The Five Gold Bands
by Jack Vance
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The galaxy is full of wealthy planets and haughty aliens who guard the technology of interstellar travel. Earth must pay a price for use of the space drive, and this rubs Paddy Blackthorn the wrong way- so he sets out to steal the secret. The powerful Shauls capture and dump him on a barren planet- yet here he acquires five golden bands containing the very data he is after. The information is coded- and while Paddy solves the puzzle he must evade a galactic manhunt!Tags
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A very early, barebones template of what was to later become classic Jack Vance science fiction, Five Gold Bands is a short swashbuckler (150 pages) which at least manages to pack in a whole variety of differing worlds and races, with what would become a trademark scheming and underhandidness in all the characters. Paddy Blackthorn is possibly the worst leading character Vance wrote, but his more serious companion Fay makes for a slightly better foil to his rogueish ways at least
Not his best written (he was still finding his feet clearly) - there's no real meat to the story, but as he clearly mastered his love of World building early on in his writing career, it is at least a bit of fun for a night's read for any existing fans of his show more work. Not a place to start reading him though show less
Not his best written (he was still finding his feet clearly) - there's no real meat to the story, but as he clearly mastered his love of World building early on in his writing career, it is at least a bit of fun for a night's read for any existing fans of his show more work. Not a place to start reading him though show less
An unlikable and uninteresting protagonist and his whiny female agent sidekick visit uninteresting places on a scavenger hunt while they try to take down uninteresting criminal overlords in a universe where humanity evolves into new races in two generations.
Even Jack Vance missed the mark on occasion.
Even Jack Vance missed the mark on occasion.
I know of one person who loved this book because it proved that even Jack Vance made mistakes.
Nadat Samuel Langtry bij toeval de interstellaire ruimte-aandrijving ontdekte, zwermden zijn vijf zonen uit om de melkweg te koloniseren en hun eigen imperiums te stichten op nieuwe werelden: Shaul, Badau, Loristan, Koto en Alpheratz A. Twintig generaties later bewaken de Zonen van Langtry nog steeds angstvallig het geheim van de ruimtestuwer en is de Aarde een achtergesteld gebied geworden dat maar met mondjesmaat stuwers toegewezen krijgt en zo economisch onder de knoet gehouden wordt. Paddy Blackthorn van Skibbereen in County Cork is vastbesloten om rijkdom te verwerven en op Akhabats tunnelt hij zich een weg naar binnen in de hyperbeveiligde bunker van de Zonen om er ruimtestuwers te stelen. Maar een en ander verloopt niet volgens show more plan, en voor Paddy er erg in heeft wordt hij de meest gezochte en opgejaagde man uit de geschiedenis... show less
Feb 24, 2025Dutch
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372+ Works 34,780 Members
John Holbrook Vance (August 28, 1916 - May 26, 2013) was an American mystery, fantasy and science fiction writer. Most of his work was published under the name Jack Vance. He also wrote 11 mystery novels as John Holbrook Vance and three as Ellery Queen, and once each used pseudonyms Alan Wade, Peter Held, John van See, and Jay Kavanse. Vance won show more the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 1984. The Science Fiction Hall of Fame inducted him in 2001. Among his awards for particular works were: Hugo Awards, in 1963 for The Dragon Masters, in 1967 for The Last Castle, and in 2010 for his memoir This is Me, Jack Vance!; a Nebula Award in 1966, also for The Last Castle; the Jupiter Award in 1975; the World Fantasy Award in 1990 for Lyonesse: Madouc. He also won an Edgar (the mystery equivalent of the Nebula) for the best first mystery novel in 1961 for The Man in the Cage. He died at his home in Oakland, California, on May 26, 2013, aged 96. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Five Gold Bands
- Original title
- The Rapparee; The Space Pirate
- Alternate titles
- The Five Gold Bands
- Original publication date
- 1953
- People/Characters*
- Paddy Blackthorn; Dr. Ira Tallogg; Fay Bursill; Dane; Zhri Khainga
- Important places
- Akhabats; Loristan; Koto; Eleanor, Pik-As; Alpheratz A; Badau (show all 7); Almach
- First words*
- Der Tunnel lief durch Schichten roten und grauen Sandsteins hindurch, die mit Quarzglas verklebt waren und das Graben selbst dem praktischen Kleinbagger schwer machten.
- Last words*
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Nur noch zehn Minuten Arbeit, und dann geht's nach Hause zur Erde.
- Publisher's editor*
- Schelwokat, Günter M.
- Original language
- English
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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- 287
- Popularity
- 111,784
- Reviews
- 4
- Rating
- (3.15)
- Languages
- 6 — Czech, Dutch, English, French, German, Russian
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 13
- ASINs
- 8
