Sjambak

Jack VanceProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.8

Word count: 56K words
Chapters: 6

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Sjambak by Jack VanceAuthor: Vance, Jack, 1916-,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Sep 16, 2009

Editor's review

Sjambak is a science fiction work by Jack Vance, available as a public-domain e-book from Project Gutenberg. Vance is known for his distinctive prose style and finely crafted worldbuilding, and this work shares his signature exotic-adventure atmosphere: an unfamiliar planetary environment, a colonial administration tinged with bureaucracy or commerce, and a protagonist caught up in events who must rely on wit to navigate them. The reading highlights are Vance's rich accumulation of exotic detail and his slightly ironic narrative voice; the plot moves at a brisk pace, making it a good sample for understanding the style of mid-twentieth-century science fiction magazines. Note that the electronic edition is a public-domain resetting of the original English text, with no Chinese translation for comparison and no modern introduction; it is short, closer to a single story than a full-length work. It suits a commute or a short reading session, and is also useful for science fiction fans comparing different periods of Vance's writing.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Science fiction readers who like Jack Vance and want to catch up on his short fiction
Those interested in the style of mid-twentieth-century English-language science fiction magazines
Learners who need short English-language science fiction for extensive reading or translation practice
Readers of genre fiction who enjoy exotic adventure and lightly ironic narrative

Not a good fit for

Readers who read only Chinese and are not used to reading English originals
Readers who prefer hard science fiction with technical detail or rigorous scientific premises
Readers expecting a long, complex world and deep character arcs

Reading tips

Read through once for the plot, then go back over Vance's detailed descriptions of environment and dialogue to appreciate his style.
Pay attention to the protagonist's interactions with local institutions and indigenous characters; this is key to understanding the story's irony.
Read it alongside other Vance short stories to observe common features in his exotic settings and narrative voice.
Don't look up every unfamiliar English word; keep going from context and organize high-frequency vocabulary after finishing.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this a novel or a short story?

Judging by the form and title of the public-domain e-book, this is a shorter work, closer to a single story than a novel. It suits one sitting or two or three short sessions; there is no need to plan your reading pace as you would for a novel.

Will the lack of a Chinese edition affect comprehension?

Somewhat. Vance's writing is stylized, and some of the exotic descriptions and dialogue in the English original require a certain vocabulary. If your English reading is not yet fluent, you can learn the plot outline first and then read the original, or use dictionary tools as support; don't expect to understand every detail on the first pass.

Does this work represent Vance's style?

It has Vance's familiar exotic-adventure framework and slightly ironic narrative voice, so it can serve as a sample of his short fiction. But a single story is limited in length; to understand his style fully, you should also read his longer works and other short stories for comparison.

Does the electronic edition have notes or an introduction?

Project Gutenberg public-domain e-books are usually prepared from the original text without modern notes, introductions, or a parallel translation. Readers who need background information can consult Vance's bibliography and introductions to science fiction history on their own.

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About the author

Jack Vance Author · American · 1916–2013

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.