The Eyes of the Overworld

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**Title** **The Eyes of the Overworld**
cover of first edition of The Eyes of the Overworld
Author	Jack Vance
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	Dying Earth series
Genre(s)	Fantasy novel
Publisher	Ace Books
Released	1966
Media type	Print (Paperback)
ISBN	NA
Preceded by	The Dying Earth
Followed by	Cugel's Saga

The Eyes of the Overworld is a fantasy fixup by Jack Vance published in 1966, the second in the Dying Earth series. It features a series of linked stories detailing the travails of the self-proclaimed Cugel the Clever. In the Vance Integral Edition the book is retitled Cugel the Clever.

Cugel is a classic Vance anti-hero; he is a liar, a cheat, an inveterate thief, a guiltless coward, a charlatan, selfish, greedy, vicious, and so on. With less obloquy, Vance describes him as "a man of many capabilities, with a disposition at once flexible and pertinacious. He was long of leg, deft of hand, light of finger, soft of tongue ... His darting eye, long inquisitive nose and droll mouth gave his somewhat lean and bony face an expression of vivacity, candor, and affability. He had known many vicissitudes, gaining therefrom a suppleness, a fine discretion, a mastery of both bravado and stealth."

[edit] Plot summary

a later printing

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Cugel is easily persuaded to attempt the burglary of the manse of Iucounu the Laughing Magician. Trapped and caught, in exchange for his freedom, he agrees to undertake the recovery of a small hemisphere of violet glass, an Eye of the Overworld, to match one already in the wizard's possession. A small sentient alien entity of barbs and hooks is attached to his liver to encourage his "unremitting loyalty, zeal and singleness of purpose".

Transported to an extremely remote shore, Cugel tricks his way to gaining an Eye. He then undertakes an arduous trek back to Iucounu, cursing the magician the entire way. Cugel constantly tries to take advantage of those around him, always complaining when they trick him back, curse him as he harms them, or expose his wiles. In true fantasy style, he is briefly accompanied by a number of beautiful women: true to his amoral nature, Cugel has little regard for women except for sex. He trades one, having lost her the rulership of a city, to bandits in exchange for safe passage; another he leaves to drown and does nothing to avert the destruction of her village; he causes the village of a third to be abandoned in dread. He treats men scarcely better. For example, he bribes a priest into ordering fifty pilgrims to guard his crossing of a perilous desert - fifteen survive.