Publisher:Vance Integral Edition
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Organization set up, on a cooperative model something like an "Open Source" project, to publish a definitive edition of the works of Jack Vance. This was done, with a set of 44 books being published, some in 2002 and the rest in 2005.
The VIE (as it is often called) was created with the cooperation of Jack Vance and his wife, who had been the initial typist for many of his works. It compared available published versions and manuscripts, to determine what its members considered a "preferred text". In many cases, this involved creating a version more or less different from any previously published version. Also, in many cases the author's original or preferred title of a work was restored. in a few cases, a new preferred title was devised.
The VIE books were sold by subscription only in sets, and a single ISBN was assigned to the entire set of 44 volumes. A 45th volume was published containing the three novels written by Vance for Ellery Queen, restored using their original manuscripts. This volume was sold separately ($64) to owners of the VIE who wished to purchase it. And there were two volumes published prior to the first VIE volume and sold separately to allow potential customers to see what the final product would look like.
There were two types of sets printed, the Reader's Edition and the Deluxe Edition. There were 600 sets in the first printing, most of them Reader's Edition sets. The Reader's Edition was quarter-bound in leather, with cloth covers. 250 of the Reader's Edition sets were signed by Jack Vance and numbered in volume 44. The number of Deluxe Edition sets was small, but no number has been reported. The Deluxe Edition sets were leather bound with attached marking ribbons. The Reader's Edition started out at $1250 per set, but rose to $1500. The Deluxe Edition was priced at $3000. A second printing has been rumored.
There are three additional versions of the VIE. There is a Compact Vance Integral Edition, six volumes which began publication in October 2009 and planned to finish publication in 2012. This version is also sold by subscription at $1295 per set from Afton House. Andreas Irle has announced a paperback version as well, and there is apparently to be an e-book version.
External links
- main web site
- Foreverness Archive of VIE documents