance's setting, but it also never feels like its taking itself too seriously. The series of misadventures experienced by the characters along their titular quest seem so random, beyond their power, and the characters themselves make such amusingly silly choices at times. This is really working in someone else's world, in a genre that maybe has aged past its prime, at its absolute best. The world also feels lived in. We're tossed random names of places, events, and creatures in the style of sword and sorcery with the expected minimal to non-existant explanation of what or why they are. However, thanks to Shea's fantastic command of everyday language and action sequences, we're *shown* enough to have what I would say is a better understanding of those things than we typically would get from the genre (what's grue or a hoon? at least we have some idea of features, habits, and temperament from a fight).
Shea's Lovecraft sequel, per a review way back, fell pretty flat for me. Which left me a little apprehensive about this sequel written in someone else's world, though less so due to its reputation (including amongst such notable as Patton Oswalt). This was such a pleasantly surprising experience though.
It certainly has some of the sword and sorcery tropes, though it never feels like its really embracing that subgenre. It reminds me a little bit of some of Moorcock's work in that regard.
I think what really made the book was that it was funny, which was something I wasn't expecting. Its not poking fun at the genre, or Vance's setting, but it also never feels like its taking itself too seriously. The series of misadventures experienced by the characters along their titular quest seem so random, beyond their power, and the characters themselves make such amusingly silly choices at times. This is really working in someone else's world, in a genre that maybe has aged past its prime, at its absolute best. The world also feels lived in. We're tossed random names of places, events, and creatures in the style of sword and sorcery with the expected minimal to non-existant explanation of what or why they are. However, thanks to Shea's fantastic command of everyday language and action sequences, we're *shown* enough to have what I would say is a better understanding of those things than we typically would get from the genre (what's grue or a hoon? at least we have some idea of features, habits, and temperament from a fight).
April 20, 2024
Dying Earth 2.5: Cugel the Uncannoned
It’s a big ol’ journey down to Hell folks!
After Cugel’s setback at the end of Vance’s Eyes of the Overworld, Shea picks up the baton a decade later to show Cugel teaming up with Mumber Sull on the ocean and beginning their long journey to find Simbilis in the underworld because… Shea had some cool ideas for demons I guess.
It’s a shaky start, but Shea does smash out a solid couple of chapters worthy of EotO, with Cugel playing both the witty trickster and fool in full Vancian style. Unfortunately that doesn't last, and Shea gets a little too wrapped up in taking us on a tour through his vision of hell. I didn't hate the shift, to be sure, but it wasn’t as cool as Blish, and it didn't feel like a Cugel story beyond that point.
A final invasion from hell is being planned for just before the sun goes out, and the christian allegory continues with ‘archangels’ of Simbilis (basically God) and a final judgment and fate meted out for the adventurers.
There are some classic Dying Earth monsters encountered along the way, erbs, grues etc. - no deodands this time, which is probably a good thing, let’s face it, they are pretty racist - but the demons of the underworld have more familiar names: succubi, zombies, vampires. Even though Shea gives fresh twists on a lot of these, they did break the Dying Earth vibe for me.
Shea lives up to his rep as the monster king tho. The coelenterates with tentacles mimicking beautiful women and rescue boats particularly stick in my mind, also the giant space titan with a lake in its eye.
Shea is hornier than Vance. Pretty much every female character is described as ‘full-breasted’, which gets old very quick as a descriptor. There's also a scene where Cugel transforms a hideous she-zombie into a beautiful woman, then rapes her, so… yep… that happens. Played for a cheap laugh too, so pretty shocking.
The book could have been called Cugel in the Underworld if Cugel wasn't a background character for most of the story, which is arguably the book's largest fault. Good monsters though. I'd like to check out more Shea on that basis alone, but I'm looking forward to reading Vance's supplanting Cugel's Saga more...
It’s a big ol’ journey down to Hell folks!
After Cugel’s setback at the end of Vance’s Eyes of the Overworld, Shea picks up the baton a decade later to show Cugel teaming up with Mumber Sull on the ocean and beginning their long journey to find Simbilis in the underworld because… Shea had some cool ideas for demons I guess.
It’s a shaky start, but Shea does smash out a solid couple of chapters worthy of EotO, with Cugel playing both the witty trickster and fool in full Vancian style. Unfortunately that doesn't last, and Shea gets a little too wrapped up in taking us on a tour through his vision of hell. I didn't hate the shift, to be sure, but it wasn’t as cool as Blish, and it didn't feel like a Cugel story beyond that point.
A final invasion from hell is being planned for just before the sun goes out, and the christian allegory continues with ‘archangels’ of Simbilis (basically God) and a final judgment and fate meted out for the adventurers.
There are some classic Dying Earth monsters encountered along the way, erbs, grues etc. - no deodands this time, which is probably a good thing, let’s face it, they are pretty racist - but the demons of the underworld have more familiar names: succubi, zombies, vampires. Even though Shea gives fresh twists on a lot of these, they did break the Dying Earth vibe for me.
Shea lives up to his rep as the monster king tho. The coelenterates with tentacles mimicking beautiful women and rescue boats particularly stick in my mind, also the giant space titan with a lake in its eye.
Shea is hornier than Vance. Pretty much every female character is described as ‘full-breasted’, which gets old very quick as a descriptor. There's also a scene where Cugel transforms a hideous she-zombie into a beautiful woman, then rapes her, so… yep… that happens. Played for a cheap laugh too, so pretty shocking.
The book could have been called Cugel in the Underworld if Cugel wasn't a background character for most of the story, which is arguably the book's largest fault. Good monsters though. I'd like to check out more Shea on that basis alone, but I'm looking forward to reading Vance's supplanting Cugel's Saga more...
April 2, 2019
This book [1974] by Michael Shea is the sequel to Eyes of the Overworld aka Cugel the Clever by Jack Vance [1966]. Vance would go on to write his own sequel Cugel's Saga aka Cugel: The Skybreak Spatterlight [1983]. Comparing the two books is fascinating.
Both begin at the same place and same moment with Cugel finding himself deposited on the same beach he had arrived at in the first book. Here the immediately diverge. Vance takes Cugel across the ocean and then on a somewhat round about trip home.
Shea on the other hand takes Cugel on a quest to find the Wizard Simbilis in the hope that he can be persuaded to return him home and confront his nemeses. The writing is disimler. in both Cugel is cunning and faces constant change in circumstance. Vance who is writing at the height of his powers does this to much greater effect. Vance's Cugel is constantly making great fortunes and loosing them a page later. Shea's cugel has a more typical difficult journey. The winds of fate blow less hard.
Its unclear if Shea has attempted to approximate the language of Vance, but if he has he has not come close. Vance writes with blinding wit, Shea stands in pale comparison.
Still Shea does manage to capture some of the incredibly diverse settings that Vance has conjured.
I would not recommend this book. It's fine, but surely only of interest to those who have read both of Vance's previous efforts. Those who have will be somewhat disappointed. Still it is not without merit, and is a short enjoyable read. Readers who have not read the two works by Vance would be much better starting there. Those who want more Vance should try Songs of the Dying Earth, the anthology edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois.
Both begin at the same place and same moment with Cugel finding himself deposited on the same beach he had arrived at in the first book. Here the immediately diverge. Vance takes Cugel across the ocean and then on a somewhat round about trip home.
Shea on the other hand takes Cugel on a quest to find the Wizard Simbilis in the hope that he can be persuaded to return him home and confront his nemeses. The writing is disimler. in both Cugel is cunning and faces constant change in circumstance. Vance who is writing at the height of his powers does this to much greater effect. Vance's Cugel is constantly making great fortunes and loosing them a page later. Shea's cugel has a more typical difficult journey. The winds of fate blow less hard.
Its unclear if Shea has attempted to approximate the language of Vance, but if he has he has not come close. Vance writes with blinding wit, Shea stands in pale comparison.
Still Shea does manage to capture some of the incredibly diverse settings that Vance has conjured.
I would not recommend this book. It's fine, but surely only of interest to those who have read both of Vance's previous efforts. Those who have will be somewhat disappointed. Still it is not without merit, and is a short enjoyable read. Readers who have not read the two works by Vance would be much better starting there. Those who want more Vance should try Songs of the Dying Earth, the anthology edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois.
September 9, 2020
When I was a college kid I read an omnibus of Jack Vance's "Planet of Adventure" series that I borrowed from my school library, and had a blast with it. So years later I managed to find copies of his "Dying Earth" series and happily gave them a try. I loved them even more than the pulpy series I mentioned above because of their humor and weirdness.
Though I really enjoyed the first and final volumes in the Dying Earth series, my favorite two were the middle volumes about the adventures of Cugel the Clever. His travails trying to get revenge on a wizard who wronged him through a string of disasters he mostly causes himself and narrowly manages to escape without learning anything were just hilarious.
Many years later I learned that back in the day Michael Shea had written a sequel to the original Cugel the Clever novel Vance wrote before Vance himself decided to write his own second volume starring Cugel, so I decided I just had to read it. I had enjoyed the hell out of Shea's novels about his own character Nifft the Lean back around the same time and I knew he could write humor and weirdness. Sadly, I was unable to find a copy to read for the longest time.
Well, I finally found one, and I was not disappointed. I knew Shea had the imagination, as I said, but I'm happy to say he also does a great job keeping the tone of Vance's Dying Earth stories, with all the absurdity, humor and overwrought dialogue. I'm now going to try Shea's other stuff, especially his Lovecraftian short stories, which I've heard are very good.
Though I really enjoyed the first and final volumes in the Dying Earth series, my favorite two were the middle volumes about the adventures of Cugel the Clever. His travails trying to get revenge on a wizard who wronged him through a string of disasters he mostly causes himself and narrowly manages to escape without learning anything were just hilarious.
Many years later I learned that back in the day Michael Shea had written a sequel to the original Cugel the Clever novel Vance wrote before Vance himself decided to write his own second volume starring Cugel, so I decided I just had to read it. I had enjoyed the hell out of Shea's novels about his own character Nifft the Lean back around the same time and I knew he could write humor and weirdness. Sadly, I was unable to find a copy to read for the longest time.
Well, I finally found one, and I was not disappointed. I knew Shea had the imagination, as I said, but I'm happy to say he also does a great job keeping the tone of Vance's Dying Earth stories, with all the absurdity, humor and overwrought dialogue. I'm now going to try Shea's other stuff, especially his Lovecraftian short stories, which I've heard are very good.
May 26, 2025
-- I'm jumping ship from Goodreads to StoryGraph as part of my ongoing breakup with Big Tech. This will be my last review on this Amazon-owned platform. join me!
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As someone who loves Dying Earth literature and has been reading Clark Ashton Smith, Jack Vance and Gene Wolfe for years, I was ready to love this.
The settings and some of the scenarios are on track with the above authors, but the writing itself - pacing, dialogue and characterization - leave a lot to be desired.
Having recently read Vance's novels where Cugel is the main character, I was excited to see another author I've been curious about pick up Cudgel's thread. As others have said, Cugel feels like a sketch here - and a second art character to the also sketch-like Mumber Sull, who is quite dull while ostensibly the main character.
I'm still curious about Michael Shea, so I'm hoping this relatively boring exercise was a dry run for later works such as Nifft the Lean which I understand are also set on the Dying Earth..
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As someone who loves Dying Earth literature and has been reading Clark Ashton Smith, Jack Vance and Gene Wolfe for years, I was ready to love this.
The settings and some of the scenarios are on track with the above authors, but the writing itself - pacing, dialogue and characterization - leave a lot to be desired.
Having recently read Vance's novels where Cugel is the main character, I was excited to see another author I've been curious about pick up Cudgel's thread. As others have said, Cugel feels like a sketch here - and a second art character to the also sketch-like Mumber Sull, who is quite dull while ostensibly the main character.
I'm still curious about Michael Shea, so I'm hoping this relatively boring exercise was a dry run for later works such as Nifft the Lean which I understand are also set on the Dying Earth..
November 22, 2024
Jack Vance authorized this sequel to "Eyes of the Overworld" a decade before writing his own, "Cugel's Saga." Vance did it better.
In "Eyes," Cugel's effort to avenge himself on the Laughing Magician rebounded on him. Once again he sets out on the quest to the south and his revenge — but a lowly official convinces Cugel that finding the official's master, the all-powerful mage Simbilis, would give him an ally against the Laughing Magician. The quest that follows is Vance-light — stylish language but not as good, clever little twists but not as clever, and so on.
The one thing Shea does carry over is the misogyny of "Eyes." The rape of one overweight woman is played for comic relief and Cugel gets in some rape on his own. Be warned.
In "Eyes," Cugel's effort to avenge himself on the Laughing Magician rebounded on him. Once again he sets out on the quest to the south and his revenge — but a lowly official convinces Cugel that finding the official's master, the all-powerful mage Simbilis, would give him an ally against the Laughing Magician. The quest that follows is Vance-light — stylish language but not as good, clever little twists but not as clever, and so on.
The one thing Shea does carry over is the misogyny of "Eyes." The rape of one overweight woman is played for comic relief and Cugel gets in some rape on his own. Be warned.
May 31, 2021
A passable imitation of Vance at the start which descends into a bizarre and grotesque hellscape that I'm given to understand is Shea's specialty. Shea's Cugel is a bit less of a dirtbag than the genuine article, but it doesn't drag him down. Mumber Sull is annoyingly square but it makes him an interesting obstacle for Cugel and Polderbag to navigate. Solid book.
December 6, 2020
Fun wakky exotic and a wild ride. Ghoul Kings! Grue! Not as good as teh Dying EArth by Vance but worth a read. I took 1 star off because the quality is missing. Vance stories are seamlesss. This is a bit episodic. Really good anyway!
May 21, 2022
A wonderful fantasy adventure
This book is an excellent addition to the dying earth franchise. Wonders leap from every page. Fantastic characters interact with this strange world with each other. You don’t know where the story is going until you get there.
This book is an excellent addition to the dying earth franchise. Wonders leap from every page. Fantastic characters interact with this strange world with each other. You don’t know where the story is going until you get there.
February 22, 2024
Shea tries to write a stream of weird imagery but doesn't do it very well. The story, if it can be called that, is pointless and the characters non-existent. Only Read Simbilis as a Dying Earth completionist. I recommend anything else in the genre or written by Vance before reading this.
May 25, 2024
The original official sequel to Vance's Eyes of the Overworld, until a few years later when Jack went and wrote his own. This is a somewhat fun romp in the Dying Earth setting that starts out strong and then meanders to an anticlimax far from Vancian territory.
November 1, 2018
I have the germam translation Reise in die Unterwelt
April 20, 2021
Every bit as good as Vance's own followup, and that's high praise indeed!
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