History Literature / DyingEarth

* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: Unfortunately, subverted. Cugel is a repeat offender in this regard.

* CuriouslyContrivedConcidence / WeirdnessMagnet: Cugel has a startling tendency to stumble upon [[MacGuffin items that are desperately sought]] by others. The bracelet of the lords of Castle Cil, the representation of totality, and the central node of the being Sadlark are all found by Cugel by sheer dumb luck.

* ContrivedConcidence / WeirdnessMagnet: Cugel has a startling tendency to stumble upon [[MacGuffin items that are desperately sought]] by others. The bracelet of the lords of Castle Cil, the representation of totality, and the central node of the being Sadlark are all found by Cugel by sheer dumb luck.

* ArtisticLicensePhysics: If the sun were on the verge of dying out, it would have first expanded large enough to kill everything on the face of the Earth first; it would then shrink and cease giving off enough light and warmth to keep the remaining cinder from freezing.

* AnAesop: One of the stories with T'sais is definitely one, some of the other ''Dying Earth'' stories could be said to be one also. Arguably, Cugel the Clever learns that backstabbing is bad and trust is good by the end of his second book. [[AesopAmnesia It took him quite a while.]]

* BadassBookworm: The Curator, Guyal of Sfere

* TheCasanova: Rhialto the Marvellous

* GoodIsDumb: Morreion was at least much ''nicer'' when he was an eccentric old hermit with most of his memories stored in Ioun Stones
* HappyPlace: The Overworld
* {{Jerkass}}: Cugel the Clever, who was downright evil for the first book he was in.
* JerkassGenie: The sandestins in the ''Dying Earth'' stories, especially the ones that serve Rhialto the Marvellous.

* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Several examples among creatures and monsters, but the spells deserve special mention here.
** The Spell of Forlorn Encystment encases its victim forty miles below the surface of the earth and sustains them there without air, food, or water.
** Lugwiler's Dismal Itch is for lesser offenses.

* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Several examples among creatures and monsters.

* TimeTravel: Rhialto the Marvellous does this often in one of his stories, and Cugel also spends some time in the distant past.

* LaughablyEvil: Iucounu. Whether he counts as "evil" in this setting is debatable, but if you cross him your punishment will involve some sort of humorous irony... and pain.

* VillainProtagonist: Liane the Wayfarer and Cugel the Clever.

* PreMortemOneLiner: Chun the Unavoidable introduces himself to his victims, [[StopSayingThat over and over.]]

* PrepareToDie: Chun the Unavoidable announces himself to his victims with, "[[PreMortemOneLiner I am Chun the Unavoidable.]]"

* TheyKilledKenny: Liane the Wayfarer dies ''twice''.

* LostTechnology: Plenty of it, some of which is indistinguishable from magic.

* ArtisticLicensePhysics: If the sun were on the verge to dying out, it would have first expended large enough to kill everything on the face of the Earth first.

* AnAesop: One of the stories with T'sais is definitely one, some of the other ''Dying Earth'' stories could be said to be one also. Arguably, Cugel the Clever learns that backstabbing is bad and trust is good by the end of his second book.

* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: Chun the Unavoidable

* TimeTravel: Rhialto the Marvellous does this often.

* WorldHalfEmpty: Civilization's gone, monsters infest the wilderness, and the sun's gonna kill us all any day now. Let's have another bacchanal while we wait...

* ExpandedUniverse: ''Songs of the Dying Earth'', edited by no less than [[GeorgeRRMartin George R. R. Martin]]

The first book, ''The Dying Earth,'' consists of short stories about different characters (most notably Turjan of Miir and Rhialto the Marvellous). The second two books, ''The Eyes of the Overworld'' and ''Cugel's Saga,'' center on a contest of wills between Cugel [[SelfGrantedTitle the Clever]] and Iucounu [[ForTheEvulz the Laughing Magician.]] Thief, charlatan, con man, and whatever else he needs to be to get the most benefit with the least work, Cugel teeters on the border between AntiHero and VillainProtagonist. When he botches a robbery of Iucounu's mansion, the wizard teleports him across the world with a command to bring back an artifact he wants... and includes a small demon attached to his liver and equipped with various sharp implements to encourage his compliance. The series relates his various adventures attempting to return and revenge himself on Iucounu, while conning as many people as possible out of their valuables and/or virginity along the way. The fourth book, ''Rhialto the Marvelous,'' chronicles a mystery that concerns Earth's last great conclave of magicians, who turn out to be just as self-serving and underhanded as their inferiors.

The first book, ''TheDyingEarth,'' consists of short stories about different characters (most notably Turjan of Miir and Rhialto the Marvellous). The second two books, ''The Eyes of the Overworld'' and ''Cugel's Saga,'' center on a contest of wills between Cugel [[SelfGrantedTitle the Clever]] and Iucounu [[ForTheEvulz the Laughing Magician.]] Thief, charlatan, con man, and whatever else he needs to be to get the most benefit with the least work, Cugel teeters on the border between AntiHero and VillainProtagonist. When he botches a robbery of Iucounu's mansion, the wizard teleports him across the world with a command to bring back an artifact he wants... and includes a small demon attached to his liver and equipped with various sharp implements to encourage his compliance. The series relates his various adventures attempting to return and revenge himself on Iucounu, while conning as many people as possible out of their valuables and/or virginity along the way. The fourth book, ''Rhialto the Marvelous,'' chronicles a mystery that concerns Earth's last great conclave of magicians, who turn out to be just as self-serving and underhanded as their inferiors.

The original four books consist of short stories about different characters (most notably Turjan of Miir and Rhialto the Marvellous), interspersed with the longer saga of Cugel the Clever. Thief, charlatan, con man, and whatever else he needs to be to get the most benefit with the least work, Cugel teeters on the border between AntiHero and VillainProtagonist. When he botches robbing the mansion of Iucounu the Laughing Magician, the wizard teleports him across the world with a command to bring back an artifact he wants... and includes a small demon attached to his liver and equipped with various sharp implements to encourage his compliance. The series relates his various adventures attempting to return and revenge himself on Iucounu, while conning as many people as possible out of their valuables and/or virginity along the way.

* {{Casanova}}: Rhialto the Marvellous

* TedBaxter: Cugel thinks of himself as a ManOfWealthAndTaste and LovableRogue. In reality he's basically a JerkAss DirtyCoward who regularly gets OutGambitted and HoistByHisOwnPetard.

A classic series of LowFantasy novels by JackVance. Several other authors have written novels in the setting, which has become something of a SharedUniverse. It is considered one of the seminal works of fantasy and has had a huge influence on the genre.

* WickedCultured: Many things and people in the ''Dying Earth'' could be described this way, especially the Deodands and Pelgranes, man-eating monsters who enjoy conversing in the eloquent JackVance style.