John Holbrook "Jack" Vance (August 28, 1916 – May 26, 2013) was an author, best known for his early science fiction and fantasy novels. He also wrote mysteries, including a number of Ellery Queen books. 1

His first published story was "The World-Thinker," published in Thrilling Wonder Stories in 1945. 4

1969 directory listingVance was born in San Francisco and grew up in Oakley, CA, but lived in Oakland much of his life. He served in the US Navy and the Merchant Marine. 1 Following WWII, he met and married Norma Ingold (Vance) in 1946, and they lived in the same house in Oakland until Norma's death in 2008. 2

He never had great vision (he memorized an eye chart to get into the Merchant Marine), and by the 1980s, he was legally blind. Despite this, he kept writing.

Links and References

  1. Jack Vance on Wikipedia
  2. Jack Vance obituary The Guardian
  3. Sci-Fi author Jack Vance dies at Oakland home Oakland Tribune May 29, 2013
  4. Jack Vance website jackvance.com
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