Turjan of Miir-Jack Vance excerpt from the novel Mazirian the Magician

Turjan of Miir-Jack Vance excerpt from the novel Mazirian the Magician

AKA: Mazirian the Magician, chapter 1

The Dying Earth, chapter 1

Tales of the Dying Earth, Book I, chapter 1

Turjan of Miir is a 14 page chapter from the 1950 Jack Vance novel Mazirian the Magician, also known as The Dying Earth. It was first published as a chapter in the novel but has appeared on its own in at least one anthology. Turjan is a wizard on Earth who creates people in his workroom.  But they turn out rather botched with "the thing all eyes", "the boneless creature with the pulsing surface of its brain exposed", the "body whose intestines trailed out", etc.  He learns that another wizard is a master of creating people.  His name is Pandelume, but he lives on the planet Embeylon. The location of Embeylon is unknown but Turjan figures out how to transport himself to that planet using magic.  Once he arrives he is attacked by a young woman on a horse who wields a sword, but he survives.  Turjan learns that her name is T'sais and that she was created by the wizard Pandalume.  T'sais was a psychologically flawed creation, however, and sees everybody and everything as ugly and a threat to herself.  Pandelume tells Turjan he will accept him as an apprentice only if Turjan performs a service for him first.  This service involves stealing an amulet from the neck of Prince Kandive the Golden.  Turjan agrees to the task and is sent magically to the city of Kaiin where he pursues his quest of having to steal from a dangerous opponent.  I’ve read this story three times so far and  found it to be mildly interesting rating it 3 “Liked it.”

Published numerous times as chapter 1. in the novels The Dying Earth and Mazirian the

Magician

Published in the anthology The Young Magicians, Ballantine Books, Lin Carter, ed.,

(1971)