Jack Vance Died

Sadly, Jack Vance died Sunday evening (at age 96). Weirdly, I was just referencing him yesterday in the comments to our discussion this week on the subject of Counterspells. I guess the fact that the entire essence of the D&D spell system sprang from his literary imagination -- which most of us hardcore types call "Vancian" for shorthand -- means that we'll always be in his debt, and he'll be close in our minds. And of course that was one of his very smallest gifts. A titan of the pulp fantasy era has finally passed.

http://news.yahoo.com/author-jack-vance-dies-home-calif-015005260.html