Jack Vance (1916–2013) was an American writer of science fiction and fantasy. One work of his is included here, Sjambak. Public information is limited, so this note focuses on his writing. He is often counted among American writers who continued to expand the boundaries of fantasy and science fiction after the genre's golden age, and his representative works include The Dying Earth and the Demon Princes series. The former is set on a far-future Earth and combines scientific premises with mythic imagination, distinguished by polished language and a strange atmosphere; the latter displays his skill in building alien societies and adventure narratives. His work is known for intricately crafted worldviews, a distinctive feel for language, and the imaginative treatment of alien cultures, and it has had a lasting influence on later fantasy and science fiction.
